2026 is an intense year for EU competitions
After years of reduced volumes, 2026 marks a strong recovery in recruitment within the European institutions. Between generalist and specialist competitions, as well as continuous registrations, there are many opportunities — but each has its own window, requirements, and dates.
This guide gathers all 2026 EPSO competitions with official references, number of vacancies, and deadlines. An important premise: competition dates may change, and competitions that have been announced but not yet published do not have definitive dates. Always check the official source before planning.
Competitions published in 2026
| Competition | Reference | Positions | Applications | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD5 Generalists | EPSO/AD/427/26 | 1,490 | 5 Feb – 10 Mar 2026 (closed) | Autumn 2026 |
| AD7 Audit | EPSO/AD/428/26 | 448 | 14 Apr – 19 May 2026 (closed) | Autumn 2026 |
| AD7 ICT | EPSO/AD/429/26 | 782 | 6 May – 10 Jun 2026 (closed) | Autumn 2026 |
| CAST Permanent | (continuous registration) | — | Always open | Periodic sessions |
AD5 — Generalist Administrators (EPSO/AD/427/26)
The benchmark competition of the year: 1,490 positions for recent graduates in any field of study. Applications were open from 5 February to 10 March 2026, with a record number of applicants. Pre-selection tests will take place remotely in autumn 2026. This is the standard entry point for those with a degree and no required experience.
AD7 Audit (EPSO/AD/428/26)
Specialist competition for 448 positions in the field of audit, at AD7 level. Applications were open from 14 April to 19 May 2026. Requires a relevant degree + experience. (The number of positions comes from sources citing the call for applications: check the official text for confirmation.)
AD7 ICT (EPSO/AD/429/26)
Specialist competition for IT experts: 782 positions across 4 fields, for which candidates apply individually:
| Field | Positions |
|---|---|
| ICT Infrastructure | 204 |
| ICT Project Management | 228 |
| Cloud and Networks | 166 |
| Data Science | 184 |
Applications were open from 6 May to 10 June 2026, with tests in autumn 2026. Requires a degree + 5-9 years of ICT experience depending on the qualification.
CAST Permanent
This is not a competition with a deadline, but a continuous registration. Profiles are sought in areas such as finance, project management, human resources, communication, law, IT, and administrative support. You register in a database and are selected in waves. Tests take place in periodic sessions throughout the year.
The major competitions are concentrated in 2026: AD5, AD7 ICT and Audit, in addition to the always open CAST.
Announced competitions (details not yet published)
EPSO has announced further procedures for 2026 on the official "Upcoming opportunities" page. For these, the profile is known, but the reference, number of vacancies, or dates are not yet available — and the indicated months may change. Two of them have since been published and are marked as open below:
- IT Experts — AD8 (EPSO/AD/430/26) (Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity) — now open: notice published on 8 September 2026, applications until 13 October 2026 at 12:00 (midday) Brussels time; 240 places in artificial intelligence and 254 in cybersecurity.
- Data management — AST 3 (EPSO/AST/158/26) — now open: notice published on 6 October 2026, applications until 11 November 2026 at 12:00 (midday) Brussels time. Three fields: data processing, analytics and statistics (423 places), librarianship and information science (243) and records and archives management (298). Guides: data and statistics · librarianship · records and archives.
- Lawyer-Linguists, Court of Justice — AD — 2026, date to be defined.
- Lawyer-Linguists, Parliament / Council / Commission — AD — 2026, date to be defined. Other profiles (IT experts in multiple fields, assistants for a parliamentary body, lawyers in multiple fields) appear in EPSO plans but are expected for 2027, not 2026.
Not confirmed for 2026: a competition dedicated to translators is planned for 2027, not 2026; currently, only lawyer-linguists are announced for 2026.
How to stay updated
EPSO competition dates are subject to change, and announced competitions may be postponed. To avoid missing deadlines:
- Create an account on eu-careers.europa.eu.
- Regularly check the "Upcoming selection procedures" and current competition pages.
- Trust only official sources for final dates: the notice in the Official Journal (EUR-Lex) and the competition page on eu-careers. Notifications regarding your competitions are sent via your candidate account.
To prepare for the biggest competition of the year, read the complete guide to the EPSO 2026 competition and find out which EPSO competition is right for you. To practice, we look forward to seeing you in the EU·Now practice section.
Dates may change: the only reliable sources are the official notice on EUR-Lex and the competition page on eu-careers.
In summary
2026 offers many entry points:
- AD5 (1,490 positions) — the benchmark generalist competition.
- AD7 ICT (782) and Audit (448) — the specialist competitions.
- CAST Permanent — registration always open.
- Now open: IT AD8 (until 13 October 2026) and AST 3 data management (until 11 November 2026); announced: lawyer-linguists — details coming soon.
Dates may change: EPSO is the only definitive source.
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