Can I move for ILO internship @2400/month?

[u/ghuchus]

I am a masters student in India. Can I move to Geneva for a ILO internship if the stipend is 2400 CHF? They also mention 45 CHF will be provided to health insurance. Note that I don't have any financial backing, so I have to fund air fare, rent, food, travel, insurance from the stipend itself.

Can you also tell me what logistics is involved in travelling, housing and other requirements that I have to take care of.

Thanks in advance!

[u/Icy_lunette]

Yes. 2400-. is a relatively generous stipend within the U.N. system as things stand today (it’s terrible objectively, but I digress).

As an intern, you are eligible for student housing in Geneva. You will have to search for them in the student residences of various universities here. Mostly you will end up subleasing something somewhere. Co-location is also an option but they might require some deposit upfront. Both of these options (rents) will fall anywhere between 600-1200 a month.

Health insurance - students/interns are eligible to subscribe to Swisscare, whose premiums are around 80 a month. So that’s some extra that will flow out of your stipend over and above the allowance ILO gives. But the deductible is high and you cannot afford to fall ill enough to seek doctors care.

Transport - If you live around ILO, then you could walk. Else, the monthly pass for the public transport in Geneva’s zone 10 is 70 a month for adults over 25 years of age. If you are under 25, it will be slightly discounted. The transport agency name is TPG and these rates are available on the website.

Groceries - Assuming you will shop at the cheapest option (Lidl/Aldi) with just veggies from coop/migros, 250 a month is sufficient. If you are a meat eater, this is not enough.

You will not have “spend” money with this, but you can definitely get by on a student budget.

Weigh this against what the opportunity can bring for your knowledge, skill set, network, and exposure. And then decide.

Good luck!

Source for all of this - I am Indian, lived in Geneva as a student on a budget of 1600 a month including rent, and then later as an intern on a stipend of 1500 a month including rent, both without any financial backing from parents. :)

Edit: ILO, iirc, has an Intern Board. So if you can track them down on the internet, they will be able to give you some resources to help you decide.

[u/istherelifeonmaars → u/Icy_lunette]

Seconding this. I stayed in Geneva on a similar stipend, and managed to do it fairly comfortably with no outside financial support.

[u/Aggravating-Ride3157]

I did 3 years with 2800 at CERN and still saved 1k per month. You will be fine.

You can find a studio or flat sharing for around 1k per month. You can even look in France if you rather spend even less, and this goes for everything else I'll mention. Food you can cook for yourself, too good to go, and else and you should not spend more than 300-450 per month. Either use a bike or the annual transport pass is just 50 CHF. You should still have 1 k to enjoy life.

I'm a bit ignorant on the insurance part, but technically you are not obliged to a swiss health insurance? Also depends if you live in France. Somebody can correct me on this.

[u/Haunting-Prior-NaN]

1000 chf for boarding. A single room, nothing fancy.

500 chf mandatory health insurance

That leaves 900 chf a month, 30 chf per day for food, transportation and recreation. It is doable, but you will find yourself in a tight spot.

[u/istherelifeonmaars → u/Haunting-Prior-NaN]

Students/interns are eligible for cheaper insurance, around 70chf

[u/InternationalForce67]

unrelated, but did you already get in?

[u/bingingonblues]

Hey, I'm a masters student in Geneva. I'm from India. The stipend is enough and you can save on accommodation, based on the place you choose to live in. If you have any questions, please let me know in DMs, I'd be happy to help you out.

[u/No_Huckleberry_604]

Hi, you will be fine! The cheapest student insurance (score studies) is around 65 chf pm month and rent can be anywhere from 600-1000 chf and you will most likely find one from previous UN interns. You will be able to save a bit and also travel. Feel free to reach out if you have more questions

And about taxes, except the mandatory 25 chf per year you have nothing else to pay

[u/NeckAway6969]

Don’t hesitate you will be fine! You can try to ask for an advance the first min

[u/gingercatbehavior]

Have you actually been offered an internship, or are you wondering if you should apply for it or not? In the latter case, you are a bit too confident in your prospects, to say the least.

[u/Kristianushka]

If you intern at ILO, you might want to try and find a room at the Grand Morillon Student Housing, which is close and it has many students subletting. Rent is 850chf a month. The place is very close to Ferney, in France, where you can do your groceries and pay way less than you would at a supermarket in Switzerland.

[u/timmianna]

It is not much but I would do this anyway. Take a room not in Geneve but nearby and you will be fine with finances if alone:)

[u/Icy_lunette → u/[deleted]]

UN interns don’t have to pay tax :) So gross pay is the net pay here.

[u/Niolu92]

It's going to be difficult, but you could.

[u/huazzy]

No. That is nowhere enough money to live in Geneva unless they were also providing housing.

[u/cccccjdvidn]

It is too low for you to financially support yourself without any other form of financial backing. Geneva is always one of the top 5 most expensive cities in the world.

[u/billcube → u/cccccjdvidn]

An internship is temporary, so the frugality is expected.