FAQ

 
Who is eligible to take a language course and what are the fees? 
 
Courses of the six UN languages (French, English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) are offered free of charge to UNOV/UNODC staff members, interns, and volunteers, as well as to UNIS tour guides only. All other participants (including consultants, individual contractors, etc. of UNOV/UNODC and participants of other VBOs, Staff members of Permanent Missions and Embassies, adult dependents, retirees) must be holders of valid UN grounds passes (LODU cannot provide access to the VIC) and are required to pay the course fees, as outlined below. 
 
  • Internal participants: Fixed-term staff members as well as interns of the United Nations Office at Vienna and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOV/UNODC), UN Volunteers and UNIS Tour Guides have free access to classes of the six official UN languages (French, English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) – see above. 
  • For German, all participants are required to pay the full course fees of €350for classes or €175for workshops. 
  • External participants: Consultants, individual contractors of UNOV/UNODC as well as all personnel of other Vienna-based organizations (VBOs), staff members of Permanent Missions and Embassies, adult dependents, and retirees are requested to pay for the language courses. For all six official UN languages (French, English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) as well as for German, the course fees are €290 for classes or €120 for workshops, respectively. 
  • All external learners (Non-UNOV/UNODC staff) should create INSPIRA accounts and access courses using elearning.un.org. 
  
UN official language (French, English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) 
  • Regular courses: €290 
  • Workshops: €120 
  • There is a repeating fee for those who dropped out of a course and would like to retake it. For UN official languages, UNOV/UNODC staff members must pay a fee of €145 and all other personnel (including staff and consultants from other organizations, interns, and consultants) must repeat the fee of €290.
  • The repeating fee for German is €290 for all personnel. This includes UNOV/UNODC staff members as well.
 
German 
ALL participants are required to pay the full course fees of €290. However, only UNOV/UNODC staff are eligible for a 50% refund after successful completion of the course. 
If you are UNOV/UNODC  staff member, please provide your certificate of completion at the end of the semester by sending it to unov-unodc.languageprogramme@un.org. 
Please note that without a certificate, we will not be able to proceed with the refund. Refund requests submitted after the deadline can not be taken into consideration. 
German learners outside UNOV/UNODC, eg. from IAEA, CTBTO, UNIDO, or permanent missions, are not eligible for the 50% refund.  
  
 
Courses
Our courses and teaching methodology consider the needs of staff in United Nations organisations, other international organisations, and permanent missions. 
Course hours aspire to best accommodate different time zones. 
Note that you must be a staff member status until THE END of the language course. 
 
How do I enrol? 
The enrolment into the UN Language Programme takes place via Inspira. Click Here to get a clear guide on how to successfully do so. 
After receiving a confirmation e-mail for the registration, you will have a 5-DAY period to submit payment and deliver a proof of payment via Inspira or e-mail to unov-unodc.languageprogramme@un.org. 
Please note that course fees (if applicable) are NON-REFUNDABLE. 
 
For which level should I register? 
Courses are offered on different levels. Please look at the Curricula provided for each language to determine which level suits your skills. An entry test might be required to assess students' skills.
 
Depending on the language, courses are or will be organised according to the UN Language Framework consisting of the following levels:
  • UN I – Basic Competence 
  • UN II – Intermediate Competence 
  • UN III – Advanced Competence 
  • UN IV – Expert Competence 
 
Please feel free to come and meet our teachers during our marketing week at the information desk in the Rotunda and Cafeteria to ask any questions you may have or contact our team who will redirect you to the appropriate teacher. 
 
How do I pay? 
Please follow the provided guide on how to enrol and – if applicable – pay for the language courses. 
The payment details are included in the semester brochure. 
Please send the proof of payment to unov-unodc.languageprogramme@un.org.
In case you have any queries, please contact us via the e-mail provided above. 
 
Where do the classes take place? 
The administrative office and most of the teaching rooms are located in the vicinity of the Learning and Organisational Development Unit, online. You will receive more details before the classes start. 
 
Why does the course I registered for not take place? 
Courses can only be held with a certain minimum number of participants. Thus, should a course not receive sufficient registrations, the Language Programme will not be able to open it during this semester.