FCDO Overseas Recruitment Board: additional documentation
Additional documentation for candidates applying for jobs on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) Overseas Recruitment Board.
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The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) run central Overseas Recruitment Boards appoint staff to roles overseas. All roles are advertised on Civil Service Jobs.
You must fully research the job, the embassy, high commission or consulate, and the country before you apply. You should only apply for roles that you are willing to take up. If you withdraw from a role after being appointed this will affect your ability to apply for other FCDO overseas roles in the future.
When applying for jobs on the Overseas Recruitment Board, you must submit a completed Candidate Preference Form (CPF) to list all jobs you are applying for in order of preference. You must submit a CPF even if you apply for only 1 role. The FCDO’s HR Team will use it to inform recommendations if you are being considered for several roles, but will not share it with hiring managers. An example CPF is provided on this page.
Read the information on working for the FCDO on loan for details on joining the FCDO on loan from elsewhere within government.
Due to the high volume of jobs advertised on each Overseas Recruitment Board, results will be published at least 8 weeks after the application deadline.
Overseas Recruitment Board 7: 2023
Recruiting jobs to start between September 2024 and February 2025.
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Jobs go live on Civil Service Jobs | 4 September 2023 |
| Applications close | 24 September 2023 |
| Sifts and interviews | 25 September to 19 October 2023 |
| Appointment panels meet | End October 2023 |
| Appointments announced by | 3 November 2023 |
Overseas Recruitment Board 8: 2024
Recruiting jobs to start between March 2025 and August 2025.
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Jobs go live on Civil Service Jobs | 5 February 2024 |
| Applications close | 25 February 2024 |
| Sifts and interviews | 26 February to 21 March 2024 |
| Appointment panels meet | Early April 2024 |
| Appointments announced by | 8 April 2024 |
Updates to this page
Published 19 February 2021Last updated 9 August 2023 + show all updates
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Dates added for Overseas Recruitment Boards 7 and 8. Example candidate preference form added.
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Guidance updated with the dates for Overseas Recruitment Board 6 and an example of a candidate preference form.
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Updated to explain how roles will be advertised on Civil Service Jobs.
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First published.