Internship Agreement Template (2026): Paid & Unpaid Interns

A founder takes on a summer intern with a handshake and the line "you'll get great experience." Six weeks later the intern is answering customer emails full time, and neither side can say whether this is a paid job, a learning program, or a volunteer role. In some countries that confusion can turn into a claim for unpaid wages.

An internship agreement is a written contract between an organization and an intern that sets the role, hours, pay (or the lack of it), learning goals, supervision, confidentiality, and end date. This guide gives you a template for paid and unpaid internships, explains the U.S. and UK pay rules in plain terms, and walks through a filled example. Short on time? Jump to the template.

Paid or Unpaid? Check the Rules First

Whether an internship can be unpaid is not a matter of preference, and writing "unpaid" in the agreement does not make it lawful. The rules depend on where you operate and what the intern actually does.

United States. For for-profit employers, courts use the "primary beneficiary test" to decide whether an intern is an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The U.S. Department of Labor lists seven factors in its Fact Sheet #71:

1. Both sides clearly understand there is no expectation of pay. Any promise of pay, express or implied, suggests an employee.
2. The internship gives training similar to what an educational environment would give.
3. It is tied to the intern's formal education through coursework or academic credit.
4. It fits around the intern's academic commitments.
5. Its length is limited to the period in which it gives the intern real learning.
6. The intern's work complements, rather than replaces, the work of paid employees, while giving significant educational benefit.
7. Both sides understand the internship does not entitle the intern to a paid job at the end.

The test is flexible and no single factor decides it. If the intern is an employee, minimum wage and overtime apply. The Department of Labor also notes that unpaid internships at public-sector and nonprofit charitable organizations, where the person volunteers without expecting pay, are generally permissible. Some states apply their own, sometimes stricter, rules.

Intern Pay Rules in the UK and Elsewhere

United Kingdom. GOV.UK explains that an intern's rights depend on their status. An intern who is a worker is normally due the National Minimum Wage, and an employer cannot avoid that by stating that the minimum wage does not apply or by signing a document that says the person is a volunteer. An intern promised a contract of future work counts as a worker. The exceptions are narrow: students required to do an internship of less than one year as part of a UK-based further or higher education course, school work experience for pupils of compulsory school age, certain voluntary work for charities and similar bodies, and work shadowing where no work is carried out.

Elsewhere. Other countries have their own rules on intern pay, training agreements, and visas. If you hire in another country, check local employment law first.

When in doubt, pay. Many employers choose to pay interns at least the minimum wage because it removes the classification risk and widens the pool of candidates.

What Should an Internship Agreement Include?

• Position and supervision. The title, the team, and a named supervisor.
• Dates and hours. Start and end dates, weekly hours, schedule, and location or remote arrangements.
• Pay. Hourly rate or stipend and the pay schedule, or a clear statement that the role is unpaid and the basis for that, such as academic credit.
• Learning goals and duties. What the intern will learn and the activities that serve those goals.
• Policies and conduct. Workplace policies the intern must follow, with copies provided.
• Confidentiality. Protection for business and customer information.
• Work product and IP. Who owns what the intern creates, and whether the intern may use work samples in a portfolio.
• No guarantee of employment. A plain statement that the internship does not promise a job.
• School coordination. Forms, hours, and evaluations if credit is involved.
• Insurance and safety. Coverage that applies, and how to report an injury.
• Ending the internship. Notice, immediate termination for serious misconduct, and return of property.

Internship Agreement vs. Offer Letter vs. Employment Contract

An internship offer letter is a short invitation that states the title, dates, pay, and start date. An internship agreement adds the terms an offer letter usually leaves out: learning goals, confidentiality, ownership of work, school coordination, and how the internship ends. A full employment contract is for employees and covers benefits, notice, and other rights that do not usually fit a short placement.

In the United States, paid interns are generally treated as employees for payroll tax purposes, so expect to collect the same payroll forms you use for other staff. The comparison of an employment contract and an offer letter explains where the lines fall, and the employee offer letter template works as a starting point for a paid role.

Internship Agreement Template

Copy the text below and replace each bracketed field. In Section 3 choose Option A (paid) or Option B (unpaid), and in Section 7 choose the version that fits.

INTERNSHIP AGREEMENT

This Agreement is made on [date] between:

Organization: [legal name, address]
Intern: [full name, address]
[If the intern is under 18: Parent or guardian: [name]]

1. POSITION AND SUPERVISION
The Organization offers the Intern an internship as [title] in the
[department]. The Intern will report to [supervisor name and title],
who will provide guidance and regular feedback.

2. DATES AND HOURS
The internship runs from [start date] to [end date]. The Intern will
work about [number] hours per week, scheduled [days and hours], at
[location / remotely / hybrid]. The Intern will not be required to
work more than [number] hours in any week.

3. PAY
[Option A - Paid: The Organization will pay the Intern [rate] per
hour [or a stipend of amount per period], paid [weekly / every two
weeks], less deductions required by law. The Intern will record
hours worked and submit them by [day].]
[Option B - Unpaid: This internship is unpaid. It is an educational
program for which the Intern will receive [academic credit from
school name / the training described in Section 4]. The
Organization will review this arrangement if the Intern's duties or
hours change.]

4. LEARNING GOALS AND DUTIES
The internship is designed to give the Intern experience in [field].
The Intern's learning goals are: [goal 1; goal 2; goal 3]. Typical
activities include: [list]. The Intern will not be used to replace a
paid employee. The Supervisor will hold [weekly] check-ins to review
progress and will complete a written evaluation at the end of the
internship.

5. POLICIES AND CONDUCT
The Intern will follow the Organization's workplace policies,
including [conduct, anti-harassment, health and safety, acceptable
use of technology], copies of which have been provided.

6. CONFIDENTIALITY
The Intern will keep confidential all non-public information about
the Organization, its customers, and its business, and will use it
only for the internship. This duty continues after the internship
ends.

7. WORK PRODUCT AND IP
[Paid version: Materials the Intern creates for the Organization as
part of the internship belong to the Organization, and the Intern
assigns any rights needed to confirm this. With the Organization's
written approval, the Intern may keep a copy of non-confidential
work samples for a personal portfolio.]
[Unpaid or school-based version: Ownership of materials is as
follows: [state terms, consistent with school policy and applicable
law].]

8. NO GUARANTEE OF EMPLOYMENT
This internship does not promise a job. [If the Organization offers
the Intern a position later, it will be under a separate
agreement.]

9. SCHOOL COORDINATION (IF APPLICABLE)
The Organization will complete [school] forms, confirm hours worked,
and give an evaluation as the school requires.

10. INSURANCE AND SAFETY
[State what insurance or workers' compensation coverage applies to
the Intern, as required by law.] The Intern will report any injury
or safety concern to the Supervisor immediately.

11. TERMINATION
Either party may end the internship early by giving [number] days'
notice. The Organization may end it immediately for serious
misconduct. [Paid: The Organization will pay for hours worked
through the end date.] The Intern will return all property and
access credentials.

12. GENERAL
This Agreement is the entire agreement about the internship.
Changes must be in writing and signed by both parties. This
Agreement is governed by the laws of [jurisdiction].

SIGNATURES
Organization: [name, title, signature, date]
Intern: [name, signature, date]
[Parent or guardian, if applicable: [name, signature, date]]

A drafting note: use Option B only after confirming with an employment adviser that an unpaid internship is lawful where you operate and that the duties and hours match the rules described above. Delete the Section 9 and parent or guardian lines if they do not apply.

Filled Example (Fictional)

This example is for illustration only. A 15-person software company hires a paid summer marketing intern.

Field	Example entry
Role	Marketing intern, reporting to the Content Lead
Dates	June 1 to August 21 (12 weeks)
Hours	20 per week, four days, hybrid
Pay	$18 per hour, paid every two weeks, about $360 a week
Total pay	12 weeks x 20 hours x $18 = $4,320
Learning goals	Write four blog posts with editing feedback, run one email campaign, present the results to the team in week 12
Duties	Draft content, schedule social posts, summarize campaign results; not responsible for customer support
Supervision	30-minute weekly check-in, written evaluation in week 12
Work product	The company owns what the intern creates; the intern may show two published pieces in a portfolio
After the internship	No job guarantee; the intern is welcome to apply for open roles

The learning goals and the weekly check-in turn a vague "experience" into a program with a start, a middle, and an end. The pay line also states the total, so everyone can see what the budget covers.

How to Make the Internship Worth It

An internship that is structured is better for the intern, and it also supports the educational purpose that unpaid arrangements depend on. A simple structure works:

• Week 1: introductions, tools, policies, and an agreed list of learning goals
• Weeks 2 to 3: a small, real task with a clear owner and a deadline
• Midpoint: a 20-minute review of progress against the goals
• Final weeks: one finished project the intern can present
• Last day: a written evaluation, a conversation about next steps, and a reference if earned

Common Mistakes

• Writing "unpaid" without checking the rules. The label does not decide the question. The facts do.
• Using interns to do the work of staff. An intern who replaces a paid employee looks like an employee.
• Hinting at a job. In the UK, a promise of future work can make the intern a worker. In the U.S., entitlement to a paid job is one of the factors.
• No end date. Open-ended internships drift into jobs.
• Skipping confidentiality and IP terms. Interns see real information and create real work.
• No supervisor and no feedback. This is the fastest way to lose the educational value.
• Ignoring school paperwork. If credit is involved, missing forms can cost the student the credit.
• Overlooking rules for minors. Working hours, permits, and parental consent can apply.
• Not tracking hours for a paid intern. Timesheets protect both sides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have an unpaid intern?

Sometimes, but not simply because the agreement says so. In the U.S., a for-profit employer has to be able to show that the intern is the primary beneficiary of the arrangement. In the UK, an intern who is a worker is due the National Minimum Wage, with narrow exceptions such as required student placements under one year. Nonprofit and public-sector volunteer arrangements follow different rules. If you are unsure, pay the intern or get advice first.

Do interns need to sign an NDA or an IP assignment?

Usually yes if they will see confidential information or create work for you. Keep the terms proportionate, and for students check the school's policy on ownership of work. The confidentiality agreement template and the IP assignment guide cover the details.

Can either side end an internship early?

The template allows either party to end it with short notice, and the organization can end it immediately for serious misconduct. Rules on dismissal and notice vary by country and state, so confirm what applies to you.

What if the intern is under 18?

Rules on working hours, permits, and parental consent may apply. Get a parent or guardian signature where required and check local child labor rules before the start date.

Do remote interns need a different agreement?

The same agreement works. Add details on hours, equipment, data security, and how supervision will happen. The intern's location can also change which rules apply.

Can we sign electronically?

In many places, including the United States under the federal E-SIGN Act, a signature generally cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic, though some documents have special requirements. Our e-signature legal guide explains the basics.

Next Steps

Decide first whether the internship is paid, and confirm the rules for your location. Then fill in the template, write three learning goals, name a supervisor, and have both sides sign before the first day. For related documents, see the employment agreement template for small business, the employee handbook template, the remote work policy template, the UK employment contract template, and the employee offboarding checklist.

To draft an agreement fitted to your role and location, the AI employment contract generator can start from a short description, and the e-signature tool records who signed and when.

This sample is general information, not legal advice. Minimum wage, internship, child labor, tax, and immigration rules vary by country and state, and they change; have a qualified employment attorney review the template before you use it.