Would you like to combine studying with spending time abroad? Besides studying abroad, there are various ways to spend time in another country – such as internships, language courses, writing your dissertation, subject-specific courses and study trips. Read more about your options here and find the right scholarship form for you.

enlarge the image: Student Natascha stands on a high mountain in South Africa, photographed from a great distance, with Gebrige in the background.
Student Natascha in South Africa during her veterinary internship. Photo: Natascha Rüping

Discover new job prospects, forge international work contacts and enhance your professional and language skills!
Internships are already part of some degree programmes. You can take a leave semester for a voluntary internship. There is all sorts of funding available for internships abroad: Erasmus+, PROMOS and other scholarships.

It is often possible to organise an internship abroad faster than studying in another country. Nevertheless, make sure you seek advice from the International Centre well in advance!

Erasmus+ traineeship in Europe

  • Erasmus+ funds voluntary and mandatory traineeships abroad.
  • You can receive Erasmus+ funding several times in each study cycle (bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral studies) and in any degree programme.
  • Participation in the Erasmus+ programme is possible regardless of your nationality.
  • You choose the traineeship period yourself.
  • The Erasmus+ mobility quota for each student comprises 12 funding months per study cycle (bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral studies), in state examination and diploma programmes it's a maximum of 24 months of funding. In your mobility quota multiple study stays abroad can be funded.
  • Traineeship stays abroad can also be funded within 12 months of completing your studies.
  • You are enrolled at our university for a degree or doctorate.
  • You have successfully organised a traineeship at an organisation in one of the 27 EU states or in another possible European non-EU state (see “Funding – Funding by destination country” further down this page).
  • Your traineeship lasts at least 2 calendar months and a maximum of 12 funding months (360 days).
  • You work full-time during your internship (full-time is understood according to the typical working hours in the country of the receiving organisation).

Traineeships at EU institutions and institutions that conduct EU programmes are ineligible for Erasmus+ funding. There are alternative funding programmes for traineeships at these institutions – for example, the DAAD’s short-term scholarships.
Traineeships that only involve general services to clients, order processing, data entry or only office work are also ineligible for funding.

You will receive Erasmus+ status for the entire duration of the internship if the funding is approved. Our university has a limited total budget for Erasmus+ funding. Therefore, you will receive fixed monthly funding rates depending on the destination country and duration of your stay.

  • Funding according to destination country

Country groupFunding
Country group 1:
Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland (Exception: via the Swiss-European Mobility Programme/ SEMP. Erasmus+ status, i.e. Zero Grant, is possible for all degree programmes.), United Kingdom (Exception: only for compulsory internships that must be completed in an English-speaking country. Erasmus+ status, i.e. Zero Grant, is possible for all degree programmes.)
€750/month
Country group 2:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Vatican City State
€690/month

Country group 3:

Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey

€640/month
  • Funding according to duration

Funding for internships ending before 31 July 2024

Duration of stayPossible number of months of funding
2 to 3.5 calendar months2
more than 3.5 to 4.5 calendar months3
more than 4.5 to 5.5 calendar months4
more than 5.5 to 12 calendar months5

 

Funding for internships ending after 1 August 2024

A full month consists of 30 funding days. Your stay can therefore begin and end in the middle of a month

Duration of stayPossible number of months of funding
2 to less than 3 calendar months2
3 to less than 4 calendar months3
4 to less than 5 calendar months4
5 to 12 calendar months5

30 funding days always count as a full month and therefore equal one monthly funding rate, regardless of the calendar month. Your stay can therefore also begin and end in the middle of a calendar month.

Students receiving Erasmus+ financial support can apply for the following top-up amounts.

This requires a Declaration of Honour regarding the reason for the top-up amount. This declaration is submitted with your signed registration for the study stay abroad. You must provide evidence of the reasons you need the top-up and keep this evidence for 6 years after the end of your stay and present it to the International Centre. Top-up amounts cannot be applied for retroactively.

No top-up amounts are available for Erasmus+ exchanges with just the Erasmus+ status, such as “zero grant”.

You can find information about your funding via the document “special conditions” (see download section on the right) and the Erasmus+ Grant Agreement. This contains the detailed funding conditions and the Grant Notification on the total amount of financial support, including any top-up amounts.

Green travel top-up amount

If you use low-emission forms of transport (bus and/or train) for more than 50 percent of your round trip, you are eligible for a one-time top-up amount of €50. If the “green” journey takes longer than one day each for arrival or departure, you can also apply for financial support for a maximum of 4 additional travel days (calculated according to your monthly funding rate). You must provide the following evidence:

  • Tickets or invoices clearly showing your name, the date and the means of transport and that you travelled on each day and reached your final destination. Overnight stays and stopovers are possible.

If your trip is interrupted for a longer period (‘city tour’, days without travel), you can apply for the one-time top-up, but no additional travel day rates. You must provide the following evidence:

  • Ticket or invoices with your name and date showing the use of a low-emission means of transport for the round trip.

Top-up amount for those with fewer opportunities in long-term or short-term mobility

This top-up amount is aimed at those with fewer opportunities in long-term or short-term mobility so that they can participate in a study stay abroad. If approved, you will receive financial support of €250 per month if one of the following reasons applies:

  • Disability or chronic health problems
    You have a degree of disability of 20 or more or a chronic illness (see the list provided by the Robert-Koch-Institute), which means that you will have additional financial costs to cover abroad. You must provide the following evidence:

    • Disability: disability card or notice from the state social welfare office
    • Chronic health problems: medical certificate confirming that additional financial costs will be incurred abroad because of chronic health problems

    Alternatively, an application for real cost compensation can be submitted to the NA DAAD (document only available in German).

  • Study stay abroad with own child(ren)
    Your own child(ren) will be accompanying you on your study stay abroad. Double funding for a child is excluded if both parents take part in the study stay abroad. If there are two or more children, each parent can receive a top-up amount. You must provide the following evidence:

    • Birth certificate and travel documents for child/children’s round trip
    • If applicable, confirmation of being registered at a child care or educational institution
    • If applicable, confirmation of joint accommodation abroad through a tenancy agreement

    Alternatively, an application for real cost compensation can be submitted to the NA DAAD (document only available in German).

  • Employment of students
    A student’s previous employment of at least six continuous months must be terminated or paused due to their study stay abroad. The end of employment must be no earlier than 3 months before the start of the internship. Monthly net earnings must be between €450 and €850. In the case of several sources of income, the average per month applies. Exclusions: professional self-employment or a grant received during the study stay abroad (not Bafög support) or a traineeship allowance of €300 or more per month. You must provide the following evidence:
    • Pay slips or tax return
  • First generation in the family to access higher education
    Parents or caregivers do not hold a degree in Germany that is considered academic (a list can be found from the Higher Education Compass and the German Accreditation Council). Qualifications obtained abroad are considered non-academic in the country concerned. If the qualification was gained in a country that has changed to another form of government, the date of the qualification is used for the evaluation.
    If you want caregivers other than your parents to be taken into consideration, they should have had a continuous relationship with you for several years up to the start of your academic education. If only one parent or caregiver is available or familiar with you, then only this one person will be considered for the verification.
    Exceptions are study stays abroad during which you receive a grant (not Bafög support) or a traineeship allowance of €300 or more per month.
    You must provide the following evidence:
    • Declaration of Honour from the parent(s) or caregiver(s), which states their highest level of qualifications

The deadline for applying for Erasmus+ funding is three months before you plan to start your traineeship. To do so, you need take the following steps:

  1. Log onto the online registration with your university login.
  2. Complete the online registration form thoroughly, especially if you are applying for special funding. Your details are the basis of your funding.
  3. Upload any certificate(s) of enrolment for the complete relevant traineeship period directly or submit them later by email, if necessary.
  4. Fill out the traineeship agreement digitally. Sign it and have the person responsible for your subject and the traineeship organisation sign it as well. Please upload the complete and signed traineeship agreement as a PDF document directly or submit it later by email, if necessary.
  5. Submit your registration. 
  6. You will then receive a summary of your registration as a PDF document. Print it, check your details and sign it as confirmation.
  7. Please submit the printed and signed document to the International Centre.
  8. Your submitted registration will be checked at the International Centre. You will then receive an email with a password-protected link to online storage. There you will receive your Erasmus+ Grant Agreement, including the Grant Notification regarding your provisional Erasmus+ financial support.
  9. Please read the Erasmus+ funding conditions carefully before signing the agreement. You agree to these conditions by signing the Grant Agreement. Please hand in the signed original of the Erasmus+ Grant Agreement to the International Centre before the start of the internship.

Please submit your documents to the International Centre:

  • by mail to: International Centre, Goethestraße 3 – 5, 04109 Leipzig
  • by drop-off: Deadline letterbox, Goethestraße 6, 04109 Leipzig

You are not currently obliged to take an online language test via the Online Language Support (OLS) programme. However, we recommend doing so. Find out more at EU Academy.

If you are a native speaker or the required language is not offered by the OLS system, you are not required to participate. The OLS test is not a valid language certificate.

Please have your traineeship organisation confirm the start of your traineeship. This should be done informally by email (including name, exact start date, details of physical/virtual mobility) within four weeks of the official start of the traineeship.

 If you would like to shorten or extend your traineeship, please inform the International Centre immediately via email (no later than 30 days before the initially agreed end).

  • If your traineeship is shortened, you may have to pay back part of your Erasmus+ financial support. If your stay is shorter than the minimum duration of two months, you will have to pay back the full amount received
  • You may be able to extend your stay if you still have funding months in your Erasmus+ monthly quota and the end of your traineeship is before 31 July 2024

You must notify us of any extension of the traineeship of less than one month by e--mail. Extensions of more than one month must be applied for with an amendment agreement to the original traineeship agreement. Depending on the change, further documents may have to be submitted or amended if necessary. You will be informed about this separately.

You can use this Erasmus+ option for a full traineeship stay in a time frame of 12 months directly after completing your degree (the date of issue of your diploma applies) and only if you have not yet used up all of your Erasmus+ mobility quota. The deadline for the application documents is 3 months before the start of the internship.

If your traineeship is more than three months away and you do not yet have an traineeship agreement, you must declare your intention to do an internship before you are removed from the student register. Otherwise the option of Erasmus+ funding for the graduate internship is ruled out. 

We need the following from you before you complete your studies:

We need the following from you after you complete your studies:

  • The certificate showing that you have been removed from the student register
  • Certificate of successful completion of your studies (e. g. copy of certificate)

A traineeship abroad at organisations in the United Kingdom is still possible with Erasmus+ funding. It is possible to be awarded Erasmus+ status, i. e. zero grant, in all degree programmes. However, a limited budget is available to our university. Which is why only compulsory traineeships that have to be completed in English-speaking countries can be financially supported. In addition to the independent organisation of the traineeship, further requirements for the United Kingdom must be taken into account.

Further information on the DAAD website (in German)

The following documents are required to complete your Erasmus+ traineeship:

  • Traineeship certificate
    Have the traineeship certificate filled out by your organisation and submit the confirmation to the International Centre by email no later than four weeks after your traineeship has ended. The document may be issued on the last day of the traineeship at the earliest
  • Erasmus+ participation report (EU Survey)
    At the end of your stay, you will receive a link by email from the EU Corporate Notification System (check your spam folder if necessary). Please complete the questionnaire as soon as you receive the email

PROMOS Internships Worldwide

PROMOS is a scholarship programme funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) that provides financial support for stays abroad that cannot be supported through other scholarship programmes. PROMOS scholarships are given on a merit basis according to the funding available. 

In addition to internships worldwide, the programme can also provide funding for study stays, final theses and study trips abroad.

Requirements

You are eligible to apply for a PROMOS-Scholarship when you are enrolled as a degree-seeking student at our university:

  • bachelor’s programme: starting in the third semester of study
  • master’s programme: starting in the first semester of study with at least one on-campus semester at Leipzig University if you are in an international master’s programme
  • doctoral researchers cannot receive funding in this programme. 

Your planned internship:

  • will last at least two months and you will work full-time,
  • will be paid with a maximum of €500 (proof must be provided),
  • cannot be financially supported in the Erasmus+ or DAAD programmes (see “Alternative Scholarships for Internships Abroad” farther down on this page),
  • is not financially supported by other public funding organisations (e. g. scholarship programmes and foundations) other than BAföG (German Federal Training Assistance Act) or the Deutschlandstipendium.

Students who are citizens of other countries cannot receive financial support for stays in their country of origin.

Funding

The funding amounts depend on the destination country. The scholarship is made up of monthly instalments and a travel allowance. Your tuition fees will not be paid. 

PROMOS support is limited to one stay abroad each year and a total of six months per study cycle. The maximum funding duration per stay is four months. The PROMOS scholarship is tied to calendar years. If your stay abroad will extend into the next calendar year, then support is only possible until 28 February.

Together with the International Centre, students with a degree of disability (Grad der Behinderung) of at least 50 or with a chronic illness can submit a request for additional funds to the DAAD. These top-up amounts are paid in addition to the regular funding amounts. Please contact the PROMOS project coordinator by email at an early point in time for more information and to submit the request.

There are two application periods each year for the PROMOS scholarships:

  • for stays that start between January and June:
    1 November–1 December of the previous year
  • for stays that start between July and December:
    1 May–1 June

Applications for a PROMOS scholarship cannot be accepted if they are submitted outside of these application periods.

To apply, register in the portal for stays abroad with your university login and select the form “PROMOS Application”. Fill out the online application carefully and upload the following documents as a PDF file:

  • CV in table format
  • Certificate(s) of enrolment from Leipzig University for the entire period of your stay abroad (without the master data sheet and BAföG certificate)
    If you do not yet have the certificate of enrolment for the following semester, then please first submit your certificate of enrolment for the current starting semester.  
  • Transcript of records 
    You can obtain a transcript of records from the Examination Office. You can also submit a print-out of the transcript of records from AlmaWeb if your work to date is all included.  If you are already in a master’s programme, please also upload a copy of your bachelor’s degree certificate including an overview of your marks.
  • Describing your plan for the stay abroad 
    On a maximum of two pages, describe in German (international students can submit the description in English) why you are carrying out an internship abroad and the organisation you have chosen. Also include the content and scope of the work you will do.
  • Language certificate for the working language/country's language 
    If the working language is only German and no additional foreign language proficiency is necessary, then still please submit a language certificate for English. You do not need to submit proof of proficiency in your native language. Depending on the situation, there are various ways to show proof of your language proficiency:
    • You can complete a central standardised language test. The tests take place regularly in the Language Center.
    • If you are currently taking a language course at the Language Center, you can have your current language level confirmed by the Language Center using the language certificate form.
    • If you are studying in the language of instruction, you can have your lecturer in the subject confirm your current level of language proficiency on the language certificate form.
    • If you already have documentation of your language proficiency level (e.g. with courses, study stays abroad or your Abitur) that was issued no more than two years ago, then you can submit this to the Language Center to have it transferred to the language certificate form. Only proof recognised by the Language Center will be accepted.
    • If you have completed a standard test that was sat no more than two years ago, you can submit this as a language certificate.
  • Proof of contact with the internship organisation/internship contract with information about the location, type and scope of work, duration of the internship and remuneration for the internship as well as contact details for the internship organisation.

We will send you a personal confirmation message after we have checked to make sure your application is complete.

Review of Your Application and Nomination

Your complete application will be read by two reviewers from your discipline or a related field. The following selection criteria and weighting will be used:

  • academic achievements (40%)
  • personal aptitude, extracurricular qualifications and other activities (10%)
  • how meaningful the planned stay abroad is in relation to your studies thus far (30%)
  • language skills necessary to carry out the stay abroad (20%)

Starting around six weeks after the application deadline, emails will be sent out stating the results of the application process.

Alternative Scholarships for Internships Abroad

Besides Erasmus+ and PROMOS, there are numerous alternative scholarships for internships abroad that you can apply for. Take a look!

  • AIESEC
    Global volunteering projects
  • ASA
    for working and studying in Africa, Latin America, Asia and South Eastern Europe
  • DAAD
    Carlo Schmid Programme: Internships in international organisations
    Programmes for short-term scholarships and travel expense grants
  • DFJW (Franco-German Youth Office)
    Scholarships for study-related internships in France
  • DPJW (German-Polish Youth Office)
    Scholarships for internships in Poland
  • German Academic Scholarship Foundation
    Scholarships for internships in China

Finding the Right Internship

enlarge the image: Internship portals are a great way to find a placement abroad. Photo: Unsplash
Internship portals are a great way to find a placement abroad. Photo: Unsplash

Finding the right internship takes a good deal of initiative. Very few programmes offer both scholarships and internships. To help you look in the right place, we’ve put together an overview of subject-specific programmes and internship portals. Good luck with your search!

Traineeship in uncertain times

Have you planned a stay abroad but certain circumstances (e. g. situation in the destination country) have left you uncertain as to whether you want to or are able to do so? Then please note the following information.

Please always follow the provisions and instructions of your host institution regarding entry, e. g. quarantine regulations or security precautions.

Please stick to cost-neutral planning for your study stay abroad for as long as possible.
We recommend:

  • taking out travel cancellation insurance and health insurance during your stay. Please seek advice on this from your health insurance provider;
  • regularly keeping on top of all information on the host institution’s websites and to subscribing to any newsletters offered there;
  • stay in contact with the contact persons at the host institution and, if applicable, your Erasmus+ departmental coordinator at our university.

Please inform your Erasmus+ departmental coordinator, your contact person at the host institution and the International Centre immediately by email.

Final theses, Language Courses, Subject-Specific Courses and More

Apart from studying or doing an internship in a foreign country, language courses, subject-specific courses and study trips can be a great opportunity to gain experience abroad. A language course can, for example, help you prepare well for an internship. You can also write your final thesis abroad or carry out research for it. A PROMOS scholarship can be used to fund some of these stays abroad.

Write your final thesis abroad

Depending on the topic of your final thesis, it may be important for you to carry out research abroad. This could give you access to research fields that are not accessible here in Leipzig. You may also need material from foreign institutions that is of particular relevance to your work.

Support

Fund your final thesis abroad with PROMOS or as part of an Erasmus+ internship (you can find more information about this further up on this page).

PROMOS awards short-term scholarships for final theses abroad with a minimum duration of two months. The supervision of your thesis takes place at a university or a company without the possibility of Erasmus+ funding. If there is no connection to a company or university, the project must be explicitly supported and supervised by your faculty.

The funding amounts depend on the country of destination. The scholarship is made up of monthly instalments and a travel allowance. PROMOS support is limited to one stay abroad each year and a total of six months per study cycle. The maximum funding duration per stay is four months. The PROMOS scholarship is tied to calendar years. If your stay abroad will extend into the next calendar year, then support is only possible until 28 February.

PROMOS scholarships are given on a merit basis according to the funding available. 

Together with the International Centre, students with a degree of disability (Grad der Behinderung) of at least 50 or with a chronic illness can submit a request for additional funds to the DAAD. These top-up amounts are paid in addition to the regular funding amounts. Please contact the PROMOS project coordinator by email at an early point in time for more information and to submit the request. 

Students who are citizens of other countries cannot receive financial support for stays in their country of origin.

Application

There are two application periods each year for the PROMOS scholarships:

  • for periods abroad that start between January and June:
    1 November–1 December of the previous year
  • for periods abroad that start between July and December:
    1 May–1 June

Applications for a PROMOS scholarship cannot be accepted if they are submitted outside of these application periods.

To apply, register in the portal for stays abroad with your university login and select the form “PROMOS Application”. Fill out the online application carefully and upload the following documents as a PDF file:

  • CV in table format
  • Certificate(s) of enrolment from Leipzig University for the entire period of your stay abroad (without the master data sheet and BAföG certificate)
    If you do not yet have the certificate of enrolment for the following semester, then please first submit your certificate of enrolment for the current starting semester.  
  • Transcript of records 
    You can obtain a transcript of records from the Examination Office. You can also submit a print-out of the transcript of records from AlmaWeb if your work to date is all included.  If you are already in a master’s programme, please also upload a copy of your bachelor’s degree certificate including an overview of your marks.
  • Describing your plan for the stay abroad 
    On a maximum of two pages, describe in German (international students can submit the description in English) the necessity of completing a stay abroad for successfully writing your final thesis and include a timeline for carrying out your project abroad.
  • Language certificate for the working language/country's language 
    If the working language is only German and no additional foreign language proficiency is necessary, then still please submit a language certificate for English. You do not need to submit proof of proficiency in your native language. Depending on the situation, there are various ways to show proof of your language proficiency:
    • You can complete a central standardised language test. The tests take place regularly in the Language Center.
    • If you are currently taking a language course at the Language Center, you can have your current language level confirmed by the Language Center using the language certificate form.
    • If you are studying in the language of instruction, you can have your lecturer in the subject confirm your current level of language proficiency on the language certificate form.
    • If you already have documentation of your language proficiency level (e.g. with courses, study stays abroad or your Abitur) that was issued no more than two years ago, then you can submit this to the Language Center to have it transferred to the language certificate form. Only proof recognised by the Language Center will be accepted.
    • If you have completed a standard test that was sat no more than two years ago, you can submit this as a language certificate.
  • Proof of contact/supervision agreement 
    We need information about the location of your host university or an agreement to supervise you during an internship from the host organisation abroad. If the final thesis is not being carried out at a university or a company, then it must be explicitly supported by the department without reservations. 

We will send you a personal confirmation message after we have checked to make sure your application is complete.

Review of your application and nomination

Your complete application will be read by two reviewers from your discipline or a related field. The following selection criteria and weighting will be used:•

  • academic achievements (40%)
  • personal aptitude, extracurricular qualifications and other activities (10%)
  • how meaningful the planned stay abroad is in relation to your studies thus far (30%)
  • language skills necessary to carry out the stay abroad (20%)

Starting around six weeks after the application deadline, emails will be sent out stating the results of the application process.

Taking a language course abroad is the perfect opportunity to significantly improve your language skills! Besides our language courses, it is possible to take courses at private language institutes or universities abroad.

Find Language Courses Abroad

The DAAD website provides a good introduction to this topic. There you can search for language courses at universities around the world.

Before your stay, you can attend a preparatory language course at our Language Center or take advantage of the language courses offered during your studies:

Examples of specialist courses are summer schools or workshops at a foreign host university. They usually last several days or a few weeks and deal with special projects or topics. These activities are often supplemented by local cultural programmes.

Find Specialist Courses and Summer Schools Abroad

Please contact us for information on current opportunities. In addition, many departments have noticeboards advertising such programmes.

  • The DAAD’s Go East programme organises summer and winter schools in East-Central, South Eastern and Eastern Europe.
  • Are you interested in going to Switzerland? Students of physics, computer science and engineering can apply to the CERN Summer Student Programme.

This funding is not available for congress or lecture tours. For these, please check the DAAD website.

Together with your fellow students, you can go on a study trip abroad. This trip is organised and accompanied by a university lecturer and involves a bilateral partner university outside the Erasmus funding region. You will be taught subject-related knowledge on site and gain an insight into the culture of the country. Meeting students and academics is the focus of the study trips.

Support

PROMOS supports study trips for groups of at least five students and/or doctoral candidates who are accompanied by a university teacher with a lump sum for their stay.

See our information and application modalities for study trips abroad.

Application

Only lecturers at our university are eligible to apply for PROMOS funding for study trips. Please send all application documents as specified in our information and application modalities as a single PDF file to the project coordinator.

enlarge the image: Auf dem Bild sieht man im Hintergrund einen jungen Mann, der in seiner Hand ein Smartphone hält. Das Smartphone zeigt er in die Kamera. Auf dem Smartphone ist ein Logo mit dem Schriftzug "entdecker" zu sehen.
The “entdecker” app is available in the Google Play Store and the App Store. Image: Leipzig University

The International Centre’s German-language app “entdecker – Abenteuer Ausland” supports students from Leipzig University before, during and even after their time abroad. Whether you head to another country to study, for an internship, or for a subject-related or language course, the “entdecker” app is your mobile companion for your adventures abroad. More information is available on the German entdecker website. You are welcome to download the app and start planning your time abroad.

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