Erasmus+ funds voluntary, recommended and mandatory study stays or doctoral studies abroad. Our university will recognise your academic performance from abroad as far as possible as part of your degree programme. You can use Erasmus+ exchange places based on Erasmus+ agreements of your department in your field of study. There are also university-wide exchange places for students to take part in an Erasmus+ course at partner universities that are part of the Utrecht Network and the Arqus European University Alliance.
Requirements
- You are planning to study at a partner university in one of the 27 EU countries or in other possible non-EU European countries.
- You are enrolled on a degree or doctoral programme at our university.
- You have completed at least one full academic year before the semester abroad and have the required knowledge of the language of instruction at the partner university.
An Erasmus+ exchange lasts at least two calendar months, usually one semester or a whole academic year. Your study regulations usually recommend when and how long you should participate in a study stay 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. Erasmus+ is open to everyone, regardless of where you come from. Mobile students are considered to be full-time students and should complete a number of credits proportional to the duration of their mobility.
Partner universities
Our university has arranged Erasmus+ exchange places with approximately 300 partner universities. This means that you can study tuition-free in EU countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. There are also Erasmus+ agreements with the United Kingdom and Switzerland, among others.
Our university is a member of the Utrecht Network and the Arqus European University Alliance. You also have the opportunity to take part in a study stay or do your doctoral studies at these partner universities.
Browse current Erasmus+ exchange places. The database also provides you with further information on the exchange, the partner university and the contact details of the responsible departmental coordinator at our university.
Partner universities in the Utrecht Network
| Country | University |
|---|---|
| Austria | University of Graz |
| France | Université Lille-I |
| Latvia | University of Riga |
| Lithuania | Vilnius University |
| Netherlands | Utrecht University |
| Switzerland | University of Basel |
Partner Universities in the Arqus European University Alliance
| Country | University |
|---|---|
| Austria | University of Graz |
| France | Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University |
| Ireland | Maynooth University |
| Italy | University of Padova |
| Lithuania | Vilnius University |
| Poland | University of Wrocław |
| Portugal | University of Minho |
| Spain | University of Granada |
Funding
Erasmus+ funds your exchange:
- with Erasmus+ status for the entire duration of the exchange, you therefore do not have to pay tuition fees at the partner university;
- if applicable, with financial support, which depends on the duration and destination country.
You can receive funding for up to 12 funding months per study cycle, i.e. bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral studies. The maximum funding for state examination and diploma programmes is 24 months. Multiple study stays abroad can be funded within this quota.
Our university has a limited total budget for Erasmus+ funding. You will therefore receive fixed monthly funding rates depending on the destination country and length of stay.
Countries | Funded monthly rate |
|---|---|
Country group 1: | €600 |
Country group 2: | €540 |
Country group 3: | €490 |
Our university usually funds Erasmus+ study stays abroad for one semester. Due to a limited total budget, 4 monthly funding rates are available as maximum financial Erasmus+ support.
One semester
| Duration of stay | Corresponding number of monthly rates |
|---|---|
| 2 to less than 3 months | 2 |
| 3 to less than 4 months | 3 |
| 4 to less than 5 months | 4 |
| Exception for universities with a trimester structure (according to university websites): 6 to less than 7 months | 6 |
Two semesters
| Duration of stay | Corresponding number of monthly rates |
|---|---|
| 7 to less than 8 months | 7 |
| 8 to 12 months | 8 |
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.
Top-up amounts
Students who receive Erasmus+ financial support can apply for the green travel top-up amount as well as the top-up amount for those with fewer opportunities. This requires at least 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. However, you must provide evidence of the reasons you need the top-up. You must keep this evidence for a period of up to 6 years after the end of your stay and present it to the International Centre.
The green travel top-up amount as well as the top-up amount for those with fewer opportunities 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 in the "Erasmus+ Special Conditions" document and in the Erasmus+ Funding Agreement. This contains the detailed funding conditions and the Grant Notification on the total amount of financial support, including any top-up amounts.
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.
The easy way to travel sustainably!
You can find tips on "green" travelling for your Erasmus+ stay abroad on the website of our university's Green Office (in German). There is now also the Interrail Pass for Erasmus+: travel by train to the partner university and beyond!
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
- Study stay abroad with own child(ren)
- Employment of students
- First generation in the family to access higher education
Disability or chronic health problems
You have a degree of disability of 20 or more or a chronic illness (see the list of 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 for stays in the winter semester must be after 15 June and after 1 November for stays in the summer semester. 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, 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
Application
Exchange places based on agreements of your department
You must apply to be nominated for an Erasmus+ exchange place in your field of study in your department.
Please check your department’s websites and ask your Erasmus+ coordinators at the beginning of the winter semester about how the application process works, which application documents you will need and when the closing date for applications is. If your application is successful, you will receive a nomination for an exchange place for one or two semesters at the partner university from your Erasmus+ coordinator.
Your Erasmus+ coordinator will send your nomination to the partner university. You will then receive your nomination and enrolment information on the exchange directly from the partner university. Please follow these instructions and register independently at the partner university with the necessary documents by the given deadline.
University-wide exchange places
Please find out at an early stage whether your field of study is offered at the desired partner university within the Utrecht Network/the Arqus University Alliance (see section ‘Partner universities’) and whether your study plan is feasible. You can apply to study for one or two semesters and list a maximum of three universities in your application. Browse available exchange places per partner university.
The application deadlines are:
- 15 February for a stay starting in the winter or summer semester of the following academic year.
- 15 June for a stay starting in the summer semester of the following academic year (possibly with limited availability of study places after the application deadline on 15 February).
To be nominated by your department, confirming your academic and language skills, you must apply in the same way as for exchange places based on agreements of your department. Find out from your Erasmus+ coordinator about the process and deadlines, ideally at the beginning of the winter semester.
Apply only via the portal for stays abroad. Register there with your university login and select the form ‘Utrecht Network / Arqus - Application’.
Fill out the online application carefully and upload the following documents as PDFs:
- Curriculum for each partner university, in tabular form, with degree programme, level and possible courses/modules (in English or in the language of instruction)
- Nomination for each partner university
- if applicable, language certificate for the language of instruction
The International Office will review the applications and make a selection based on available places (maximum two per study field). You will receive feedback by email within about four weeks after the application deadline, stating whether and for which partner university you have been selected.
The International Office will forward the documents you submitted to the partner university. The respective department at the partner university will then decide on your final admission. You will be contacted directly by the partner university via email with information on the further application process.
Registration
Register online with the International Office for Erasmus+ funding – regardless of whether you have been nominated for an exchange places based on agreements of your department or selected for a university-wide exchange place. Registration is only possible during the designated period.
- Log in to the website with your university login details
- Fill out the Online Registration carefully, especially if you are applying for a top-up amount. The information you provide is used for your grant
- Upload the nomination from your Erasmus+ coordinator
- Submit the Online Registration. You will then receive a PDF document
- Print out the registration PDF document, check your details again and sign it.
- Submit the original signed document with a handwritten signature to the International Centre
- Send to: International Centre, Goethestraße 3 – 5, 04109 Leipzig
- Post in: Letter box for time-sensitive documents, Goethestraße 6, 04109 Leipzig
Please refer to the checklist for further procedures, including the Grant Agreement and Grant Notification, as well as the necessary documents.
Online language test via Online Language Support (OLS)
You are currently not 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 the required language is your native language or is not available at OLS, you are exempt from participation. The OLS test is not a valid language certificate.
Digital Learning Agreement
You will need the digital Learning Agreement (DiLA) for your Erasmus+ stay in Europe. You will receive a link to prepare the DiLA by email once your signed Erasmus+ online registration form has been received by the International Centre. The email will include step-by-step instructions on how to complete the DiLA in the portal for stays abroad.
This mandatory document will set out your study programme at the partner university, which should correspond to the total number of credits that full-time students earn there per semester (around 30 credits). You will also prepare for the credits to be recognised at Leipzig University by listing the modules or courses from your degree programme at Leipzig University that are to be replaced by modules or courses during your stay abroad. There is no fixed number of credits here. Please note the following criteria to increase the chances of full recognition of your credits:
- The courses have similar learning objectives and skills.
- The level of study and workload in the semester are similar.
- The courses offered at the partner university fit into the qualification objective and study profile of your degree programme.
The DiLA must be completed and signed by you, the partner university and Leipzig University before you start your stay abroad.
For Erasmus+ stays outside of Europe, please use the PDF template Learning Agreement. Here, too, your study programme at the partner university should correspond to the total number of credits that full-time students earn there per semester (around 30 credits). Please remember that credits at partner universities outside of Europe are not awarded as ECTS points like in Europe. The document must be completed and signed by you, the partner university and Leipzig University before you start your stay abroad.
Extending or shortening your Erasmus+ study period
You will receive an email from the International Centre at least 30 days before the planned end of your stay asking if you are shortening or extending your Erasmus+ study period, even if it is only for a few days. Please use the online form that is linked in our email for your announcements. If you want to announce an prolongation, please make sure to meet the requirements mentioned in the online form.
If you want to shorten your Erasmus+ study period by exactly or less than 5 days, you do not have to report it. If you stay less than the minimum duration of two months, you will have to reimburse the entire financial Erasmus+ support.
Exchanges in uncertain times
Have you planned a study 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. 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;
- staying in contact with those responsible for your department at our university and any contact persons at the host institution.
Please inform your Erasmus+ coordinator, your contact person at the host institution and the International Centre immediately by email.