Study at Partner Universities Elsewhere in Europe with Erasmus+
If you are a student or doctoral candidate at the University of Bonn and would like to experience life in another European country, you can spend a semester or a whole year at one of your department’s partner universities as part of the Erasmus+ Programme.
The most important information at a glance
Key facts
- Study or work on your doctorate in another European country.
- At one of your department’s partner universities.
- For one or two semesters.
- For a short-term stay (can be combined with an online component).
- No need to pay tuition fees at your partner university, plus receive financial support.
- Additional funding available for promoting inclusion and diversity.
- Funding available for “green” travel.
- Gain recognition for coursework and exams completed abroad.
- Support from both the University of Bonn and your host university.
- Involvement in the “Erasmus community” and opportunities for civic engagement.
- Application deadlines usually between December and February for mobilities in the coming academic year.
Why it’s worth it
Your contacts
Since every department has its own partner universities, you should contact the Erasmus Departmental Coordinator responsible for you in order to apply for your Erasmus stay. They will be able to give you more information on their partner universities, the actual study options available and how the application process works.
Once you have been selected by your Departmental Coordinator, the International Office will help you prepare and sort out all the other organizational aspects of your stay.
If you are interested in a traineeship (internship) in another European country, you can find more information on the Erasmus Traineeships web page.
Study abroad with Erasmus+
Studying abroad for one or two semesters? The following film explains how the Erasmus+ study program works.
Study abroad with Erasmus+ (Source: DAAD)
60
Study options
280
Partner universitities
31
European countries
Partner universities
The University of Bonn has a total of 280 partner universities in 31 European countries. The United Kingdom is still a possible destination for students.
Study options
Each department signs its own agreements with partner universities in Europe. This means that you will only be able to apply for places at universities that have partnered with your department. You can find an overview of Erasmus partnerships on the web page of your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator or in the search portal for exchange programmes.
Many UK partner universities are still offering the opportunity for an Erasmus exchange even after Brexit. You can find information on insurance cover and visa/ residence permit requirements on the Before Your Stay Abroad web page.
You can choose one of the following study options:
- Study abroad for one to two semesters (2 to 12 months).
- Blended mobility: complete an online degree program or traineeship and a short-term stay of between 5 and 30 days.
- Doctoral students can also complete short-term stays of between 5 and 30 days without an online component, either a study/ research visit to a partner university or as a short-term traineeship at a university or other institution in an Erasmus+ Programme country (plus the United Kingdom).
The search portal includes details of the partner universities as well as personal reports by University of Bonn students who have already taken part in the Erasmus+ Programme.
Study around the world with Erasmus+ worldwide
Within the Erasmus+ Programme, some departments also have exchange agreements in place with non-European universities for students and doctoral candidates to spend time abroad. You can find more information on the funding options and application criteria on the Erasmus+ Worldwide web page.
Application
If you are interested in an Erasmus mobility, you should turn to your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator, who will tell you how the application process actually works and what documents you will need. Application deadlines also vary from department to department, although they will generally be between December and February for mobilities in the coming academic year.
The most important information at a glance
Eligibility
- You must be properly enrolled as a student or doctoral candidate at the University of Bonn and remain so for the duration of your stay abroad (as doctoral candidate you can alternatively submit proof of your doctorate).
- Your nationality is irrelevant.
- Your stay can last between 2 and 12 months or, in the case of short-term mobility for doctoral students and blended mobilities, between 5 and 30 days.
- You must have a good enough knowledge of the language of instruction.
- Please find out about any additional subject-specific requirements from the web page of your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator.
To make your time studying abroad both meaningful and successful, you should also have a good command of the language spoken in your host country. As a bare minimum, however, you should be proficient in the language of instruction—which may not be the same as the national language at many partner universities.
Since some departments and/or partner universities require evidence of language skills to be submitted together with an application for an Erasmus mobility, make sure to find out about this in good time. You can find the relevant information on your Departmental Coordinator’s web pages or the websites of your partner universities.
Either way, it is a good idea to acquire the necessary language skills or consolidate your existing knowledge as early as possible. The University of Bonn runs a wide range of its own language courses.
You can find more information in the “Linguistic preparation” section of the Organizing a Stay Abroad web page.
- Find out what Erasmus partnerships your department has.
- Go on the partner universities’ websites and look at what degree programs they offer.
- Take note of the application documents and deadlines required by your department. The deadlines for the next academic year will generally be between December and February.
- You can apply for a short-term mobility (between 5 and 30 days) at any time up to three months before you plan to go abroad.
- Contact your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator if you have any questions.
- You will only apply and be selected for an Erasmus mobility via your Departmental Coordinator, not the International Office.
Once you have been selected, your Departmental Coordinator willnominate you at the partner university.
You will also need to register online with the International Office.
After being accepted
If you have been accepted by your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator, the following pages contain some important information on what to do next in order to obtain your funding. They also tell you what documents and deadlines you will need to remember before you go abroad, while you are there and after you come home.
New in Erasmus+
Enabling equal opportunity
With promoting inclusion and diversity a key priority of Erasmus+, participants with a disability/chronic condition, participantsfrom non-academic households, working paticipants and participants with children qualify for an additional Erasmus grant of €250 a month. Read more under “Funding.” Would you like to discover what else the University is doing to promote equal opportunity?
Strengthening sustainability
There is a financial reward for leaving the plane behind. Find out more under “Funding” below (“green” travel). However, there are also numerous ways in which you can get involved in promoting sustainability here at the University of Bonn.
Funding
You can spend up to 12 months abroad with Erasmus+ per study phase (bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate) or up to 24 months if you are studying for the state examination. Studying for a second degree does not confer any increased entitlement to receive financial support.
Previous Erasmus traineeships abroad and Erasmus grants from another university will also be taken into account.
The most important information at a glance
- Being given a study place at a partner university.
- Status of “Erasmus Programme student” at your host university: support from your host university and no need to pay tuition fees.
- Free online language courses.
- Support with getting ready to go abroad.
- Generally a mobility allowance. The various destination countries in Europe are divided into three country groups, each with different funding rates, based on the average cost of living there.
- Additional funding for equal opportunity and “green” travel (see below).
The monthly grant installments are the same for all universities in Germany and may be recalculated every year. The mobility allowance is paid out in two installments, one at the start and one at the end of your stay abroad.
1. Long-term mobility of 1–2 semesters (2–12 months):
For the academic year 2023/24: funding is available for up to 125 days for a semester or 250 days for a year.
- Country group 1: €600 per month (€20 per day)
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom - Country Group 2: €540 per month (€18 per day)
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain - Country group 3: €490 per month (€16.33 per day)
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey
For the academic year 2024/25:
The maximum length of funding will not be finalized until June 2024. However, it is expected to be similar to the academic year 2023/24 (approx. 4 months for a semester and 8 months for a year).
- Country group 1: €600 per month (€20 per day)
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom - Country group 2: €540 per month (€18 per day)
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain - Country group 3: €540 per month (€18 per day)
Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey
Although Switzerland is not an Erasmus+ Programme country, it provides financial support to German exchange students out of its own funds. More information on the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP) is available from your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator or your chosen university in Switzerland.
2. Short-term mobility: 5 to 30 days as a blended mobility for students or a physical mobility for doctoral students:
- Standard funding rate
€79 per day from day 1 to day 14 of the stay abroad
€56 per day from day 15 to day 30 of the stay abroad
Doctoral students who do not receive any other form of funding for their stay abroad (e.g. via BIGS or another structured doctoral program) can apply for an advance on travel expenses from the Bonn Graduate Center.
Contact: Dr. Robert Radu (email)
The following circumstances qualify you for additional funding:
1. Long-term mobility s of 1–2 semesters (2–12 months)—€250 a month:
- You have a disability (starting at a degree of disability of 20)
- You have a proven disability giving rise to additional financial requirements while abroad
- You have a chronic condition giving rise to additional financial requirements while abroad
- You will be taking your child abroad
An extra subsidy for studying abroad can be obtained from the Office of Family Services, where you will also find guidelines on studying abroad with a child. - You are a student/doctoral student and hold a job (not self-employment) earning you net monthly income of more than €450 but less than €850
- Students who are the first from their household to enter higher education: you are a student/doctoral student whose parents or carers do not hold a degree from a university or university of applied sciences
The following also applies to groups a–d: if you will be facing additional costs of over €250 a month, you can alternatively submit an individual application up to two months before you go abroad (this can also be used for a preparatory trip if you have a disability).
You will find more details in the information sheet on additional funding.
2. Short-term mobilities of between 5 and 30 days:
One-off payment of €100–€150 plus advance on travel expenses (plus supplement for “green” travel).
You will find more details in the information sheet on additional funding.
If you eschew planes and travel to your host country by train, bus, carsharing or bike instead, you will be able to obtain subsidies for any additional days’ travel.
BAföG recipients will receive the standard mobility allowance. However, any amount in excess of €300 per month will be taken into account when determining the BAföG. Even if you are not eligible for the BAföG for your degree program in Germany, we still recommend finding out about the International BAföG on the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s BAföG website (only available in German).
You cannot claim a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and an Erasmus+ grant at the same time.
You cannot claim an Erasmus Mundus grant and an Erasmus allowance at the same time.
If you receive a scholarship from another institution (e.g. foundation, Deutschlandstipendium), you will still receive the standard amount of Erasmus funding. However, you should tell your scholarship provider about your Erasmus grant.
Recognition of coursework and exams
Studying abroad also raises the question of whether and to what extent you will be able to get coursework and exams completed abroad recognized as part of your degree program once you return to the University of Bonn. This will all depend on the Learning Agreement that you draw up before you start studying abroad.
At the University of Bonn, achievements earned abroad are recognized on the basis of the examination regulations, which are in line with the Lisbon Recognition Convention.
If you have any questions about recognition, contact the examination office responsible for your degree program and/or your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator.
In the state examination subjects, external bodies (e.g. state examination offices) are responsible for recognition. This may incur administrative costs.
Recognition of coursework and exams
Recognition is a very important part of the Erasmus+ Programme and is governed by the Learning Agreement and transcript of records.
The Learning Agreement is the key document that you are required to fill in together with the person responsible in your department in Bonn and at your partner university before you start studying abroad. You should enter the courses that you would like to take at your partner university as well as the modules from Bonn that these courses are intended to replace.
Once you return home, you can request recognition for your study achievements earned abroad from the examination office/ examination board responsible for you by submitting your Learning Agreement and the transcript of records (certificate) from the partner university. The examination office will then record your recognized achievements in BASIS.
Although doctoral candidates are also required to prepare a Learning Agreement, the requirements are more flexible and, unsually, no formal recognition takes place.
The question of getting your achievements at the partner university recognized should be a key criterion right from when you are choosing a suitable destination.
Now what do I have to do?
- Find out as early as possible what degree programs your host university offers.
- Compare these against the courses that you would still need to do at the University of Bonn and would like to complete while you are abroad.
- Liaise with your Erasmus Departmental Coordinator, your subject advisor or the competent examination office to clarify the recognition situation.
Details on the recognition procedure can be found either on the web pages of your department/institute or by asking your Departmental Coordinator.
Contact
Gudrun Hille
0.003
Poppelsdorfer Allee 53
53115 Bonn (Germany)
Office hours
Please make an appointment via eCampus.
The University of Bonn’s participation in the Erasmus Programme is based on the Erasmus Charta for higher Education.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The author bears sole responsibility for the contents of this publication; the Commission accepts no liability for any use made of the information that it contains.