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Student Mobility for Studies (SMS) - Outgoing

Interested in studying abroad? Erasmus+ offers students at the University of Freiburg the opportunity to study abroad at a host university in Europe and beyond. Below you will find everything outgoing students need to know along with links and references to further information and contacts.

Advantages of Erasmus+

  • You are exempt from tuition fees at your host university.
  • You receive a monthly grant in accordance with your country group and, if applicable, a supplementary grant for certain groups.
  • The Erasmus+ coordinators at the University of Freiburg and your host university provide you with advice and support.
  • You conclude a Learning Agreement with the Erasmus+ departmental coordinator in your department and the host university.
  • Your achievements abroad can be recognised on the basis of the Learning Agreement.
  • You have the opportunity to participate in online language courses (website in German) prior to your stay.
  • You take part in a departmental-level exchange between the University of Freiburg and the host university and can therefore use your department’s Erasmus+ agreements.
  • Under Erasmus+, you can also receive funding for an internship abroad.

 

Application procedure

Find out how to apply for a spot on an Erasmus+ exchange here.

Requirements for participation

You must meet the following general requirements to apply to study abroad with Erasmus+:

  • You are enrolled at the University of Freiburg.
  • You have already successfully completed your first year of study (for a bachelor’s degree/state examination).
  • You have sufficient knowledge of the language of instruction at your desired host university at the time of application.

 

In order to prepare linguistically for the stay abroad, we recommend the course offer of the Language Teaching Centre of the University of Freiburg (SLI).

 

Application

To apply for study abroad with Erasmus+, please contact the Erasmus+ coordinator in your department (see below). The faculties and departments offer websites and info events to inform you about further application requirements, application deadlines and the available partnerships and exchange spots. Please start learning about the Erasmus+ opportunities available to you about a year before you plan to go abroad. An overview of the application process with helpful tips can be found here:

Overview of application procedure

A list of the Erasmus+ agreements by field of study can be found here. The list contains information on the study cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD) and the number of semester places of the respective agreement:


List of Erasmus+ agreements

Faculty and International Office

The Erasmus+ programme at the University of Freiburg is administered at the university level by the International Office as well as at the level of your faculty/department. The faculties work closely with the International Office to ensure that you are optimally prepared for your stay abroad. Below you will find an overview of the responsibilities and a time frame for the Erasmus application process:

Your faculty/department

The Erasmus+ departmental coordinators are your contacts within your faculty. They will support you in your application for a spot on an Erasmus+ exchange as well as in all academic matters pertaining to your stay abroad.

  • The application for an Erasmus spot and the selection of applicants takes place at your faculty. The application deadlines for most faculties are in January.
  • Contact the Erasmus+ departmental coordinators with any questions regarding the academic planning of your Erasmus stay (proper timing, integrating your stay abroad into your studies, suitable partner universities, special application requirements, course selection, options for the recognition of courses, etc.). This also includes questions about the preparation of the learning agreement. For an overview of contacts, please consult the List of Erasmus+ departmental coordinators.
  • If you have been selected for an exchange spot, you will be nominated (= as an Erasmus+ student for an exchange spot) by the Erasmus+ departmental coordinator at the host university and by the International Office at the University of Freiburg.

The International Office

We are your point of contact when it comes to Erasmus documents, the Erasmus grant, general administrative matters and the procedure on the mobility platform Mobility-Online.

  • The Erasmus+ departmental coordinators inform the International Office about who has been selected for the exchange. You will then be given the opportunity to register on the mobility platform, where you will complete further steps before, during and after your stay abroad.
  • The International Office will advise you on questions regarding your Erasmus grant and the preparation of the grant agreement, including questions about funding rates, funding duration, top-up amounts and BAföG certificates.
  • You should also contact the International Office if there are any changes to your stay abroad, such as extensions or reductions to the length of your stay or if you have questions about dropping out.

You also have the opportunity to participate in online language courses (OLS language courses) via the mobility platform to help you further prepare for your Erasmus stay.

Funding conditions

Length of stay

The length of an Erasmus+ stay depends on the semester and lecture periods at the host university. In general, funding is available for study visits of 2 to 12 months. “Blended” formats, which allow for a combination of virtual and in-person stays, are also possible. A maximum of 12 months per phase of study (bachelor, master, doctorate) can be funded via Erasmus+. This includes both study visits and internships within the framework of Erasmus+. For long-cycle degree programmes (e.g. state examination), a total of 24 months abroad is possible.

Funding period

Participants in the Erasmus+ programme are granted funding for a fixed period, during which the mobility grant is paid. For study visits from the academic year 2022/23 onwards, the following funding periods apply:

  • For stays of one semester, the funding period corresponds to a maximum of four months (120 days).
  • For stays of two semesters, the funding period corresponds to a maximum of eight months (240 days).

 

This funding period does not have to correspond to the actual duration of stay.
The mobility grant is paid in two instalments. Participants receive the first instalment at the beginning of their stay abroad and the second instalment after their stay abroad, once they have submitted the required documents.

Funding rates

The mobility grant for Erasmus+ study visits is divided into three country groups. The amount of funding is based on the cost of living in the destination countries. In addition, certain groups receive extra support in the form of top-ups:

  • Students who travel sustainably and in particular avoid air travel ("green travel")
  • Students with a chronic illness or a degree of disability (Grad der Behinderung – GdB) of at least 20
  • Students whose children are accompanying them during their stay abroad
  • First-generation university students (students whose parents did not earn a university degree)
  • Working students with a regular income who have to interrupt their employment during their stay abroad

 

You can find the exact funding rates and top-up amounts in the following overview:

Funding rates and top-up amounts 2024/25

Funding rates and top-up amounts 2023/24

Please note that there is no legal entitlement to funding or to a specific grant amount.

 

Other mobility options

International partners

In addition to the Erasmus+ programme countries, there are also agreements with international partners within the framework of Erasmus+ Worldwide (International Credit Mobility).

At the University of Freiburg, you can also participate in the Freiburg Global Exchange and spend a period of time abroad at one of our partner universities worldwide.

European partners

Eucor – The European Campus offers students at the University of Freiburg the option of attending courses at our partner universities on the Upper Rhine (Basel, Mulhouse, Karlsruhe, Strasbourg).

The University of Freiburg is a member of the European University Alliance EPICUR, which means that all students are eligible to participate in EPICUR activities.

United Kingdom

Within the framework of the newly concluded student exchange agreements, students at the University of Freiburg can continue to study abroad in the UK without having to pay tuition fees there. The UK does not participate in Erasmus+ and is therefore no longer an Erasmus+ programme country but instead an (international) partner country. The University of Freiburg can fund a certain proportion of international mobilities through Erasmus+ and will thus continue to support exchanges with the UK for the academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25.

For stays of up to six months, a visa for the UK is typically not required for EU citizens. Since 1 January 2021, stays of six months or longer require a fee-based visa. Additional fees in the form of an Immigration Health Surcharge and the need to prove advanced language proficiency through language tests such as IELTS or TOEFL may also arise.

For more information, please visit the pages of the UK government.

Switzerland

Switzerland does not participate in Erasmus+. The Swiss European Mobility Programme (SEMP) supports mobilities at universities in Switzerland from the Swiss side. The basic features of the SEMP are similar to the Erasmus programme. If your faculty has concluded student exchange agreements with Swiss universities, apply for these spots via the departmental coordinator at your faculty.

 

Erasmus+ departmental coordinators

At the University of Freiburg, in addition to the Erasmus team in the International Office, you can also find the Erasmus+ departmental coordinators in the faculties and departments. Here, for example, you will find the first point of contact for planning and applying for a spot on a Erasmus+ exchange (see "Application procedure"). The following list shows the Erasmus+ departmental coordinators by faculty and study area with website and contact details:
        

List of Erasmus+ departmental coordinators