General information | How to apply | Obligations | Supporting others
General information about ERASMUS study
Requirements for participation
- You must remain enrolled at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg , with the intention of obtaining a degree (or doctoral qualification), for the entire duration of the study abroad period
- You must have passed the first year of your degree
- You will be expected to have sufficient knowledge of the teaching language and/or native language of the country prior to your study abroad period
- You have not participated at the ERASMUS study programme before! However, haven taken part in the ERASMUS placement programme is allowed (either prior to or after your study abroad period).
- Some departments impose other restrictions. Please contact your department's ERASMUS coordinator for more information!
Partner countries and universities
- Approximately 250 universities across all of the EU as well as in Norway , Liechtenstein , Iceland , Turkey and Switzerland
- Usually exchanges are only possible with universities where a bilateral ERASMUS agreement exists between the respective departments. Sometimes however it is possible to carry out an exchange studying a different subject. Please contact the appropriate department's coordinator for more information!
- Only possible to study at one partner university
Length of exchange
- Minimum of 3 and maximum of 12 months
- Between 1 st June and 30 th September of the coming year (NB year-long exchange only possible in winter semester and following summer semester)
Support & Grant
- Fee waiver from the host institution
- Monthly support grant (not a full stipend/scholarship!) of approximately €120-160 p.m. for the duration of the stay at the host university (payment in two or more transfers)
- Supplementary support for people with disabilities or special circumstances (e.g. parents wishing to study abroad). A separate application must be submitted for this type of support
- Where possible you will be entitled to participate in a free of charge EILC (ERASMUS intensive language course) in your host country (separate application required)
- Where possible you will be entitled to participate in preparatory intercultural training courses at the FAU free of charge
- International student support programmes available at most host institutions (NB: generally you will be helped in your search for accommodation but the host institution cannot find a home for you)
- NB: you are responsible for obtaining insurance cover!
Combining ERASMUS study with a practical placement
In principle you may complete an ERASMUS work experience placement/internship directly after your study abroad period. In this case it is possible to extend your ERASMUS grant. The criteria for this to happen are that:
- the placement be carried out under the supervision of the host university; it must be written into the learning agreement
- the study period and placement take place in the same academic year
- the study period and placement together last no more than 12 months
- the time between the study period and the placement be no more than two weeks
- the placement be relevant to your study (i.e. no temp work or straightforward 'job'!)
You cannot receive funds for a placement at an organisation that manages ERASMUS funds, nor for a placement at any German diplomatic office or bureau. If you are interested in receiving financial support please contact the Central Office for International Affairs (COIA/RIA) as soon as possible to find out how to proceed with your application.
NB: Please be aware that this opportunity for completing a placement right after your ERASMUS study period is NOT to mistake for the ERASMUS placement programme. You can find more details about this programme here (in German!)
See also our FAQ section (in German!) for more information!
How to apply
Step 1
Use the international office's website to find out about ERASMUS exchange links in your subject. The partner universities' websites should offer information about what courses are available, in which language(s) lectures are given, what assistance is available to international students, etc. Consult your own department's webpage to help you with subject-related queries. If necessary enrol in a language course at the university to bring your language up to scratch.
Students of the Economics Department in Nuremberg should at this stage consult the Office for International Relations in Nuremberg because the following steps are not always necessary for them!
Step 2
Arrange a meeting with the ERASMUS coordinator in your department and prepare a list of your preferred countries and host institutions to take to the meeting. Ask your coordinator about application procedures and requirements (necessary qualifications, application deadlines, required documents, etc.).
Step 3
If you are interested in studying a different (but still similar!) subject, check to see what options are available and discuss your application with the coordinators in charge.
Step 4
Hand in your application to the ERASMUS coordinator. The deadlines vary considerably from subject to subject but are generally between December and April for the following academic year.
Step 5
After your ERASMUS coordinator has nominated you as an exchange candidate you must find out about the host institution's application procedures (application deadlines, which documents need submitting, etc.). See your ERASMUS coordinator for help, conduct research independently on the internet, or ask at the Central Office for International Affairs if you need further assistance.
Step 6
Make sure you apply to the host institution in good time! If you miss any of their deadlines, you might not be able to take part in an ERASMUS exchange. Keep in touch with the partner university after you have submitted your application; they should be able to answer questions about accommodation, lecture courses, orientation courses, enrolment, travelling to the destination, etc.
Use the internet to read about other people's experiences of studying abroad. Try to get in touch with former ERASMUS students or international students currently studying in Germany to find out about their experiences.
Step 7
Discuss departmental requirements with your ERASMUS coordinator. Enquire also about having your work abroad recognised on your return. You might need to visit the exams office to arrange this. Where applicable apply for international BAföG allowance at your BAFöG office. If you will be on sabbatical during your study abroad period, see the Studentenkanzlei to arrange this. If necessary, the Central Office for International Affairs can provide documentation to confirm your participation in the ERASMUS programme.
Step 8
Be sure to know and understand your obligations as an ERASMUS grant recipient. Submit the required documents (see below).
Step 9
Do your existing health and liability insurance policies cover you for your stay abroad? Do you need any inoculations? Get an international student ID card! Pack, take off, have fun!
Step 10
Don't forget: as an ERASMUS grant recipient you have a few other obligations after your departure and on your return (see below).
Obligations for ERASMUS students
ERASMUS students must observe certain rules. If you fail to meet some of the requirements, your grant might not be paid. Before departure, at the beginning of your stay abroad, and upon your return, you must hand in/send specific documents to the Central Office for International Affairs. The required forms will either be sent to you or made available as a download on the COIA website.
Before departure
- Online Registration - as soon as your nomination for study abroad has been received by the COIA, you will be sent an email containing a link to our online registration page. Here you must enter the requested information. Among other things you will be required to give personal details including an email address (that you use regularly!), the provisional dates for your exchange, and the details of the bank account in Germany to which your grant should be transferred.
- Acceptance Form (Annahmeerklärung) - this will confirm your participation in the ERASMUS programme. Students of the Economics faculty should hand in their documents to the Office for International Relations in Nuremberg ; all other students should submit their documents to the COIA.
- Certificate(s) of Matriculation - You must submit your Immatrikulationsbescheinigung(en) to show that you remain enrolled at the FAU during your stay abroad (students on sabbatical remain enrolled too!).
At the beginning of your stay abroad
- Learning Agreement - this details your courses at the host institution (timetabled activities such as lectures, seminars, language courses, etc.). The learning agreement can be completed and submitted before departure or within two weeks of your arrival. It must be signed by the departmental and institutional coordinators at your home and host institution. If you change which courses you are taking, you will have to complete the "changes" form and have it signed both by your host departmental coordinator and your FAU departmental coordinator. The recommended workload is 30 ECTS credits per semester. Choose your courses based on this guideline.
- Registration Acknowledgement - this confirms your enrolment at your host institution. The international office, registration office or ERASMUS coordinator at the host institution will hereby confirm your date of matriculation and the length of your stay.
Only when the acceptance statement, certificate of matriculation, learning agreement and registration acknowledgement have been handed in to the COIA, will the first grant transfer be sent to your German account. It will be an advance payment of several months' grant.
During your stay
- Second Learning Agreement – if you will be studying abroad for an entire academic year but the learning agreement you handed in at the start of the first semester listed only the first semester's courses, you must complete and submit a second learning agreement at the beginning of the second semester. The same rules apply for the second as did for the first.
- Second FAU Certificate of Matriculation – if you will be abroad for an entire year but you submitted a certificate of matriculation covering only the first semester, you must hand in another certificate at the beginning of the second semester.
After returning home
- Exmatriculation Acknowledgement - this confirmation, issued by the host institution, will confirm the actual length of your study period. It must be handed in immediately after you return (no later than three weeks after the end of your study period).
- Questionnaire - this simple "tick box" form must be completed and handed in within three weeks of the end of your stay.
- Study abroad report - you must hand in a report of at least two pages within three weeks of the end of your stay.
- Transcript of Records (Relevé des Notes, Expediente Académico) for the courses you took at your host institution. Irrespective of whether you wish your achievements to be recognised by the FAU, you must hand in your transcript of records. It is required for the European Union's report! The transcript can be submitted later and is in some cases posted by the host institution to the COIA. Please be aware that you are obliged to provide proof that you took at least 10 ECTS credits per semester or 7 ECTS credits per trimester. If you fail to do this you will be asked to pay back any ERASMUS grant you have already received.
Only when all exmatriculation certificates, questionnaires, study abroad reports and transcripts of records (from all of this semester/year's ERASMUS students) have been received by the COIA can the second grant payment be sent out. This final payment will be calculated according to the actual length of your study abroad period. Please be prompt in handing in your documentation as other students will be waiting for their grants too!
Your support for others
If you would like to support international students at the FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, become a buddy as part of our buddy programme!
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