Erasmus Exchange

Explore Europe while studying

Erasmus Plus Logo

In 2021 the EU launched a new program for Education, Youth and Sports called Erasmus+. It is running for the years 2021-2027. The University of Bremen has been awarded with the Erasmus University Charta for the whole duration of the program in accordance with the European Policy Statement.

The Erasmus University Charta is valid until 2027 and allows the University to participate in all Erasmus+ activities concerning higher education.

Under the Erasmus+ program, students of the University of Bremen can spend between 2 and 12 months on each study level (bachelor, master, PhD) studying their subject at one of our EU partner universities. This means that if you have already spent 12 Erasmus months abroad during your bachelor studies you get new "credit" of 12 Erasmus months for your master studies and also for your PhD studies.

The following countries are participating in the Erasmus+ program: all 27 EU member states and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey. There are no exchange activities with Switzerland under the Erasmus+ program at the moment. The exchange is currently financed completely by our Swiss partner institutions.

Information about Erasmus in UK and Brexit are published on the website of the DAAD.

Prerequisite is the existence of an inter-institutional Erasmus agreement between the faculty you are enrolled in and the partner university.

Here is a list of Erasmus+ agreements sorted according to faculty/study field and partner country.

  • no tuition fee has to be paid to the hosting university
  • intensive counseling, both at the home university as well as at your host university
  • language preparation
  • recognition of credits awarded abroad
  • mobility grant according to country category
  • duration of an Erasmus study period must be at least 2 months and no longer than 12 months.

The mobility grant consists of several components. In addition to the provision of an Erasmus study place, the waiving of tuition fees and comprehensive support at the home and host universities, Erasmus funds are used to subsidize the mobility costs for the stay in the host country.

The DAAD determines the monthly Erasmus mobility grants on a national basis.

These mobility grants apply from the winter semester 2024/25:

  • 600 euros/month for country category I (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Sweden), stays in Switzerland are funded by the Swiss universities (SEMP).
  • 540 euros/month for country category II (Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Cyprus),
  • 540 euros/month for country category III (Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary).

Students who belong to one of these groups

  • Students with a disability (GdB 20) or higher
  • Students with a chronic illness
  • Students with a child
  • First-time graduates
  • Students in employment

can apply for an additional top-up of 250 euros per month (see next section for details)

Our aim is to provide funding for all students. Therefore, depending on the DAAD's allocation of funds, we may again be forced to limit the funding period of the mobilities and thus not be able to fund the entire period of stay. Students should be prepared to finance part of their stay from other sources.


These rates apply in the winter semester 2023/24 and summer semester 2024:

  • 600 Euro per month for country category I (Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden)
  • 540 Euro per month for country category II (Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus)
  • 490 Euro per month for country category III (Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slowenia, Northmacedonia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary

For the 2023/24 university year, we have received less funding from the DAAD for student mobilities than expected. Fortunately, the number of mobilities has increased simultaneously; meaning that more students receive funding. In addition, more than half of the students receive the additional funds for social participation, which is also affecting the budget. Due to these factors, we had to make changes to the allocation of mobility grants. The mobility grant is paid out as follows: students studying abroad for one semester will receive a grant for up to 4 months (120 days), students studying abroad for one academic year will receive a grant for up to 8 months (240 days).

Equal opportunities is one of the core values of the Erasmus+ Programme.

For this reason, students with special needs have the opportunity to apply for additional funding for their stay abroad if they belong to one of the following groups:

Students with a disability of GdB 20 or more or a chronic illness

  • Degree of disability of 20 or more

Students with a chronic illness

  • Chronic illness with additional financial needs abroad

Student traveling abroad with child/children

  • At least one child is taken along during the entire stay abroad
  • Amount independent of the number of children
  • Application also possible if the partner is traveling with you
  • Double funding of the child must be ruled out.

First-time graduate (student from a non-academic family)

  • Neither parent or guardian has a degree from a university or university of applied sciences. A degree from a vocational academy that leads to a degree comparable to a university degree is to be considered an academic degree. A master craftsman's certificate is not to be equated with an academic degree in this context.
  • Degree courses completed abroad by one of the parents that are not recognized as such in Germany (e.g. physiotherapy) count as an academic degree within the scope of the eligibility criteria for receiving additional funding, so that there is no entitlement to the top-up amount.

Employed student

  • The employment must have been exercised continuously for at least six months in relation to the mobility. The period of employment must be within a time window of 6 months before applying for the mobility and the time of the start of the mobility. A longer period of employment prior to the start of the mobility is not an exclusion criterion.
  • The activity in the sending country will not be continued during the stay abroad. Notice of termination is not a prerequisite; the employment contract can also be paused.
  • During the minimum period of employment prior to the Erasmus application, monthly earnings must be above EUR 450 and below EUR 850 (net earnings from all activities per month added together). The employment must be subject to social security contributions. As a rule, self-employed activities and dual/part-time study programs with a fixed salary are excluded.

As proof that you belong to one of these groups, you will sign a declaration of honor, which we will send to you together with the Erasmus Grant Agreement.


Funding through an independent application ("real cost application")

If significant additional costs are incurred for the mobility, students who receive funding for their studies abroad via Erasmus+ and who belong to the following groups can submit a long-term application for funding of up to 15,000 euros:

  • Students with a disability or chronic illness (proven by, for example, a disability pass, notification from the state social welfare office or a medical certificate), which indicates additional financial needs abroad
  • Students who are traveling abroad with their child/children and who incur expenses that are not covered by the flat-rate top-up amount

The application must be submitted to the DAAD at least two months before departure.


Preparatory trips for participants with a disability or chronic illness and for participants with child/children

The application must be submitted at least two months before the trip via the Erasmus+ university coordinators at the NA DAAD using the real cost application form for preparatory trips. A maximum of EUR 15,000 per mobility can be approved. Further information can be found on the NA DAAD website.


Many students with special needs have overcome the obstacles a mobility poses and have started their journeys with the support of the Erasmus program. You can find their inspiring reports on the web pages of the DAAD.

  • Enrollment at the University of Bremen
  • students must have completed at least one full year of studies before the start of their stay abroad
  • good knowledge in the language of instruction (B2, according to the European framework of languages) at the host university
  • at least basic knowledge of the language spoken in the host country

In contrast to the former Erasmus program, multiple Erasmus study periods up to 12 months per study level (Bachelor, Master, PhD) are possible. Erasmus study and Erasmus internship periods can be combined within one study level. Minimum stay for Erasmus internships is 2 months.

 

Applications have to be submitted online. Additionally, a set of signed documents must be passed on to the Departmental Erasmus Coordinator for your study field/faculty. The Departmental Erasmus Coordinators decide on the allocation of the Erasmus study places. They will also provide you with information on the recognition of study credits obtained abroad and other formal as well as language requirements.

Deadline for applications is 15th of February for the whole of the following academic year.

This deadline does not apply for Erasmus internships! Applications for Erasmus internship grants can be submitted throughout the year.

After the allocation of Erasmus places in March late applications for an Erasmus study period are possible until November. Please check with the Departmental Erasmus Coordinators for available options before applying.

Before filling the Erasmus online application form please read the "Information about the Erasmus+ application procedure" and the "Instructions for the online application".

Information about the Erasmus+ application procedure

Instructions for the online application

Deadline for applications is 15th of February for the whole of the following academic year.

Please note that you have to fill a separate online application for each exchange program and each study field you want to apply for.

From March onwards it will be possible to apply for remaining Erasmus exchange places. Please check with your Erasmus Coordinator at the faculty before applying.

 

Important information for students who already participated in the former Erasmus program:  The Erasmus+ program allows multiple Erasmus study or training periods (up to a maximum of 12 months in total)  during each study level (BA, MA, PhD).

When the student returns from her/his study abroad period he/she shows her/his learning agreement and the transcript of records to the person responsible for recognition . The person who is responsible for recognition will issue a ‘Anerkennungsbestätigung’ which the student hands in to the registrar’s office (Prüfungsamt). Before handing in the paper the student uploads the documents (transcript of records, Anerkennungsbescheinigung) in Mobility online. Some departments might have other regulations regarding the recognition procedure.

In case the student does not want to have the course recognized towards his/her degree because he/she has already accumulated all the credits needed, he/she should apply to get the courses entered as additional courses (“Zusatzleistung”) in the Degree Certificate.

The student should start the recognition  procedure immediately after her/his return or after having received the transcript of records from the host institution.

Important: Credits awarded during the exchange period abroad cannot be recognized for failed exams at the University of Bremen, even if it was stated in the Learning Agreement. If the exam was started at the University of Bremen the exam has to be finished at the University of Bremen as well. Start of the exam is the registration for the exam. (see also "Allgemeiner Teil der Prüfungsordnungen (AT) §20 Abs. (5): "An der Universität Bremen nicht bestandene Prüfungen können nur an der Universität Bremen wiederholt werden.“)

Mandatory!

Contact

Barbara Hasenmüller

Tel. +49-421-218-60362
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Nominated students shall direct all questions about the mobility to:
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