Exchange Worldwide

All applications are done online via the Mobility-Online Portal. You will find the link to the application portal during the application period on this page in the right column.

Select from the category "Exchange program" "Program students - international." Then select the academic year for which you are applying (not the current academic year).

The exchange officer is responsible for selecting the exchange students, officially nominating them, and registering them at the partner university.

The application process is done electronically. All documents needed for the application must be uploaded electronically in the portal before the application deadline. Many coordinators require an additional email or a paper application. Please clarify the program details and exact application procedures in advance with the appropriate exchange officer.

Please note that you must ALWAYS apply to ALL the exchange coordinators mentioned in the list for your respective exchange, even if you study in a different field. You may need to upload up to three applications for a worldwide exchange. To do so, create for each a completely new application under the link in the right column "for the application" in mobility online. Otherwise, the exchange officers may not see your application and you may therefore not be accepted.  

If you cannot apply online due to technical problems, please contact studybremen@uni-bremen.de immediately with the specific error message and the time of the occurrence.

Language skills in the language of instruction and preferably also some basic knowledge of the national language, if different, can be acquired at the Language Center on campus. Depending on the program, certain language certificates are required.
The most common language certificates can be obtained at the SZHB.

Tip: If the host university does not insist on certain expensive certificates such as TOEFL, IELTS, DELF, or DELE, the so-called DAAD language certificate, which can be issued at the SZHB for a fee, may be sufficient.
For English, many universities now accept the inexpensive Duolingo test.

The application usually consists of the completed online application and the following documents:

• Motivation letter. Maximum 2 pages.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Current proof of enrollment at the University of Bremen
• Transcript (e.g. PABO- / FlexNow print)

Some exchange officers also require:

• Language certificate: completed level B2 in the language of instruction or equivalent proof (e.g. a study abroad, high school transcript, etc.). The DAAD Language Certificate can be obtained in the SZHB for about 20 euros as a standard language certificate. In exceptional cases, some officers accept a B1 level at the time of the application.
• Please clarify individual application requirements in advance with the appropriate exchange officer in the appropriate department (see the list exchange destinations outside Europe).
• If possible, a Learning Agreement (it can be uploaded along with the motivation letter). It should be agreed upon as soon as possible (but no later than your departure) with your home department!

The applications are evaluated primarily on the following criteria:

• Previous academic performance (grades)
• Quality of the letter of motivation, project justification (quality, usefulness and value of the proposed plan)
• Extra-curricular criteria (language skills - at least level B2 in the language of instruction, social skills and suitability, and social engagement)
• If necessary, regional priorities within the department

The acceptance of applications is determined by the exchange officer alone. You will thereafter be notified, and all accepted candidates will be nominated at the host university. The final decision on acceptance is made by the host institution, but it is usually only a formality. Usually, the host university sends a confirmation email to the students and/or the exchange officer with an invitation for online registration. Only then do the students get in touch with the host institution.

A stay abroad usually entails additional costs. With scholarships and funding opportunities, these can be absorbed. Please inform yourself in good time about the application deadlines, which are often one year before your departure. Further information can be found on the page "Scholarships and funding opportunities".

Acknowledgement of courses attended at a foreign university should be clarified at an early stage and always before starting in your own department at the responsible authorities. A learning agreement can simplify the process. Occasionally courses can be changed at the host institution within the first week of lectures. This has to be then clarified immediately in the home department.

Inform yourself in advance about all important points for the preparation. Every April, the International Office offers a predeparture event, where you can get to know all the other outgoing students of the year. There you will get all the important information.

We strongly recommend that you secure international health insurance with full coverage and repatriation to your home country if you select a host university outside of Europe.

Also clarify scheduling conflicts of leaving and remaining exams with your department.

Exchanges are not possible to countries or regions for whom the the Foreign Office has issued travel warning during the funding period specified in the award letter (www.auswaertiges-amt.de). If a travel warning is issued after the start of the exchange, exchange students and recipients must leave the destination and report it. Any possible funding may not thereafter be continued. All exchange students and recipients, especially when traveling to locations where safety is unstable, must register on the Foreign Office website ("Elektronische Erfassung von Deutschen im Ausland").

Make sure that you arrive in time for the orientation week. Observe all safety instructions and rules of conduct on site. Make use of extra-curricular offers on campus. There you will have the opportunity to get to know the host country and to make friends.

Experience report

All students must upload an experience report to the Mobility Online Portal within 4 weeks of completing the exchange (see the guide in the download section). The International Office will not accept this report in paper form.

This report helps you to reflect on your experiences and share these with others. Other students depend on other reports when making their decisions. You can find reports from all regions below.