Erasmus+ study abroad

The Erasmus+ programme is an EU programme for students within all academic fields who wish to carry out parts of their education at another European institution of higher education.

Aalborg University has applied for and been awarded with an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education. This makes it possible for students at Aalborg University to study abroad for free in Europe and to apply for a grant.

Aalborg University has Erasmus+ agreements with about 350 higher education institutions all over Europe.

This page contains all the information which is special for studying abroad within the Erasmus+ programme. For all the general information about studying abroad with a partner university, please also read:

Studying abroad with a partner university

• You must be enrolled at Aalborg University at either undergraduate or graduate level.
   
• You have completed at least the first year of your education when your stay abroad begins.
   

• The duration of the stay is between 3 – 12 months.

• A bilateral Erasmus+ agreement between Aalborg University and the receiving higher education institution (where you will study) is available. Please note that the agreement must be signed by your own Study Board.

• You can get a credit transfer for your study period abroad (i.e. it is approved as an integrated part of your study programme at Aalborg University). You must apply for pre-approved credit transfer via your Study Board.

• An 'Erasmus Learning Agreement for Studies' has been signed and uploaded in International Office's online system prior to your stay abroad.

In order to find the relevant Erasmus+ agreements you must do the following:

• An Erasmus+ agreement MUST be signed by your own Study Board - so you must search by your Study Board when searching in our directory of exchange agreements.
   
• When the list of agreements appears you must sort it again in order to have the Erasmus+ agreements listed in the top. You do this by clicking twice on the 'Study Board' column. Now the Erasmus+ agreements are listed in the top. If you are in doubt please do not hesitate to contact us at the International Office.
   
• When you have found an interesting university, you must click on the agreement and a pop-up box will appear. In this box you will find more information about this particular agreement. Please pay special attention to whether the agreement is for undergraduates/postgraduates or both and note if any specific restrictions applies to the agreement, for instance some agreements signed by the Study Board of Architecture and Design are for Industrial Design students only.
   
• When you have found the place you want to apply for you simply click 'apply' on the specific semester.
   

 
Apply for an Erasmus+ study place

It is your own responsibility to be covered by proper insurances during your stay abroad. Aalborg University has no insurances which covers students going abroad.

It is very important that you are covered in terms of the following insurances:

• Sickness/health (both physical and mental diseases)
• Liability 
• Accident
• Baggage

When you go abroad to study with the Erasmus+ programme it is a requirement that you are covered by at least a health insurance.

Concerning the health insurance: If you are an EU citizen you may already have the blue EU Health Insurance Card, but please note the following:

The blue card gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.

The card is issued by your national health insurance provider.

Important information regarding the European Health Insurance Card:

• it is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
   
• it does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment,
   
• it does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different; services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.

We recommend you contact your private insurance company (or the examples listed below) to ensure that you are covered according to the requirements of the European Commission  :

www.dr-walter.com
http://global.ihi.com
www.studentsinsured.com/
www.aonstudentinsurance.com
www.caremed-travelinsurance.com

All Erasmus students must complete a mandatory online language assessment both before (or in the beginning of) and after the stay abroad. The European Commission has developed the Erasmus+ Online Linguistic Support.

We will send you a link to the assessment to your AAU student e-mail. The assessment takes approximately 40 to 50 minutes and consists of questions regarding e.g. grammar, vocabulary and comprehension with a total of 70 questions.

You will have to take the test if you are taking courses in one of the following six languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian or Dutch.

The result of your language assessment does not prevent you from taking part in the Erasmus+ mobility. For Higher Education students, the results are not communicated to the receiving institution. The assessment is provided by the EU/Erasmus+ programme and serves only to measure the language progress made during your mobility period.

If your level after the first test is B1 or lower, you will be offered an online language course. The course can be followed during your mobility period. This course is an offer and you are not obligated to take it – the assessments on the other hand are mandatory.

You have 30 days to complete the assessments both before and after the mobility period.

You will no longer be eligible for the Erasmus+ grant if you do not fulfil the assessment within time.

All students going for an Erasmus+ Exchange must fill in an:

Erasmus+ Learning Agreement for Studies

How to fill it in:

• You (the student) are responsible for filling in the GREEN boxes.
   
• Your coordinator at Aalborg University (the sending institution) is responsible for filling in the GREY boxes. International Office cannot sign it since it has to be signed by the academic department, who can approve of the academic content.
   
• The partner university (the receiving institution) is responsible for filling in the BLUE boxes.

The Learning Agreement can be scanned and copies send by email.
 

Please notice that the Learning Agreement is devided into three parts:

• Before the Mobility - this must be filled in and signed prior to departure
   
• During the Mobility - this is only applicable if there is any changes to your courses
   
• After the Mobility - this must be filled in an signed at the end of your stay

Please note that both/all three parts must be uploaded in International Office's system

When you apply for an Erasmus+ study place at an Erasmus+ partner university you automatically apply for a grant provided that you apply within the deadline.

The application deadline for a grant is 1 March for stay in the Autumn semester and 1 November for stays in the Spring semester.

All about the Erasmus+ grant

Erasmus+ pays particular attention to guidance, reception, physical accessibility, pedagogical and technical support services, and, especially, financing the extra costs for students whose physical, mental or health-related conditions are such that their participation in Erasmus+ would not be possible without extra financial support. 

Additional grant

For your access needs during your mobility, you can apply for an Erasmus+ grant for students with physical, mental or health-related conditions in addition to the regular Erasmus+ study grant. In preparation of your Erasmus+ mobility, you should indicate your needs and foreseen extra costs linked to your physical, mental or health-related conditions, in order to apply for the Erasmus+ special needs support grant. Please note that a doctor's note (or equivalent is needed)!

What are your access needs?

Areas that could be eligible for support linked to your Erasmus+ mobility, according to individual needs, include but are not limited to:

• adapted accommodation
• travel assistance
• medical attendance
• supportive equipment
• adaption of learning material
• an accompanying person etc.

How to apply?

Contact Erasmus+ Coordinator Trine Nielsen 

When your Erasmus+ stay is coming to an end, there are a number of things for you to remember:

1. Have the last part: 'After the Mobility' filled in and signed before you leave the partner university.
2. Fulfil the second language assessment from the Erasmus+ OLS. A link is sent to your AAU student email.
3. Answer the online survey: Erasmus+ Participant Report. A link is sent to your AAU student email.
4. Hand in your Transcript of Records from the partner university to your secretary/Study Board and to the International Office.

Both the Learning Agreement and the Transcript of Record must be uploaded in International Office's online system
 
NB! For students who received an Erasmus+ grant:  If you fail to do the above mentioned things, the International Office has the right to reimburse the grant.