Erasmus+

Recognition of study requirements / credits

The participating universities undertake to grant full academic recognition for successfully completed courses and certificates of achievement.

The ECTS recognition system (ECTS = European Community Credit Transfer System) was introduced for this purpose. ECTS points are awarded for study requirements / credits earned abroad and are used for recognition in Bielefeld. The respective programme coordinators and the examination office are responsible for recognition.

Partial scholarships and BAföG

Within the framework of Erasmus+, partial scholarships are awarded which are independent of study requirements / credits. The monthly scholarship rate is based on three country groups and is awarded as follows:

1. Group 1 (600 euros/month): Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden.
2. Group 2 (540 euros/month): Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
3. Group 3 (490 euros/month): Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey

In addition to the Erasmus+ partial scholarship, BAFöG recipients can apply for BAFöG abroad. Those who have not been able to receive BAFöG so far should perhaps have this checked, as the income limits for BAFöG abroad are different from those for BAFöG in Germany. The application must be submitted to the BAFöG office responsible for the country in question.

Facilitating your studies

Erasmus+ students do not have to pay tuition fees and, as a rule, the enrolment procedure is also simplified. In addition, many places offer further support, e.g. introductory days, language courses for Erasmus+ students or support in finding accommodation. No semester fee has to be paid at Bielefeld University during a study abroad programme (in the case of leave of absence).

Step by step to the Erasmus+ Semester

Application deadline: yearly on 31st of January

• Step 1: Get first information

The most important point of contact for students who intend to study with Erasmus+ in another country is the respective programme officer. The programme officers in the Faculties are responsible for sending students to the partner universities and they provide information about Courses offered by the partner universities.

• Step 2: Application

The application for participation in the Erasmus+ programme also takes place via the programme officers. The application is made via the database Mobility Online. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.

• Step 3: After the acceptance

As soon as you have received an acceptance letter from your programme officer, please go to the homepage of the host university to find out about the registration requirements and the registration deadline. Please register at the host university by the deadline. The Erasmus+ code for Bielefeld University is: D BIELEFE 01.

Under Downloads you can find the a checklist to download and print out.

Contacting the host university

Contact your host university as early as possible to ask about accommodation, Course start, language and preparation courses. You can often find the most important information, contact details and application forms on the university's website. If this is not the case, please contact the International Office or Erasmus+ Office of the university. Please note the deadlines there!

Payment of the Erasmus+ grant

Your grant will be paid in two instalments. In the first instalment at the start date of your stay abroad, 75% of the total funding will be paid to you. The second instalment will be paid after your return and after you have submitted the necessary documents. The second instalment will be paid according to the period stated in the Confirmation.

Please be aware: To support as many students as possible, the scholarship is not calculated on a daily basis. For stays up to 6 months, a maximum of 4 months will be funded, and for stays up to 12 months, a maximum of 8 months will be funded.

Language preparation

Some universities require proof of sufficient language skills. For such proof, you should contact the Fachsprachenzentrum [Language Centre]. However, even if you do not have to provide proof of language proficiency, you should make use of the services offered by the Fachsprachenzentrum [Language Centre] to prepare for your stay with the help of language courses.

International BAföG

In addition to the Erasmus+ partial scholarship, BAföG recipients can apply for BAföG abroad. If you have not been able to receive BAföG so far, you might want to have this checked, as the income limits for BAföG abroad are different from those for BAföG in Germany. The application must be submitted to the BAföG office responsible for the country in question. You can find information on the internet under BAföG .

Learning Agreement

To ensure that the study requirements / credits you earn at the host university are recognised upon your return, you should enter all the courses you would like to take there in the Learning Agreement. It is best to discuss the choice of courses with your Erasmus+ Programme Officer. The Learning Agreement must be signed by you, your programme officer and the recognition officer at the Faculty and the Erasmus coordinator at the host university before your departure. After your arrival in the host country, changes can still be made to the Learning Agreement.

Health Insurance

Apply for the European Health Insurance Card for those with statutory health insurance or talk to your insurance company about insurance coverage abroad if you have private insurance. It is also recommended that you take out additional accident and liability insurance (this is possible through the DAAD [German Academic Exchange Service ]).

Leave of absence/ re-enrolment at Bielefeld University

You can take a leave of absence for the duration of your stay. To do so, you need the application for leave of absence from the Student Office and the confirmation of your Erasmus+ nomination, which you will receive by post from the International Office. Please note: A leave of absence is not possible if you want to take an exam or finish your studies at Bielefeld University in the semester in which you are studying abroad. For more information, please contact the Student Office.

Information event of the IO

In April/May, the International Office offers an information day especially for Erasmus+ students, where you can get a lot of additional information and have the opportunity to exchange ideas with former Erasmus+ students.

Translation of the transcript

If your host university requires a transcript in English, the translation can be checked and stamped by the International Office. You can find more information regarding the translation as well as the transcript template under Downloads.

Interim tenancy

If you would like to offer your shared room or flat for interim rent to international students/promotion students, you can do this via the International Office.

Please enter the details of the room/flat here.

International Mentoring Programme

If you would like to get a taste of the Erasmus+ atmosphere, the International Mentoring Programme offers you the opportunity to supervise Erasmus+ students who are currently spending one or two Erasmus+ semesters in Bielefeld. You can find more information about the programme and registration here.

Field reports

There are certainly many things you would like to know about your future place of residence and the university. In order to get a first impression and to increase your anticipation, it is worth reading the testimonials of former Erasmus+ students. You can find them here. You can find a guide for writing testimonials under Downloads.

"Confirmation of Participation

Please have your date of arrival confirmed as soon as possible after your arrival. The "Confirmation of Participation" must be signed and stamped by the host university. Before your departure, you should also have the end of your stay confirmed.

Learning Agreement

Adjust the Learning Agreement if necessary: Changes to your original study plan must be agreed with both the academic coordinator at the host university and the programme officer at Bielefeld University.

"Transcript of Records

Ask your host university to issue a "Transcript of Records" (ToR) at the end of your study stay (most universities do this automatically). The ToR contains an overview of the courses you attended and the results. You need the ToR for the recognition of study requirements / credits. Please also submit a copy to the International Office after your return.

In case of problems: IO

If there are any problems at the host university, you can contact us (the International Office) at any time.

Submitting the documents

Please upload the following documents to the database after your return:

• Confirmation of Participation
• Transcript of Records from the host university
• Confirmation of the recognition of study requirements / credits
• Field report

Country Ambassadors

Country ambassadors are contact persons for students who are planning a stay abroad in the same country. They provide useful advice on country- and university-specific questions about the host university, the city and the country of the stay abroad. They can also inspire students who have not yet decided to study abroad. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact the World Office in D0-140 or send an email to
auslandsaufenthalt@uni-bielefeld.de.

International Mentoring Programme

Would you like to continue to have contact with international students? How about volunteering in the International Mentoring Programme? In this mentoring programme, Bielefeld students can personally look after international students, support them during their stay in Bielefeld and thus establish international contacts. You can find more information and registration for the International Mentoring Programme here.

• Your project duration is at least two months (= 60 days). Under Erasmus+, one month is exactly 30 days.
• The host company is located in an Erasmus+ Programme Country (EU Member States, Northern Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey or Serbia).
• The traineeship is full-time (>35 hours/week).
• The internship can be a compulsory internship or a voluntary internship - but in any case it must have a clear connection to your studies.
• You must be enrolled as a student of Bielefeld University or a graduate of Bielefeld University during the entire internship period. A graduate internship can be sponsored within one year (12 months) after the degree if the sponsorship was applied for in the last year of the respective study phase.

These are some of the departments that can offer internships:

• Universities
• Public and private small, medium or large enterprises
• Local, regional or national public bodies
• Social partners or representatives of the labour market (e.g. chambers of commerce, trade unions)
• Research institutions
• Foundations
• Schools, institutes and training centres
• Non-profit organisations, associations, non-governmental organisations
• Career guidance, counselling and information services

Erasmus+ cannot fund placements at these institutions:

• EU institutions and other EU bodies
• Departments managing EU programmes

An application for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant is possible at any time. Please upload the complete application documents to the application portal at least 6 weeks before the start of the internship:

• Application portal
• Letter of motivation (max. 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae
• Certificate of study
• Learning Agreement (can be downloaded from the application portal)

Selection criteria for the award of Erasmus scholarships are:

• complete application documents submitted on time (six weeks before the start of the internship)
• a suitable internship placement that takes up the content of the degree programme and corresponds to the current level of study
• a convincing written statement of motivation

The amount of your Erasmus grant depends on the exact project duration and the destination country of the traineeship. The monthly funding rates may vary from year to year.

Project 2022 (for projects ending before 31/07/2024):

• Group 1 (750 euros/month): Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden.
• Group 2 (690 euros/month): Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
• Group 3 (640 euros/month): Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey

The scholarship is paid in two instalments:

• 1st instalment: 75%, before the start date of the internship abroad.
• 2nd instalment: 25%, after the degree of the internship abroad, after you have submitted all the documents required for this purpose

For more information, see Downloads.