Covid-19 FAQ for Outgoing Students 2021/22
The situation confronts us all with new challenges and policies change quickly. Here you will find a FAQ we have compiled for you on important questions regarding your mobility in the academic year 2021/22. We will update the answers as soon as changes occur. We will also inform you in detail by e-mail. Currently, we are still waiting for confirmation that it will remain unchanged in the academic year 2022/23.
In addition, we will continue to be available to you preferably by telephone and e-mail and will be happy to advise you. However, you can also make appointments to meet with us in person.
Note:
When choosing a partner university, please take into account the current regulations on infection protection. Some partner universities or countries only grant access to the campus or university or entry to students who have been fully vaccinated. Be sure to check the websites of the partner universities and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.
The partner university or we will inform you individually by email as soon as there are updates. Within Europe, semesters abroad are mostly still planned for the winter semester 2021/22. Teaching in presence, online or in hybrid form is possible. Only a few partner universities have already communicated that the semesters cannot take place on site. Among them mostly (a few) partner universities outside Europe.
On the following website, many universities have entered whether exchange students will be accepted and in what form the teaching will take place: covid.uni-foundation.eu
(As of: 03.02.2022)
In most cases, postponements are possible in the same academic year, i.e. from winter semester 2021/22 to summer semester 2022. The earlier you let us know, the better for planning. Under the current circumstances, however, short-term decisions are also taken into account. Most universities understand spontaneous changes, but some only allow this to a limited extent.
Postponements to the next academic year, i.e. to winter semester 2022/23 or summer semester 2023, are not possible.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
A virtual stay abroad, meaning an exchange in which you take purely online courses at the partner university, can also be financially supported with Erasmus+ grants, but only if you are in the host country (the country of the partner university). This also applies for possible quarantine periods on arrival into the host country. If you, however, stay in your home country (in Germany or elsewhere), no grant will be awarded, as there will be no additional costs caused by your study abroad. Quarantine periods in your home country after your return cannot be funded as part of the mobility period. Exchanges with face-to-face or courses in hybrid form (online and presence) are also eligible for Erasmus+ grants as long as you are in the host country. If you first attend online courses from your home country and later leave for the host country, as soon as face-to-face or hybrid courses are available, you will receive Erasmus+ grant only for the time you are in the host country.
If you start studying abroad in presence/hybrid courses and leave the host country early due to the pandemic, you will still be eligible for Erasmus+ funding after returning to your home country. Prerequisite for this is that you have expenses directly and exclusively related to your Erasmus+ stay in that country (e.g. rent, electricity, public transport season tickets) and/or take part in pure online courses at the partner university.
In summary:
- You stay in your home country and take part in online courses only = No Erasmus+ grant.
- You are in the host country and take part in online or face-to-face courses = Full Erasmus+ grant (including possible quarantine time upon arrival at the beginning of your study abroad).
- You start online in your home country and go to the host country as soon as it is possible to take part in face-to-face or hybrid courses = Erasmus+ grant from the moment you are in the host country.
- You start in the host country in presence/hybrid/online form and you come back to your home country due to the pandemic, but you still have to pay costs abroad and/or participate in pure online courses of the partner university = full support (including the possible quarantine period at the beginning of the stay abroad).
As always, Erasmus+ mobility grants are only paid for the periods confirmed in the Letter of Stay by the partner university. Please make sure that your period of quarantine is also confirmed on your Letter of Stay. The amount of the Erasmus+ mobility grant can be found on our funding website under the heading ERASMUS+ mobility grant.
You can also receive additional Erasmus+ funding for the period you have had to spend abroad due to the pandemic, which goes beyond the original planning. This is the case if you plan to resume your mobility as soon as the partner university is "running normally" again and in the meantime you use the online offer of the partner university and/or you are forced to stay abroad due to travel restrictions imposed by national authorities.
If you have additional high travel costs because you had to physically stop your mobility due to the pandemic, please contact us. We will then examine the possibility of settling the costs incurred in each individual case. To do so, you would have to provide proof or a formal declaration that a reimbursement or a change in the flight schedule has been individually requested from the transport company (airline, travel agency, etc.) or an insurance company but rejected. We also require proof of any additional travel expenses claimed.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
Yes, regardless of whether you are in your home or host country to participate in the online program. However, please make sure that you discuss all courses with the responsible coordinator in advance.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
Should you decide to book air or other travel tickets, we recommend that you choose refundable tickets and/or travel insurance in case of cancellation or no-show, if possible.
Before you sign a rental agreement or similar for your accommodation, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the cancellation conditions. Please also consider any financial obligations you may have for your study abroad that you may not be able to cancel.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
In general, entry for study purposes is usually possible. Please observe and adhere to the measures and recommendations of the local authorities and the national entry regulations. Check the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office. Especially students who need a visa should apply for it early, as the processing time can still take significantly longer under the current circumstances. Before you leave for your stay abroad, we strongly recommend that you also register on the Elefand list if you have German citizenship.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
This depends on the regulations in the host country. Some partner universities ask for voluntary self-quarantine. Some only allow fully vaccinated students on campus. You will also receive information on this directly from your colleagues there. However, we also ask you to do your own research before you leave the country and plan accordingly for possible quarantine periods before you start your studies abroad.
Quarantine periods that you take immediately after entering the host country for the mobility phase can be funded through Erasmus+; quarantine periods after your return to your home country, however, cannot (see question 3).
(As of: 03.02.2022)
Yes, but only if you don't take a leave of absence.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
Students who are going abroad for the summer semester 2022, please wait with the submission of the documents until you are contacted by us with the new EU templates.
In general, we accept all documents except the Grant Agreement by e-mail. It is best to send the Grant Agreement by post or bring it to our offices.
For all WiWi students: Please send us the Grant Agreement by post only after we have confirmed by e-mail that it has been filled in correctly. Furthermore, the date of signature on the Grant Agreement must be after the last date of signature of the (online) Learning Agreement. Therefore, you must have a (Online) Learning Agreement signed by all three parties (you, us, the partner university) before you can submit the Grant Agreement. Please note that the (Online) Learning and Grant Agreement should be submitted by 01.07.2021 for mobilities in the coming winter semester and by 15.12.2021 for mobilities in the coming summer semester. Both documents must reach us before the start of your studies abroad.
E-Mail addresses to send the documents:
Cultural and Social Sciences / Law students: outgoing@europa-uni.de
Business and Economics students: outgoing-wiwi@europa-uni.de
Our postal address for the Grant Agreement:
Europa-Universität Viadrina
Viadrina International Affairs
c/o name of your coordinator
Große Scharrnstraße 59
15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
You do not need to submit the Online Learning Agreement, we will receive an info from the system as soon as it is completely signed and download it there ourselves.
A list of the documents or things to be done before, during and after your study abroad with all deadlines can be found in the checklist.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
It is possible in well justified exceptional cases. For this purpose, a request must be submitted to the responsible examination board, which is making the decission about exemptions. If you are thinking about filing for an exemption, please consult us beforehand, so that you can make a decision with the knowledge of all possible alternatives.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
No, if you study exclusively online from your home country and do not go abroad at any time, the months do not count towards your quota that you can spend abroad with Erasmus+.
Please note that this does not apply to interruptions of physical mobilities in the host country and its continuation in the home country, nor to periods of online study from the host country.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
If you physically start your Erasmus mobility, we would like to ask you to clarify with your health insurance whether you also have sufficient insurance coverage for a stay in areas with a travel warning and in pandemic cases. This is especially important because not all overseas health insurances cover this.
(As of: 03.02.2022)
