Erasmus+ Traineeship

With Erasmus+, the EU empowers young people to gain new experiences abroad. The program not only aims to modernize and internationalize Europe's education system but also to enhance your skills, personal development, and job prospects. Whether studying or interning abroad, Erasmus+ makes it possible—even after graduation.

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What are the benefits of an Erasmus+ Traineeship?

- Financial support, regardless of internship salary.
- A guaranteed traineeship position through a contract between the university, company, and you.
- Assistance in finding and preparing for your internship.
- Official certification of your internship (Diploma Supplement) or recognition for your studies.
- Additional grants for students with disabilities.
- Additional grants for students with children.

Seize this opportunity and embark on your adventure abroad!

Funding is provided by National Agencies in the program countries. In Germany, this is fulfilled by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which offers further information and advice on Erasmus+ mobility programs.

German Academic Exchange Service
National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation
Kennedyallee 50
53115 Bonn
Tel: +49(0)228/882-8877
Fax: +49(0)228/882-555
Email: erasmus@daad.de
Homepage: www.eu.daad.de

Official EU website for Erasmus+

Who is eligible for an Erasmus+ Traineeship?

Undergraduate students, graduates (up to one year post-graduation), and enrolled doctoral students at Viadrina are eligible for Erasmus+ funding if they meet the following criteria:

• Have not exhausted their Erasmus budget of 12 months in the current study cycle.
• Have secured an internship that meets the listed below requirements.
• Possess good language skills in the intended working language.
• Are relocating abroad for the internship.

The traineeship must take place outside the country of your primary residence. International students wishing to intern in their home country may be funded only if they can prove that they are registered as resident in Germany at the time of signing the grant agreement.

Which criteria must the traineeship fulful?

Location in the Erasmus area: Internships must be conducted in one of the following Erasmus countries: the 27 EU member states (excluding Germany) and their overseas territories, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey. While Switzerland does not participate in Erasmus+, funding is available through the Swiss-European Mobility Programme.

Internships in the United Kingdom are eligible for funding only in exceptional cases.

Duration:

Long-term Mobility:  The Traineeship lasts at least 60 days (the 31st day of any month is not counted). Funding covers a maximum of 180 days in the current project.

Short-Term Mobility: If personal, family, health, or study-related reasons prevent you from going abroad for at least 60 days, a shorter stay (5-30 days) in the host country can be combined with a virtual component (Blended short-term Mobility). Funding applies only to days spent abroad, amounting to 79 EUR/day up to the 14th day, and 56 EUR/day from the 15th to the 30th day (as of 12/2024). Doctoral students may undertake short-term internships without a virtual phase (5-30 days).

Working hours:

The internship must be full-time (at least 30 hours/week) and the main purpose of the stay abroad.

Study-Related:

The internship should be related to your studies and ideally integrated into the degree program (not applicable to graduates and doctoral students). Voluntary study-related internships can also be funded. When deciding on the duration of the internship, please also consider the requirements of the study and examination regulations.

Exclusion Criteria for Funding

An traineeship is not eligible for funding if:

• You do not reside in the host country during the internship.
• The funding application is submitted only a few days before or after the internship begins (no retroactive funding possible).
• The internship takes place at an EU institution, other EU entities, specialized agencies, or organizations managing EU programs (e.g., EU Voluntary Services, DAAD- see full list).
• Double funding from EU sources is present.

You can submit your application for Erasmus+ funding for your internship at any time.

However, it is vital to apply at least 4 weeks before the internship begins, either by email or in person at the Career Center. Applications submitted with shorter notice may not be considered.

Required Documents:

• Completed and signed application form (see download area).
• For graduate internships, initial submission may omit internship position details.
• Letter of motivation (1/2 to 1 full A4 page in German or English).
• Your CV (German or English).
• Confirmation from the internship organization (confirmation, email, contract).
• Current certificate of enrollment.
• Declaration on travel days (see download area).
• If applicable, declaration of honor for Social Top-Ups (see download area). Lack of submission will assume ineligibility.
• Grade report/printout from ViaCampus.
• If available, proof of working language proficiency (study book excerpts for language courses from Viadrina Language Centre or other certificates if applicable).

• For international students completing an internship in their home country: Proof of main residence in Germany during studies.

 If you have questions about the application documents, please feel free to contact us. Incomplete applications will also be processed.

What Happens After the Application?

If your application meets the funding criteria, you will receive formal funding approval, along with Erasmus+ documents/agreements and further information via email.

Funding Rates for Erasmus+ Traineeships

We are currently processing applications for the Erasmus+ Project 2024. The funding rates and rules specified for this project are applicable. The first and last day at the internship location determine the funding amount, excluding the 31st of any month. Internship salaries are not considered in the funding calculation.

The funding amount depends on the cost of living in the host country. It is advisable to research the living costs in your host country before your internship abroad. Information can be obtained from your internship organization, respective embassies, or the DAAD country information.

For the current project, funding is available for a maximum of 180 days.

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 -- Group 1: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden
EUR 750.00 per 30 days

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 - Groups 2 and 3: Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary, Cyprus
EUR 690.00 per 30 days

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 For short-term mobility (5-30 days), the following rates apply:
- Day 1-14: EUR 79 per day
- Day 15-30: EUR 56 per day

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Top-Ups Project 2024

Travel Days: For air and private car travel, up to 2 extra travel days can be funded. For "green" travel via train or bus, up to 6 additional travel days can be claimed at the daily country group rate.

Participants with Fewer Opportunities/Social Top-Ups:

Students receive EUR 250.00 monthly as above.

Social top-ups for short-term mobility

Students and graduates receive an additional one-off contribution of EUR 100 for physical mobility of 5 to 14 days or EUR 150 for physical mobility of between 15 and 30 days.

More about the Erasmus+ Top-Ups (german)

For a funded Erasmus+ internship, it is essential to complete and sign contracts prepared by the EU Commission. Both agreements must be signed by all parties involved and submitted to the Career Center before the internship commences.

Learning Agreement

The Learning Agreement for Traineeships is a contract signed by you, the internship provider, and the university representative responsible for recognizing the internship. It outlines the organizational and content aspects of the internship, the learning objectives, and subsequent recognition by the university. This agreement must be signed and submitted as a scan before the internship begins.

Grant Agreement

The Grant Agreement details the financial support for the internship, as well as your rights and obligations. This agreement is signed by you and the university, and the original document must be submitted to the Career Center before the internship starts. The Erasmus+ grant is disbursed in two installments: 80% before the internship begins, upon submission of all signed documents, and the remaining 20% after the submission of all supporting documents and reports upon completion of the internship.

 

Before starting your internship, it is crucial to ensure you have adequate insurance coverage.

Health Insurance Abroad

We strongly recommend obtaining international health insurance. While your national health insurance, via the European Health Insurance Card, generally covers your stay in another EU country, this only equates to the coverage a person with statutory health insurance would receive in the host country. Often, healthcare and cost coverage in your destination country are below German standards. In many cases, you'll need to pay for treatment upfront and can only be reimbursed up to a certain limit by your national health insurance. Therefore, the coverage provided by the European Health Insurance Card or private health insurance may fall short, especially if repatriation or special medical procedures are required. We advise consulting your health insurance provider and securing supplementary international health insurance that includes coverage for pandemics and necessary repatriation.

Students undertaking voluntary paid internships abroad must typically obtain statutory health insurance in the host country, as participation in the host country's social security system is required.

Accident and Liability Insurance

All Erasmus+ interns must provide proof of insurance against accidents and damage they may cause during both leisure and work hours (accident and liability insurance). In many countries, interns are not covered by the internship organization, necessitating personal arrangements for these insurances. If the Learning Agreement confirms coverage by the internship center, additional proof of insurance is unnecessary.

You may choose to purchase private insurance or utilize the DAAD group insurance, which offers combined health, accident, and liability coverage for interns (Tariff 720) and graduates on internships abroad (Tariff 726A). The DAAD insurance office is available to answer your questions. Proof of insurance coverage must be included in the Grant Agreement.

The Career Center is here to support you throughout your internship abroad. You can reach out to us anytime if you have questions, encounter difficulties, or if you are dissatisfied with your internship experience.

Extending Your Erasmus+ Traineeship

If you wish to extend your Erasmus+ traineeship, you can do so up to one month before its scheduled end date by emailing careercenter@europa-uni.de. If an extension is approved, the new dates will be added to the Learning Agreement appendix and confirmed with signatures. The funding amount will be adjusted to reflect the new duration, with a maximum funding limit of 180 days.

 

Shortening/Canceling the Traineeship

Please contact us before shortening or canceling your internship.

If you need to finish your traineeship earlier than planned, submit the addendum to the Learning Agreement, signed by you and your internship provider, indicating the new shorter duration. We will recalculate the funding amount and may request repayment of any excess funds.

If you shorten the internship to less than the required 60 days for personal or family reasons, you must repay the entire grant received. However, repayment is not required if you must leave due to medically confirmed illness, force majeure, or an urgent advisory from the Federal Foreign Office.

After completing your Erasmus+ traineeship, you are required to submit the following certificates and reports:

• A qualified internship certificate or the Traineeship Certificate from the EU Commission, confirming your internship, its duration, and activities.
• A brief internship report or, if applicable for mandatory internship recognition, the completed Career Center online form, provided that the recognition is processed via the Career Center.
• The completed Participant Report from the EU Commission (an online questionnaire).

Shortly before your Erasmus+ internship end, we will write you an e-mail with the necessary information and templates. Please submit the required documents within 6 weeks following the end of your internship. Once you have submitted all the necessary documents, we will pay out the second instalment of your funding.

Students may qualify for additional funding through a real cost application if they:

• Have a documented disability that results in significant additional financial needs abroad.
• Have a chronic illness that incurs extra financial expenses abroad.
• Commence their mobility with child(ren).

Given the potentially extensive process between Viadrina and the NA DAAD, depending on individual circumstances, it is important to submit the necessary documentation and proof at least 3 months prior to the planned stay.

Please contact us if you believe you fall into one of these categories and require comprehensive financial support to undertake an internship abroad.

You can also complete an internship abroad after finishing your studies through Erasmus+. The same funding and selection criteria apply as for student Erasmus+ traineehsips, but there are some special conditions:

• You must still be enrolled at the time of applying for the Erasmus+ graduate internship. As securing an internship abroad while completing your final thesis can be challenging, you may submit your application for Erasmus+ funding without specifying the internship location, duration, and country. Simply leave these fields blank in the application form.
• The internship must be completed within one year of your graduation.
• Before the internship begins, you must provide the Career Center with either a certificate of exmatriculation or proof from the examination office that all academic requirements have been fulfilled.

After submitting your application without specific internship details, you will receive a provisional informal acceptance via email. The Erasmus+ agreements will be finalized after you have secured an internship position and informed us of the details.

 

According to the Programme Guide for Erasmus+, the EU Commission has allocated each student in their current study cycle (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD) an Erasmus budget of 12 months (360 days), which includes the possibility of utilizing 12 months of Erasmus funding. This encompasses zero-grant days—periods that were not funded by scholarships. For instance, in a 6-month Erasmus study abroad programme, all 6 months count towards your Erasmus budget, even if only 4 months were funded.

Students can apply this Erasmus+ budget to one or more Erasmus study visits (SMS) or internships (SMP) up to one year after graduation. For example, within a Bachelor's degree, it is possible to complete a 5-month Erasmus study programme, a 4-month internship, and an additional 3-month graduate traneeship. Upon entering a Master's programme, a fresh 12-month budget becomes available.

Periods from the previous Erasmus Lifelong Learning Programme are also factored into the 12-month calculation. It's important to remember that this budget pertains to the study cycle, not to a specific degree programme. Therefore, any Erasmus stays from prior degree programmes (e.g., following a change of degree programme) must be included if they occurred within the current study cycle.