Erasmus+ exchange

Erasmus+ grants are available for students who undertake either a period of study and/or a period of work abroad in Europe. The period abroad must be a minimum of two months for work and three months for study and a maximum of an academic year (for study) or 12 months (for work). 

For unpaid work placements this can be 30 weeks to meet professional training requirements. A student may have multiple mobilities to different host institutions in the same or different countries, as follows:

  • Undergraduate: up to 12 months divided into study and/or work, with a minimum of 3 months study and 2 months work
  • Postgraduate: up to 12 months divided into study and/or work, with a minimum of 3 months study and 2 months work
  • Doctoral level: up to 12 months divided into study and/or work, with a minimum of 3 months study and 2 months work

Students can therefore carry out two or more Erasmus+ mobilities at each level of study. It is possible to be funded for two consecutive periods of study or work, provided these meet the course requirements, and you can study abroad in one year and do a work placement the next year if your course allows that, but the maximum amount of funding you can receive as an undergraduate is for 12 months.  

You can then receive another 12 months as a Masters or PhD student.  Recent graduates are classified on the basis of their completed degree.

Erasmus+ students can study or work in any of the countries listed:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Slovenia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Norway
  • Turkey
  • Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

However, in order to study abroad there has to be a bilateral Erasmus+ exchange agreement between a partner university in the country and the University of Surrey. To see where we have agreements for study check Where Can I Go?

To be eligible you must:

  • Have completed at least one full year of study if you are going to study abroad.  You can undertake a traineeship while still a first year
  • Have successfully completed the course requirements to proceed to the next stage of the course.

Please use this Search Tool to find out where you can study or work (for laboratory placements) abroad.  Your options will depend on your degree programme and your year of study.  It is best to use Chrome or Firefox.

Please ensure you consult your Erasmus+ Exchange Co-ordinator (pdf)

For Erasmus study placements follow the instructions for international exchange and apply by the stated deadline. For Erasmus work placements the application process opens in February each year.

The University applies annually for its Erasmus+ funding and receives a contract in June for the coming academic year. This may not be known at the point that you make the decision to go so you should not plan on receiving a specific amount. Details of the most up-to-date rates are published on our website.

 

The monthly grants for 2018/19 are:

         Study       Work
Group 1: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Norway        €350       €450
Group 2: Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal        €300       €400
Group 3: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, Turkey        €300       €400
 

In addition if you are studying abroad and your household income is below £25,000 per year you may be eligible for a supplement of €120 per month. If you are working abroad and your household income is below £25,000 per year you may be eligible for a supplement of €20 per month.

Once we receive the grant from the National Agency and all your paperwork we will pay you the first instalment which will be 70% of your grant. The final payment will be made once you have completed all the required contract documents and the online report.

The grant is a flat-rate payment, which means you will be awarded an amount per month of study or work calculated on a daily basis. If you study for one semester this will usually be three to five months, depending where you go. If you study for a full academic year it will be a maximum of 9 months. Work placements are more variable, but must be between two and 12 months.  

You use the grant to pay your living costs and travel abroad. You are not required to provide any receipts.

As an outgoing Erasmus+ student you will be covered by the University's Personal Accident and Travel Policy.  Further information on insurance can be obtained from the Insurance Office.  You will have access to the full insurance information once registerd in the portal through Let's Go Abroad on SurreyLearn. There may be certain occasions and certain countries where you are not covered fully.  It is your responsibility to check this.

You will be paid 70% of your total grant entitlement once you have accurately completed and returned the Erasmus+ contract documents: Grant Agreement, ECTS Learning/Traineeship Agreement and Arrival Certificate.  The balance is paid on completion of your period abroad and once all the forms and reports have been completed in full and returned.  This is reliant on the University having received funds from the National Agency.  

It is also part of your contractual requirement to assist at a 'Study and Work Abroad Fair', organised by the Global Engagement Office in November, on your return.  If you have had a licence for the OLS you will be required to complete the final language assessment. 

Language Support is offered for the following languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Finnish, Swedish, Hungarian, Romanian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Polish, Portuguese and Greek.

If you study or work in a country where one of these languages is used you will be required to take an online language test and depending on your score will be given access to a free on-line course to help you prepare and survive better in your host country. At the end of your stay you will be required to again take a test to see if you have improved your language ability. The OLS is a great resource and tailored to your language ability.

More details on OLS link.

In 2014, the Erasmus+ Student Network celebrated the launch of MapAbility platform, a ground-breaking online map designed to inform disabled students about the accessibility level of European Higher Education Institutions.  Click here for details.

If you are a student with special needs please contact us as soon as possible as there are additional Erasmus+ grants we can access for you.

If you have any further questions, please contact us or come to 3rd floor, Senate House and we will be happy to help.

Celebrating 30 Years of Erasmus

Since records began, the University of Surrey has sent more than 2,000 students to study or work to another part of the EU with Erasmus funding.

Read our Celebrating Erasmus feature.

This is a logo stating from Erasmus to Erasmus+

Key documents

Erasmus+ logo