Erasmus+ exchange

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
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Sweden
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Turkey

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.

Students on an ERASMUS+ study or work placement are eligible for a grant to contribute towards the extra living costs. 

The University applies annually for its Erasmus+ funding and receives a contract in July 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. 

The monthly Erasmus+ grant rates for the 2020/21 academic year are as follows:

Students going abroad in the 2020/21 academic year will be registered either to the 2018-20 Erasmus+ project or the 2019-21 project, resulting in different grant rates. The exact grant rate you will receive for your 2020/21 placement, will be confirmed in your Student Grant Agreement.

A supplementary grant will be paid to students on an Erasmus+ placement with an annual household income below £25,000. For an EU student to be eligible for this you must have been means-tested by SFE in Darlington. This supplementary grant is currently an additional €20 per month for a work placement and €120 per month for a study placement.

You will receive the Erasmus+ grant in pounds sterling, calculated at the exchange rate on the day Surrey receives the money from the National Agency.

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 MySurrey Insurance web-page. 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 started your placement and completed the following documents*:

• Grant Agreement
• 'Before the Mobility' section of the Learning Agreement
• 1st Online Linguistic Support (OLS) Assessment (if applicable)
• Arrival Certificate

The balance is paid on completion of your period abroad and once all the forms and reports have been completed. This includes: 

• 'After the Mobility' section of the Learning Agreement
• 2nd OLS (if applicable)
• EUSurvey
• Transcript (study exchange only)

*Subject to the University receiving the funds from the National Agency. 

It is also part of your contractual requirement to assist at a 'Study Abroad Fair', organised by the Global Engagement Office in November, on your return. 

Language Support is offered for the following languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, or Swedish

If you study or work in a country where one of these languages is used, you will be required to take a language test, know as the Online Linguistic Support (OLS) assessment. Depending on your score, you will also 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. If you receive a C2 in your 1st OLS assessment, you will be exempt from completing the 2nd OLS assessment as a C2 is the highest result possible.   

The OLS is a great resource and tailored to your language ability. More details on the OLS can be found here.

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.