Preparations following acceptance

Procedure following your acceptance for a semester abroad or a double degree:

1. Information session
   We invite you to an information session. There, we will answer your questions and, if necessary, go through the Erasmus+ documents with you.
2. Nomination
   We will register you with your partner university as a selected candidate and forward your details to them. As soon as the nomination has been made, you will receive an email from us. Please do not contact the partner university beforehand.
3. Application to the partner university
   The partner university will usually inform you about the application procedure and deadlines. However, please do keep an eye on the deadlines yourself. If you do not receive any information in good time, please get in touch with us.
4. Submission of all necessary documents
   You will usually submit the necessary documents, e.g. declarations of honour, your Learning Agreement and Grant Agreement, online via our MoveON portal. We will inform you of this separately by email.

Can I take a leave of absence from Viadrina whilst I am studying abroad?

Yes, you can apply for a semester’s leave of absence. During a semester’s leave of absence, your place at Viadrina will be retained. However, you are not permitted to attend lectures or sit examinations at Viadrina during this period.

Will the courses I have completed abroad be recognised, subject to agreement, despite my semester’s leave of absence?

If you were on leave of absence whilst studying abroad and are studying at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, or Law and Business | Business and Law, the credits earned abroad cannot be recognised at Viadrina. For students on all other study courses in the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences or the Faculty of Law, credits will be recognised despite the leave of absence.

Can I be exempted from the semester ticket regardless of my leave of absence?

Yes, regardless of which Faculty you belong to, if you are abroad for at least three to four consecutive months, you can be exempted from the semester ticket regardless of whether you have taken a leave of absence!

Do I have to re-enrol at Viadrina, even if I apply for a leave of absence?

Yes! Whether or not you apply for a leave of absence, you must remain enrolled at Viadrina.

Can I withdraw my application for a leave of absence retrospectively?

Yes. If you are unsure whether you will be taking or passing courses abroad, this is an option. You can then withdraw your leave of absence before it expires. The Matriculation Office will inform you of the deadlines (usually about a month before the end of the leave of absence).

How do I opt out of the term ticket?

You can opt out of the term ticket with or without a leave of absence:

With a leave of absence:

Please submit your application for a leave of absence to the Matriculation Office during the re-registration deadline. The application must be confirmed by us. To do this, please come to our office hours or – if you are visiting outside of office hours – to the office of our student assistants (AM 207). You can find application forms and deadlines for leave of absence on the Matriculation Office’s website. Once your application has been processed, you will see the reduced semester contribution in viaCampus.

Without a leave of absence:

Please submit confirmation or proof of the duration of your stay abroad to the Matriculation Office during the re-registration deadline, together with an informal application for exemption from the semester ticket. Once your application has been processed, you will see the reduced semester contribution in viaCampus.

To be eligible to study at one of Viadrina’s partner universities, you will need health insurance, just as you would in Germany.

Within the EU, your European health insurance is often sufficient. However, we recommend that you take out supplementary insurance if necessary.

For stays abroad outside Europe, supplementary insurance is usually required.

Please note:
Please check with your insurance provider to find out which benefits are covered abroad and, if necessary, take out supplementary insurance that includes, for example, repatriation in the event of illness.

Further information:
https://www.eu-patienten.de/

Independent insurance advice:
https://www.bundderversicherten.de/

Stays in other European countries

EU citizens generally do not require a visa to stay in other European countries; however, in some cases, residence formalities must be completed locally. You can usually obtain information on this from our partner universities and the relevant diplomatic mission of the host country.

Non-EU citizens can usually apply for a visa at the relevant embassy or consulate in Germany. In very rare cases, it is necessary to apply from your home country. Furthermore, it is possible to travel without a visa and, following the REST Directive in EU Member States. Under the EU mobility scheme, if you hold a German residence permit for study purposes, you may also stay in other Member States for up to 360 days (with the exception of Ireland and Denmark). You can find the information sheet on country-specific mobility procedures here. Please note that, despite this, partner universities in some countries advise applying for a visa.
Furthermore, you must extend your existing residence permit in Germany before the start of your stay abroad so that it remains valid when you wish to re-enter the country. Otherwise, you will not be able to re-enter Germany without a valid residence permit, or you will have to go through the formalities again from your home country.
Please note that the application procedures for visas and residence permits take a long time, so make sure you start the process well in advance.

Stays outside Europe

For study periods in non-EU countries, both EU and non-EU citizens usually require a visa. Please enquire with the embassies of the respective countries regarding the formalities. You can obtain further information from your coordinator at Viadrina and the relevant partner university, or from the embassies or consulates.

First steps in applying for a visa

• You have received confirmation from the Division of International Affairs that you have been accepted onto an exchange programme.
• Once you have been accepted by a Viadrina partner university, you will be invited to information sessions where you will be informed about the general application process at the partner university and visa formalities.
• Check with the embassy of the relevant country to find out whether you need a visa and what formalities need to be completed.
• Once the application process through the Division of International Affairs has been completed and you have been admitted to the partner university, the university will send you a Letter of Acceptance.
• Use this Letter of Acceptance to apply for a visa at the relevant diplomatic mission.

We recommend that you bear the following in mind before departure:

• Check the entry requirements for your destination country:
  Find out in good time about visas, travel documents and any required proof of vaccination or health certificates. You can find the latest information from the Federal Foreign Office and the embassy of your host country.
• Register with the Crisis Preparedness List (ELEFAND):
  This enables the German diplomatic mission to contact you quickly in the event of a crisis or emergency. Registration is free of charge and takes just a few minutes.

Some of our partner universities offer accommodation in student halls of residence and may also help you find other accommodation options. You can find the relevant information directly on the partner universities’ websites.

Please take particular care when seeking assistance from estate agents whilst abroad. It is best to take someone with you who is familiar with the language and local customs when signing a tenancy agreement. Some universities offer a ‘buddy’, ‘mentor’ or ‘tutor’ programme – so you could also ask a local student for help with finding accommodation.

On Facebook, you’ll find many different groups relating to the partner university, city and country. Housing issues are often discussed in these groups, and rooms are advertised directly. You can also find information on living abroad in the experience reports from former exchange students.

Student halls of residence

Halls of residence can offer a wide variety of accommodation options. They are often organised so that you have a single room but share a bathroom and kitchen with flatmates. In other student halls of residence, there are self-contained flats with small kitchenettes and en-suite bathrooms. The facilities also vary considerably from one hall to another; you will often need to bring your own bed linen and/or kitchen utensils. However, the websites usually provide detailed information on this.

Please be aware that, particularly in Eastern Europe, rooms are often double rooms, meaning you will have to share them with another person. Sometimes student halls of residence also offer these for single occupancy, though at a higher cost.

Please also bear in mind that some halls of residence have relatively strict rules, such as a ban on visitors or alcohol, and that breaches are penalised. Halls of residence often include large common rooms, on-site staff or sports facilities. Laundry facilities with tumble dryers and cleaning of communal areas are usually included as standard. Sometimes, so-called ‘meal plans’ are linked to rooms in the hall of residence, meaning that certain or all meals are included in the rent, which is usually higher.

The cost of halls of residence varies widely and depends on the national cost of living and the facilities on offer. Whether they are cheaper or more expensive than private accommodation also depends on the country and the city. Please also bear in mind that some halls of residence may be located on campus or within walking distance of it, and are not always centrally located in the city.

Language support through the Erasmus+ Online Language Support (OLS) programme is available via the EU Academy platform for students going abroad on Erasmus+. You can voluntarily take an OLS language test and course online before, during and after your stay abroad, test your proficiency in as many languages as you like, and attend as many courses as you wish.

Online Language Support is available in all official European languages: Bulgarian, Danish, German, Greek, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Croatian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Czech and Hungarian. In addition, online language support will also be provided for the official languages of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programme countries: Icelandic, Macedonian, Norwegian, Serbian and Turkish.

Via the following link, you can get started straight away. As the system is not entirely self-explanatory, you will find a guide. If you have any questions or encounter technical difficulties, the European Commission Help Centre is available to assist you.