Outgoing scholars

Prerequisites

• You must be enrolled at Universität Hamburg in a regular degree program.
• It is possible to receive an Erasmus grant for each study phase (i.e., during your B.A., M.A., and doctoral studies); max. 4 months for one-semester stays and max. 8 months for two semester stays.
• In accordance with DAAD guidelines, funding is not possible during the first academic year of your B.A. studies.

Application deadline

Complete application documents must be submitted by 31 January to study abroad the following academic year (= winter semester and the following summer semester)!

Application process and supporting documents

Students who are planning an Erasmus stay abroad should apply online via the Mobility Online portal. More information about the application process can be found here: Online-Bewerbung für einen Erasmus-Aufenthalt (online application for an Erasmus study abroad, in German only).

Once you have created an applicant account, you can view your status online at any time by logging in with your STiNE ID. You can also see what documents you need to upload by when while you are studying abroad.

Your first step is to complete the online application form and send it back to us online. You should then complete all of your personal information in the portal. Once your information is completed, please upload the following application documents (in PDF format only) to the portal:

• tabular CV (e.g., using the Euro-Pass CV Template)
• letter of motivation (approx. 1 to 2 pages): Please briefly explain the academic reasons why you would like to study at a particular university abroad and how studying abroad will play an important role for your studies overall.

In the Mobility Online portal, please also provide alternative universities and locations you would consider for a study abroad program. If you do not receive a place at your first-choice, you may have an opportunity in another Erasmus program. However, in your letter of motivation, please focus only on your first choice.

• initial course selection: Your initial selection of courses is based on the curriculum of the potential host university and must be updated later as the course catalog for the upcoming academic year is usually not yet available online. Please use the partner universityʼs current course catalog to make your initial course selections. Your departmental coordinator should sign your provisional Learning Agreement before you upload it.
• proof of language skills in the language of instruction (e.g., DAAD Language Certificate, proof provided by the Language Center at Universität Hamburg, or a certificate from the language instructor for your subject) 
• proof of your completed coursework (STiNE printout of your course account or Transcript of Records; master's degree students in their first year may upload their academic transcript for their B.A.; B.A. students in their first semester who have not yet received any grades may upload a list of the classes they are currently taking from STiNE as well as their certificate of qualification for university matriculation)
• Universität Hamburg enrollment certificate for the current semester (proof of enrollment from STiNE, "Semesterbescheinigung")

Language skills

Hone your language skills in advance so that you are ready to study abroad. A minimum of a B1 language level in the language of instruction is usually required. However, some partner universities have higher requirements.

At the Language Center (Von-Melle-Park 5), you can take a language assessment test and receive a language certificate during the lecture period.

Internship

With the Erasmus program, you can also do an internship abroad.

For internships abroad please contact Helena Scharffenberg in the Department of International Affairs at Universität Hamburg.

Universität Hamburg
Abteilung 5: Internationales
Mittelweg 177, 20148 Hamburg
Tel.: +49 40 42838-6978
E-Mail: erasmus.praktikum@uni-hamburg.de

Notice of acceptance

This information pertains to you if you receive notification from the Erasmus Office by about the end of March that you have received a place at a university in another European country as part of the Erasmus exchange program of the Faculty of Humanities.

Forms

All necessary documents can be found here under "Forms". Please make sure to use the correct template for the academic year of your study abroad. Obsolete documents or templates from a host university will not be accepted! Please use our checklist!

Before you begin studying abroad, you will also receive a notice of acceptance to the Erasmus program via e-mail from the Department of International Affairs:

• the Grant Agreement

In order to calculate your Erasmus grant, the Department of International Affairs will use a provisional start and a provisional end date. Please check the webpage of your host institution (typically, there is a section called "academic calendar") in order to find the respective semester dates and type in the provisional start and provisional end date into your Mobility Online account.

These provisional dates define the maximum period for which you will receive an Erasmus grant. Modifications to this period have to be requested in case your actual start date is before your provisional start date and/or your actual end date is later than your provisional end date. Any modification is to be communicated by writing an e-mail to erasmus.gw"AT"uni-hamburg.de. The deadline for this is one month before the provisional end date in your Mobility Online account. Please note: your actual start/end date are the dates later entered on your Confirmation of Stay.

You must sign the original Grant Agreement and return it as soon as possible.

The Erasmus Office at Universität Hamburg will nominate you to the partner university. The host university will then inform you about their registration procedures and the allocation of dorm rooms.

You will usually need to complete the following:

• online registration for the partner university
•  application for a dorm room (if desired)
• visa application (if required)

Academic leave

For the duration of your Erasmus study abroad, you may take academic leave from Universität Hamburg, but this is not mandatory. We do not handle academic leave; please contact the Campus Center. The Erasmus certificate required for the application can be obtained at the Erasmus Office of the Faculty of Humanities.

As per the Learning Agreement, the coursework completed at the partner university during a leave of absence is naturally recognized and counted toward your studies at Universität Hamburg.

Semester contribution at Universität Hamburg

To maintain your status as a Universität Hamburg student, you must also pay the semester contribution for the semester that you study abroad. If you do not need the semester public transport pass because you will be gone for a longer period of time, Studierendenwerk Hamburg can reimburse the fees you paid.

BAföG (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz – German Federal Education and Training Assistance Act) grants for your time abroad

In addition to the Erasmus grant, which provides about € 490,- to € 600,- (depending on country category) per month, you can also apply to receive a BAföG grant for your time abroad. The Erasmus certificate required for the application can be obtained at the Erasmus Office of the Faculty of Humanities. As a rule, students who receive BAföG for their studies in Germany are also entitled to receive BAföG for their time abroad. In certain circumstances, students who do not receive BAföG for their studies in Germany may be eligible to receive support for their time abroad.

Please click here for information on additional funding opportunities.

Learning Agreement and ECTS credits

Before your departure, please discuss your Learning Agreement with your departmental Erasmus coordinator. In as far as is possible, list the classes you would like to take during your semester abroad (Table A) as well as the classes/modules at Universität Hamburg for which you would like to have these recognized (Table B). The first part of your Learning Agreement (Before the Mobility) has to be signed by you, your departmental Erasmus coordinator at Universität Hamburg and the Erasmus coordinator from your host university before the start of your studies abroad.

In accordance with DAAD requirements, students must earn at least 25 ECTS per semester abroad. In case of a three-term academic year, they must earn at least 20 ECTS.

The allocation of credits varies from university to university. For this reason, make sure to find out about the credit point system at your host university so that you can list the ECTS accordingly on your Learning Agreement.

When you begin studies abroad

Confirmation of Stay (Part I, Arrival) and Learning Agreement (Part I, Before the Mobility)

Immediately after arrival in your host country, please have your Erasmus coordinator at the partner university sign the first part of your Confirmation. Then upload the document as a scan in the Mobility Online portal. 

It is only after you have uploaded your Confirmation of Stay (Part I, Arrival), your Learning Agreement (Part I, Before the Mobility), and your current proof of enrollment ("Semesterbescheinigung") from STiNE (as proof of your continued enrollment at Universität Hamburg) that the first installment of your Erasmus scholarship (70 % of the total amount) can be processed for payment. For administrative reasons, it then takes about 2-3 weeks for the money to reach your account.

Changes to course selection: Learning Agreement (Part II, During the Mobility)

If you decide to take different courses than originally planned, please fill out the second part of the Learning Agreement (During the Mobility). Please send this as a scan via e-mail to be reviewed and signed by your departmental Erasmus coordinator at Universität Hamburg. Upload this document in the Mobility Online portal as well as soon as it is signed by all three parties (within the first five weeks after the start of your studies abroad).

Extending your study abroad

If you would like to extend your study abroad, please complete the extension application and upload it – signed by the responsible person at the host university – along with a new Learning Agreement (Part II, During the Mobility) for the additional semester in the Mobility Online portal. The documents have to be uploaded at least one month before the end of the initial stay. 

Please also inform us by e-mail (erasmus.gw"AT"uni-hamburg.de) as soon as you have uploaded the extension application.

Applications must be received no later than one month before the end of your originally planned stay. We cannot guarantee extensions.

Extending study abroad from the summer semester through to the winter semester is only possible by reapplying via the Mobility Online portal (by 31 January) since the beginning of the winter semester is a new academic year and is based on a new selection procedure.

Documents

Before your departure, please have your host university sign or, if necessary, issue the following documents:

• Confirmation of Stay (Part II, Departure) 
• Transcript of Records

In addition to those two documents please upload your personal experience report.

The second installment of your Erasmus scholarship (30 % of the total) can only be paid after all of the required documents are uploaded.

Recognition of completed coursework

Please make sure to have your semester abroad and your coursework recognized as soon as possible after your return to Hamburg (right after you receive the Transcript of Records from your guest institution). For the recognition, please contact your departmental coordinator or the academic office responsible for your degree program. Parallel to that, you have to report your semester abroad via CampusNet/STiNE. For further information, please click here. 

If you spent your semester abroad as part of an exchange program at a partner university and, for example, have difficulties with the awarding of grades and ECTS credits or there are problems with the recognition of your coursework completed abroad, please refer to the following helpful information.

PIASTA Welcome Buddy Program

If you have time before or after you study abroad and would like to provide support for an international visiting student during their initial time at Universität Hamburg, please volunteer with the PIASTA Welcome Buddy Program. This is an interdisciplinary program that provides you with the opportunity to have contact with a visiting student based on your language, subject, and personal interests.