Erasmus+ studies

Terms and conditions for participating in the Erasmus+ programme as a student of EMÜ - STUDIES

Application round for autumn semester or the whole academic year of 2024/2025 - deadline April 1, 2024. 

Who can participate?

  • The student has to be enrolled at the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMÜ), i.e. studies at the partner university have to end before graduation from the programme they are studying in;
  • It's possible to participate already starting from the 1. year of Bachelor's studies. 

Duration of studies

  • Students will be able to study abroad for up to 12 months within each study cycle (bachelor, master or doctorate), irrespective of the mobility type (studies or traineeships) and number of mobility periods (for example, 2 periods of 6 months or 3 periods of 4 months);
  • NB! Prior participation in the Erasmus programme also counts and the period spent abroad before is subtracted from the possible duration of the study cycle at hand. For example: if a student has spent one whole academic year (12 months) abroad as a part of the Erasmus programme during their 1st study cycle, then they can no longer participate in Erasmus for a second time during their 1st study cycle (even if they have changed programmes, what counts is that it is still the first study cycle). If prior participation was shorter than 12 months, then it is possible to participate in the programme again for 12 minus … months taking into account that the duration still has to be at least as long as is required by the programme, i.e. at least 3 months;
  • Studies last at least 3 months and no longer than 12 months. 

Recognition of studies

  • You must execute at least 15 ECTS a semester while abroad or do research and apply for the studies completed abroad to be acknowledged in the curriculum of the home university;
  • If students are expected to do more work within an ECTS at the host university than at their home university, the student must meet these expectations;
  • The home university must recognise the Erasmus student’s studies, including exams and other graded work done at the host university as equal to that done at the home university.

Financing

Students participating in the Erasmus+ programme will also get a shcolarship to cover their living expenses. There is no separate travel grant for long-term mobilities to Erasmus+ programme countries. 

For studies starting from 2024, the Ersmus+ scholarships provided by the European Commission for students going for mobilities for studies from the Estonian University of Life Sciences are as follows: 

Country Group Countries European Commission grant
Group no. 1 and 2 (countries with high and medium living standards) Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden 674 EUR/month 
Group no. 3 (countries with lower living standards) Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey 606 EUR/month

 

Additionally, students will receive a scholarship from the Estonian Government (135 EUR per mobility). 

If a student belongs to at least one of the following target groups, it is possible to apply for an additional 250 EUR/month (send this signed form to karoli.koiv@emu.ee): 

Green travel top-up 

If the participant travels to their destination in a sustainable manner (determined in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide), they are eligible for a green travel top-up of 50 EUR + they can get up to 4 additional travel days funded. Green travel options: 

  • Bicycle
  • Bus
  • Carpooling
  • Train
  • Other low‑emissions means of transport, please specify

Travelling by boat, plane or car / motorcycle alone are not considered green by the programme. The participant is eligible for the top-up if they travel the majority of the distance between the sending and receiving institution sustainably (it should be altogether for both directions, to the host institution and back). As soon as travel plans have been made, the participant should fill this green travel declaration of honour, sign it and e-mail it to karoli.koiv@emu.ee. ;

 

Additional support for students with special needs

This additional support is meant for students whose physical, mental or health conditions would keep them from participating in the mobility without additional financial support. Expenses that can be covered include special accommodation, travel aid, medical aid, help of a support person, adjusting study materials, etc and this support is paid based on actual costs. For more information contact karoli.koiv@emu.ee

 

In addition to everyday living costs, the student must consider additional expenses on insurance and a living permit. The Erasmus grant definitely does not cover all your expenses and it must rather be seen as an aid to cope with additional expenses concerning your studies abroad.

During their stay abroad, students still have the right to receive national grants, study allowance and loans on the same basis as students studying in Estonia. Students can apply for extra funding from different national or private funds for their studies abroad but as Erasmus students they are not allowed to use other grants coming from the official funds of the European Union  (Kristjan Jaak for example). The status and privileges of an Erasmus student can also be used without the grant (i.e. use the status of the Erasmus student and cover your own expenses).

 

Language requirements and language courses

The exchange student’s language skills have to be good enough to participate in studies at the host university actively and successfully. In many European universities, various lectures are offered in English and in this case, command of the local language is not a requirement to participate in the studies. Beginner level knowledge of the language is required in Spain and Germany, quite often also in Portugal, France and Italy. Generally, partner universities offer the chance to study the local language during your studies.

Usually, a proof of English proficiency is enough to apply, but in addition, a proof of your knowledge of the local language might also be required. As a proof of language proficiency, either a confirmation about passing an international language test is accepted (for English, TOEFL or IELTS for example), a confirmation about passing a language test at a university or passing the compulsory English or German course at EMÜ. 

If you are studying in a programme taught in English at EMÜ, our language centre can give you a certificate proving this and this document can be used as a language certificate for applying to study abroad as an exchange student. Contact the head of the language centre Ülle Sihver: ylle.sihver@emu.ee

Voluntary online language courses

Both before and during the mobility, students are welcome to benefit from the language study portal of the European Commission called Online Linguistic Support. 

Insurance

The student must be covered by health insurance during their mobility and is advised to additionally purchase travel and accident insurance just in case. The student also must have a European Health Insurance Card if they're covered by a healthcare provider in their home country in the EU.

Visa and residence permit requirements

If you are a non-EU student, make sure to check what the rules are for staying in the host country for longer than 90 days. You might have to apply for a visa or a residence permit there or there might be some other procedures, depending on the country, even if you have an Estonian residence permit. It is the student's responsibility to make sure these rules are clear to them and that they can meet these requirements. 

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

How to apply?

  • Going abroad for an exchange requires for the student to be very active and independent. While choosing the host university and country, the student must first and foremost keep in mind the programme of the university and their personal interests. The prerequisite of every student exchange is a written agreement between the host university and the student’s home university. You can take a look at our Erasmus partner universities here;
  • Carefully read the information written on the partner university’s website about applying for exchange studies and see if they are teaching courses that suit you and your curriculum at EMÜ. Find out which documents you need to submit to the partner university and what is the deadline;
  • Before submitting any documents to the partner university, apply to participate in the Erasmus+ programme as a student of EMÜ by filling in an application in the SoleMOVE system. To get access to the system, e-mail karoli.koiv@emu.ee.
  • Documents required for the application
    • Language certificate - If the partner university does not teach in your mother tongue, you will need to prove your language skills. Ask for a language certificate from the head of the language centre, Ülle Sihver (ylle.sihver@emu.ee).
    • Transcript of records - For a transcript of records in English, turn to the study coordinator of your institute. If you are a 1st year MA student at EMÜ and do not have any credits to show from EMÜ yet, a transcript from your former studies will also be accepted.
    • Copy of your valid travel document
    • Passport style photo
    • Motivation letter - explain why you would like to study abroad and why in this particular university (approximately 1 page)

Deadlines

Application round for autumn 2024 and academic year 2024/2025: application deadline is April 1, 2024. 

Once the application on SoleMOVE has been submitted

  • Once you have submitted the application on SoleMOVE, the Erasmus coordinator of EMÜ will check it and then nominate you to study at the partner university. After you have been nominated, you will get further instructions from the partner university about how to submit an application to them;
  • If more applications are submitted for one university than we have agreed to send to the university in the bilateral agreement, the students will be ranked according to the following aspects:
    • weighed grade point average (positive results only)
    • proficiency of the main language of instruction stated by the host university (if it is not the student's first language)
    • ranking of the university in the student's application
  • The next step is to fill in the Learning Agreement. This is done in the SoleMOVE system after submitting the application. By signing this agreement, the three parties – student, their home university and the host university – agree on the study plan for the mobility period. In the Learning Agreement, also note down the courses from EMÜ you wish to replace with the courses you are taking at the host university. To find out whether you can replace the EMÜ courses with the ones from the host university, please consult the RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) advisor or director of studies of your institute;
  • In addition to the learning agreement, you must also fill in the form for studying abroad as an exchange student. In the left bar of the form, write the courses you are planning on taking at the host university. The most important criterion for choosing the courses is their compatibility with your curriculum – whether you can use the courses to fill your curriculum or you can transfer the credits obtained as electives. The third bar of the form must be filled in together with your director of studies after which you should present the form to the RPL commission who will then confirm, which courses can replace specific courses of your curriculum which fit as electives and which as free electives;
  • Submit the documents required by the partner university, including the learning agreement, according to the information they have given to you by the deadline they have established! Both the documents required and ways of sending them can vary in different universities.

Once you have been accepted at the host university

  • As soon as you have received a Letter of Acceptance from the host university, forward it to EMÜ’s Erasmus+ coordinator;
  • NB! Often, the order of procedures can be different – you can first get the Letter of Acceptance and then be asked to fill the learning agreement.

Grant

  • The Grant Agreement will be signed once the abovementioned documents (learning agreement, letter of acceptance from the host university and the study abroad as a visiting student form) have been submitted;
  • The grant agreement is generally signed before the student leaves for their studies abroad but not before the learning agreement has been signed. This means that should the signing of the learning agreement be delayed, so will receiving the grant;
  • The grant is paid in two or three parts: if a student goes abroad for one semester, they get 80% of the total amount before the studies and the rest after they have returned and submitted the required documents. In case of mobility lasting a whole academic year, 80% of the grant for the autumn and spring semester is paid separately before the given semester and the rest will be paid after they have returned and submitted the required documents.

During your mobility period

Extension of your studies at your home university

As long as the student spends at least 3 months at the host university and as long as at least 15 ECTS of the credits received at the university are recognised at the home university as fitting to their curriculum, the student is considered as someone who has not disrupted their studies and get as many semesters’ worth an extension as they spent abroad. The extension will be formalised after the studies abroad have finished and the credits have been transferred. NB! A student who was abroad for a full academic year but who could only transfer 15 ECTS to their curriculum, gets an extension of one semester.

The student’s rights and responsibilities during the mobility

  • If the student pays for tuition at EMÜ, they are also required to do so during their mobility;
  • During their studies abroad, the student is still eligible for national study allowances unless the institute decides otherwise;
  • The student is still eligible for national student loans during their studies abroad.

Changing the learning agreement

Quite often, students need to change their learning agreement at the beginning of the exchange if it turns out that a course they have chosen is not taking place or does not fit their time table. If possible, these changes should be formalised no later than one month after the beginning of the exchange. The changes to the learning agreement will be noted down in the learning agreement as well, so the student will simply change their learning agreement on SoleMOVE which will then have to be approved by both universities. In addition to the learning agreement, the student must fill in a new study abroad as a visiting student form. The changes to the learning agreement are only valid together with the original learning agreement.

After your mobility period

  • Hand in the confirmation letter you received from your host university confirming your mobility period to the Erasmus+ coordinator of EMÜ;
  • Hand in a copy of your transcript of records for your studies abroad to the Erasmus+ coordinator of EMÜ and the coordinator at your institute/department. Credits, about which there was a prior agreement (there is a study abroad as a visiting student form stating these courses and credits) will be transferred to the SIS;
  • If you took courses abroad about which there was no prior agreement, you must fill in an RPL application together with the transcripts and copies of the annotations of the courses to the RPL advisor of your institute;
  • You must also fill in an online questionnaire to provide feedback on your Erasmus+ mobility period within 30 days after it finishes. This also serves as a basis on whether you receive the remaining part of your grant or not;
  • Join ESN Tartu in their activities or become a buddy for EMÜ international students (contact the International relations office for extra information).