Study in Europe with Erasmus+

You can find the list of partner universities in this tablelink opens in new page.

When choosing a university, pay attention to the subject area to ensure it matches your field of study.

Visit the university’s website to check which courses are offered for Erasmus students and whether they are in a language you understand.

If you have any questions about a specific university, feel free to contact: [email protected]

• The student must be enrolled at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, meaning that studies at the host university must be completed before graduating from the respective study program at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.
• Students can participate in long-term mobility from the 2nd year of bachelor's studies
• Students can participate in short- term intensive programmes already on their 1st year. Read about short term mobilities herelink opens in new page

• In the Erasmus+ program, students can study abroad for up to 12 months per study cycle, and in integrated studies, for up to 12+12 months.
• Important! Previous participation in the Erasmus program is taken into account and deducted from the maximum possible duration at the given study level. For example, if a student has already participated in the Erasmus program for 12 months at the first cycle of higher education, they cannot participate again at the same level. However, if the previous participation was shorter than 12 months, it is possible to participate again for up to 12 months, provided that the remaining months meet the program’s minimum duration requirement (at least 3 months for studies).
• Studies at the host university must last a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 12 months. It is not allowed to extend an exchange period beyond one academic year (e.g., from January to December). However, students can undertake mobility in consecutive periods, including across two academic years, such as in the spring semester followed by the autumn semester. In such cases, a separate application must be submitted for each period.

• At the host university, you must complete at least 15 ECTS credits per semester that fit into your study program. Since courses are sometimes canceled, offered in a different language, or have schedule conflicts, we recommend selecting more courses initially to have backup options.

   

• If the host university has higher minimum credit requirements for incoming exchange students, you must comply with their rules.

   

• Your studies abroad, including exams and other assessments, must be recognized by your home university as equivalent to local studies.

Students participating in the Erasmus+ program have the right to apply for a scholarship which helps cover additional costs related to the exchange. You do not need to apply for the living and travel allowances separately; they are combined into a single grant and are available to everyone going abroad to study through Erasmus. The first payment covers 80% of the total grant.

Additional support for students with fewer opportunities

If a student belongs to one of the following target groups:

• recipient of Estonian needs-based study/special allowance
• parent of minor child/children
• from foster care background
• with diminished work ability

• with health related special needs or chronic illness

  NB! Student is eligible for the top-up related to health reasons only in cases, if their condition makes their travel more expensive.

They are eligible for an additional Erasmus+ grant of 250 euros per month, funded by the European Commission. To apply, the student must complete, digitally sign, and submit a declaration of honour for students with fewer opportunities to the Erasmus coordinator at EMÜ before signing the scholarship agreement. This should be sent to: [email protected] 

Green travel top-up

If a student travels to their study destination using an environmentally friendly mode of transportation, they can receive an increased subsistence grant for up to 6 extra travel days and a bigger travel grant.

Environmentally friendly travel modes include:

• Bicycle
• Train
• Carpooling (e.g., traveling with a friend by car)
• Bus
• Any other eco-friendly vehicle (please specify)

According to the Erasmus+ program guide, green travel modes do not include ships, planes, or cars/motorcycles (when used alone). To be eligible for the top-up, the student must travel at least half the distance from the sending institution to the receiving institution and back using green transportation. The distance must be calculated using the Erasmus+ distance calculator.

To apply for the supplement, the student must complete and digitally sign a declaration of honour confirming their use of green travel and send it to: [email protected].

The Erasmus+ scholarship may not cover all expenses incurred while studying abroad and should be considered more as a grant to help offset the additional costs associated with studying abroad.

During their stay abroad, students are entitled to receive national scholarships, study grants, and loans on the same basis as students studying in Estonia. Students may also apply for additional support from national and private funds during their time abroad (Note: the use of the Kristjan Jaak scholarship together with the Erasmus scholarship / Erasmus student status is not allowed).

Erasmus student status and privileges can also be used without receiving the scholarship (i.e., students can go to Erasmus mobility at their own expense).

The language proficiency of exchange students must be sufficient for active and successful participation in the academic activities at the host university. When choosing a university, the first thing to check is the language of instruction for the courses you are interested in. Many European universities offer lectures in English, and in such cases, proficiency in the local language is not a requirement for participation in the academic program. However, basic proficiency in the local language is often required in countries such as Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, and Italy. As a rule, partner universities offer the opportunity to learn the local language through parallel language courses during your studies.

To apply, you must provide proof of language proficiency at least at a B2 level.

If the language of studies is English and you have studied English at EMU, you can request a language certificate from our Language Center: [email protected]   

SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION AT THE ESTONIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES

Before submitting your application, you must fill out the exchange student form for studying abroad, which confirms that the courses you have selected will be counted towards your study program. Once completed and signed by the academic director, send the form to: [email protected]. 

Submitting the Application in SoleMOVE System

To submit your application in the SoleMOVElink opens in new page system, email [email protected], and we will grant you access to the platform.

Required documents for the application:

• A copy of your passport or ID card
• A passport photo
• A motivation letter (in English)
• Language proof (if you have studied English or German at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, ask for the language certificate from our Language Center Director, Ülle Sihver at [email protected])
• An English-language transcript of records (ask your academic advisor for this)

During the application process, we will consider:

• The student's academic progress at the Estonian University of Life Sciences
• Language proficiency in the host university's language of instruction
• Motivation

Nomination

After the deadline, we will review the applications, and if everything is in order, we will nominate you to the partner university (we will inform the university that you wish to study there).

Submitting the Application to the Host University

After the nomination, the partner university will send an email with instructions on how to submit the application to them. This will include a list of required documents, and you must submit the application by their set deadline.

We recommend familiarizing yourself with the required documents from the host university during the planning phase of your mobility and collecting them in advance.

The partner university will make the final decision regarding your admission.

The learning agreement confirms the student's study plan for the exchange period, signed by three parties: the student, their home university, and the host university. The learning agreement must also include the courses you want to substitute in your study program with the courses taken abroad.

Typically, the learning agreement is completed after submitting the application to the host university. This is done through the SoleMOVE system, and it is automatically forwarded to the responsible person at our university for confirmation, and then to the partner university. You can ask for instructions from the EMÜ Erasmus coordinator, ([email protected])

Note: The sequence of events may sometimes differ – the student may first receive the acceptance confirmation, and only then will the learning agreement be processed.

As soon as you receive the acceptance letter from the host university, please forward it to the Erasmus coordinator at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.([email protected]).

• The grant agreement with the student going abroad will be signed after the submission of the aforementioned documents (learning agreement, acceptance letter from the host institution, and the exchange student form). The scholarship amount is based on the acceptance letter from the host university and the dates mentioned there. If you return from the host university in more than +- 5 days, the grant amount will be reduced accordingly.

   

• The grant agreement is typically signed before the student departs, but not before the learning agreement is confirmed. This means that if there is a delay in finalizing the learning agreement, the payment of the grant will also be delayed.

• The grant is paid in two or three installments: for a semester-long stay abroad, 80% of the total amount is paid before the studies, and the remaining amount after returning from the exchange and submitting the required documents. For a full academic year abroad, the autumn and spring semester payments are made separately, 80% before the start of each semester, and the remaining amount after returning from the exchange and submitting the required documents.

Students often need to modify their learning agreement at the beginning of the semester if it turns out that a previously announced course is not offered or does not fit well into the timetable. Changes should be made, if possible, no later than one month after the start of studies. The modifications to the learning agreement are also made in the SoleMOVE system. Along with the changes, a new exchange student form must also be submitted.

Please note that the learning agreement is not just a list of courses; it is a binding document that you have committed to, and it cannot be changed retroactively. When the exchange studies are completed, the transcript of records issued by the host university and the list of courses in the learning agreement must match exactly.

• Submit the confirmation letter of the study period issued by the Erasmus coordinator of the host university to the Erasmus coordinator at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. Note: Ask the host university's coordinator in advance about the principle they follow for marking the dates on the confirmation letter, as there are different practices: it could be the official last date of the semester, the date of the final lecture or exam, or the date of departure from the country. The dates on this confirmation letter should match those provided in the acceptance letter (if the study period is shorter on the confirmation letter, the total scholarship amount will be reduced).

   

• Submit a copy of the transcript of records (the confirmation of study results collected at the host university) to the Erasmus coordinator and your department/institute coordinator. The results that were previously agreed upon for recognition (through the signed exchange student form) will be entered into the study information system (ÕIS).

   

• If you took courses abroad that were not previously agreed upon, you must complete and submit a VÕTA application along with copies of the transcript and course annotations to your department's VÕTA advisor.

   

• After the exchange studies are completed, submit an online feedback report through the EU-Survey platform. The student participating in the program will receive an email with a link to the Erasmus+ participant report form. Submission of the report is a prerequisite for receiving the final installment of the scholarship.

   

  Note: Do not fill out the report until your grades have been entered into the study information system (ÕIS).

A student on study mobility is considered not to have interrupted their studies at the university, and their nominal study period is extended by the number of semesters spent at the host university, as long as they spent at least three months per semester at the host university, and the courses taken there were credited towards the student's curriculum, with at least 15 ECTS. The extension of the nominal study period is formalized after the completion of studies at the host university and the transfer of academic results.

Note: A student who studied at a foreign university for the entire academic year but only earned 15 ECTS towards their curriculum will have their study period extended by just one semester.

The extended nominal study period provides an opportunity to make up for any missed courses during the time spent abroad. However, it is also possible to catch up on the missed courses during the regular academic timeline and still graduate within the nominal study period.

If you are willing to share your experience with a wider audience, please answer that short formlink opens in new page

Erasmus Student Network is the largest student organization in Europe, and their goal is to make the experience of international students in the host country as enjoyable and meaningful as possible. If you want to meet students who are on Erasmus in Tartu and introduce them to Estonia, join ESN Tartu.

At the Estonian University of Life Sciences, we have international student buddies who assist new international students with adjusting to life at our university. The buddies help with practical matters related to the university but also organize fun gatherings and trips.

If you're interested in joining, contact the international relations officer, Ksenia Safonova: [email protected].