Arrange a consultation appointment with the Erasmus+ Departmental Coordinator before your stay abroad. Talk to the Erasmus+ Departmental Coordinator about your course choice, the Learning Agreement and the process for the recognition of credits. You should also enquire about this process at your examination office.

As most Erasmus+ stays take place in the European Bologna Higher Education Area, the coursework completed abroad should generally be recognized. 

Please re-enroll at the University of Tübingen by the specified deadlines. A leave of absence for a study abroad at a partner university is not possible.

On the website of the Student Administration office you will find

• Information on Leave of absence
• Information on Re-enrollment for the next semester

From winter semester 2025/26, all Erasmus-funded stays will be subject to a mandatory minimum enrolment of 15 ECTS per semester (15 ECTS for 1-2 trimester, 30 ECTS for 3 trimester). We recommend that you pass these credit points and have them recognized. If you return without any ECTS, we will be forced to reclaim the scholarship.

Please note: The specific requirements for course selection and ECTS numbers are set by your department or the respective partner university - these can also exceed the 15 ECTS. The decisive factor is always the number of ECTS credits, not the local grading or evaluation system. The only exception is for mobility to Switzerland.

The host university will provide you with an overview of your achievements (Transcript of Records). This document must be submitted in order to receive the scholarship and serves to recognize your achievements.

If there is no Erasmus+ agreement with your department for the desired partner university, you can apply via another department. 

This option is available if

• the places there remain unused
• the Departmental Coordinator is accepting applicants from a different subject area
• the partner university accepts applicants from other disciplines.

Nevertheless, please arrange an additional consultation with the Erasmus+ Departmental Coordinator for your subject area you are enrolled in. The course selection must be signed by the Erasmus+ Departmental Coordinator of your department.

• Free online language test (OLS): The EU Commission is presenting the Online Language Support Plattform free language courses, which you can use at any time. The courses are available in the following languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish. Registered Erasmus+ students are automatically assigned a language test after registering in our applicant portal, which is mandatory. Native speakers are exempt from taking the test.
• Language courses at the host university: Most European universities offer 4 to 6-week preparatory language courses, which usually take place before the start of the respective semester (the Erasmus+ mobility grant can also be awarded for this period, but not for any course fees incurred). In addition, language courses often take place during the semester (in this case, the additional funding does not apply, as the study period remains unchanged).
• The Foreign Language Center of the University of Tübingen also offers language courses at various levels.
• The program “Interkulturelle Kompetenzentwicklung” of the University of Tübingen helps you to optimally prepare for your stay abroad. More information can be found here.

You are responsible for ensuring that you have adequate insurance cover for the duration of your stay abroad.

In the case of intra-European mobility, your national health insurance with the European Health Insurance Card also offers basic insurance cover for your stay in another EU country. However, this basic insurance cover may be insufficient, especially if repatriation or special medical procedures are necessary or in the case of mobility abroad. In such cases, supplementary private health insurance may be necessary. Liability and accident insurance policies cover damage that you may cause or that may happen to you during your stay abroad. Different regulations apply to these insurances in different countries. Find out about the regulations at the host institution. In addition to the above-mentioned insurances, insurance against loss or theft of documents, tickets and luggage is recommended.

Erasmus+ students have the option of being included in the DAAD group insurance, which offers comprehensive insurance cover:

DAAD Insurance Office:
Email: versicherungsstelle@daad.de
www.daad.de/de/im-ausland-studieren-forschen-lehren/stipendien-finanzierung/daad-versicherungen/versicherung-im-ausland/

Green Travel: check the options for a low-emission journey to your partner institution. We have collected travel advice on the website Erasmus+ and Sustainability. For information on additional funding, please visit our website on financing Erasmus+ stays.

Electronic Travel Authorisation

Since April 2025, all visitors to the United Kingdom, who do not need a visa, need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) upon entry. For more information, please visit Visit Britain.

Passport

You will need a passport for a study visit outside the EU (for example United Kingdom). Please check whether your passport is valid for six months beyond the period of your stay abroad. If not, apply for a new passport in good time, as you cannot apply for a visa without a valid passport.

Visa

Find out in good time about the visa procedure required for your host country.

You can obtain information and application documents from the relevant embassies and consulates general. Further information can be found under the link Federal Foreign Office travel and security advice (in German).

Vaccinations

Check, for example on the website of the Federal Foreign Office travel and security advice (in German), whether and which vaccinations are recommended for your host country.

• Take advantage of the counseling centers and services offered at the University of Tübingen (counseling services, overview of mental health services). You are also welcome to contact the Erasmus+ team and your Erasmus+ Departmental Coordinators directly.
• Check with your host university to find out whether and to what extent services are available.
• Find out about financial support options such as the Social Top Up.
• Check the extent to which your (international) health insurance covers treatment and therapy, especially in other EU countries.
• Please note that additional documents are required for customs when importing certain medications (this does not only apply to narcotics). A prescription and an official letter from the treating specialist regarding the type (active ingredient) and dosage are helpful; an official document from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices may also be required. See information and forms for traveling with controlled drugs.
• Find out about the Sunflower Lanyard project for people with invisible disabilities, including mental illness.
• Read testimonials from students with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or mental illness.

The Federal Foreign Office regularly publishes travel advice, safety advice and travel warnings.

You can find out about the current security situation on the website of the Federal Foreign Office or via their “travel app” before you travel and during your stay abroad. It is also possible to register on the “ELEFAND” crisis preparedness list. “ELEFAND” enables you to be contacted in a crisis situation and provides information on timely departure options, among other things.

Travel advice contains information about a country's entry regulations, medical advice, criminal or customs law particularities, among other things. They are regularly reviewed and updated.

Safety instructions draw attention to particular risks for travelers and Germans living abroad. They may contain recommendations to avoid or restrict travel. If necessary, travel that is not absolutely essential or all travel is advised against. The safety instructions are also regularly reviewed and updated.

Travel warnings contain an urgent appeal from the Federal Foreign Office to refrain from traveling to a country or region of a country. They are only issued if travel to a country or a specific region of a country must be warned against due to an acute danger to life and limb. A travel warning is rarely issued. Germans living in this country may be asked to leave the country.

German embassies and consulates abroad are good places to go if you need assistance.

Auswärtiges Amt Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise

Auswärtiges Amt Reise-App

ELEFAND

If you do not start your stay abroad or have to terminate it, you are obliged to inform the Departmental Coordinators at the host and home universities and the Erasmus+ office of the International Office immediately.

The Erasmus+ mobility grant received up to that point must be repaid in full or in part.

Extensions of stay from one to two semesters that are only applied for during the stay will not be funded. An extension can only be approved after consultation with the Erasmus+ Departmental coordinators of the home and host universities. After approval, please inform the Erasmus+ office of the University of Tübingen by December 15th at the latest.

An extension of the stay is only possible from winter to summer semester. Two-semester stays from summer to winter semester count as two separate mobilities and require two applications. 

The host university will provide you with an overview of your achievements (Transcript of Records). This document must be submitted in order to receive the scholarship. If the Transcript of Records is sent to the Erasmus+ office directly, we will forward it to you. 

You must also submit to us the final notification from the department or examination office regarding the recognition of the coursework completed abroad. A Transcript of Records from Tübingen, which includes the ECTS credit points, will be accepted by the Erasmus+ team.

A Diploma Supplement may be issued for non-credited achievements - please contact the examination office of your department.

IMPORTANT: It may take several weeks to issue a certificate of credit transfer or to transfer your achievements to the Tübingen Transcript of Records. You should therefore submit your foreign transcript to the examination office once you have received it.

Please contact your department to find out how credits and grads are transferred to the German grading system.