Financial matters

Students completing a study stay within the framework of Erasmus+ receive an Erasmus+ grant in addition to the exemption of tuition fees abroad. This is a partial grant to cover the additional costs due to the stay abroad.

For stays from the academic year 2022/23 onwards, the Erasmus+ grant will be paid exclusively by the International Office.

If you have any questions about the financial management of your Erasmus+ stay, please contact the Erasmus Stipendien team at the International Office (erasmus.stipendien@univie.ac.at).

On this page you will find information on financial support for your Erasmus+ stay:

• Erasmus+ grant
• Tuition fees
• Financial top-ups
• Travel support
• Top-up: Students with children
• Top-up: Students with disabilities or a chronic illness
  
• Other grants

Erasmus+ grant

The Erasmus+ period of stay consists of a part with financial support and a part without financial support (zero grant funding). The concrete duration of both parts is determined by the University of Vienna for each academic year based on the Erasmus+ budget available for the University of Vienna. The financially supported period covers at least 3 months. For the academic year 2024/25 up to 5 months are financed.

From the academic year 2022/23 onwards, students can apply for semester slots only. In case of a semester stay, the maximum duration of stay is 5 months (financial support and zero grant support). The Zero Grant funding allows students to benefit from the advantages of an Erasmus+ status (e.g. exemption from tution fees) even if the financial grant does not cover the whole period of stay.

The programme countries are divided into four country groups as defined in the European Commission's Programme Guide. The exact grant depends on the host country and in the academic year 2024/25 amounts to:

• 520 €/month in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden (country group 1) as well as Great Britain (country group 14)
•  470 €/month in Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Cyprus (country group 2) and Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary (country group 3)

In general, you should take classes worth 30 ECTS credits per semester. The reimbursement threshold for the mobility grant depends on the duration of your stay. If you do not complete at least 3 ETCS per month of stay, the grant must be returned (only the ECTS recognised at the University of Vienna count here!). 

The Erasmus+ grant is paid in two instalments: 70% at the start of the stay and 30% after the stay (from academic year 2024/25).  

Recipients of the Austrian federal aid for students ("Studienbeihilfe") can apply for financial aid for studies abroad ("Auslandsbeihilfe") from the Study Grant Authority. 

Tuition fees

You are exempt from paying tuition fees at the University of Vienna and at the host university for the duration of your Erasmus+ stay. However, it is absolutely necessary to pay the students’ union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) within the deadline, even during your semester abroad, in order to ensure that you remain enrolled at the University of Vienna. Please note that some host universities also charge incoming Erasmus+students similar fees (comparable to the students’ union fee) – you cannot be exempted from these fees.

A leave of absence from the University of Vienna will not be granted during a semester abroad. For more detailed information, please have a look at the Teaching Affairs and Student Services website. However, if you are also enrolled in another degree programme at a different Austrian University you may be able to take a leave of absence from this degree programme for the duration of your Erasmus+ stay. Please contact the respective university for further information.

Students who have been admitted to study at several universities simultaneously must notify each one of these universities of their stay abroad if they wish to remain enrolled.

No additional semester ("Toleranzsemester") will be granted because of an Erasmus+ stay abroad, that is to say, students must remain within the prescribed minimum duration of study + 2 "semesters of tolerance".

Please note, however, that an Erasmus+ stay might entitle you to an additional semester of family allowance ("Familienbeihilfe").

Financial top-ups

In addition to the Erasmus+ grant, further financial support (grants and top-ups) can be applied for. For the academic year 2024/25, the following top-ups can be requested.

• Travel support: The amount of the travel allowance is paid as a lump sum and depends on the distance between the location of the home university (University of Vienna) and the location of the host university. Students are awarded higher travel allowances for environmentally friendly travel to and from the host university.
• Students with fewer opportunities: Please note that this top-up can only be applied once, even if you belong to several of the below-mentioned groups:
  • Students with children requiring care who are taken to the place of study/internship
  • Students with disabilities, if this results in increased financial expenses during the stay abroad (compared to their stay in Austria)
  • Students with a chronic illness, if this results in increased financial expenses during their stay abroad (compared to their stay in Austria)
• Inclusion support: Inclusion support is intended to cover additional real financial costs incurred, particularly by participants with physical, mental or health impairments. Inclusion support (based on real costs) and top-up (lump sum increase in individual support) can be received at the same time.

Further information on top-ups can be found in the respective sections.

From the academic year 2022/23, students who receive Austrian study grants (Studienbeihilfe) will no longer receive a top-up.

Travel support

From the 2024/2025 academic year onwards, participants will be paid a travel allowance for the trip. The amount of the travel allowance depends on the distance between Vienna as the place of origin and the location of the host university and is paid out as a lump sum.

Students are awarded higher travel allowances for environmentally friendly travel to and from the host university. This includes arrival and departure by bus, train, carpooling or bicycle. The travel allowance for environmentally friendly travel is applied for together with the Erasmus+ grant.  Please note that the Erasmus+ program expects trips to nearby partner universities (< 500km) to be environmentally friendly.

The application must be submitted up to 1 month before the start of the Erasmus+ stay! The distance between the home university and the host university is automatically calculated when the application is submitted.

Calculation

*The distance is calculated using the European Commission's distance calculator and is calculated automatically for your Erasmus+ stay.

• Information sheet 

Top-up: Students with children

If you are going to take your child/children with you on your Erasmus+ stay, you can apply for the top-up for students with fewer opportunities which amounts to 250 euros per month. The application is submitted via Mobility Online.

Application deadline: one month before the start of your stay. Students will be informed as soon as the application for the top-up is possible.

• Information sheet

Top-up: Students with disabilities or a chronic illness

Erasmus+ takes inclusion very seriously. Students with a disability or chronic illness can apply for the top-up for students with fewer opportunities which amounts to 250 euros per month. The application is submitted via Mobility Online.

Application deadline: one month before the start of your stay. Students will be informed as soon as the application for the top-up is possible.

• Information sheet

Inclusion Support

Inclusion support is intended to cover additional costs incurred primarily by participants with physical, mental or health impairments. It intends to help participants with fewer opportunities to become mobile.

Contrary to the top-up, inclusion support does not constitute a fixed rate but is oriented towards the actual real costs that arise additionally due to the disability or chronic illness.

Inclusion support (based on real costs) and top-ups can be obtained simultaneously.

Inclusion support can be applied for by the following groups:

• Erasmus+ students belonging to the defined participants with fewer opportunities (students with child/ren, students with disabilities, students with chronic illness).
• Erasmus+ students with fewer opportunities who can demonstrate a real need for additional financial support on a real cost basis

Application deadline: the deadline for application is three months before the start of the stay. For questions regarding the application process and for further information, please contact the Erasmus+ Stipendien Team as early as possible.

Helpful links for outgoing students with physical, mental or health-related impairments

• University of Vienna– Team Barrierefrei Studieren (team for accessible studying)
• Austrian Students‘ Union (ÖH) – Referat für Barrierefreiheit (department for accessibility)
• Inclusive Mobility is an online platform on which higher education institutions describe their offers for disabled students.

Data protection

Personal data are confidential and will only be processed in accordance with the applicable national laws insofar as this is necessary with regard to your application and participation in the Erasmus+ programme.