Requirements

On this page you will find information about the requirements for an Erasmus+ student exchange abroad:

Target group

Requirements for an Erasmus+ application:

  • degree programme studies at the University of Vienna (BA, MA, Diploma)
  • BA students: at the beginning of your stay abroad you must have reached at least the 3rd semester of your degree programme
  • language skills (min. B1, depending on the individual placement)
  • eligibility requirements at your department (depending on the degree programme; e.g. progress, motivation)
  • the personal Erasmus+ mobility quota has not already been exhausted in the current study cycle
  • the respective study programme at the University of Vienna must not be completed during the Erasmus+ student exchange

Please note that you are ONLY entitled to apply for an Erasmus+ spot within the degree programme for which you have been admitted.

Erasmus+ is a full-time study programme, i.e. we recommend that you take classes worth 30 ECTS per semester. The detailed conditions (e.g. the reimbursement threshold for the Erasmus+ mobility grant) are part of the grant agreement. You can find further information under "Financial matters".

Duration of stay

Please note: from the academic year 2022/23 onwards, only semester places (max. 5 months) will be made available to students.   

When applying for a semester spot you can decide whether to study abroad during the winter or summer semester. Check whether there are sufficient courses offered during that semester and if the semester dates of the host university are compatible with your studies at the University of Vienna. If your original Erasmus+ stay within a Joint Program takes place during the winter semester you can (under certain conditions) apply to extend your stay to the summer semester. It is not possible to extend a stay from the summer to the winter semester. 

Remaining spots (Restplatz): during the second application round, only semester spots for the following summer semester (without the possibility of extension) are allocated.  

The minimum duration of stay is 2 months (60 days), but the actual duration depends on the semester dates of the host university.

In case of multiple stays within Erasmus+ programmes (Erasmus+ study stays, Erasmus+ traineeships and Erasmus+ International Mobility), the personal quota of 12 months per study cycle (BA/MA/PhD) may not be exceeded. For diploma studies there is a quota of 24 months.

Language certificate

A language certificate is a compulsory component of applying for an Erasmus+ spot. The specific requirements regarding the language and level required can be found in the information provided in our Portal with the individual spot. If two languages are mentioned, proof of proficiency in one of them must be submitted. It is up to you to check that the host university offers enough courses in the respective language.

The language certificate must be submitted at the time of applying.

Attention: the levels indicated on the website refer to the minimum required to apply for this placement at the University of Vienna. However, the partner university may have other or higher requirements concerning the level and type of certificate accepted (e.g. may only accept TOEFL or IELTS). If you do not meet the requirements set by our partner university, they may reject your application. It is therefore absolutely vital that you obtain information about the host university’s requirements in advance. In the Portal you can find factsheets with current information regarding the host university as well as a link to their website.

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  • Language certificates accepted

    Language certificates accepted by the University of Vienna (not older than 4 years at the time of applying):

    • official language certificates (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS), completed university courses, English study programs: >Download list of accepted certificates< ("Äquivalenzliste")
    • Language Competency Certificates from the Language Center of the University of Vienna
    • language course certificates showing the level achieved (in order to be accepted as proof of a particular level, the highest of all phases of the required level offered by the language teaching institution must be completed, e.g. B1: phase 3 of 3 as a proof of level B1; B2.2 as a proof of level B2 if B2.2 is the highest B2 course offered)
    • a certificate of completion from an "Erasmus Preparation Course" ("Erasmus Vorbereitungskurs") at the Language Center of the University of Vienna
    • a high school diploma, if the required language was tested in the written as well as the oral finals and the language level is indicated in the diploma. Exception: The Austrian Zentralmatura in the Corona year 2021 is equal to other Matura diplomas.
    • a high school diploma if you completed your schooling in the target language in a country where the required language is the official language (also older than than 4 years)
    • a high school diploma if you graduated from an international school where the pertinent language was the language of instruction and you sat all of your exams in this language (e.g. Lycée Français, IB diploma) (also older than than 4 years)
    • a transcript of records ("Sammelzeugnis") inlcuding the level of the required language, if you are enrolled in a teacher education programme ("Lehramt") and one of your subjects is classified as a philology
    • a university degree completed entirely in the pertinent language

    The following are not accepted as language certificates: other high school diplomas or school reports (e.g. "Matura"; confirmation of school exchange etc.); currently taking or having completed a degree in Philology; currently studying or having completed a Translation Studies degree; citizenship; certificate of participation for a language course.

  • Exceptions
    • German skills do not have to be proven
    • Students enrolled in a philological degree programme* or translation studies do not have to provide a language certificate at the University of Vienna when applying for an Erasmus+ place of the aforementioned degree programmes. However, being enrolled in one of these degree programmes does not exempt students from providing a language certificate when applying for an Erasmus+ place of other degree programmes. *English and American Studies, German Philology, Finno-Ugric Studies, Japanese Studies, Dutch Studies, Oriental Studies, Romance Studies, Chinese Studies, Scandinavian Studies, Slavonic Studies
  • Language competency certificate exams

    The Language Center of the University of Vienna offers exams for language competency certificates that are accepted as proof of language skills, as well as foreign language courses and preparatory courses for Erasmus+ stays.

    If you have been successfully nominated for an Erasmus+ placement, you can apply for a refund of EUR 40,00 for completed language courses and language competency certificates. Recipients of federal aid for students receive EUR 81,00 and can obtain refunds for up to 2 language proficiency certificates or courses. All courses and language competency certificates of the Language Center are eligible for refund if the achieved language level is shown on the certificate and if they were completed within the last three semesters.

    The timing of your nomination determines the refund period: Students nominated in the main application round (January to March) can apply for a refund from May 1st to June 30th of the respective year, while students from the second application round (September/October) can apply from November 10th to December 10th of the respective year. The refund is processed directly at the Language Center upon presentation of an ID document. You can only apply for the refund during the refund period that immediately follows your nomination.

    For questions about language courses and language competency certificates, please contact the Language Center directly.