Erasmus+ traineeships
Erasmus+ supports traineeships (work placements, internships, etc) abroad for students currently enrolled in higher education institutions in Programme countries at Bachelor and Master level as well as for doctoral candidates. These opportunities are also open to recent graduates. By doing a traineeship abroad with Erasmus+, you can improve not only your communication, language and inter-cultural skills, but also soft skills highly valued by future employers, as well as become more entrepreneurial. Read more about the benefits of an exchange abroad. You can also combine your Erasmus+ traineeship with a study period abroad.
Requirements
This opportunity is open for students registered in a higher education institution holding an Erasmus+ Charter for Higher Education. Your traineeship must be relevant to your degree-related learning and personal development needs and, wherever possible, be integrated into your study programme. You may carry out a traineeship at any organisation in an Erasmus+ Programme Country (with the exception of EU institutions, bodies and agencies). Both students and non-students can benefit from this programme, including recent graduates, vocational learners, and professionals looking to enhance their skills or explore new career paths. After graduation, you have up to one year to partake in this programme.
Destinations
Length
Traineeships for students in Bachelor or Master degree programmes:
- Long-term mobilities: minimum of 2 months to a maximum of 12 months of physical mobility.
- Short-term mobilities: between 5 to 30 days of physical mobility.
Maximum total duration: 12 months within one study cycle. It is possible to do more than one traineeship within that time-frame. It is important to note that if you’ve already done 6 months of Erasmus+ study mobility in your current study cycle, you can only get Erasmus+ funding for a traineeship for the remaining time - up to a total of 12 months for all mobility activities combined.
Traineeships for doctoral candidates:
- From 5 to 30 days or from 2 to 12 months of physical mobility (a study mobility may include a complementary traineeship period, if planned).
Study fields
The fields of this programme depend on the available traineeships, however, the field of your traineeship should match the field of your studies and be a relevant professional experience.
Be careful! If it is a curricular traineeship, some higher education institutions have certain criteria to partake in these programmes. Don’t forget to be sure to know these criteria and look for a traineeship according to it.
Funding
Check out our tool and make a simulation of your Erasmus+ Grant, based on your mobility type, duration and location. The simulation will give you an estimate based on general European wide rules based on the Erasmus+ programme guide.
Make a simulation of your Erasmus+ Grant
Grant Agreement must be signed by your host organisation. If you are accepted for a grant, you will sign a participant Grant Agreement with them. The agreed amount translates into a contribution to your travel and daily living costs.
The Erasmus+ programme offers various financial top-ups, also known as additional grants, which can help cover extra expenses related to specific circumstances or needs of students. These may include:
- Travel support (higher support for students using sustainable modes of transport),
- Support to students with fewer opportunities,
- Top-up for traineeships for students and recent graduates in addition to the individual Erasmus+ support.
Note: The top-up for students with fewer opportunities is designed to support students who face barriers to participation in mobility. However, who qualifies for this top-up can vary from one country or institution to another. In some countries, inclusion support may be available for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses, student parents, those with a non-academic background, or working students—but these categories are not universal. National Agencies and higher education institutions may apply their own definitions and criteria.
So, before applying, always check with your university’s Erasmus+ coordinator or visit your National Agency’s website to understand whether you qualify, what documents you may need and how and when to apply for the support.
Students and recent graduates with fewer opportunities who take part in traineeships are entitled to receive the top-up amount for students and recent graduates with fewer opportunities and the top-up amount for traineeships.
How to apply?
When applying for an Erasmus+ funded traineeship, there are three main options to look for an internship:
- Look at the websites of the International Relations Office or Erasmus+ Office at your Higher Education Institution since some institutions have a list of offers for traineeships with trustworthy partners.
- Contact directly institutions of interest (like companies, training centres, research centres, universities, private companies, public institutions, non-profit organisations, etc.) by sending a spontaneous candidacy.
- Search, at Erasmus Intern Portal, for opportunities that fit your preferences and objectives, as the databases of the HEI’s are limited and some institutions are not offering any help at all.
You must apply for Erasmus+ funding for your internship through your university, but you need to find and apply for the internship yourself - your university is not responsible for arranging it. Awarding the Erasmus+ grant for the internship might take some criteria into account, such as grades, completed ECTS, number of previous mobilities you took part in, language proficiency. These may vary in each higher education institution.
Here are some tips and reminders when preparing your application for Erasmus+ traineeship:
- Check the deadline for applications of your sending institution and the eligibility criteria
- Choose the host organisation where you want to do your traineeship
- Check the work regulations at the country where your desired traineeship will take place
- Check your workload expectations! Erasmus+ traineeships are generally expected to be full-time, based on the standard working time of the host organisation.
- Make sure you have insurance covering the duration of your traineeship abroad.
Learning Agreement
Before your traineeship begins, you must sign an “Erasmus+ Learning Agreement for Traineeships” (LA) with your higher education institutions and the receiving organisastion where the traineeship will take place. This document outlines the details of the traineeship, including the learning objectives, tasks, and responsibilities, ensuring that the mobility experience aligns with the student’s academic and professional goals. You can check more details in here.
In case there is a major change within your traineeship or the responsible person changes, you will need to report this immediately to your sending institution. There is a dedicated part of the Learning Agreement for Erasmus+ Traineeships to do so.
Make sure that the monitoring and evaluation plan is followed by the host organisation. In case there are any problems, get in contact with your Coordinator at your sending institution.
Since graduates are no longer students, the host organisation issues a Traineeship Certificate, which should be provided no later than 5 weeks after the traineeship ends. While formal recognition by the sending institution does not apply to graduates, this certificate can serve as valuable proof of their experience and enhance their professional profile.
After your Erasmus+ Traineeships experience, you will be equipped with a handful of soft and hard skills, valued on the job market, making you stand out from the rest of the candidates. Erasmus Careers is a very helpful website where you, as an Erasmus+ graduate, can build a personal profile to reflect on competences gained abroad and get in touch with recruiters that value these international experiences.