Planning an exchange semester starts with the timetable. Applications usually run through the International Office of your home university, which sets its own internal deadlines, and BAföG for study abroad must be applied for at the latest six months before departure. Erasmus+ funds one semester for at most four months, at €540 or €600 per month in the 2026/27 programme year depending on the country group. Statutory student insurance continues in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland if you remain enrolled in Germany and keep your residence here.
The key points at a glance
- In 2026/27, Erasmus+ pays €540 or €600 per month depending on the country group, and funds at most four months per semester.
- The application for BAföG for study abroad must be submitted at the latest six months before departure. An informal application keeps the deadline.
- The Learning Agreement sets out which courses you take and how they are recognised. It must be signed before the stay begins.
- If you remain enrolled and keep your residence in Germany, you stay in compulsory student insurance in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.
- Statutory insurance does not pay for medical repatriation. Private travel health insurance is the usual solution.
When is the right time for planning an exchange semester?
That depends on your study plan. Check the module handbook for elective areas that can be replaced by courses at the host university, and speak to the student advisory service or the examinations office. How to structure your studies overall is covered in the article on studying successfully and planning ahead (in German).
Allow enough lead time. A preliminary decision on BAföG for study abroad is possible up to one year before departure, but the formal application must be in at the latest six months before the start. The internal deadlines of the International Office are often well ahead of those of the host university. If you are not yet sure whether a single semester or a whole course abroad is right for you, see the information on a master’s degree abroad (in German).
Also keep an eye on the age limit for compulsory student insurance: it ends with the semester in which you turn 30.
How do you apply for Erasmus and an exchange semester?
Erasmus+ is an EU programme that lets you spend part of your studies at a partner university in another European country. Applications run through the International Office of your university. For a self-organised semester at a university without a partnership, you take care of admission and formalities yourself. In both cases, this sequence helps:
- Clarify your goals. Do you want to take particular courses that are not offered at home, learn a language or get to know a country? This determines the choice of university.
- Check partner universities. The International Office knows the partners that fit your course and advises in consultation hours and information events.
- Enter the deadlines. Put your university’s internal deadlines and those of the host university into a timetable. Missed deadlines can usually not be fixed.
- Collect documents. Common requirements are a letter of motivation, CV, transcript of records, proof of language skills and sometimes letters of recommendation. Forms from the home and host university are also needed.
- Prepare the Learning Agreement. It sets out which courses you take abroad and how they will be credited at home.
- Apply to the host university. Many universities have their own online portals with their own requirements. Depending on the country and length of stay, you need a visa or must register after arrival.
For language certificates, many universities accept tests such as IELTS or TOEFL, while others require country-specific or university-specific tests. Check the requirements early, because test dates are not always easy to get.
How is the exchange semester credited?
Clarify the crediting before you leave, not afterwards. In the Learning Agreement, you agree with the student advisory service or the examinations office which courses abroad correspond to which modules at home. The benchmark is the ECTS points, the credit points under the European system. Compare the course lists or module handbooks of the host university with your study plan.
The Learning Agreement must be signed by you, your home university and the host university before your stay begins. Changes during the semester are possible but must also be documented formally. After your return, submit the host university’s transcript of records to the examinations office.
How do you choose the country and university?
Besides the academic offer, language, lifestyle and safety matter. Are courses offered in English, or do you need to speak the local language? How big is the city where you want to live? Questions like these are covered in the article on cultural challenges abroad (in German). You will find current travel advice on the security situation from the Federal Foreign Office.
The destination also affects money. The Erasmus rate depends on the country group, and BAföG for study abroad pays a foreign-study supplement only for destinations outside the EU and Switzerland.
What does an exchange semester cost and how do you finance it?
There is no flat-rate sum, because rent, living costs and travel costs vary widely by destination. Whether the partner university charges fees is set out in your university’s exchange agreement. Ask at the International Office. These items belong in your budget:
| Cost item | Possible support |
|---|---|
| Outward and return journey | BAföG for study abroad pays €250 per journey within Europe and €500 outside. Erasmus+ allows up to six extra travel days for environmentally friendly travel. |
| Accommodation and living costs | Erasmus monthly rate as a grant, and for BAföG for study abroad outside the EU and Switzerland a foreign-study supplement. |
| Health insurance | BAföG for study abroad: supplement for the extra cost of travel health insurance. |
| Host university fees | BAföG for study abroad: supplement of up to €5,600 for at most one year. |
| Preparation | Language test, visa and documents are generally paid by you. |
How much does Erasmus+ pay?
The amount depends on the destination. For the 2026/27 programme year, the Saarland University lists these monthly rates. A month counts as 30 days, and universities set the amount and payment within the rules.
| Country group | Examples | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Norway | €600 (€20 per day) |
| 2 | Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czechia, Cyprus | €540 (€18 per day) |
| 3 | Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary | €540 (€18 per day) |
One semester is funded for at most four months, two semesters for at most eight months. The remaining days run as “zero-grant” days without money. The minimum funding period is two months. In addition, there is €250 per month for students with particular circumstances: a disability from a degree of 20, a chronic illness, students with a child, and first-generation students.
Example: Mia, 22, is a first-generation student who spends a semester in Spain (country group 2) and is funded for four months. Assumptions: she meets the criteria for the €250 per month supplement, and her university pays 70 per cent in advance. The calculation: 4 × €540 = €2,160, of which 70 per cent in advance is €1,512, while the remaining €648 follows after completion and submission of the documents. Add 4 × €250 = €1,000, making €3,160 in total.
What does BAföG for study abroad pay?
BAföG for study abroad can be applied for independently of Erasmus. The responsible office is the one for your destination country, not the office in your home town. The monthly rate is based on the domestic rate, with supplements added. The FAQ of the Studierendenwerke explains the rules in detail. An overview of all routes is given in funding a study abroad: BAföG for study abroad, Erasmus and scholarships (in German).
Which scholarships are there?
Besides Erasmus+, other programmes may be an option. The Studierendenwerke provide an overview. Databases include the scholarship navigator of the Federal Ministry of Research, the DAAD scholarship database and mystipendium.de. Many universities also award their own funding, and their deadlines vary widely.
How are you insured during an Erasmus semester?
In the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, you stay in compulsory student insurance if you remain enrolled at a German university and keep your residence in Germany. Family-insured students continue to pay no contribution, while self-insured students keep paying their health and long-term care contributions. A leave of absence also generally does not change compulsory insurance.
Abroad, you use the European Health Insurance Card. It covers medically necessary benefits under the rules of the country of stay. Local co-payments may apply, and the statutory fund does not pay for medically necessary repatriation to Germany. Private travel health insurance that matches the length and scope of your stay is therefore the usual solution.
Outside the EU, you generally need cover in the country of study or private travel health insurance. In countries without a social security agreement, such as the USA or Australia, the fund does not cover illness. Privately insured students should check in their tariff where and for how long it applies abroad. All the details are bundled in the article on health insurance during an exchange semester (in German).
What applies after your return?
Submit the transcript of records to the examinations office and have the achievements recognised as set out in the Learning Agreement. For Erasmus funding, proof must be submitted after the stay, and only then is the remainder of the payment made. How to get back into your studies is described in returning from abroad (in German). Nothing changes for your health insurance as long as you have remained enrolled.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for Erasmus?
You apply through the International Office of your university, which tells you the deadlines, partner universities and documents. Common requirements are a letter of motivation, CV, transcript of records and proof of language skills. Next come the Learning Agreement and the application to the host university. The internal deadlines are often well ahead of those of the partner university.
How long is an Erasmus semester funded for?
One semester is funded for at most four months, two semesters for at most eight months. The remaining days run as zero-grant days without money. The minimum funding period is two months. Your university sets the duration and payment within the rules.
What does an exchange semester cost?
That depends on the destination. Add up travel, accommodation, living costs, insurance and preparation, then deduct Erasmus, BAföG for study abroad and scholarships. For 2026/27, Erasmus+ pays €540 or €600 per month depending on the country group. Ask the International Office about fees at the partner university.
Will the exchange semester be credited?
Yes, if you agree it in advance in the Learning Agreement. It lists the courses abroad and the modules they replace at home. You, your home university and the host university sign the document before the stay. After your return, submit the transcript of records to the examinations office.
Am I still insured during the exchange semester?
In the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, you stay in compulsory student insurance if you remain enrolled in Germany and keep your residence here. Repatriation is not covered. Outside the EU, you generally need cover in the country of study or private travel health insurance.
So what should you do now
- Agree with the student advisory service or examinations office in which semester the exchange fits your plan.
- Visit the International Office, note all deadlines and choose partner universities.
- If needed, submit the informal application for BAföG for study abroad at the latest six months before the start.
- Prepare the Learning Agreement and have it signed before departure.
- Clarify health insurance and repatriation before you leave.
An overview of all countries with EHIC, visa and a link to each country guide is in Study Abroad Countries: Insurance, Visa and Costs.
Related reading
- Health insurance during an exchange semester: what applies? (in German)
- Cultural challenges during an exchange semester: how to settle in (in German)
- Return from abroad: getting back into your studies (in German)
- Master’s degree abroad: countries, applications and costs (in German)
- Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and work and travel (in German)
- Exchange semester in the UK: health insurance, visa, costs (in German)
- Erasmus+ funding: rates and deadlines by target group (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This article provides general information and does not replace individual advice.
