Students and Graduates  〉 Internship abroad  〉 Erasmus+ internship abroad outside Europe  〉 Before the internship

Before the Internship

On this page, you will find specific information about an Erasmus+ internship abroad outside of Europe. Further guidance on preparation (e.g., insurance, finding accommodation, and language preparation) can be found under ➚Before you start.

 

Key funding criteria of the Erasmus+ Program for an internship abroad outside Europe

Here we have summarized the most important funding criteria of the Erasmus+ program for an internship in a European country:

  1. You must be enrolled at a participating university. Funding for graduates ends at the latest 12 months after graduation. Of your Erasmus quota (max. 360 days per study cycle for multi-cycle programs, e.g., Bachelor and Master, or 720 days per study cycle for single-cycle programs, e.g., Diplom, State Examination), at least 60 days must remain.
  2. An Erasmus+ internship:
  • Is eligible for funding from the first year of study; both mandatory and voluntary internships are possible.
  • Must be related to your field of study.
  • Can also include writing a thesis, provided the work/project tasks correspond to an internship and on-site supervision and evaluation are ensured.
  • Must be carried out as a full-time internship (at least 32 hours per week).
  • Long-term mobility: Must last at least 60 days (including weekends and public holidays) and can be funded for up to 120 days.
  • Short-term mobility: Must last at least 5 days and can last up to 30 days, with funding limited to a maximum of 14 days.
  • Must have sufficient insurance coverage (e.g., through the ➚DAAD group insurance, tariff 720). More information is available under ➚Before you go.


Also Important:

  • Multiple funded stays abroad are possible, e.g., one semester abroad (5 months) and two internships abroad (3 and 4 months). Your personal Erasmus quota must not be exceeded.
  • Students who receive a salary of up to 2,000 EUR during their internship can still receive an Erasmus+ scholarship.
  • Any violation of the Erasmus+ internship agreement regulations may result in the reduction or withdrawal of the Erasmus+ scholarship. This applies to:
    • Shortening or terminating the internship to less than 60 days,
    • Changes to the agreed internship content and tasks,
    • Failure to meet deadlines.

All information on the implementation of the program can also be found in the ➚Erasmus+ Guide of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Step 1: Find a Host Institution

Please have the host institution provide you with all necessary information for your Erasmus+ scholarship application in advance. For this purpose, use the ➚Internship Description form. You can use the information from this form to complete your online application.

Step 2: Online Application via Mobility Online

The application for Erasmus+ funding is exclusively online. The link to the online application form for the 2025 project will likely be available here from January 1, 2026, to February 28, 2026.The planned annual application periods are:

  • From July 1 to approximately August 31 (funding starts in the winter semester)
  • From January 1 to approximately February 28, 2026 (funding starts in the summer semester)


Important to note: If, by the end of the first application period, more than twice as many applications are received as can be funded, the calls may be closed early.

If you are approved for funding, the so-called Learning Agreement must be signed not only by you and the host institution, but also by a representative of your Saxon university. Please refer to the ➚List of Authorized Signatories to find out who this is in your case.

Central calls for proposals in the project

  • Call budget for the July–August 2025 call via Leonardo-Sachsen: EUR 100.000 (approximately 30 mobilities)
  • Call budget for the January–February 2026 call via Leonardo-Sachsen: EUR 100.000 (approximately 30 mobilities)

Decentralized calls for proposals in the project

A total of approximately 30 mobilities are available, divided among the following universities. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the respective contact persons directly:
DHSN: EUR 14.400  (Contact: ➚Ilona Scherm)
FHD: EUR 10.200 (Contact: ➚Paola Yaconis)
HSMW: EUR 12.200  (Contact: ➚Ulrike Worbs-Reichenbach)
HTW Dresden: EUR 10.800  (Contact: ➚Juliane Terpe)
HTWK Leipzig: EUR 10.800  (Contact: ➚Silke Mühl)
TUD/MN: EUR 25.000  (Contact: ➚Prof. Jan J. Weigand)
TUD/ZLSB: EUR 10.000  (Contact: ➚Prof. Axel Gehrmann)

The decentralized funds to be awarded have been allocated to the university partnerships in order to bridge financial gaps in their KA171 project partnerships. An external call for applications is not required, as the funds can be used within the respective project partnerships.

The following mobilities can be funded

  • Support for internships lasting up to 2 months
  • Support for short-term student stays of 5–14 days
  • Support for staff stays of 5–10 days


The partnerships are asked to maintain a 2:1 ratio between student mobility and staff mobility when awarding the funding.

From June of the following year (currently 2026), any unused funds must be returned to Leonardo-Sachsen, so that they can be reallocated for individual applications as part of the first call of the 2026 project.

 

 

Folgende Mobilitäten können daraus finanziert werden:

  • Förderung von Praktika für die Dauer von bis zu 2 Monaten
  • Förderung studentischer Kurzzeitaufenthalte von 5-14 Tagen
  • Förderung von Personalaufenthalten von 5-10 Tagen


Die Partnerschaften werden gebeten, bei der Förderung ein Verhältnis von 2 : 1 zwischen Studierendenmobilität und Personalmobilität einzuhalten.

Ab Juni des Folgejahres (also aktuell 2026) werden nicht ausgeschöpfte finanzielle Mittel an Leonardo-Sachsen zurückgegeben, damit sie im Rahmen des ersten Calls des Projekts 2026 für individuelle Bewerbungen erneut vergeben werden können.

You can find information on how to apply for an internship position under ➚Before you get started.

If you have not yet found an internship position, we can support you by providing contact details of relevant potential internship providers. Please send your current proof of enrollment by email to ➚placement.tu-dresden@tu-dresden.de. Don’t forget to mention any preferences you may have regarding countries or areas of specialization.

To avoid conflicts of interest and double funding, the following institutions cannot act as host organizations for internships or practical placements:

  • EU institutions and other EU bodies, including specialized agencies (complete list);
  • Organizations that manage EU programs.

You can be selected for funding under the following conditions:

  • Proof of acceptance by a host institution for the internship abroad
  • Complete application submitted within one of the two annual application periods (July 1 to approximately August 31 and January 1 to approximately February 28)
  • Compliance with all formal funding requirements and timely submission of documents to Leonardo-Sachsen
  • A lead time of at least two months is required (Example: Complete application submitted on  August 2 → earliest possible start of funding October 2, provided that a minimum eligible period of 60 days is reached)
  • Alignment of the internship objectives with the goals of the Erasmus+ program according to the ➚Erasmus Guide


Additional requirements:

  • Funding is only possible within the available resources of the project
  • Financial need is a prerequisite for funding; it is considered not met if the host institution pays a monthly salary of EUR 2.000 or more (according to the internship contract)
  • Geographical distribution of funding within the Erasmus+ consortium is taken into account
  • Switzerland: a maximum of 20% of the annual funding volume, of which 50% is reserved for medical students in their practical year
  • Repeat internships in the same country are not eligible for funding
  • There is no legal entitlement to the scholarship until all parties (Saxon university, host institution, scholarship holder, and Leonardo-Sachsen) have signed the Grant Agreement and Learning Agreement

We distinguish between long-term mobility (up to 2 months) and short-term mobility (5–14 days).

Long Term Mobility

Internships in Switzerland and the United Kingdom:

  • Subsistence allowance of EUR 750 per month
  • Travel allowance depending on distance, between EUR 309 and EUR 417


Internships outside of Europe:

  • Subsistence allowance of EUR 700 per month
  • Travel allowance depending on distance, between EUR 309 and EUR 1.735

 

Short Term Mobility

Daily allowance: EUR 79/day for the first 14 days, EUR 56/day from day 15–30 (The funding period must not exceed 14 days.)

 

For short-term internships (up to 30 days), a one-time additional grant may be awarded:

  • EUR 100 for stays of 5–14 physical days
  • EUR 150 for stays of 15–30 physical days

 

Travel Costs

Travel costs are covered depending on the means of transport chosen and the distance to the internship location (see ➚DAAD distance calculator). Green travel allows for higher funding rates


Additional Monthly Grant

An additional monthly grant of EUR 250 is possible for one of the following groups:

  • Students with a disability
  • Students with a chronic illness
  • Students with a child accompanying them
  • Students from a non-academic background
  • Students who are employed

The additional grant is only awarded once (even if two or more criteria apply).

Applications are only possible within one of the following two periods:

  • July 1 – August 31 (funding starts in the winter semester)
  • January 1 – February 28 (funding starts in the summer semester)


The online application for the Erasmus+ scholarship must be submitted in full no later than 2 months before the start of the internship. Important: The acceptance letter from the internship institution must already be available.

For graduate funding, please contact us informally in advance by email at ➚placement.leosachsen@tu-dresden.de – no later than during your final semester.

Extension applications must be submitted to Leonardo-Sachsen no later than one month before the change takes effect. Important: Extensions can only be approved if sufficient scholarship funds are still available.

Before the start of your stay abroad, the ➚Learning Agreement must be signed by a responsible person at your university. With this signature, you acquire the right to have your internship recognized by your university.

Mandatory internships are recognized either as completed modules or via credits; as a compulsory part of your studies, they are already included in the Diploma Supplement.

Voluntary internships can be recorded as elective modules in the Transcript of Records (grade overview) or included in the Diploma Supplement (possibly as an appendix).

Graduate internships can, upon request, be recognized in the form of a Europass Mobility certificate.

However, for internships, the most important recognition you will need for your future is the ➚qualified internship certificate, which allows you to demonstrate your skills and competencies in future applications.

Within the EU, Erasmus+ student mobility is widespread and supported by international agreements that facilitate intra-European exchange.
Outside of Europe, such structures are often still lacking. If no more funding is available, an Erasmus+ zero-grant agreement can still offer important advantages:

  • Official status: You are considered a trainee officially sent by your university, which increases the willingness of the internship institution to accept you.
  • Quality assurance: Work tasks, mentoring, monitoring, and evaluation of the internship are contractually regulated.
  • Visa facilitation: The internship is recognized as relevant to your studies, which simplifies the visa application process.
  • DAAD insurance: Participation in Erasmus+ generally enables you to take out DAAD insurance.
  • Recognition: Established Erasmus+ processes make it easier to have your internship recognized.
Foreign students who return to their country of origin for an Erasmus+ internship may only be funded through the Erasmus+ scholarship if they do not have their primary residence in their home country.
 
Proof of residence in Germany is required (available from the residents’ registration office).

Financial support for student mobility through Erasmus+ is only possible if there is no travel warning from the ➚Federal Foreign Office for the destination country. Therefore, please inform yourself in advance about the country-specific travel and safety information provided by the ➚Federal Foreign Office.

All travelers with a German citizenship are recommended to register in the Federal Foreign Office’s crisis preparedness list ➚ELEFAND (Electronic Registration of Germans Abroad).

  • Period until your complete application is received:
    Depends on your submission
  • Review of your application by Leonardo-Sachsen and contract preparation:
    Up to 4 weeks
  • Contract preparation and collection of signatures:
    2 to 4 weeks
  • Review of contracts and initiation of payment:
    Approximately 2 weeks
  • Payment of your installments by the TUD Finance and Accounting Department:
    4 to 8 weeks
  • Applying for a visa appointment:
    Can take up to 2 months
  • Processing of your visa application:
    Depending on the embassy, 3 to 6 months
  • Processing time for a real cost application at the NA DAAD (e.g., for bringing children or to offset additional costs due to physical disability or chronic illness):
    Approximately 8 weeks
  • Compiling all necessary documents for a real cost application:
    If applicable, up to 4 weeks

The➚Erasmus Student Charter governs the rights and obligations of student program participants.

Data Protection Information

Your documents containing personal data are required by the Leonardo Office Saxony for processing, support, and billing of your Erasmus+ internship, and will be securely stored for ten years in accordance with regulations. This is necessary because audits by European and national authorities are possible. After this period, your data will be deleted in compliance with data protection regulations. Our privacy policy can be found in the Mobility Online form.

Do you have a concern or notice a deficiency related to your Erasmus+ grant for internships abroad?

If you have a complaint regarding your Erasmus+ grant for internships abroad, you can contact Dr. Husam Mohammad, the Erasmus+ coordinator for partner countries, at any time in writing. If he or his deputy is not available, the management of Leonardo-Sachsen is also at your disposal. Your concerns will be treated confidentially and dealt with as quickly as possible. Additional contact persons may be involved if needed. You will be informed directly about the resolution of your concern. All feedback also helps us to continuously improve the program and is included in the regular evaluation and further development of Erasmus+ in Saxony.

Program information
During and after the internship

Contact:

Dr. Husam Mohammad 
Student Mobility International (Partner Countries)

Email: placement.leosachsen@tu-dresden.de
Tel.: +49 351 463 34772

 

Feel free to connect with us through ➚LinkedIn.