What you need to know about the Erasmus programme

All 27 EU member states participate in the Erasmus program, as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Serbia and Northern Macedonia.

Stays in the UK can still be funded.

More information(Only available in German)

Erasmus exchanges are subject-specific. RUB students can study at Erasmus partner universities abroad with which there is a cooperation with their faculty/department/institute in their subject area.

Click on "Exchange opportunities" button below and select your faculty ("Fakultät/Institution"). As your programme ("Programm/Rahmen") choose "Erasmus-Studium". The search will result in a list of all the universities compatible for an Erasmus exchange with your faculty/department/institute.

Exchange opportunities

Attention: Please note that the academic calendar abroad may differ from that at Ruhr-Universität Bochum!

Click the button below to access an overview of Erasmus departmental coordinators at RUB.

To the overview

Erasmus students do not have to pay tuition fees at their host institution and receive a grant from their home institution for the time spent studying abroad. This grant is supposed to cover any additional costs students may be confronted with in a foreign country. The Erasmus grant is paid in two instalments: 80 per cent before the stay and 20 per cent after successful completion of the stay.

The amount of funding is based on three country groups (created according to cost of living) established by the EU Commission. Since 2018, the National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has been determining the Erasmus funding rates for students at higher education institutions in Germany.

Countries participating in the Erasmus programme are divided into three groups (created according to cost of living):

€600/month for country group 1:
Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, UK

€540/month for country group 2:
Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus

€490/month for country group 3:
Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary

Important information about Erasmus funding in 2023/24:

Erasmus stays of one semester cannot be funded for more than 120 days (the stay abroad can be longer).

Erasmus stays in the winter term 2023/24 AND summer term 2024 (one year stay) cannot be funded for more than 240 days (the stay abroad can be longer).

Stays shorter than 120/240 days will be funded based on their precise length.

Green Travel days that have already been applied for and approved (!) will be funded additionally.

Countries participating in the Erasmus programme are divided into three groups (created according to cost of living):

€600/month for country group 1:
Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden

€540/month for country group 2:
Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus

€490/month for country group 3:
Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary

Important information about Erasmus funding in the UK:
Due to Brexit, the status of the UK in the Erasmus programme changed. In the academic year 2022/23, a scholarship rate of €450/month can be paid. In the academic year 2023/24, the scholarship rate for the UK is €600 /month.

Here you can find details about Erasmus additional funding.

Further information

All full-time students enrolled in one of Ruhr University Bochum's degree programmes (Bachelor, Master, Diplom, Magister or Staatsexamen) from the first term on are eligible to participate in the Erasmus programme. Each student may receive Erasmus funding up to 12 months per study cycle (Bachelor, Master and PhD). Students may study and/or intern abroad within these 12 months as many times as they wish (as long as the minimum study period of two months/60 days and the minimum internship period of two months/60 days are met). Students enrolled in state examination degree programmes may receive Erasmus funding for up to 24 months.

In the Erasmus Student Charter you can read about your entitlements, responsibilities, rights and obligations as an Erasmus student.

Part of the Erasmus programme agreement between participating countries is the recognition and transfer of credits earned abroad. The faculties/departments/institutes are responsible for the recognition and transfer of credits, not the International Office.

Further information

Regarding the application and selection process, credit recognition and transfer and any other subject-related issues please contact your Erasmus departmental coordinator.

For general questions about the Erasmus programme, formalities and the mobility grant you are welcome to get in touch with the Outbound Mobility Services of the International Office.

The Erasmus institutional coordinator is Mrs. Jutta Schmid.