The Erasmus+ Programme's European mobility supports international mobility periods for higher education students and staff in the Programme Countries. The Programme Countries include EU member states, the ETA/EFTA-countries Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein as well as North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey.
Students having a laugh in class
Photo: Satu Haavisto

The Erasmus+ Programme covers all higher education fields and degree levels. Mobility periods between Finnish and foreign higher education institutions are based on bilateral agreements. Enterprises and other private or public organisations and their staff are eligible to participate in some activities.

To be eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ Programme a higher education institution must have an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE), granted by the European Commission. The Charter creates the foundation of all Erasmus+ cooperation for a higher education institution, and through the Charter, the institution commits to the Erasmus+ programme’s principles and terms.

EDUFI grants funding for higher education

Universities and universities of applied sciences apply for funding from the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) for organising international mobility periods. Higher education students, teachers, and staff apply for grants from their own higher education institution.

Students and staff members with special needs can apply for a special needs grant. This additional funding is meant to enable accessible participation in the Erasmus+ Programme which would not otherwise be possible due to a disability, physical or psychological illness, learning difficulty or other special need.

Mobility consortia can also organise exchanges

A mobility consortium formed by higher education institutions and other organisations can also organise Erasmus+ mobility periods. The mobility consortium applies for accreditation of the consortium; an accreditation is a prerequisite for receiving funding. Once the consortium is accredited, it can apply for mobility funding on the same principles as an individual higher education institution.

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Higher education degree students can, regardless of their nationality, participate in the Erasmus+ Programme's European mobility and complete a part of their studies or an internship in Europe. Students who travel abroad to study or for an internship are eligible for an Erasmus+ grant which covers some of the expenses of the exchange. A student may participate in a student exchange or in an internship abroad more than once during their studies.

Studying abroad

All Bachelor, Master and PhD students from all fields of study can take part in student exchange.

During an Erasmus+ exchange, students can deepen their knowledge in their own field and get new insights to their studies. A foreign higher education institution may also offer a broader course catalogue than the student's own university or expertise in a specific field.

Principles of student exchange:

  • The duration of an exchange is minimum at 3 months (one semester) and at maximum 12 months.
  • Exchanges are based on bilateral cooperation agreements established by higher education institutions.
  • Higher education institutions select the students taking part in an exchange.
  • The hosting higher education institution will not charge tuition fees from exchange students
  • The studies completed abroad are officially recognized in the students’ degrees. 
  • Before the stay abroad, the student has completed at least two semesters of studies.

Internship abroad

All Bachelor, Master and PhD students as well as recent graduates (within one year of graduation) from all fields of study may complete an Erasmus+ internship abroad.

Principles of internships abroad:

  • The internship must be relevant to the student’s field of study.
  • The uninterrupted duration of the internship is at minimum 2 months and at maximum 12 months.
  • Suitable organisations for internships are enterprises and most private and public organisations including research institutes, higher education institutions, other educational institutes, foundations and non-governmental organisations.
  • The student is responsible for finding a suitable internship, but the higher education institution may assist the student in finding the placement.
  • The internship will be recognized in the student's degree if the internship is completed before graduation.
  • Recent graduates can also take part in internships abroad within one year of graduation; in this case, the funding must be applied for before graduation.

Internships developing digital skills

In 2018-2020, the Erasmus+ Programme, in cooperation with the Horizon 2020 programme, promotes internships which develop students' or recent graduates' digital skills. Knowledge on, for example, cyber security, data analytics and machine learning are needed in many different fields. The goal is to help enterprises in finding applicants with digital skills. Within the European mobility framework, a digital internship is possible from Finland to Erasmus+ Programme Countries.

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The European Commission offers students who participate in Erasmus+ exchange or internship the possibility to study multiple different languages online and test the development of their language skills before and after a mobility period. Language tests are compulsory for all students participating in the Erasmus+ Programme. Online language courses, on the contrary, are a voluntary opportunity for students to improve their language skills.

Language courses and tests are done in the OLS (Online Linguistic Support Tool) online service. EDUFI distributes language course and test licenses to Finnish higher education institutions participating in the Erasmus+ Programme; the higher education institutions forward these licenses to their own students. 

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Within the Erasmus+ Programme, also higher education institutions’ teachers and other staff members have the possibility for an international mobility period: Erasmus+ funding may be granted for teaching or training abroad. This funding covers some of the expenses of the exchange, and it is granted by the applicant's own higher education institution. Teachers and staff members in both permanent and temporary employment can take part in exchange; the higher education institutions carry out the selection of their exchange participants.

Teaching abroad

Erasmus+ teacher exchanges are implemented from Finland to foreign higher education institutions, and they are based on bilateral cooperation agreements.

It is also possible to invite a representative of a foreign enterprise to teach in a Finnish higher education institution. A bilateral agreement is not needed for cooperation with a foreign enterprise; every exchange is agreed upon separately. The receiving higher education institution always covers the funding of the person invited from a foreign enterprise.

Principles for teacher exchange:

  • Staff apply for the Erasmus+ mobility grant from their own higher education institution.
  • The duration for teacher exchange within the European mobility framework is at minimum 2 workdays and at maximum 2 months.
  • During the exchange, the teacher teaches at least 8 hours. A teacher exchange can also be combined with a staff exchange; in this case, the minimum requirement for teaching is at least 4 hours.
  • If the exchange lasts more than one week, the minimum teaching hours are 8 hours / 4 hours per every week spent on exchange.
  • The teaching offered by the visiting teacher is part of the receiving higher education institution's regular curriculum.
  • Prior to the exchange, the teacher compiles a working plan including the contents and the goals of the visit.

Staff training abroad

The Erasmus+ Programme offers higher education institution's staff an opportunity for professional development. Any higher education institution's staff member can participate in workplace learning period or in training in another higher education institution or other private or public organisation in another Erasmus+ Programme Country. The exchange can be a study visit, a workshop, or a workplace learning period. Conference participation is not funded from the Erasmus+ Programme.

Principles for staff exchange:

  • The duration for staff exchange within the European mobility framework is at minimum 2 workdays and at maximum 2 months.
  • The exchange must contain training, developing the participant's own organisation and experience sharing.
  • Staff apply for the Erasmus+ mobility grant from their own higher education institution.
  • Prior to the exchange, the staff member compiles a working plan including the contents and the goals of the visit.
  • No need for a cooperation agreement between higher education institutions (unlike in teacher exchange).
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Higher education institutions and mobility consortia can be granted Organisational Support (OS) for organising exchanges.

Support can be used, for example, for

  • updating and translating course catalogues for incoming students
  • creating and maintaining web pages and other materials
  • improving the accessibility of exchanges
  • exchange participant selection, guidance, and tutoring
  • language and culture preparation for outgoing or incoming students and teachers
  • preparatory orientation for outgoing and incoming participants and for orientation for returning exchange participants
  • monitoring and evaluation visits to cooperating higher education institutions or for preparatory visits, the purpose of which is to launch new cooperation between the higher education institutions.

The funding for organising exchanges can also be used for the salaries of the higher education institution's employees coordinating the Erasmus+ Programme.

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Students and staff members with special needs participating in an exchange can also apply for a special needs grant. The aim of this grant is to enable accessible participation in the Erasmus+ Programme which would not be possible without additional support due to the participant's disability, physical or psychological illness, learning difficulty or other special need.

More information and detailed instructions for applying for the accessibility grant can be found on a separate special needs grant page. 

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