• a letter of motivation
• proof of previous academic achievements
• Proof of language skills

• Transcript of grades (both from Bachelor and Master for Master students): you can download the document from Campus Management in English. You do not need a signature from KIT staff on the document, as it can be verified online at any time via QR code and link.
• Language certificate(s): The IStO cannot provide proof of language skills! We can only confirm language skills on the basis of language certificates if the target university provides a form for this purpose. The Abitur is only valid as proof of language proficiency for the application for an Erasmus place at KIT and not for the application at the host university. Please also carefully read the information we have written on this website under"Before your stay - requirements/language skills".
• Letter of motivation
• Learning Agreement/ curriculum at the host university (please only start with the digital Learning Agreement after you have been nominated!)
• Confirmation of nomination by KIT: You will also receive a document confirming your ERASMUS+ status in English in Mobility Online under "Before your stay - optional documents"

Multiple funding

With ERASMUS+, students can go abroad in Europe for up to 12 months per study cycle (BA, MA and doctorate) and receive funding. In principle, students can therefore spend up to a maximum of 36 months abroad with ERASMUS+ funding. The funding periods can be individually combined between ERASMUS+ studies (SMS) and ERASMUS+ internship (SMP).

However, it should be noted that the minimum stay period of 2 months (60 days) must be observed.

Participation in ERASMUS+ is excluded for ERASMUS Mundus students due to inadmissible double funding.

Stays in two academic years (summer semester + following winter semester) are only possible to a limited extent. KIT students must reapply for ERASMUS+ for the second academic year, even if the stay takes place at the same university. The decision on the allocation of places is made by the responsible faculty. If the application is submitted on time, the IStO will of course pay the grant.

Mobility grant

Students who study abroad within the framework of ERASMUS+ receive financial support from the EU, the so-called mobility grant, in addition to a waiver of tuition fees at the host university. This is a grant to cover the additional costs incurred abroad.

The amount of the monthly mobility grant depends on the country group and varies annually. The amounts stated here are approximately the contributions* that will be paid to you per month:

* The contributions change annually. Funding may therefore vary. You can find the correct amount in the Grant Agreement (GA).

The data in the Grant Agreement is only a rough guide. The relevant and final data used to calculate the Erasmus+ funding is taken from the Certificate of Arrival(CoA) and the Certificate of Departure(CoD), which you upload in Mobility Online after they have been signed by the partner university.

Study visits in Switzerland are funded directly by the Swiss partner university(SEMP).

Please note that ERASMUS+ funding distinguishes between the funding period and the period of stay. The maximum funding period for a one-semester stay is 3.5 months, for a two-semester stay 7 months. This can vary depending on the academic year and depends on the availability of funds.

The mobility grant will only be paid out if you submit all documents relevant for payment in good time. According to ERASMUS+ program guidelines, 30 ECTS points of credits earned abroad per semester should be returned by each participant. KIT students must return at least 20 ECTS per semester in order to keep the mobility grant. Therefore, it is recommended that at least 25 to 30 ECTS per semester are planned in the Learning Agreement. With less than 20 ECTS per semester in the Transcript of Records (PHS grade transcript after the end of the stay), the situation must be explained by the student. The IStO in consultation with your KIT faculty will then decide whether the ERASMUS+ scholarship may be retained. The minimum number of ECTS credits has nothing to do with the number of ECTS credits recognized at KIT. This only refers to the ECTS collected abroad.

Travel days for green travel and travel allowance

The aim of integrating Erasmus+ into the European Green Deal is to unlock the potential for ecological change through the content and scope of the program and to reduce its environmental impact. Therefore, all Erasmus+ funded students can receive additional financial support to travel to and/or from their Erasmus destination without a car or plane. This support for environmentally friendly travel is to be gradually expanded.

For stays from the academic year 2024/25 onwards, we will include additional travel days as days of stay in the funding for each environmentally friendly mobility. The number of these additional days depends on the distance of the partner university from KIT:

• 2 days up to a distance of 499 km

• 4 days up to 2999 km distance

• 6 days from 3000 km distance

The maximum funding period (specified in the Grant Agreement) from 2025/26 is therefore 111 days (stay of one semester) or 216 days (stay of two semesters). How many days your individual funding exceeds 105/210 days depends on the above table.

The additional funding for green travel will be paid out with the mobility grant after you have completed a questionnaire provided for this purpose in Mobility Online before the scholarship contract is issued. You must also sign a declaration on your word of honor (available in Mobility Online) confirming your environmentally friendly travel and your willingness to keep the supporting documents for 5 years after your Erasmus stay. Travel tickets will only be requested by the IStO on a random basis during the mobility. The travel days for "green travel" must be requested in Mobility Online BEFORE the scholarship is calculated and the answer CANNOT be changed after the calculation.

Travel allowance (from 2025/26)

From the 2025 call onwards, all Erasmus+ participants (students and university staff) are entitled to a travel allowance based on distance, regardless of the duration of their stay. The amount of the travel costs depends on whether participants use environmentally friendly means of transport or not:

#greenchallenge

Some students followed the call of the #greenchallenge and traveled to the partner university by bike. Whether Barcelona, Stockholm or Reykjavik - no distance was too far, no obstacle too great. They had difficulties and made it anyway, let their adventurous travel experiences inspire you:

• Cycling to Stockholm: Interview_Green_Challenge_KIT.pdf

• Cycling to Reykjavik: A tour of Ice and Fire - YouTube

Green Erasmus Portal (Green Erasmus)

The Green Erasmus Portal offers students tips and tricks for sustainable action before, during and after their Erasmus stay.

InterrailPass for Erasmus+ (Interrail Pass for Erasmus+)

The Interrail Pass for Erasmus+ is a six-month pass for European trains that was developed in cooperation between Eurail and the European Student Network (ESN) especially for participants in the Erasmus+ program. Thanks to its six-month validity, most Erasmus students can use the pass for both outward and return journeys. There are two types of passes available:

• Four days of travel within six months of the start date

• Six travel days within six months of the start date

Participants can use the passport flexibly: To travel to and from their host country in an environmentally friendly way, but also to further explore their host country or visit neighboring countries during their trip or stay.

Top-up amount for students with specific conditions

With the aim of opening up Erasmus+ to less mobile target groups and making it more inclusive, students with specific conditions can receive a top-up amount of 250 euros/month for additional costs as part of an ERASMUS+ stay. The following groups are considered.

Students with a disability receive the top-up contribution if they have a degree of disability of 20 or more.

Students with a chronic illness receive the top-up contribution if the chronic illness causes additional financial needs abroad.

Students with child(ren) receive the top-up contribution if at least one child is taken along during the entire stay abroad. The amount of the top-up grant is independent of the number of children. An application is also possible if the partner is traveling with the child; double funding of the child must be excluded.

Students from a non-academic family receive the top-up grant if both parents or caregivers do not have a degree from a university or university of applied sciences. A degree from a vocational academy leading to a qualification comparable to a university degree is to be regarded as an academic qualification. A master craftsman's certificate is not to be equated with an academic degree in this context. Degree courses completed abroad by one of the parents that are not recognized as such in Germany (e.g. physiotherapy) count as an academic degree in the context of the eligibility criteria for receiving additional funding, meaning that there is no entitlement to the top-up amount.

Important: In academic year 26/27, the top-up amount for working students is unlikely to be guaranteed.

Gainfully employed students receive the top-up amount if they have been employed for at least six months prior to the start of their mobility. A longer period of employment prior to the start of the mobility is not an exclusion criterion. The employment in the sending country is not continued during the stay abroad. Notice of termination is not a prerequisite; the employment contract can also be paused. During the minimum period of employment prior to application, monthly earnings must be above EUR 450 and below EUR 850 (net earnings from all activities per month added together), but an average amount is also accepted.

If a participant has several target group characteristics (e.g. first-time graduate and employed student), the top-up contribution can only be paid out for one target group characteristic and you will only have to submit the declaration for one target group characteristic.

You can apply for the top-up contribution in Mobility Online. To do this, you must answer the relevant question and upload the signed declaration of honor in Mobility Online before the scholarships are calculated. Unfortunately, it is not possible to apply at a later date. In the declaration of honor, the beneficiary confirms the eligibility requirements and the existence of supporting documents. In addition, the beneficiary agrees to retain the supporting documents for five years at the request of the sending university. Further supporting documents do not have to be uploaded, but must be able to be submitted if required. The IStO checks the existence of the supporting documents on a random basis.

Please use the following documents to summarize the rules and evidence for the top-up amounts:

Information sheet for stays from academic year 24/25.

Further and specific information can be found on the DAAD website:https://eu.daad.de/infos-fuer-einzelpersonen/foerderung-fuer-studierende-und-graduierte/sonderfoerderung/de/

We will be happy to advise you on planning an ERASMUS+ stay with specific conditions. Please do not hesitate to contact us during our office hours or by e-mail at erasmus-out∂intl.kit.edu.

ERASMUS+ and BAföG/other scholarships

Funding through the ERASMUS+ program does not exclude the (further) receipt of BAföG. As the modalities vary from case to case, please enquire directly with the BAföG office responsible for you. You can view a confirmation of your ERASMUS+ status for the BAföG office in Mobility Online under "Before your stay - optional documents". If you need a signature or help filling out a form, please come to our office hours or send us an e-mail.

It is also possible to combine a scholarship with the ERASMUS+ program. In this case, however, the International Students Office reserves the right to adjust the mobility grant to the financial circumstances of the scholarship holder.

You can find more information about special funding options here.

In the case of intra-European mobility, the participant's national health insurance with the European Health Insurance Card also provides basic insurance cover for the stay in another EU country. However, this basic insurance cover may be insufficient, especially if repatriation or special medical interventions are necessary or in the case of mobility abroad. In such cases, supplementary private health insurance may be necessary.

Liability and accident insurance covers damage caused or suffered by the participant during their stay abroad. Different regulations apply to these insurances in the individual countries. The participant therefore runs the risk of not being covered by the standard conditions if, for example, he/she is not considered an employee or is not formally enrolled at the host higher education institution. In addition to the above-mentioned insurances, insurance against loss or theft of documents, tickets and luggage is recommended.

Please read the respective points on insurance below in detail and ask for advice!