Studying abroad with ERASMUS+

In order to apply for an ERASMUS+ stay abroad, you must fulfill the following requirements:

• You are enrolled in a full-time degree program at LMU.
• At the beginning of your stay abroad (not at the time of application), you must have studied English Studies for at least two semesters.
• At the time of your Erasmus+ application, you must have sufficient language skills in the language of instruction at your host university.
• As a prerequisite for the Erasmus+ scholarship, you must complete at least 10 ECTS credits per semester at the host university.
• Please note that not all host universities accept Master's or doctoral students. Before applying, you should therefore check whether the university(ies) of your choice are suitable for your study phase

Academic year in the UK/Ireland

Students generally stay abroad from September to May. An extension of the stay until the end of the third term is possible, provided that interesting courses are offered locally and the responsible contact persons approve this. Depending on the university, financial support is provided for a period of 9 to 10 months.

Only in exceptional cases* is it possible to study in the UK for just one semester; the rule is a full (academic) year. The reason for this is that a length of stay must be chosen which corresponds to the length of our semester (= 14 SWS) and in which it is possible to complete the courses and take the final examinations. Usually, this is not possible within just one semester.

In case of doubt, priority will be given to applications for a full academic year. Therefore, when completing your application, please ensure that you indicate the correct period for your desired stay in the relevant documents (especially the cover sheet and online application form).

*Exceptions include, for example, chronic illnesses, child care responsibilities, caring for relatives in need of care, etc.

As the United Kingdom participates in the Erasmus+ program as a partner country, LMU can use part of its Erasmus+ budget for stays in the UK. However, the final funding depends on the funds available each year and the number of planned stays in the UK. If funding through Erasmus+ is not possible in individual cases, LMU will inform the students concerned in good time about alternative funding options.

The application for an exchange place at a British partner university is integrated into LMU's regular Erasmus+ application procedure. Students apply as usual and indicate their preferred British universities.

Please note that costs (!) are incurred as part of the application process.

The British Council Germany advises students to apply for a visa as soon as possible after receiving confirmation of their place of study in the United Kingdom. It is possible to apply online.
https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk/student-visas (website of the British Council)
https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/apply (website of the British government)

Since Brexit, the visa requirements for stays in the United Kingdom have changed. The conditions differ depending on the length of stay:

• Stays of up to six months (Visitor Route):
  From Apr 2 2025, EU, EEA and Swiss nationals travelling to the UK will require an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Applications for this group can be made on the UK government website from Mar 5 2025.
  Students who start their studies abroad in Jan 2025 do not yet need an ETA to enter the country without a visa. However, they should note that from Apr 2 2025, an ETA will be required for every new entry or exit, e.g. for weekend trips or vacation travel.
• Longer stays over six months (student route):
  Since Jan 1 2021, a fee-based visa (“Student Route”) has been required for study stays of more than six months. The visa fee is currently £363 and an additional Immigration Health Surcharge of £470 may apply. It may be possible to have the cost of the health surcharge refunded. You can find out more about this on the British government website. You may also need to provide proof of your English language skills (e.g. IELTS or TOEFL). The British government website also provides information on this. As a rule, however, the requirements correspond to those of the host university, but you should check this yourself to be on the safe side.

You may have to prove that you have sufficient funds for living expenses during your stay. Detailed information on this can be found on the UK government website: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/money.

Further helpful links:
• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/studying-in-the-uk-guidance-for-eu-students
• https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/prepare-to-study-uk
• https://study-uk-events-eu.britishcouncil.org/
• https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk/eu-student-advice

The application process consists of several parts:

1. You apply to the Erasmus coordinator for your chosen subject (application to LMU). The decision as to who gets which place is made by Dr. Arendholz and her team (not by the host university). Please note that we usually have more applications than places.

2. If your application is successful and you wish to accept your place, you will be nominated by the coordinator at the host university (nomination).

3. The host university asks for your application documents (application to host university). The term application may imply that you may be rejected - but this does not normally happen.

When selecting your preferred universities, you can name a maximum of 4 priorities. You can also apply via other subjects, e.g. via your minor subject/other subject in "Lehramt". Of your four available priorities, you could, for example, choose two partner universities of the English Department and two partner universities of the German Department. You just need to make sure that you enter the correct Erasmus+ coordination.

Please note: As the number of applications usually exceeds the number of places available at the partner universities, it is highly advisable to complete all four priorities.

In addition to the places offered at the English Department, it is also possible to apply for places in the UK offered by the German Department. If you are interested in this option, please first arrange an initial consultation with Claudia Agne, who will provide you with detailed information on the procedure.

You can only apply online via the application portal on the RIA website. You can only complete one online application (even if you are applying for several universities or departments). The application can be interrupted, saved and resumed at any time. All necessary tools and documents will be activated in good time.

The following documents must be uploaded for the application in the online application portal:

• Erasmus cover sheet
• Online-application form
• Cover letter
  • Please write in English and no longer than 1.5 pages. There are no specifications for the form (letter form with salutation or not).
  • In the cover letter, you should explain why you are a suitable choice for the chosen university. Refer to relevant courses, offers for your minor subject or extracurricular activities. The letter should also illustrate your engagement with the country, city and university and show how the stay abroad would benefit you personally and academically.
  • Please submit only one cover letter for your first priority per coordination.
  • Example: Prio 1 and 2 for partner universities of the English Department → one cover letter for Prio 1 to the ERASMUS-coordinator of the English Department; Prio 3 and 4 for partner universities of the Romance Department → one letter of motivation for Prio 3 to the ERASMUS-coordinator of the Romance Department
• Curriculum vitae in tabular form (1-2 pages)
  • The CV can be submitted in German and may or may not include a photo of you
  • Give a comprehensive impression of your personality that distinguishes you as a suitable representative of the LMU at a foreign university. This may include hobbies, voluntary work, part-time activities and initial professional experience.
• Transcript of Records from LSF (not notarized; only for English!)
  • A relatively empty Transcript of Tecords (ToR) at the time of application is not a problem, even if it only contains "pass/fail" grades. This applies in particular to applicants in their first semester. Grades are not determined retrospectively. If you only have achievements from the minor subject at the time of application, please submit these.
• Proof of sufficient language skills
  • The language certificate must only be provided for the language of instruction in the host country and must certify at least a B2 for English. A copy (not notarized) of your Abitur certificate is sufficient for this purpose, provided that it contains a reference to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (e.g. B1, B2, C1 etc.).
  • Students who are studying the language as their major do not need a separate language certificate for the ERASMUS application at LMU if this language is the language of instruction abroad. In these cases, however, please enclose a certificate of enrollment with your application.

Please also note for the UK: The host university may require its own language certificate, as the European framework agreements have lapsed since Brexit. However, this is independent of your Erasmus+ application to LMU and only becomes relevant once you have been offered a place. Nevertheless, please inform yourself in good time on the relevant foreign university websites and, if necessary, plan the language test (in good time!). Please also note that when applying for a visa (UK), you may also have to provide proof of language skills. In addition to the above information for the UK visa, the relevant UK government websites provide information on this topic.

Please note: You will not gain any advantage by submitting your application documents earlier - it is not “first come, first served”. Furthermore, you will not gain any advantage by submitting additional documents that are not required. Observe the current requirements for applications in the English Department (or the requirements for the subject you are applying for) and adhere to them exactly.

Weighting of the criteria:

1. Convincing cover letter (Why is which university preferred? Why are you suitable for this position?), as well as an informative CV
2. Language skills
3. Study progress
4. Grades

There are no additional interviews. The decision as to who is offered a place is therefore based solely on the application documents submitted.

In addition to the completeness of the documents, we naturally also pay attention to the correctness of the information, spelling, etc.

• After we have made the selection, you will be notified by e-mail whether or not you have been offered a place on the ERASMUS program.
• If you have been offered a place and have confirmed to us by e-mail that you wish to accept this place, we will nominate you to the host university. This means that we will inform the host university of our decision to send you and will send them your details. They will then contact you and inform you about their application procedure.
• The application documents for the host university are similar to those for LMU, although you do not usually have to write another cover letter or similar.
• If you do not get a place in our application procedure and do not have the opportunity to go abroad via another degree program, you will automatically be put forward for the succession procedure if your application is acceptable. This runs via our faculty and gives you the opportunity to perhaps get a place after all. Your contact person for this is Claudia Agne.

Course selection

From our side, you are relatively flexible in your choice of courses; please consult with the host university.

• You can also study part of the courses in your minor/second subject at the host university, provided the university agrees. However, it should be noted that at least 50% of the courses should be from your major subject. (Major subject in this case means the subject through which the exchange takes place).
• The prerequisite for the ERASMUS+ scholarship is proof of 10 ECTS per semester abroad

Learning Agreement

As soon as the application and nomination process has been completed and you are officially a future guest student, a Learning Agreement must be completed:

• Most partner universities already do this online as a so-called OLA (Online Learning Agreement)
• It lists the courses you would like to choose (“Before the mobility” section), the courses you have actually chosen (“During the mobility”) and the final results from these courses (“After the mobility”)
• Each part must be confirmed by signature by the three bodies involved (host university, home university, student)
• The recognition of achievements is optional. If you wish to have achievements from abroad recognized, you are obligated to contact the Study Coordinator Philipp Handl for any recognitions in degree programmes offered by the English department before your stay to discuss what can and cannot be recognized.

All important information about the OLA can be found on this information sheet (PDF, 299 KB).

Visa requirements

If you are staying in the UK, you will need an appropriate visa for the duration of your stay. Find out about the applicable regulations in good time (see note on Brexit).

Language certificate

The host university (UK) may require its own language certificate, as the European framework agreements have lapsed since Brexit. However, this is independent of your Erasmus+ application to LMU and only becomes relevant once you have been offered a place. Find out in good time on the relevant foreign university websites and plan the language test if necessary (in good time!). Please also note that when applying for a visa (UK), you may also have to prove your language skills

Overview of accepted language certificates for partner universities of the United Kingdom:

• University of Birmingham:
  https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/internationalentry-requirements
  
• University of Warwick:
  https://warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/english-language-requirements
  
• University of Exeter:
  https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyabroadprogrammes/apply/
  https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/englishlanguagerequirements/
  
• Birkbeck College, University of London:
  https://www.bbk.ac.uk/international/entry-requirements
  https://www.bbk.ac.uk/student-services/admissions/english-language-qualifications-and-tests https://www.bbk.ac.uk/international/visa/student-visa-english-language-ability
  
• Royal Holloway, University of London:
  https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/international-students/english-languagerequirements/
  
• University of Leicester:
  https://le.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-language-requirements
  
• University of East Anglia:
  https://www.uea.ac.uk/apply/our-admissions-policy/english-language-equivalencies

Informationen from the Language Center on language certificates

Accommodation

The International Office (RIA) is an important point of contact for questions regarding the organization of accommodation. Your local contact person can also provide further assistance.

Further interesting links for Ireland:

• Residences Dublin (Quelle: UCD)
• Living Costs Ireland (Quelle: UCD)

BAföG and leave of absence

If necessary, apply for BAföG abroad from the relevant BAföG office in good time. You can apply for leave of absence semesters during your stay abroad if you want to prevent your study time from being “metered” further.

Please also note the current travel and safety information for your stay abroad.

The LMU International Office at offers you an intercultural support program to prepare for and follow up on your stay abroad. Participation in this program is not obligatory.