FAQs about Erasmus+ during the corona pandemic

If a student has incurred travel expenses relating to their planned stay abroad (e.g., a canceled plane ticket, booking fees for accommodation), they can apply for reimbursement of those expenses (up to the maximal sum specified in the grant agreement).

This is subject to the following conditions:

• All funding-related documents, such as the learning agreement, certificate of enrollment for the current semester, and grant agreement, must be uploaded to the database in full.
• Complete the reimbursement form, and submit the original. 
• Upload all documents to the Mobility Online database (e.g., your plane ticket).
• Upload proof of confirmation from the airline, travel agency, accommodation provider, etc., stating that they are unable to reimburse the costs (e.g., your email correspondence with the providers).

Funding is not available for online studies or internships offered by the host university while the student remains in Hamburg. To be eligible for funding, you need to be physically present in the host country, regardless of whether your studies or internship take place in person or online.

Students receive the funding specified in the grant agreement on the basis of the period confirmed by the host university or the institution hosting their internship, provided that:

a) they have ongoing expenses that are directly and exclusively due to their Erasmus+ stay in their host country (e.g., rent, utilities, season tickets for public transport)

and/or

b) they participate in virtual activities (e.g., online courses or working from home), the institution in their host country has made these options available as alternatives to in-person activities, and these contribute to the student’s achievement of the learning objectives specified in the learning agreement.

This is subject to the following conditions:

• All funding-related documents, such as the learning agreement, certificate of enrollment for the current semester, and grant agreement, must be uploaded to the database in full.
• Complete the force majeure form, and submit the original.
• Submit proof of confirmation from the host university or the institution hosting the internship, including the start and end dates of your stay (confirmation of stay / internship certificate).

Regardless of the regulations on force majeure, the following documents must be submitted in print or digitally for you to complete your Erasmus+ semester successfully:

• transcript of records
• online EUSurvey

The stay abroad has been canceled completely. The period of study or internship will not continue online. And the student will incur no further expenses that are directly and exclusively due to their Erasmus+ stay in their host country (e.g., rent, utilities, season tickets for public transport).

Funding can only be granted for the period spent abroad. Students are therefore required to repay the part of their subsidy that was intended to cover the period between the actual end of their program and the planned end date.

The following documents must be submitted or uploaded:

• Force majeure form (submit the original).
• Submit proof of confirmation from the host university or the institution hosting the internship, including the start and end dates of your stay (confirmation of stay / internship certificate).

Ignore the automatic invitation to complete the OLS language test 2 and the EUSurvey.

For Winter Semester 2020/21 and Summer Semester 2021, we can only reimburse expenses up to the maximum sum specified in the grant agreement following an internal review.

This is subject to the following conditions:

• All funding-related documents, such as the learning agreement, certificate of enrollment for the current semester, and grant agreement, must be uploaded to the database in full.
• Complete the reimbursement form, and submit the original.
• Upload all documents to the Mobility Online database.
• Upload proof of confirmation from the airline, travel agency, accommodation provider, etc., stating that they are unable to reimburse the costs (e.g., your email correspondence with the providers).

All receipts must be in German or English. Students need to obtain translations of any documents in another language. If the cost of a certified copy exceeds the sum of the receipt, a simple translation may suffice.

We can only process complete applications. Make sure that your application is clear and comprehensible.

Send the original signed copies of the force majeure declaration and the reimbursement form to the following address:

Universität Hamburg

Department of International Affairs

Erasmus Team

Mittelweg 177

20148 Hamburg

Upload all evidence of additional costs to be reimbursed and correspondence with external providers proving that the costs will not be covered to the Mobility Online database.

Premature termination or interruption of a physical stay at the host university

You have terminated your stay prematurely but are continuing your studies/internship online in Hamburg or in the host country. You must submit/upload the following documents when you have successfully completed your (online) mobility:

• Force majeure form (submit the original).
• Submit proof of confirmation from the host university or the institution hosting the internship, including the start and end dates of your stay (confirmation of stay / internship certificate).
• transcript of records
• online EUSurvey
• OLS language test 2

The OLS language test 2 was previously not mandatory. Due to changes, you must now take the second language test in order to receive Erasmus funding. Go to OLS FAQ for details on how you can take the second language test when the relevant link has expired.

Termination

You have terminated your stay completely and do not continue online with no further expenses that are directly and exclusively due to your Erasmus+ stay in your host country (e.g., rent, utilities, season tickets for public transport). The following documents must be submitted or uploaded:

• Force majeure form (submit the original).
• Submit proof of confirmation from the host university or the institution hosting the internship, including the start and end dates of your stay (confirmation of stay / internship certificate).

Ignore automatic invitations to complete the OLS Language Test 2 and the EUSurvey.

Yes, you can participate in classes offered by Universität Hamburg in addition to the online courses of your host university provided that said online courses contribute to you achieving the learning objectives specified in the learning agreement. To sign up for classes, contact the faculty members responsible. For further information about the course registration process, see the central FAQ about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on travel and stays abroad and the FAQ about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students.

Stays abroad can be postponed from the winter semester to the summer semester provided that you can secure a place at the university. Discuss this with your faculty’s Erasmus+ coordinator. You cannot postpone a stay abroad from the summer semester to the next academic year. In this case, you will have to reapply instead.

Recent graduates who have had to postpone their internship abroad due to the pandemic will be able to complete their internship within 18 months (rather than the usual 12 months) of graduating.

Yes. Students can receive no more than 12 months of funding per study cycle. Staatsexamen (state examination) students can receive up to 24 months of funding. Any funded periods in the current semester count toward that allowance.

Students are strongly discouraged from studying in countries for which the Federal Foreign Office has issued a warning and/or that the Robert Koch Institute has designated as a high-risk area. Students who nonetheless wish to travel abroad at their own risk must complete the Information on International Stays during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Students are required to keep abreast of all new information from the Federal Foreign Office, the Robert Koch Institute, and the host country’s entry requirements.

Students may start their semester abroad online if the host university offers this option. They may travel to their host country as soon as the travel warning or high-risk status has been revoked.

Students who are near the end of their stay abroad and wish to travel to Hamburg from a high-risk area must observe the entry and quarantine requirements in place. When entering Germany from a high-risk area, consult the quarantine regulations issued by the Federal Centre for Health Education and the Federal Ministry of Health.