Table of contents

1. 1. 1. Your place in the world  
   2. 2. Experience life: How a stay abroad broadens your horizons
   3. 3. Application: Let's go!
   4. 4. Funding: You can count on this amount of money
   5. 5. Preparatory language courses / Online language support
   6. 6. FAQ - More info
   7. 7. Testimonials - What other students think
   8. 8. What happens after I have been accepted?
   9. 9. Contact persons and application deadlines in the faculties
   10. 10. Contact persons in the International Office

1. Your place in the world  

The ERASMUS exchange program enables you as a student of the Technische Universität Dresden to spend a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12/24 months abroad within countries in and some countries outside the EU. During this time you will be supported financially and in terms of the organization. More than 800 exchange places at partner universities are available for each semester.

2. Experience life: How a stay abroad broadens your horizons

Get out of your study routine. See something of the world. Learn or perfect a foreign language. Get involved with other cultures and mentalities. Expand your own network with international contacts - there are many different reasons to go abroad with ERASMUS for a few months or a whole year. You can also find some personal experiences and inspiration in the testimonials of TUD students who have already spent a semester abroad with Erasmus.

We at the International Office of the TU Dresden will accompany you from the application to the steps you have to take after you have been accepted; you can find a compilation of the most important information in the ERASMUS checklist. The Mobility Online Portal guides you easily through the individual steps. But formalities are not everything. In order to make your time abroad a professional and personal gain, we give you a few practical tips along the way:  

• Find a shared apartment with locals
• Take part in excursions, get-togethers and buddy programs to get to know the country and its people.
• Not only choose Erasmus courses at the university, but also regular seminars.
• Get involved in local clubs and initiatives.
• Learn not only the language of instruction, but also the local language.

The ERASMUS Charter for Students informs you about your rights and obligations.

Good reasons especially for students studying for a teaching degree

When you go abroad with ERASMUS, you will gain a lot of life experience and you will grow as a person. If you have seen something of the world and can report on it first-hand, you will enjoy respect - a benefit for all those who will soon be standing in front of a class and teaching young people. In addition, stays abroad are becoming increasingly important for all students of the teaching profession due to the growing cultural heterogeneity of school classes in Germany. And last but not least, the insight into new teaching and learning methods will help you on your way.

Good reasons especially for engineering students

Every fourth job in Germany depends on exports. Internationally experienced, cosmopolitan employees are therefore in high demand. If you can conduct negotiations in English or French and are familiar with other legal and market systems, you'll have a trump card up your sleeve for the job interview. But ERASMUS will also help you in the long run: every third company certifies that graduates with international experience are better able to handle their tasks than those without international experience.

Are you studying a different subject? We are sure that there are also good reasons for a study stay abroad. ERASMUS is there for everyone!  

3. Application: Let's go!

Requirements

• Enrollment at the TU
  You must be enrolled at TU Dresden as a student for a full course of study. This can also be a doctoral program.
• Study progress
  Are you enrolled in an undergraduate degree program? Then you must have completed the first year of studies. This restriction does not apply to master's students.
• Good academic performance
  You should have a good academic record at the time of your application. Specific 
• Language skills
  Your language level in the language of instruction should be good enough to follow lectures and seminars at the host institution.

Application process: Easier than you think

Don't worry: You don't have to overcome any major bureaucratic hurdles for your application. You inform yourself about the application criteria with the ERASMUS representative or ERASMUS coordinator of the faculty, choose the ERASMUS place you want and apply between January and March for the following academic year online via the mobility portal; a guideline for the application helps you with the first application steps.  

Your application should include the following documents:

• Proof of previous study progress (e.g. overview of grades)
• Curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Proof of knowledge of the language of instruction at the host university
• Possibly a Learning Agreement (table AB) with all signatures. As a rule, 30 ECTS credit points are required for one semester, 60 ECTS credit points for a full academic year.

  Information can be found here.  In principle, however, the Learning Agreement, which is relevant for funding, must be drawn up digitally after the place has been allocated. For more information, see 8. What happens after I have been accepted?

Specific requirements of individual faculties can be found on their websites.
Attention: The start of the semester at universities abroad often differs from that at TU Dresden!

Special features of ERASMUS worldwide

An exchange via ERASMUS worldwide requires a little more communication and initiative. Therefore, the faculty coordinators at TU Dresden and at the host university are important contacts for the planning of your stay.  

The application form and the learning agreement have to be uploaded to the mobility portal at least three months before the planned stay abroad.

Also remember to enroll at the partner university in good time. You can find information about this on the website of the host university - or you can contact the university's International Office yourself.

4. Funding: You can count on this amount of money

You will receive a financial grant for the time of your stay abroad in addition to the waiver of tuition fees at the partner university, which you can apply for with your application regardless of your income situation and combine with additional top ups under certain conditions.

Application

• You apply for an ERASMUS place.

• After your ERASMUS coordinator has successfully assigned you a place, you will receive information about the funding opportunities in the ERASMUS program via Mobility Online and can apply for a grant for green travel and/or social top-up, if applicable (only one criterion for the payment of the social top-up can be applied in each case).

• The International Office will send you a Grant Agreement, which you have to sign and return in original. 

• Your fully (digitally) signed Learning Agreement must be available in the mobility portal at the latest at the beginning of your stay.

Funding opportunities

Special features

• Funding for a stay at a partner university in the United Kingdom is subject to the availability of funds (Notes on Brexit and the impact on the ERASMUS program).
• Germany is not an eligible country for TUD students.
• Switzerland is not an ERASMUS program country, but the exchange will continue as Swiss-European Mobility Program / SEMP.

5. Preparatory language courses / Online language support

With free language courses at TU Dresden you can improve your knowledge of the main working language of your host university. The same goal is served by the ERASMUS Online Language Support (OLS).

6. FAQ - More info

What do I need to know about health insurance? Where can I find testimonials about my university? Can I extend my stay? And what happens if I can't start my stay abroad? We answer all the questions that have remained unanswered so far.

7. Testimonials - What other students think

Benefit from the experiences of ERASMUS students from previous years! Here they report first-hand on their experiences and adventures - including practical tips for an enriching and fulfilling time at your host university.

8. What happens after I have been accepted?

After you have been accepted for your exchange place, there are only a few formalities to complete. Your ERASMUS coordinator will guide you through a structured process with 4 steps: from the nomination to the Digital Learning Agreement.

9. Contact persons and application deadlines in the faculties

Who is responsible for me? Please inform yourself about the contact details of the ERASMUS representatives at the different faculties and the respective application deadlines. You submit your application to them - and they are your contact persons for all questions that go beyond the general ERASMUS formalities.

10. Contact persons in the International Office

For all questions and problems concerning your stay abroad with Erasmus, we are at your disposal at the International Office: