Participation Requirements

General

• Long-term mobility for studies can last 3–12 months (physical mobility). As an exception, the minimum requirement for physical presence can be reduced to two months if the studies additionally include a virtual component carried out by the foreign university. Applying takes place twice a year, according to the academic calendar. 
• All students of Tallinn University can participate in the Erasmus+ Programme given they have completed at least the first semester of bachelor's studies by the time exchange studies start. It's important that the student has completed the study programme in the volume which would enable to accept the courses completed during studies abroad for the completion of the study programme.
• Student has the right to participate in the Erasmus+ Student Mobility (exchange studies and/or traineeship) for up to 12 months at every study level (i.e., bachelor, master, doctoral). Time spent in the Erasmus+ program while you were completing another degree at another university at the same level of study will also be factored in.
• Students of joint study programmes must be at TLU at the time of applying for exchange studies.
• Sufficient language skills are required for the studies abroad. The requirements for sufficient language skills are established in the inter-institutional agreement.

Related to studies at TLU (for all students on English language programmes)

• All tuition fee paying students who have been admitted before the academic year of 2018/19 are exempted from paying the tuition fee to TLU during their semester/year abroad, given they will not register for any of the TLU courses during their exchange period (incl. registering for the BA/MA thesis/final exam), as the latter automatically means the obligation to pay tuition fee. If their degree studies at TLU extend to an additional semester/year because of not managing to complete the degree studies during nominal time, they have to pay the tuition fee for each additional semester.
• All tuition fee paying students who have been admitted between the academic years of 2018/19 and 2021/22 (both academic years included), have to pay 50% of their tuition fee to TLU during their semester/year abroad. If their degree studies at TLU extend to an additional semester/year because of not managing to complete the degree studies during nominal time, they have to pay the tuition fee for each additional semester.
• All tuition fee paying students who have been admitted in the academic year of 2022/23, have to pay 100% of their tuition fee to TLU during their semester/year abroad.
• All students enrolled to TLU bachelor's or master's degree programmes taught in English (i.e. tuition-fee paying students) have to carefully follow themselves that they would either have enough courses & credit points (ECTS) earned at TLU before exchange studies, or that they will earn enough courses & ECTS during exchange studies, transfer these back to TLU upon return, and also get them recognized as fulfilling their TLU Study Programmes. The latter is necessary for avoiding the situation where due to exchange studies abroad the student does not manage to fulfill TLU Study Programme during the nominal study-period (BA - 3 years; MA -2 years). If student's study-period surpasses the nominal duration, the student has to pay the tuition fee to TLU for each following semester. 
• All students  who take at least 15 ECTS worth of courses per semester at the hosting university, transfer these back to TLU, and get these courses recognized as fulfilling their TLU Study Programmes, will be granted the official extension of the nominal study-period by the number(s) of semester(s) they were abroad as an exchange student (however they need to pay the tuition fee to TLU for such semester(s) as explained above). 

Related to studies at TLU (for non-EU/EEA students on English language programmes)

• Non-EU/EEA students studying at TLU with the "Estonian temporary residence permit for studying"
  Non-EU/EEA students have to carefully follow that they would always maintain full-time student's status at TLU. Maintaining and proving full-time student's status at TLU is a must in order to have the right for Estonian residence permit. Consequently, it is important to also plan the exchange studies so that enough courses & ECTS are taken at the hosting university, that these shall be transferred back to TLU upon student's return, and that these will be recognized as fulfilling student's TLU Study Programme. If you are going for exchange studies and know well in advance that during this period your Estonian residence permit expires, please turn in timely manner to the Migration Advisers at the Police and Border Guard Board at migrationadvice@politsei.ee.
• All students  who take at least 15 ECTS worth of courses per semester at the hosting university, transfer these back to TLU, and get these courses recognized as fulfilling their TLU Study Programmes, will be granted the official extension of the nominal study-period by the number(s) of semester(s) they were abroad as an exchange student (however they need to pay the tuition fee to TLU for such semester(s) as explained above). Being granted the official extension of nominal study-period (at full-time study-load) can become necessary for the non-EU/EEA students when they need to prove their eligibility for Estonian residence permit for which prerequisites are full-time studies and nominal study-period. 

Related to Erasmus+ scholarship

• In order to not pay back Erasmus+ scholarship:
  (1) Students participating in long-term mobility for studies have to bring back to Tallinn University at least 1 ECTS worth of courses/per semester, fulfilling their TLU Study Programme (except doctoral students and last semester MA student who write their master's thesis abroad);
  (2) All students have to submit all the required reporting documents at the end of exchange studies to TLU Senior Specialist for International Studies.

The last semester MA students have to defend their master’s thesis at Tallinn University by the end of their long-term exchange studies and this same last semester in order to not pay back the Erasmus+ scholarship.

• NB! In the case where the student completes less than the minimum required amount of ECTS (except doctoral students and last semester MA students who write their master's thesis abroad), she/he is obliged to return the grant in the entire amount. In case of valid grounds, students have the right to present a justified declaration to the member of the Rectorate, responsible for taking the decision to pay the mobility grant, for reclaim of the mobility grant. A justified written declaration, accompanied by relevant evidence, must be submitted no later than the end of the intermediary week of the semester following the studies abroad. The member of the Rectorate, responsible for taking the decision to pay the mobility grant, shall pass the decision as regards the justification of the declaration and cancellation of the grant to be returned no later than 10 calendar days after having received the declaration.

General

• Short-term blended mobility for studies abroad at a foreign university lasts for 5–30 days and is supplemented by mandatory virtual learning. Short-term blended mobility for studies abroad can be organised at a foreign university in the form of a blended intensive programme (BIP) or any other form of short-term blended studies abroad. In case of doctoral students, virtual component is not mandatory (doctoral short-term mobility for studies), with the exception of BIPs organised by partner universities. The applications are accepted throughout the year, except in July. Students have to  search independently for a place to carry out short-term blended mobility for studies abroad from among TLU partner universities or apply at a BIP competition organised by their academic unit and intended for a specific field of studies. Students have to bring back to Tallinn University at least 3 ECTS worth of courses, except doctoral students, given the exchange-studies’ period abroad is taken into consideration during doctoral student’s evaluation at TLU. 
• Blended intensive programmes (BIP) are short, intensive programmes that use innovative ways of learning and teaching, including the use of online cooperation. The physical mobility must last between 5–30 days. No eligibility criteria is set for the duration of the virtual component, but the combined virtual and physical mobility must award a minimum of 3 ECTS credits for students. Virtual component may take place before, during or after physical mobility, meaning all mentioned combinations are possible. BIP has to be organized by at least 3 higher education institutions from at least 3 Erasmus+ Programme Countries. The minimum number of participants in a blended intensive programme is 15. 
• The student shall not pay any fees for participating in the BIP or blended short-term mobility.
• All students of Tallinn University can participate in the Erasmus+ Programme given they have completed at least the first semester of bachelor's studies by the time exchange studies start (NB! Expect students going to the UK - first year of Bachelor’s studies must be completed). It's important that the student has completed the study programme in the volume which would enable to accept the courses completed during studies abroad for the completion of the study programme.
• Student has the right to participate in the Erasmus+ Student Mobility (exchange studies and/or traineeship) for up to 12 months at every study level (i.e., bachelor, master, doctoral). Time spent in the Erasmus+ program while you were completing another degree at another university at the same level of study will also be factored in.
• Students of joint study programmes must be at TLU at the time of applying for exchange studies.
• Sufficient language skills are required for the studies abroad. The requirements for sufficient language skills are established in the inter-institutional agreement.

Related to Erasmus+ scholarship

• In order to not pay back the Erasmus+ scholarship:
  (1) Students participating in short-term mobility for studies have to bring back at least 3 ECTS worth of courses/per semester, fulfilling their TLU Study Programme (except doctoral students, given the exchange-studies’ period abroad is taken into consideration during doctoral student’s evaluation at TLU); 
  (2) All students have to submit all the required reporting documents at the end of exchange studies to TLU Senior Specialist for International Studies.

• NB! In the case where the student completes less than the minimum required amount of ECTS (except doctoral students, given the exchange-studies’ period abroad is taken into consideration during doctoral student’s evaluation at TLU), she/he is obliged to return the grant in the entire amount. In case of valid grounds, students have the right to present a justified declaration to the member of the Rectorate, responsible for taking the decision to pay the mobility grant, for reclaim of the mobility grant. A justified written declaration, accompanied by relevant evidence, must be submitted no later than the end of the intermediary week of the semester following the studies abroad. The member of the Rectorate, responsible for taking the decision to pay the mobility grant, shall pass the decision as regards the justification of the declaration and cancellation of the grant to be returned no later than 10 calendar days after having received the declaration.

Erasmus+ programme allows you to participate in student mobility for up to 12 months at every study-level, with the possibility of combining different options. There are numerous options for creating a study abroad experience that is right for you!

For example, you can study abroad in different countries and higher education institutions, combine both short- and long-term exchange studies and Erasmus+ traineeships and so on.

Below are some illustrative examples of combining Erasmus+ student mobility opportunities:

• Sofia spent one semester as an exchange student in Austria and later participated in two short-term exchange studies in Germany and Finland.
• Martin spent one semester as an exchange student in Portugal and 4 months as a trainee in Latvia.
• Laura spent one academic year as an exchange student in Turkey and later completed a short-term blended traineeship in Croatia.
• Tom spent his fall semester as an exchange student in Spain and his spring semester as an exchange student in the Netherlands.