Erasmus

More than 6 000 foreign exchange students annually come to Finland from all over Europe via the Erasmus exchange programme, to spend a semester or the whole academic year at a Finnish Higher Education Institution.

• The Erasmus exchange period is targeted at European higher education students who are studying for a degree programme at a higher education institution in Europe and have completed at least one academic year of studies.
• The students receive a grant for the studies abroad from their home institution.

From the 2010-11 academic year onwards the Erasmus programme opens for all degree students that study at a higher education institution in Europe, not depending on the nationality of the student.

For those Erasmus students who are interested in learning the basics of the local language, several Finnish universities offer Erasmus Intensive Language Courses (EILC courses). Courses are available in both Finnish and Swedish, the two official languages of Finland. The EILC courses take place in August, before the commencement of the academic year. Please see the section "Erasmus Intensive Language Courses" of this site for more detailed info!

How to participate in Erasmus student exchange?

You can apply for the exchange through the International Exchange Office of your home institution. The Erasmus coordinators at your home institution can provide you with information on the available Erasmus student exchange destinations, grants, application periods and all the other details you need to know.

Erasmus placement as part of degree studies (Erasmus 'traineeships')

In addition to study periods abroad, the Erasmus programme nowadays offers a possibility to complete a work placement in another European country.

• the Erasmus internship should last 3-12 months
• it should always be included as part of the trainee's degree studies
• finding a suitable i host organisation for the placement depends on your own activity.

Some higher education institutions organise placements, but it is also possible to find a place independently.

A vast number of enterprises, public or private organisations are suitable hosts for the placement, although there are some restrictions: it is not possible to do an Erasmus placement at an EU-organisation, or at the embassy or consulate of the student's home country.

If you decide to do an Erasmus placement, you can apply for a placement grant which will cover some of your expenses during the placement. These grants are applied for from the student's home university. Before coming to Finland it’s also possible to apply to the Erasmus Intensive Language Courses. For these courses, and related grants, you should also apply via your home university.

If you are interested in doing an Erasmus placement in Finland, the first step is to contact the International office of your home institution for some more information.

Please note: CIMO is the National Agency for the Erasmus programme in Finland, but CIMO can not arrange an Erasmus placement in Finland for you. If your home university does not have any traineeship connections to Finland, you need to search for a hosting company/organisation independenlty. However, you may find some links and hints to help you forward in the 'Working' section of this site.

How many times can you participate in Erasmus?

If you have participated in Erasmus student exchange once, it is unfortunately not possible for you to do another Erasmus student exchange period. You can only be an Erasmus exchange student once!

However, even if you have been on an Erasmus student exchange period, you may still partake in Erasmus traineeship placement programme. In addition, some other exchange options (bilateral agreements, independently arranged "free mover" exchange period) may still be available options for you. Please contact the International Office of your home university (or the hosting Finnish university) to find out more.