Program Overview
Introduction to the Erasmus+ Program
The Erasmus+ program is the European Union's largest program for international cooperation and exchange in education, youth, and sport. For students at Karolinska Institutet (KI), Erasmus+ offers the opportunity to study abroad at a partner university in Europe for a period during their education.
What is Erasmus+?
Erasmus+ is a program that allows KI students to either conduct exchange studies at one of the partner universities in Europe, which can be credited towards their education, or complete an internship period in Europe to collect data for their thesis or gain work experience.
Karolinska Institutet's Erasmus Code
Karolinska Institutet has been awarded the "Erasmus Charter for Higher Education". This charter is a prerequisite for participating in all Erasmus program activities, such as teacher and student exchanges, Erasmus+ strategic partnerships, and the European University in which KI is involved, NeurotechEU. By accepting the charter, KI commits to following the Erasmus basic principles, which aim to increase inclusion, non-discrimination, openness, sustainability, and citizen engagement.
Requirements for Applying
To apply for exchange studies at one of the partner universities, there must be an exchange agreement between the student's educational program at KI and the partner university. For more information on how to apply for an exchange, visit the program's website.
To participate in Erasmus+, students must:
- Be a registered student at KI
- Have at least one year of higher education studies completed before departure (special rules may apply for certain educational programs)
- Be able to stay abroad for at least 60 consecutive days (minimum duration for exchange studies within Erasmus+)
Language Support
All students participating in the Erasmus+ program must take a mandatory online language test before departure and another after completing the exchange. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary online language course to improve their language skills.
Erasmus Grant
When conducting exchange studies or an internship within Erasmus+, students receive a grant that contributes to covering additional costs associated with the stay abroad. 80% of the grant is paid before the exchange begins, and the remaining grant is paid after the student's report has been submitted and approved, and the "Certificate of Attendance" has been returned. The grant amount consists of two parts: a grant component based on the distance to the study destination and a stipend component that varies depending on the cost of living in the country visited.
Grant Levels from August 1, 2025
The grant levels for the autumn semester of 2025 are as follows:
- Distance to destination | Green travel Euro | Non-green travel Euro
- 10-99 KM: | 56 | 28
- 100-499 KM: | 285 | 211
- 500-1999 KM: | 417 | 309
- 2000-2999 KM: | 535 | 395
- 3000-3999 KM: | 785 | 580
- 4000-7999 KM: | 1188 | 1188
- 8000 KM or more: | 1735 | 1735
- Host country | Stipend per month | Stipend per day
- Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, Austria: | 560 | 18.7
- Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey: | 510 | 17
Exchange in Switzerland
Switzerland is not part of Erasmus+, but students can still conduct exchange studies at Swiss partner universities. Instead of an Erasmus grant, students will receive a stipend from the host university through the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP).
Exchange in the United Kingdom
Only students who are officially accepted as exchange students to an institution in the United Kingdom or will be doing an internship at a company or organization can be granted an Erasmus grant.
Additional Inclusion Support
Additional support (currently 250 Euro per month, subject to change) is granted to all students in the following two groups:
- Students with a permanent or long-term disability, including disabilities caused by physical or mental illness.
- Students with children, regardless of whether the child accompanies them on mobility or not.
From the autumn semester of 2025, additional inclusion support also applies to:
- Students with protection status in Sweden. This includes students with previous or current refugee status according to the Refugee Convention or alternative protection needs according to national rules.
Certificate of Attendance
When the Erasmus period is nearing its end, it is essential to obtain the "Certificate of Attendance" form filled out by the host. The form confirms that the student has been an Erasmus student for the agreed-upon period. The number of days on the form must total at least 60 consecutive days. The form is sent to the International Office at KI.