Erasmus+ Guide for Turkish Students

Erasmus+ is the European Union's flagship programme for education, training, youth and sport. For higher-education students it funds two main types of mobility: a study exchange at a partner university abroad, and a traineeship (paid or unpaid work placement) with a host organisation in another participating country.

Mobilities typically last between 2 and 12 months per cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD), and you can take part more than once if you stay within the 12-month limit per study cycle. The programme covers most of mainland Europe plus several partner countries — Turkey is a full programme country, which means Turkish students enjoy the same rights and grant structure as students from EU member states.

Beyond the monthly grant, Erasmus+ pays for travel costs in many cases, removes tuition fees at your host university, and provides recognition of your credits back home through the Learning Agreement.

Turkey is a full Erasmus+ programme country, not just a partner. In practice that means: if you're enrolled at a Turkish university that holds an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (almost every major state and foundation university does), you can apply directly through your International Office.

You must have completed at least one full academic year before your mobility begins (so first-year undergraduates apply for second-year placements). You need to be officially enrolled in a degree programme — exchange, double-degree, and Erasmus Mundus students are all eligible. Your GPA usually needs to be above your university's minimum threshold (commonly 2.20/4.00 for Bachelor and 2.50/4.00 for Master, but check with your International Office).

Citizenship matters less than enrolment: foreign nationals studying at a Turkish university can also apply, as long as they meet the residence and visa requirements of the host country.

Erasmus+ groups destination countries into three cost-of-living bands. Approximate monthly stipends for Turkish students in 2025–26 are:

Group 1 (high cost — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden): around €600 per month for study, around €750 per month for traineeship.

Group 2 (medium cost — Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain): around €540 per month for study, around €690 per month for traineeship.

Group 3 (lower cost — Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia): around €490 per month for study, around €640 per month for traineeship.

Traineeships pay roughly €150/month more than study because there's no part-time-job flexibility and living costs hit harder. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds may receive an additional inclusion top-up — ask your International Office. These figures change each cycle, so always confirm the current amounts with your university before you commit.

Erasmus+ is administered by your home university, not directly by the EU or by the host institution. Your first step is always your International Office (Uluslararası İlişkiler Ofisi or Erasmus Koordinatörlüğü).

Each university opens a national Erasmus exam window once or twice a year — usually February-March for the following autumn semester. The selection score is typically calculated as 50% your GPA and 50% your Erasmus language exam (English in most cases, sometimes German or another partner language). You then rank your preferred host universities from a list of your department's partner agreements.

Once you're nominated, your International Office sends your details to the host university, you complete their online application, sign a Learning Agreement listing the courses you'll take, and arrange your visa and accommodation. Most of the heavy lifting is administrative — start early, keep copies of everything, and respond to emails quickly.

The standard Erasmus document pack is shorter than people expect, but every piece must be prepared carefully. You'll need: a current transcript of records, proof of language ability (Erasmus exam result or external certificate like TOEFL, IELTS, Goethe), a CV in Europass or simple format, a motivation letter for each university you rank, and a copy of your passport.

After nomination you'll add: the host university's online application form, your signed Learning Agreement, proof of accommodation, your Schengen student visa application (if required), and European Health Insurance arrangements. Most Group 2 and 3 countries require a residence permit appointment within 90 days of arrival — book that before you fly.

The single biggest mistake students make is ranking destinations by city desirability rather than by department fit. Your Erasmus credits only transfer if your host university actually teaches courses that match your home curriculum — that decision is made by your departmental Erasmus coordinator, not by you.

Start by reading your department's partner list and the course catalogues of the top three options. Look for at least 25-30 ECTS of suitable courses per semester taught in a language you can follow. Then weigh secondary factors: cost of living, climate, language exposure, alumni network, and whether the city has a strong industry presence in your field (important for traineeship Erasmus).

Ask seniors who went to that exact university — not just "Erasmus in general" — about course load, professor accessibility, and how easy it was to finalise the Learning Agreement. A bureaucratic host can ruin an otherwise good placement.

Erasmus study exchange means you take courses at a partner university for one or two semesters, transferring credits back to your degree. It's structured, social, and the easiest way to live abroad as a student. The downside: you're still a student, not a worker, so it doesn't count as professional experience on a CV.

Erasmus traineeship is a paid or unpaid internship with a company, NGO, lab, hospital, or research institute in another participating country. It can run from 2 to 12 months and can happen during your studies or up to 12 months after graduation (you must apply while still enrolled). The grant is roughly €150/month higher than for study, and you get something most Turkish graduates desperately want: a verified European work reference.

Many students do both — a semester of study during the degree, then a traineeship right after graduation. That combination is one of the strongest signals you can put on a European job application: language skills, academic adaptability, and real workplace experience.

Most Erasmus host universities accept English-taught courses for international students, but day-to-day life happens in the local language. Even in famously English-friendly countries like the Netherlands or Sweden, opening a bank account, dealing with the residence office, or making local friends is far easier in the host language.

Aim for at least A2 in the host language before you go and B1 by the end of your stay. The Online Linguistic Support (OLS) platform from Erasmus+ is free for participants and provides level testing plus tailored language courses in the major European languages. Use it.

If you're heading to Germany, Austria, Switzerland or German-speaking parts of Belgium, treat German as the priority — it's also the single most useful European language to take into the job market afterwards. For Scandinavia, English is enough academically, but a few hundred hours of the local language pays off socially and professionally.

The first two weeks are administrative chaos for almost every Erasmus student — and that's normal. You'll need to register your address (Anmeldung in Germany, BSN appointment in the Netherlands, personnummer in Sweden), open a local bank account, get a SIM card, sort out residence-permit biometrics, and attend your university's orientation week.

Most universities run a buddy/mentor programme matching you with a local student — sign up immediately, it cuts your settling-in time in half. Expect culture shock around week 3-4 once the orientation excitement fades and the loneliness of being far from family hits. It passes. By month 2 you'll have a routine and friends; by month 4 you'll start dreading going home.

Document everything from the start: keep digital copies of your residence permit, Learning Agreement, transcripts, and rental contract. You'll need them later for the Erasmus final report and almost certainly for future visa or job applications.

European employers read Erasmus on a CV as a verified, low-risk signal that you've already adapted to a European academic culture, navigated a foreign bureaucracy, and survived without your home support network. For Turkish candidates competing against EU passport holders, that signal closes a real gap.

It also gives you concrete answers to the interview questions that trip up most international applicants: "Have you lived in Europe before?" "How will you handle the move?" "Do you have a European reference?" An Erasmus mentor or traineeship supervisor is exactly the kind of reference recruiters trust.

Beyond signalling, Erasmus often leads directly to job offers — many traineeships convert into full graduate roles, and the language skills + network you build during the exchange dramatically widen the roles you can realistically apply for once you graduate.

Erasmus is a starting point, not a finish line. Once your exchange is complete, the network, language skills, and European reference you've built make the leap into a full European job significantly easier.

Browse current opportunities for Turkish professionals on EuroTalent — many of our partner employers prefer candidates with prior European experience, exactly the profile Erasmus alumni bring.