Erasmus exchange
As a student enrolled in a degree programme (bachelor’s, master’s, or integrated degrees), you can go on an Erasmus exchange and stay abroad for between two and twelve months for each degree you complete. It is also possible to undertake a traineeship through Erasmus. Note that PhD candidates are considered employees and can apply for Erasmus funding intended for staff (Erasmus staff mobility and teaching mobility).
When you go on exchange through an Erasmus agreement, you will receive an Erasmus grant funded by the EU, in addition to loans and grants from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen).
Students travelling in the autumn semester receive an Erasmus grant for up to four months, and students travelling in the spring semester receive a grant for up to five months. Please note that students going abroad in the autumn semester receive Erasmus funding for up to four months, and students going abroad in the spring semester receive funding for up to five months. The length must be documented at the end of the stay through the Confirmation of Erasmus Period, and the total grant will depend on this. Note that this may vary from student to student, so it is important that the dates are accurate and reflect the semester period at the host university (from the first day of teaching to the last day/exam), and not necessarily the entire stay if part of the time included holidays, language courses, etc.; the documents must be signed by the host university.
Students who travel to the United Kingdom do not receive Erasmus funding.
Grant rates
The grant rate in the Erasmus programme is determined nationally and depends on the cost level in the host country:
- 460 euros per month for Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Austria.
- 410 euros per month for other programme countries
The Erasmus grant is funded by the EU and is in addition to funding from the Norwegian Loan Fund. You do no pay taxes of your Erasmus grant.
Dates for your exchange stay must be confirmed by the host university towards the end of your stay. Only the physical period you spend at the host university qualifies for an Erasmus grant. This means that you will not receive an Erasmus grant for assignments or exams completed digitally after you have returned to UiB or Norway.
Travel Grant
The travel grant is a lump sum paid out together with the Erasmus grant. The amount depends on the total distance to and from your host institution, measured as the straight-line (air) distance from UiB to your host institution. All students receive one travel grant per stay.
You can receive additional travel support if you use an environmentally friendly mode of transport for most of your journey (see section below, Green Erasmus travel grant).
Air distance from UiB to institution – Travel grant:
- 100–499 km: €211
- 500–1999 km: €309
- 2000–2999 km: €395
Green Erasmus travel grant
The Erasmus program wants to help reduce the climate footprint. Students who travel green on exchange therefore receive a green travel grant.
If you choose to travel by train or bus to and/or from your host university, you may apply for a green travel grant. Note that travel by car or boat does not qualify as green in principle, unless it is an electric vehicle.
Green travel grant
- 100-499 km: €285
- 500-1999 km: €417
- 2000-2999 km: €535
At least half of the total journey to and from the University of Bergen (measured in km) must be completed green to qualify for a Green Erasmus travel grant.
Travel green
For example, you can travel green all the way to, or all the way home from the host university. It is also possible to travel green half the way to and half the way home from the host university. What is important is that a total of half the distance round trip between UiB and the host university must be completed as green travel.
Students traveling green must apply for a Green Erasmus travel grant after returning from exchange by the deadline for submitting the "Confirmation of Erasmus Period".
The deadlines for applying for green travel support are January 30 for those on exchange in autumn, and August 30 for exchanges in spring.
Extra Green Erasmus grant for travel days
The green travel must be documented with receipts from the train/bus, and an extra Erasmus grant is also given for travel days:
- 2 extra travel days in the Nordic countries
- 4 extra travel days in Central Europe (up to 1999 km in the distance calculator)
- 6 extra travel days for Southern Europe (up to 2999 km in the distance calculator).
Applications for the Green Erasmus travel grant should be sent to erasmus@uib.no.
Erasmus travel grant in the Nordic countries
In addition, all students travelling to a Nordic country (Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland) receive an Erasmus travel grant. The support is higher for green travel (by train or bus):
- Distance: 100-499 km, €211/€285 for green travel
- Distance: 500-1999 km, €309/€417 for green travel
Students from underrepresented groups in study mobility or with disabilities
All educational institutions participating in Erasmus are committed to facilitating the exchange of all students, regardless of their disability. Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses often do not have the same opportunities as others to participate in exchange activities.
Both students who fall within the definitions of students from underrepresented groups in study mobility and students with disabilities can receive additional grants.
Additional grants
Types of additional grants
- Additional grant for students with children under 18
- Additional grant for students with long-term disabilities or chronic illnesses. The disability is not about temporary or minor challenges, but about a condition that significantly limits the possibility of participation on the same terms as other students. This can include, for example, physical, cognitive or psychological barriers, which require special support for the student to be able to function in the educational process.
- Additional grant for students with refugee status
- Additional grant for students belonging to indigenous populations and national minorities
The additional grant is additional 250 euros per month.
How to get an additional grant?
UiB provides information about the additional grant at the Erasmus info meeting to which all students are invited.
To receive the additional grant, you must fill out and sign a declaration where you confirm the reason for the application and provide documentation if you are asked to do so.
UiB has a self-declaration for
The self-declaration should be sent to erasmus@uib.no. The deadlines for submitting a self-declaration is the same as submitting a signed and completed grant agreement:
- September 5 for exchanges starting in the autumn semester
- January 30 for exchanges in the spring semester
Extra inclusion support for students with disabilities (special needs)
UiB can apply for extra inclusion support from the EU to cover documented extra expenses related to an exchange. The need must be documented through a medical certificate or similar, and the support must cover actual expenses which are not covered by support that the person can bring with them from Norway through NAV for example. There is no upper limit for this support, but all actual expenses must be documented by you as a student.
This is how the EU has defined a person with special needs: «a person with special needs; a potential participant whose individual physical, mental or health-related situation is such that his/her participation in the mobility action would not be possible without extra financial support».
Please contact erasmus@uib.no for questions about inclusion support.