Studying abroad

The scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and applications are supported at a high professional level. Further selection criteria are motivation, language skills, meaningfulness of the stay abroad and the applicant's social commitment.

These points correspond to the selection criteria agreed in the KIA (Commission for International Affairs) and the Academic Senate of the university.

Special features of applications worldwide: When applying to some universities outside the EU, the selection process involves a short, personal interview with a selection committee.

Fully enrolled students in Bachelor's and Master's degree programs who are studying at ASH Berlin and have completed at least one academic year are eligible to apply. Please note: Bachelor's students who will study a consecutive Master's program at ASH Berlin can apply for a study abroad program in the 1st or 2nd semester of their Bachelor's degree.

The study abroad must last at least 2 months (8 weeks) up to a maximum of 12 months.

Please note that you must still have credits "open" before your semester abroad! You cannot start studying abroad if you have already completed all your examinations, as you will then be exmatriculated at the end of the semester in question and will no longer be enrolled at ASH Berlin during your stay abroad.

The application procedure only takes place once a year at the end of January for a stay in the following winter and summer semester (deadline 31.01.). After that, so-called "remaining places" may still be allocated at later deadlines (you can find more information on this in the info box below "Missed the deadline? Apply for remaining places").

For a study place abroad (Erasmus+/ direct exchange program), you must first fill out an application form in our online portal. You then submit the application form generated there with the other application documents by e-mail (in a PDF file of max. 5 MB) to studyabroad@ ash-berlin.eu. You will receive a confirmation of receipt (please contact us if you do not receive a confirmation of receipt within 5 working days).

Please apply by January 31 for the following academic year, i.e. the winter semester and the summer semester of the following year. This means that 31.01.2024 is the current application deadline for a semester abroad in the winter semester 2024/25 or summer semester 2025.

After this date, so-called "remaining places" may still be allocated at later deadlines (you can find out more in the info box below "Missed the deadline? Apply for remaining places").

• Signed online application form - access via the application portal
• Letter of motivation (approx. 1 A4 page with reference to the initial request, further information can also be found in the FAQs at the bottom of the page)
• Curriculum vitae
• Current certificate of study
• Current overview of grades (or copy of previous degree certificate)
• Proof of language proficiency in the language of instruction to at least B1 level, not older than two years (either entry in the LSF, e.g. for subject-specific English, or language test result on the DAAD form; for language test dates, see Information from the Language Center). Some partner universities may also require a higher language level. Please refer to the information page on the partner universities.

Please send all documents by e-mail (in one PDF file of max. 5 MB) to studyabroad@ ash-berlin.eu. You will receive a confirmation of receipt (please contact us if you do not receive a confirmation of receipt within 5 working days).

ASH students who go abroad as free movers are required to register via our application portal by May 15 for departure in the winter semester or by November 15 for departure in the summer semester.

Please send the following documents by e-mail to the International Office:

• Signed online application via the application portal Note: The application portal "MoveON" is provided by QS Unisolution. By registering and using the portal, you agree that the International Office of ASH Berlin may view the data you enter there and use it exclusively for the purpose of processing your stay abroad. Your personal data will be treated confidentially under data protection law and used exclusively for the stated purpose. Further information can be found in the data protection declaration of AS H Berlin and QS Unisolution.
• Current certificate of enrollment
• Confirmation of admission (acceptance) from the host university
• For each course at the host university that you would like to have recognized at ASH Berlin, find the module at ASH Berlin that matches the content. Then contact the respective module coordinators and record the provisional recognition in the recognition form. You can find everything about the recognition process (including the corresponding form and helpful FAQs!) on our recognition website . 
• Depending on your destination country, you may also receive a safety instruction, which must be signed and returned by email to studyabroad@ avoid-unrequested-mailsash-berlin.eu.

As a free mover, you can apply for PROMOS funding with us:

PROMOS scholarship

You can also find out about other funding options.

At the end of the stay, the following documents must be submitted to the International Office no later than one month after the end of the study abroad program:

• Transcript of records (confirmation of achievements abroad)
• Confirmation of stay (confirmation of the period of stay at the host institution)

If your application for an Erasmus+ or direct exchange place is successful, we will send you a conditional acceptance letter approximately four weeks after receiving your documents. You will then accept this place until a deadline communicated to you by the International Office.

Once you have accepted the place, you will be nominated by the International Office at the partner university.

After the International Office has nominated you at the partner university, your host university will then contact you with specific information on how to apply and register at the host university. Further documents may be required from you, e.g. an overview of your previous achievements in English ("Transcript of Records"). Instructions on how to download these from the LSF can be found here.

After completing the application and enrolling at the host university, you will finally receive confirmation of acceptance from the host university (Letter of Acceptance).

All exchange students must complete a so-called "Learning Agreement" before the start of their studies. On the Learning Agreement, you record which courses you will attend at the host university and which courses, if any, will be recognized at ASH Berlin.

There will be a mandatory information event on the Learning Agreement approx. 3-5 months before the start of your semester abroad, in which we will explain the individual steps in detail. The basic procedure is as follows:

1. Please only use the templates provided by ASH Berlin for the Learning Agreement: Learning Agreement_Before the Mobility for Erasmus+ students, Learning Agreement_Before the Mobility for Erasmus+ international students for stays at partner universities in Switzerland or the UK or the Learning Agreement_Before the Mobility for non-Erasmus+ students (for direct exchange and free mover students). On the first page, enter your personal details, including your language skills in the language of instruction and the period of your stay. If you have detailed questions about specific fields (e.g. "ESI" or "ISCED Code"), it is best to refer to the documents from the information event, which you can find in the Moodle course, or ask us.
2. You work out an overview of the courses you would like to attend at the host university on your own (and possibly according to the specifications of the host university) . As a rule, you will find their courses and/or detailed module handbooks on the website of the host university. It is best to use the links in the respective info boxes on our website with the overviews of the partner universities as a starting point to find the courses on offer at the host university. Then transfer the desired courses at the host university to the Learning Agreement in Table A. Note: If there are not enough lines, you can jump to the last line and insert additional lines below it in Word via Table tool>Layout.
3. For each course at the host university that you would like to have recognized at ASH Berlin, find the appropriate module at ASH Berlin. Then contact the respective module coordinator and record the provisional recognition in the recognition form. You can find everything you need to know about the recognition process (including the relevant form and helpful FAQs!) on our recognition website . Once the module coordinators have agreed to the recognition, transfer the courses you wish to have recognized to Table B of the Learning Agreement. If you do not wish to have any recognition at all, leave Table B blank. You then only need to send us a brief, informal confirmation of your wish for non-recognition (by e-mail is sufficient) and give reasons (see FAQs on the recognition website).Please note: Language courses that are not part of the curriculum of a degree program at the host university (i.e. courses that are not listed in the curriculum of the host university and are offered, for example, at a continuing education center at the partner university) will be recognized . You can find everything you need to know about the crediting process here . Your contact for this is Ms. Kathrin Knuth.
4. You then sign the Learning Agreement yourself and send it by e-mail to the International Office - together with the recognition form signed by all module coordinators (and yourself). If you do not wish to receive recognition, you do not need to send us a recognition form. The deadline for submitting the Learning Agreement (with your signature) - and, if applicable, together with the recognition form - to us at the International Office is 4-6 weeks before the start of your stay.
5. The International Office will check the information on the Learning Agreement and on the recognition form. If everything is filled in correctly and completely, we will obtain the signature of the head of degree program on your Learning Agreement. You will then receive it back and obtain the signature of the host university yourself and then send the Learning Agreement back to us immediately (!) by email.

Important note for Erasmus+ students: your Erasmus+ grant agreement can only be drawn up once all signatures (including those of the host university) have been obtained on your Learning Agreement (see below: "Grant Agreement"). Therefore, please adhere to the above-mentioned deadlines to avoid delays in the payment of your grant.

Once you have completed the application process at the host university, you will receive a Letter of Acceptance from the host university . When exactly you will receive this document varies greatly depending on the host university - this usually happens within approx. 3-8 weeks after the end of the application process there. The Letter of Acceptance is the official admission to study at the host university and must be forwarded to the International Office of ASH Berlin immediately upon receipt. The letter of acceptance confirms the official start and end date for your studies abroad and can be submitted to scholarship providers (e.g. Auslandsbafög-Amt, foundations, etc.) as proof of your planned studies abroad.

Important note for Erasmus+ students: your Erasmus+ grant agreement can only be drawn up once we have received the Letter of Acceptance from you (see below: "Grant Agreement"), as the start and end dates stated there form the basis for calculating the funding period.

The EU offers all Erasmus+ scholarship holders Online Language Support (OLS) via the EU Academy platform, which includes free self-tests and a three-year license for online language courses in all languages offered. This provides you with sustainable and free support to learn the language of study and the national language of your host country. We warmly and expressly invite you to take advantage of this great language learning opportunity, which will last long after your semester abroad! To register on the EU Academy platform, you need an EU login, which you can create directly on the platform.

As an Erasmus+ scholarship holder, you are normally required to take a test in the main language of instruction at your host university via the OLS portal before your stay abroad. For Erasmus+ scholarship holders in the academic year 2023/24, the obligation to self-test is waived until further notice - but not our explicit recommendation to use the free Online Language Support (OLS) as preparation before and support during your semester abroad.

The so-called "Grant Agreement" is your Erasmus+ scholarship contract, in which, among other things, your individual funding amount is stated. You can find general information on the monthly Erasmus+ funding rates and the so-called "Social Top Ups" on our website for Erasmus+ scholarships for study visits.

In order for us to be able to prepare your Grant Agreement, you must already have a number of documents, including your Letter of Acceptance (see above) and your Learning Agreement with all signatures (see above) as well as other mandatory documents. We will explain all mandatory documents and the associated binding deadlines to you approx. 2-3 months before the start of your semester abroad during a mandatory information event on the Grant Agreement.

As soon as you have submitted all the necessary documents, you will receive your Grant Agreement from us by e-mail approx. 1 - 2 months before the start of your stay abroad. You must print it out twice, check your personal details, sign both (!) copies and submit them to us at the International Office (preferably directly in an envelope in our blue mailbox next to room 345). This must be done BEFORE you leave, after which you will receive a signed version back from us and the first scholarship installment will be transferred to your bank account.

All Erasmus+ scholarship holders receive the Erasmus+ Student Charter. This contains the rights and obligations that you have as an Erasmus+ scholarship holder and provides information on what you can expect from your home university and your host university as part of your Erasmus+ program.

The International Office is concerned about the health and safety of students abroad. You will therefore receive the information sheet on "Health and safety during your stay abroad", which you should read carefully. In addition, an insurance declaration must be completed, signed and submitted to the International Office before the start of your stay abroad. Both documents will be sent to the students.

Please remember to invest in comprehensive insurance cover abroad, which should include additional international health insurance, liability insurance and accident insurance. Depending on the host university and/or country, a certain (health) insurance may even be mandatory. The DAAD offers an insurance package for students. If necessary, ask your health insurance provider about this topic.

Seek medical advice on health precautions before you leave and, if necessary, have a health check-up at your family doctor's and dentist's practice. We also recommend that you brush up on all necessary vaccinations before you travel and obtain the required vaccinations for your destination country. The website of the Federal Foreign Office offers a very helpful overview of travel, health and safety advice for your destination country.

Especially for students going abroad outside Europe: depending on the destination country (and also depending on your nationality!), you may need to apply for a visa or entry permit before departure. Depending on the country, you may only be able to apply for a visa once you have received a letter of acceptance from the host university. The website of the Federal Foreign Office provides a very helpful overview of the entry regulations for your destination country. There you will also find links to the respective diplomatic and/or consular missions of your destination country, where you may need to apply for an entry permit or visa.

As you get closer to the start of your stay abroad, you should also take care of your local accommodation in good time. You can usually find information on finding accommodation in the info emails and on the website of your host university. You will also find a link to accommodation in every info box for our partner universities. You can also search for accommodation on your own, e.g. via social media and various accommodation search portals. If you have any questions, please contact your host university directly! We also recommend consulting the information in the testimonials of former outgoing students on our website. You can also contact former outgoing students through us.

For further practical preparations for your semester abroad, we have the following general tips for you:

• Get to grips with the climate in your destination country and pack appropriate clothing.
• Find out whether you will be able to use your cell phone there or whether you will need to buy a new SIM card.
• Find out how and where you can withdraw cash in the destination country or, if necessary, exchange some cash into the destination currency beforehand.
• Check whether there are weekly or monthly limits on your debit and/or credit cards and whether these are sufficient for larger payments (e.g. equipment, rent and deposit in the first month) or should be adjusted in advance.
• Create a packing list - including all necessary documents for your stay abroad - and think about travel plugs / adapters if necessary.

During your time abroad, you remain enrolled as a student at ASH Berlin and must re-register accordingly. A reduced re-registration fee is possible under certain conditions - as is applying for a semester of leave (if necessary in consultation with the ASH Berlin Enrollment Office). The topic of re-registration will also be discussed in the second information event in preparation for your stay abroad and you will also receive a detailed e-mail from us in good time before the start of the re-registration period.

If you decide to return the exchange study place after you have been nominated at the partner university and cancel your stay abroad, you must inform us in writing . The return of the study place is binding.

Erasmus+ and direct exchange students must have the start date of their stayabroad confirmed by the host university within 30 days of the official start date. Please use the first part (Confirmation of Arrvial) of the Confirmation of Stay document and submit it to the International Office immediately after signing it. This step is not necessary for free mover students.

During the first 30 days after the start of your studies at the host university, you have time to amend your originally agreed Learning Agreement. You can make the changes in the Changes to the Learning Agreement as follows:

1. Please use only the templates provided by ASH Berlin for the Learning Agreement (templates available soon!): Changes to the Learning Agreement Erasmus+, Changes to the Learning Agreement Erasmus+ international (for stays in Switzerland) or Changes to the Learning Agreement international (for direct exchange and free mover students). On the 1st page you enter your personal data - exactly as you have already done in the Learning Agreement Before the Mobility.

2. You enter the changes to the courses at the host institution in Table A2: check "deleted component" for the courses you no longer wish to take and "added component" for the courses that have been added. Courses that remain the same and are not changed do not need to be listed here again.
3. Do the course changes at the host university also result in changes to the courses to be recognized at ASH Berlin? If no, skip this point. If yes, you must complete the following:
   • If the course changes at the host university entail changes to the courses to be recognized at ASH Berlin (e.g. you now want to have a different course recognized than originally planned), you are obliged to coordinate this again with the module coordinators. The procedure is similar to that before the stay abroad: you fill out the recognition form (see our website for recognition) and have the module coordinators sign it.
   • Then transfer the information to Table B2 of the Learning Agreement: tick"deleted component" for the courses that you no longer wish to have recognized and"added component" for the courses that are to be added. Courses that remain the same and are not changed do not need to be listed here again.
4. You sign the Changes to the Learning Agreement and ask your host university to sign it as well .
5. You send us a scan of your Changes to the Learning Agreement by e-mail. If there are also changes to the recognition (Table B2), you also send us the recognition form with the signatures of the module representatives. We will take care of the signature of ASH Berlin on your Changes to the Learning Agreement and then send it back to you. If you have also sent us a new recognition form, we will also forward this to the chairperson of the examination board.

If you have started your semester abroad and would like to extend your stay for another semester, we will be happy to support you with your plans - please contact us as soon as possible if you would like to extend your stay! We will first discuss whether there are still enough places available at the host university and/or sufficient Erasmus+ scholarship funds in the following semester or whether these have already been allocated to other future students. If it is foreseeable that there are enough places available at the host university, there is a simplified application procedure : You must complete a new application for the second semester via our MoveON application portal (link: see above under "Application") and send us the signed application form in a PDF document together with a current ASH certificate of study by e-mail to studyabroad@ avoid-unrequested-mailsash-berlin.eu.

Deadlines: please contact us as soon as possible, as we deal with extension requests on a first come, first served basis. If you would like to extend from the winter to the summer semester, the latest deadline is November 15.

As soon as the host university has also approved a second semester, we will inform you about the next steps and the documents to be submitted. For your second semester, we usually need all the documents from the "Before and during your stay" section that you already had to submit for your first semester (i.e. Learning Agreement incl. recognition form, letter of acceptance, etc.).

The Confirmation of Stay is usually issued by your host university at the earliest three days before the end of your studies, on the day of your last activity or at the latest three days after your last study activity . If your host university does not automatically issue you with the Confirmation of Stay when you complete your semester there, please contact your host university individually and ask for it. The Confirmation of Stay must be submitted to the International Office within 30 days of the end of your studies as stated on the confirmation.

Please note that from the summer semester 2024 there will be a new Confirmation of Stay document that combines the Confirmation of Arrival and Confirmation of Stay on one page, please use this from the summer semester 2024.

Important note for Erasmus+ students: the study period stated in the Confirmation of Stay should correspond to the period stated in your Erasmus+ grant agreement. If the actual period on the Confirmation of Stay differs from this, the 2nd installment of your Erasmus+ grant will be adjusted accordingly.

Submit a certificate of enrollment from ASH that proves your enrollment at the time of the start of your mobility abroad.

I.e. if your semester abroad begins on September 15, 2023, for example, submit a certificate of enrollment for the summer semester 2023, as September at ASH Berlin is still part of the summer semester.

If you are studying at a host university in the summer semester/"spring term" and are traveling abroad in February 2024, for example, submit a certificate of enrollment for the corresponding winter semester 2023/24, as February is part of the winter semester at ASH Berlin.

Please note that you can only download the certificate of enrollment for the current semester from LSF. If you do not have a certificate of enrolment for the semester in question, you can obtain one directly from the Enrolment Office. To do this, send an e-mail to the Admissions Office with a request for the certificate of enrolment for the semester in question and your matriculation number, date and place of birth.

At the end of your semester, the host university usually issues a so-called Transcript of Records, i.e. a final certificate on which your study and examination achievements are listed. The transcript of records for Erasmus+ and direct exchange students is usually sent by the host university to the International Office by e-mail, often with you as a copy. If we have received your Transcript of Records but you were not in the email copy, we will forward it to you. The transcript of records should be received within 30 days of the official end of your studies. If you have not received a transcript of records within 30 days of the end of your studies, please contact your host university.

However, free mover students must ask their host university individually to send the transcript of records to us by e-mail (as you have studied there outside of an exchange program, this does not happen automatically).

As an Erasmus+ scholarship holder, you are obliged to take the OLS language test in the main language of instruction before and after your stay abroad. You will receive the license from the International Office once for your e-mail address.

Erasmus+ students will receive an automatic email from the EU Commission at the end of your stay asking you to complete a mandatory quantitative experience report on your Erasmus+ studies and on the recognition of your examination results at your home university. You must do this within 30 days of the end of your studies.

At the end of your stay, you must submit a three-page written testimonial (A4 format) to us. In it, you should describe the preparation and implementation of your stay abroad as well as the intercultural experience and your academic and personal experience. You are welcome to use our guidelines for testimonial reports or the testimonials  of our previous outgoing students as a guide. Above all, the experience report is also an opportunity for you to reflect on the experiences and adventures of your stay abroad and to grow from them.

As soon as we have received all of the above documents, you will receive the second installment of your Erasmus+ grant. The amount of the second installment depends on the period of stay at the host university specified in the Confirmation of Stay.

Once you have received the transcript of records from your host university, you can have your study and examination achievements recognized at ASH Berlin (provided this has been clarified in advance with the module coordinators on the recognition form). You can find everything you need to know about the recognition process (including deadlines!) on our website on the subject of recognition - in the info box "After completing your semester abroad".

The best time to go abroad is in the middle or towards the end of your studies. By the time you leave, you will already have sufficient specialist knowledge and will be able to settle into a new study environment more easily.

Study visits before the 3rd semester (Bachelor) are neither financially nor organizationally supported.

In your online application, you can specify up to three partner universities of ASH Berlin worldwide as possible destinations. However, please only refer to your first choice in your letter of motivation. In the 1 to 1.5-page letter in German, you should show that you have familiarized yourself with the courses offered by the partner institution and, against the background of your (previous) academic interests, justify the professional and personal added value you will gain from the stay.

You can apply for a semester of leave. Leave semesters do not count as semesters of study, so the semester abroad will not extend your number of semesters of study if you decide to take it.

Please note that you are generally not allowed to take any examinations at ASH Berlin during the semester of leave and are not allowed to pursue any paid student activities. Exceptions are examinations and coursework completed abroad during this time. These can even be credited towards your regular studies at ASH Berlin after your return.

When applying for a semester of leave, the semester ticket can be suspended and a reduced re-registration fee (approx. 50 euros) can be paid to ASH Berlin during the re-registration period. The prerequisite is that you are studying abroad from 1.10. up to and including 31.01. in the winter semester or from 1.04. up to and including 31.07. in the summer semester.

The overviews of ASH Berlin's partner universities are sorted by degree program. You will also find information boxes on the partner universities sorted by country.

The application procedure for a semester abroad at a partner university takes place annually until January 31st (application deadline) for the following winter and summer semester of the following year. After that, remaining places are allocated. As changes to the allocation of remaining places can occur at short notice, it is worth asking in person during office hours or by telephone which places are still available.

Before registering at the partner university, you must be nominated by the International Office of ASH Berlin. You then register at the host institution independently and in good time before the start of your planned stay in consultation with your host university and the ASH Berlin International Office.

In order to register at the partner university, the university often requires an overview of your previous achievements in English, a so-called Transcript of Records. You can download this from the LSF. A detailed description can be found here.

Students who organize their study place abroad independently, i.e. without an existing partnership agreement with a university abroad, are referred to as free movers. ASH students who go abroad as free movers are obliged to register via the application portal of the International Office of ASH Berlin by 15.05. for departure in the winter semester and 15.11. for departure in the summer semester and to submit their documents to the International Office of ASH Berlin. Further information can be found in the Free Mover section.

You can find everything you need to know about this topic on our recognition website.

If you cannot be contacted at the address you last provided to the ASH Berlin Enrolment Office during your stay abroad, please ensure that you inform the Enrolment Office of an alternative address before you leave the country. Failure to re-register and pay the semester fee on time may result in de-registration.

For ASH students who did not obtain their higher education entrance qualification in Germany (non-educated students), it is advisable to complete their stay in a country other than their country of origin, as this increases their chances of receiving a scholarship. Our brochure "Alice crossing borders" provides inspiration.