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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) outgoing students
General questions
How do I organise my exchange?
For study exchange, you need to be selected and nominated first by one of the WUR Exchange Coordinators. Go to Organizing your exchange period for study for more information.
Internships and theses abroad need to be arranged by students themselves. After that, you can apply for an Erasmus+ Grant. See: Erasmus+ grants for internship & thesis for general information, and go to Erasmus+ application to download the application documents.
To which universities can I go on exchange?
Is it possible to go on exchange to a university that is not a partner of Wageningen University?
In short: no. Some universities accept ‘free movers’ or ‘contract students’, but the exchange office is not involved in those procedures and in most cases students would have to pay fees to the guest university.
For thesis however it might be possible to do research at a non-partner university. In that case the WUR Exchange Coordinator will not be involved and you can apply for an Erasmus+ grant for traineeship.
What are the deadlines?
Are the credits I earn valid for my curriculum?
Will the grades be converted to my study programme at WU?
From 1 September 2024, grades of courses taken abroad will no longer be converted to a grade at Wageningen University. Instead, if the course was successfully completed, your Transcript of Records will show ‘sufficient’. The initial grade as issued by the hosting university, will be included in the diploma supplement.
There is a transitional period until 1 August 2025. If you prefer a converted grade instead of ‘sufficient’ on your grade list, you can submit a motivated request for grade conversion to the Examining Board of your studies. After August 1 2025, it is no longer possible to request a converted grade.
More detailed information can be found in this document: Recognition of external credits
What is the mimimum amount of ECTS I have to earn at the guest university?
We expect you to follow at least ¾ of the regular number of credits, in case of a semester this is 22.5 ECTS. It's also possible to follow a bit more, up to around 35 ECTS. Discuss the planning of your study and credits with your study adviser.
We expect students to be present at the classes and exams and to put effort in their study during their exchange. If you fail a course however, normally this will not have consequences for your Erasmus+ grant.
How do I select courses at the host university?
Can I change the courses during my exchange?
How about tuition fees?
If you go on exchange to one of our partner universities, you do not have to pay tuition fees at the partner university. You do need to be registered as a full time student and pay tuition fee at Wageningen University.
However, fees for e.g. visas can be charged and need to be covered by the student. Note: if you go study abroad at a university which is not a partner of WUR, you probably do have to pay tuition fees!
Is the programme available to students with special needs?
Can I go to my country of origin?
Can I apply for an NL Scholarship?
How about my OV student rights?
How about insurance?
Travel insurance
Wageningen University & Research has arranged a collective continuous travel insurance agreement for study related travels of WUR students. Please note that you do need to have travel permission of WUR. This insurance covers a maximum travel period of 365 days, includes insurance of luggage (also in case of theft) and accidents and is subject to terms and conditions.
Students are also covered by the collective travel insurance when travelling for holidays before, during of after the exchange, but only when travelling in the same country as their exchange destination. In case you wish to travel to other countries as well, make sure to have a complementary travel insurance for those periods.
You can request a personalized insurance certificate by e-mailing the following details to servicedesk.facilities@wur.nl:
- You are a WUR student
- Reason for the trip
- Full name in passport of traveller
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Home Country
- Country of destination
- Start date of the trip
- End date of the trip
It is recommended to download the AIG Travelcard and a Claim form before you leave. You can find more information via the WUR webpage about insurances.
Health insurance
Check with your current insurance company if your stay abroad is covered (note a difference between EU and world insurance). Ensure that you are clear about your coverage. Be clear about claim procedures – do you pay upfront, what percentage, are there co-payments, et cetera.
Liability insurance
Liablity insurances are offered by all big insurance companies, and cover costs for damage you might cause at other people. The liability insurance should be arranged indivually by the students. Do check however if you're not covered yet by your parent's insurance (this is possible for children until 23 or 27 years old).
If you do not have a liability insurance yet, we strongly encourage you to take one, as they normally are not so expensive and could save you a lot of money and trouble.
Questions about Erasmus+
What are the requirements to apply for the Erasmus grant?
Study exchange: you can apply for Erasmus+ grant after we have nominated you for an exchange period at one of the partner universities.
Internship/thesis: to apply for Erasmus+ grant (financial support), you need to fulfill the requirements, which you can find here: Requirements for Erasmus+ grant for internship.
Additional requirements for Erasmus+ grant applications for non-EU countries can be found here: Erasmus+ grants for internship & thesis with a non-EU destination.
I go on exchange to a non-EU destination. Can I apply for an Erasmus+ grant?
Students going for study exchange to countries outside of Europe can apply for an Erasmus+ grant. Please note though, that the amount of months of grant that you can receive, is limited. Students going for an internship/thesis in a non-EU country can apply in some cases for an Erasmus+ grant. Go to Erasmus+ grants for internship & thesis with a non-EU destination for more information.
I go on exchange to Switzerland. Can I apply for an Erasmus+ grant?
I go on exchange to the United Kingdom. Can I apply for an Erasmus+ grant?
How can I apply for the Erasmus+ grant?
Study exchange: on this page you can find all information about the application process to apply for an Erasmus+ exchange and an Erasmus+ grant for study.
Internship/thesis: on this page you can find the procedure and the forms you need to fill in to apply for an Erasmus+ grant for internship or thesis abroad.
Is the Erasmus+ grant a guarantee?
How much is the grant?
The start and end date of the exchange are not published yet at the host university's website; what do I fill in on the GA?
What is the difference between the Online Learning Agreement (OLA) and the Learning Agreement (LA)?
'OLA' stands for 'Online Learning Agreement'. It is only used for study exchange, not for traineeships. Most universities in the EU are connected via the Online Learning Agreement platform, but not all. You can fill in and submit your Learning Agreement via Osiris Student > Learning Agreement. For instructions, have a look at the Erasmus+ application webpage.
Make sure you fill in the correct e-mail address of the coordinator at the host university, as the platform will send automatic notification e-mails to them requesting a signature.
The Learning Agreement needs to be approved both by Wageningen University and the receiving university.
What do I fill in at Recognition by the home university (Table B) of the (Online) Learning Agreement?
What is the deadline for submitting the Learning Agreement?
I want to extend my exchange. Is that possible?
I am going abroad for my thesis. For which Erasmus+ grant should I apply (study or traineeship)?
Will I receive the grant per month or all at once?
When can I expect the Erasmus+ grant to be deposited to my bank account?
I am going abroad for my internship and I would like to apply for an Erasmus+ grant. However, I missed the deadline of June 1st/November 1st that is on your website.
Can I apply for an Erasmus+ grant for an internship on Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao/St. Eustatius/St. Maarten/ Saba?
Questions about top-ups
What is a top-up?
How do I apply for a top-up for economic reasons?
Students who receive an 'aanvullende beurs' from DUO can apply for a top-up for economic reasons. When filling in the Grant Agreement, you can check the box 'I wish to apply for a top-up for inclusion due to economic reasons'. Make sure to check the box 'I have added prove of receiving the ‘aanvullende beurs’ from DUO' as well. Go to 'Mijn DUO' and download proof you receive the 'aanvullende beurs'. Attach this file to your e-mail when you send us your Grant Agreement.
Guidance for the DUO download: make sure your pdf download shows a blue bar on top that states: 'This file claims compliance with the PDF/A standard and has been opened read-only to prevent modification'. If it doesn't show the statement, try this:
1. dowload the free Adobe Acrobat Reader;
2. go to edit>preferences>documents and make sure that at 'view mode PDF/A' you choose 'Only for PDF/A documents'.
3. open the document with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
I used to receive 'aanvullende beurs' from DUO, but I don't receive it anymore, can I still apply for the top-up?
How do I apply for a top-up for medical reasons?
Students who are in contact with the WUR Student Deans and who have a provision registered in Osiris, can apply for a top-up for inclusion due to medical reasons. Medical reasons can be for example: dyslexia, autism, physical disabilities, chronic diseases or conditions (mental or physical). Make sure you are in contact with the Student Deans (studentdean@wur.nl) and open a 'case' in Osiris.
In the Grant Agreement, check the box 'I wish to apply for a top-up for inclusion due to studying with a disability or for medical reasons' and also make sure to check the box 'I give permission to the Exchange Team to contact the Student Deans to check if there is an adjustment/provision based on a medical statement.'
We will let you know if when the top-up is approved.
How do I apply for the top-up for Green Travel?
Students who applied for Erasmus+ and travel to their exchange destination by train, bus, shared car or other sustainable means of transport, can apply for a one-time bonus of 50 EUR, plus a maximum of four funded travel days. Note that boat trips are not considered 'green transport'.
In order to apply, send us your 'Declaration of honour' plus a copy of your ticket (in case of carpooling, gas tickets should be included). Go to our green travel webpage for more information.