Erasmus+ traineeship

As a student at Karolinska Institutet, you can apply for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant to undertake a traineeship, degree project or other work-based educational activity abroad as part of, or in connection with, your studies at KI.

Four ways to undertake an Erasmus+ traineeship

An Erasmus+ traineeship can be undertaken in different ways depending on how the traineeship period relates to your studies at KI.

At some partner universities, clinical placements may be included as part of your exchange. This requires the Erasmus agreement to include traineeships. Read more under Exchange studies.

You are registered for the course in Ladok and assessed at KI, but undertake a traineeship or data collection at an eligible higher education institution, company or organisation outside an exchange agreement. The course coordinator at KI must approve the traineeship or data collection and sign the Learning Agreement.

You undertake the traineeship outside your regular study programme but before graduating from KI, for example as a summer traineeship. The traineeship cannot be credited towards your degree but will be recorded in your Diploma Supplement. Your programme director must sign the Learning Agreement to confirm the academic relevance of the traineeship.

You can undertake an Erasmus+ traineeship after graduation, provided that you submit your application while you are still a student at KI, no later than four weeks before the end of the semester during your final semester.

The traineeship must be completed within 12 months of graduation and cannot be recorded in your Diploma Supplement. Your programme director must sign the Learning Agreement to confirm the academic relevance of the traineeship.

If you have already completed your studies and applied for your degree certificate, you are no longer eligible to apply.

Finding a traineeship

Before looking for a traineeship, check with your study programme whether there are any local rules that may affect your eligibility for an Erasmus+ traineeship.

You are responsible for finding your own traineeship, but you can ask your course coordinator, programme director or other staff within your study programme for advice.
You can contact companies, organisations or higher education institutions directly or search for traineeship opportunities on their websites.
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) runs Erasmusintern.org, a platform where traineeship providers and students can find each other.

Please note that it is normally not possible to undertake a traineeship at a higher education institution where you are also registered as a student, as the stay would then be considered a study period. Exceptions may be made if, for example, you are collecting data for a degree project or research-oriented course in a university laboratory or research group, or if you are working as a trainee without being registered for courses.

Learning Agreement

If you are undertaking a degree project or collecting data abroad, the Learning Agreement must describe the activities to be carried out at the host organisation. An Erasmus+ traineeship grant is not awarded solely for writing a thesis or receiving supervision remotely.

Once you have secured a traineeship, you, KI and the traineeship provider must draw up a Learning Agreement. The Learning Agreement describes the content of the traineeship and must be signed by all parties before you apply for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant. See our guidance on how to complete a Learning Agreement.

Eligible countries for Erasmus+ traineeships

You can apply for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant for a traineeship or degree project within the EU/EEA, as well as in certain islands and other territories outside Europe that belong to or are associated with the EU.

EU countries: the 27 EU Member States. As a KI student, you cannot apply for Erasmus+ funding for a traineeship in Sweden.
EEA and other participating countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia and Turkey.
Outermost regions: Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Mayotte, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy.
Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Greenland, Montserrat, New Caledonia and Dependencies, Pitcairn, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Wallis and Futuna Islands.

Traineeship in Switzerland or the United Kingdom

As a KI student, you can apply for an Erasmus+ grant for a traineeship at a company or organisation in the United Kingdom or Switzerland. A Learning Agreement must be drawn up with the receiving organisation. You are responsible for finding the contact person responsible for hosting you at the company or organisation.

You can only apply for an Erasmus+ grant for a traineeship at a higher education institution in the United Kingdom or Switzerland if you have been formally admitted as an exchange student.

If you are nevertheless planning to undertake a traineeship at a higher education institution in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, this may be possible with the approval of your course coordinator or programme director, but without an Erasmus+ grant.

For traineeships in the United Kingdom, a Certificate of Sponsorship may be required for your visa application. The receiving organisation is responsible for this process, which can often be time-consuming. KI cannot assist with the sponsorship application. Read more on the UK Government website.

Application for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant

The application is for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant, not for a traineeship placement. You are responsible for finding your own traineeship and must have a Learning Agreement signed by you, KI and the traineeship provider before applying for the grant.

Before you apply

Find a traineeship.
Discuss your plans with your course coordinator or programme director.
Make sure that the traineeship can be approved as part of, or in connection with, your studies at KI.
Draw up a Learning Agreement and have it signed by you, KI and the traineeship provider.
Submit a complete application for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant.

Application deadlines

For KI to process your application for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant, all mandatory documents must be complete and submitted by one of the following deadlines:

15 September
15 November
2 May

All documents must be complete when submitted. Incomplete applications or documents submitted after the relevant deadline will be processed in the next application round.

The application must be submitted at least one month before the start of the traineeship. As the number of grants available is limited, you are advised to apply as early as possible.

Grants cannot be awarded retrospectively for a traineeship that has already started.

Your application must include:

a fully completed and signed Learning Agreement between you, KI and the traineeship provider
an extract from Ladok showing your completed studies
any other documents specified in the application form.

The application should be sent to the Erasmus coordinator. You will normally receive a decision within approximately one month.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible to apply for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant, you must:

be registered as a student at Karolinska Institutet
be eligible to study at KI during the following semester or be about to complete your studies at KI
check whether there are any local requirements within your study programme
undertake the traineeship during or directly in connection with your studies
have secured an approved traineeship placement that can host you full-time for a continuous period of 2 to 12 months
have a Learning Agreement signed by the traineeship provider
ensure that your traineeship can be credited or otherwise recognised by KI, for example in your Diploma Supplement
undertake the traineeship in a country and at an organisation eligible under Erasmus+
apply for the grant before the traineeship begins
follow the guidelines set out in the application and in the agreements that are drawn up.

You agree to:

repay the grant if, through misunderstanding or for any other reason, you provide incorrect information that affects your eligibility
repay any unused part of the grant if the traineeship ends early
submit an evaluation no later than one month after completing the traineeship.

Insurance

As an Erasmus+ trainee, you are covered by Kammarkollegiet's Student UT insurance during the traineeship period. The insurance is free of charge and is valid from two weeks before until two weeks after the mobility period, and only in the host country.

If you are an EU citizen, you should also bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The card is free of charge and can be ordered from Försäkringskassan.

Always check before departure whether the traineeship provider or host country requires additional insurance cover.

Grant

The Erasmus+ traineeship grant is a financial contribution towards the additional costs associated with undertaking a traineeship abroad. It is not intended to cover all costs during your stay.

The Erasmus+ grant is paid in two instalments. You receive 80 per cent after your Grant Agreement has been signed and the remaining 20 per cent once your traineeship has been completed and all required documentation has been submitted.

Grant amounts vary depending on the destination country. You will be informed of the applicable grant amount once your application has been approved.

After the traineeship

At the end of the traineeship period, your supervisor must complete the Traineeship Certificate and you must complete an evaluation. Once the evaluation has been completed and the certificate confirming completion of the traineeship has been submitted, the second instalment of the grant will be paid.

The traineeship period will then be registered in Ladok as a basis for inclusion in your Diploma Supplement.

Frequently asked questions

Duration: The traineeship must last for at least 60 consecutive days and must be full-time at one location. The maximum duration is 12 months per study cycle, including both study periods and traineeships.
Traineeship in your home country: You can apply to undertake a traineeship in your home country and may receive the grant even if you are not a Swedish citizen.
Traineeship at a higher education institution abroad: You can undertake a traineeship at a higher education institution abroad provided that you work as a trainee and are not registered for courses. The exceptions for Switzerland and the United Kingdom described above apply. If you register for courses, the period is considered a study period and is not eligible for a traineeship grant.
Multiple Erasmus+ periods: You can participate in Erasmus+ more than once, provided that your total period abroad does not exceed 12 months per study cycle.
Multiple grants: You may not receive multiple EU or Swedish government grants for the same mobility period, but you may apply for CSN funding and other scholarships alongside the Erasmus+ grant.
Ending the traineeship early: If you end your traineeship early, you may be required to repay part or all of your grant.

Contact

For questions about Erasmus+ traineeships as part of exchange studies, contact your international coordinator. For traineeships undertaken as part of your degree project or outside your regular studies at KI, contact Talia Adamsson.