Put it this way: on the Erasmus scheme you won’t be skipping along the yellow brick road in the Land of Oz, and you won’t find yourself shacking up with a tribe in the Amazon rainforest, but you will get the opportunity to sample the delights of another EU country.
People on the Erasmus scheme don’t just go to France, Spain, Italy or Germany (although these are the most popular destinations); they also go to more “exotic” European countries, such as Norway, Romania, Estonia and Denmark
Which countries take part in the Erasmus programme?
There’s a ripe selection of countries involved with the Erasmus programme. You want a list? Here you go:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.
That’s what we call a healthy list of countries!
So you could be saying “Bonjour” in France, “Goedemorgen” in the Netherlands, “Bună ziua” in Romania, “Ahoj” in Slovakia and…um…“Top of the morning to you” in Ireland.
So can I go to any of these countries then?
Not quite. If you’re looking to study abroad, then your choice of destinations will be restricted by the specific institutions that your university has partnerships with.
You’ll also be limited by the existing study exchanges in your specific subject area. For example, if you’re studying biological sciences, you’ll need to find out from your department which EUC institutions it partners with. You’ll then have to apply for a place on the study exchange with that institution.
However, if you’re planning to do a work placement, the world (or the EU) is your oyster. You can apply for work placements in any of the countries that take part in the Erasmus scheme. Just make sure you get your application in on time, so you can secure an Erasmus grant and a tuition fee waiver.