Odisee Goes Abroad
Are you thinking about going on a study or traineeship mobility?
On this page you will find more specific information on destinations, traineeships, study partners, grant opportunities and how to apply for an exchange during or shortly after graduation.
Every programme has its own study and traineeship partners. For specific questions about the partners, please contact the departmental coordinator internationalisation of your programme.
Not sure who your departmental coordinator internationalisation is?
A useful overview of the departmental coordinator per programme can be found below. Feel free to contact them for more information or help.
Where can you go to?
Traineeship or study, inside or outside Europe?
At which higher education institution can you study abroad for a semester?
With which traineeship company does your programme have an agreement with?
Did you know we also offer programmes with partners in our French-speaking community?
Discover which partners we have outside Europe in the traineeship brochure and which study partners we have in Europe through a useful overview.
Be sure to consult the Odisee travel advice as soon as your destination becomes more concretely.
Apply here for an exchange in semester 2 of academic year 24-25
Important deadlines
Are you interested in taking up a mobility option during your studies?
Be sure to take the following deadlines into account:
15 December: Deadline application semester 1, AJ + 1
15 March: Deadline scholarship application + candidacy semester 2, AJ + 1
1 May: Deadline for an application semester 2, AJ + 1 - without a grant
Traineeships in the United Kingdom (UK) are strongly discouraged
Since the Brexit, a UK visa is required to take up an internship. The procedure for obtaining a visa is complicated and does not guarantee success. In most cases, it also comes at a considerable cost (+/- 1500€ excl. visa).
Keep in mind that the visa application process takes at least 10 weeks. Contact outgoing.exchange@Odisee.be for more information.
AIESEC
Students from business management, applied information technology, social work and nursing (campus Brussels) can search for a traineeship abroad through our partner AIESEC. Surf to the AIESEC website and click on 'Join us' to schedule a meeting with the AIESEC team and to explore your possibilities together.
Going abroad with a grant?
For exchanges that take place within mobility options (1, 2, 3 or 6), financial assistance can be applied for in the form of a grant.
There are several grants you can apply for. Use our online grant tool to find out which grant applies to you.
To apply for a scholarship, you must do so before 15 March in the academic year before you go abroad.
After submitting your scholarship application, there are several steps to follow. Students who apply for semester 1 will know more about their scholarship before the summer. For students who want to leave in semester 2, more information will follow in the autumn.
For short mobilities (option 5), no grants are provided.
Language preparation
"The limits of my language means the limits of my world," are the winged words of the famous philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Studying or doing a traineeship abroad is an ideal way to push your limits, including in terms of language skills. Moreover, foreign language requirements are very often used in job applications: up to 75% of the advertisements, according to the VDAB.
What is expected of you linguistically?
Your knowledge of languages is crucial to make a success out of your study or traineeship abroad. This is why we recommend that you have a certain level of proficiency in the language you need during your stay. The recommended language levels are usually A2 and B1. In order to interpret this correctly, we refer you to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. After your study programme has given you a positive or postponed advice for your exchange application, DIRO invites you to do an online language test.
The level A2 is equal to a basic user and includes in a nutshell:
- you can understand phrases and regular expressions related to matters of direct relevance (e.g. personal data, family, shopping, local geography, work);
- you can communicate in simple and everyday tasks that require a simple and direct exchange on familiar and everyday matters;
- you can describe in simple terms aspects of your own background, immediate surroundings and issues of immediate needs.
This level is usually expected when studying abroad.
The level B1 is that of the independent user and is summed up:
- you can understand the most important points from clear standard texts about familiar things that occur regularly at work, at school and in leisure time;
- you can manage most of the situations that can occur when travelling in areas where the language is spoken;
- you can produce a simple running text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. You can describe experiences and events, dreams, expectations and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
This level is usually expected when you do a traineeship abroad.
What language do you need to master?
It stands to reason that you speak some French when you go to France, some Spanish when you go to Spain, some English in the US or German when you go to Germany. If you choose for example Finland as your destination, we don't expect you to become a master of Finnish, but you will be tested on your level of English. If you are going to follow an English program in Spain then English will also be important for your exchange.
The language that the international relations office will test, is not always the national language of your destination, keep this in mind!
How does Odisee support you?
If you have been selected by your study programme to go abroad, a language brochure will be sent to you at the end of the introductory moment with DIRO, full of tips and useful information to further prepare you linguistically.
If you do not reach the recommended level, DIRO will recommend you to make use of one of the offered language support tools in order to optimize your language skills and to better prepare you for your exchange abroad. For example, Odisee reimburses the registration fee for an official language course up to a maximum of €150 per person, provided that your application has been approved by your study programme in accordance with the education and examination regulations. To obtain the reimbursement, you must submit a certificate of payment of the language course fee and a certificate proving that you have passed the language course.
The language course you take must be in the target language of your traineeship or study mobility. For example: you complete your traineeship in English in Portugal. You can get a refund for a language course in English, not Portuguese.
Inclusive and sustainable mobility
At Odisee, we want to prepare all our students for the globalized world and want to give everyone the opportunity to develop into an entrepreneurial professional with a commitment to society and to grow as a person. We achieve this through adapted curricula (internationalization@home and virtual exchanges) and exchange options ranging from one week to a full academic year. When awarding mobility grants, we also use internal selection procedures in which we try to take all possible thresholds into account.
Below you will find an overview of the extra possibilities and services available.
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The inclusion coaches are there to listen to you and support you as best they can. Do you experience barriers that make it difficult for you to go abroad? If so, we encourage you to contact an inclusion coach.
In need of a consultation? Make an appointment with the inclusion coach of your campus via https://www.odisee.be/en/apply-o-statuut.
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Are you going on an exchange with an Erasmus+ grant? Are you considering a sustainable alternative to air travel for the entire journey to your destination? Travelling by bus, train or even by car (recognised car-sharing system) has less impact on the climate. The Erasmus+ programme provides a green travel bonus of 50 euro if you can prove us that you have travelled to your host institution by a sustainable means of transport. Provide DIRO during your exchange with proof of green travel (=train/bus ticket/payment receipt from recognised car sharing system) via outgoing.exchange@odisee.be. A one-off green travel top-up of 50 euro will be paid upon payment of your second Erasmus+ grant after your return from the exchange.
You can also request by e-mail extra days of grant depending on your travel distance, as travelling sustainably to your destination will usually last longer than by air. These effective days are paid out together with the final payment of the grant.
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DIRO is happy to assist students who are experiencing barriers to going on physical exchanges.
Inclusion and diversity is also one of the main priorities of the Erasmus+ programme. The Erasmus+ programme emphasizes the importance of equal opportunities for all potential participants, including people with so-called "fewer opportunities". These can be Flemish scholarship students, almost scholarship student, students in a work trajectory and students with an attestation from the Flemish Agency for Persons with a Disability (VAPH) reduced mobility. For these students, a top-up of 250 euro per month is provided on top of the usual monthly Erasmus+ grant.
When you apply for an exchange, you can indicate in the online form whether you receive the Flemish grant, almost grant or are a person with reduced mobility and in possession of the VAPH attestation. DIRO will process this information and in case you are eligible the "top-up" will be automatically included in your Erasmus+ grant.
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Everyone should be able to make full use of the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme, despite a physical or mental limitation or any other health issue. Students with a functional impairment supported by an attestation from the Flemish Agency for Persons with Disabilities who opt for an Erasmus+ exchange are eligible for the "top-up" of 250 euro per month on top of the usual monthly Erasmus+ grant in case they would not be able to participate in a mobility without this "top-up".
Students with an 'O status' can also apply for additional funding if the costs directly related to the functional impairment (e.g. adapted housing, travel assistance, medical aid, tools, adapted teaching materials or a tutor) cannot be covered by this top-up amount, you may submit an application for Inclusion Support together with DIRO based on an estimate of real costs for an additional financial contribution. You must submit the application together with DIRO at least 6 weeks before the start date of the exchange.
Students with a functional impairment can also receive support from a partner institution, an inclusion coach and a care coordinator.
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Students with reduced mobility are eligible for a preparatory visit to an Erasmus+ destination, after receiving positive advice from their programme for their exchange application. This will enable you to check the feasibility of your exchange, in terms of the framework and support depending on your functional impairment. One person may accompany you on this visit.
Beforehand, or after a positive advice from your study programme you map out your care needs together with the inclusion coach of your campus. Together with DIRO you tailor the programme to your needs of your preparatory visit. This programme may include the following: getting to know a local contact person/assistant/care coordinator/buddy, examining the accessibility of the campus buildings/traineeship company, attending a few classes, screening the route to your traineeship, examining the accessibility of your dormitory, etc.
DIRO applies for funding from EPOS no later than four weeks before the planned date of your visit. Based on your programme and your travel and accommodation costs, an estimation of your costs is made. During your stay, you advance the costs. After your stay, you complete an evaluation form and the amount will be refunded, based on the cost estimate made in advance.
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Are you in doubt whether the partner institution you are interested in offers accessibility and extra support to students?
Many institutions indicate via this website what support and facilities they offer to students with specific needs: https://inclusivemobility.eu/institutions
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Get inspired by the stories of other students who experience increased barriers and went to study abroad.
Discover the many advantages of going on an exchange: https://inclusivemobility.eu/testimonials
Erasmus+ grant after graduation
Graduating soon and are you still dreaming of going abroad?
Are you soon going to graduate from Odisee? Haven't you had the chance yet to take on an exchange during your studies, but would you still like to go abroad? Or have you done an exchange and are you willing to go abroad again?
Then we have some great news for you! Did you know you can still apply for an Erasmus+ grant via Students on the Move for up to 12 months after you have graduated?
Discover all terms and conditions here.
Questions? Get in touch with us via outgoing.exchange@odisee.be
The next information session on this topic will take place on Tuesday, May 14th on Teams. Make sure to save the Teams link!
Apply here for an exchange in semester 2 of academic year 24-25
Insurance certificates
Here you will find documents that you need to sort out your insurance.