International

You can view experience reports from former exchange students at the respective partner university in myMCI.

After completing your semester abroad, please remember to complete the experience report on myMCI yourself so that future students can also benefit from it.

Once you have been nominated by the MCI International Relations Office, you must apply to the partner university yourself - i.e. you have to complete the application there (usually online) and submit all the documents required by the partner university by their deadline.

This is therefore an effective application process.

Citizens of an EU/EEA member state:

• No visa is required within the EU/EEA.
• For a semester abroad outside the EU/EEA, you will usually receive the relevant information from the partner university or more detailed information can be found at the relevant foreign embassy in your home country.

Citizens from non-EU/EEA countries:

You usually also need a visa for the respective country of study within other EU countries. Please enquire at the respective consulate in good time.

Please also check whether you can register for the duration of your stay abroad on the website of the relevant Office for Foreign Affairs (e.g. here for Austrian citizens: https://www.bmeia.gv.at/reise-services/auslandsservice). 

Please avoid booking your flight until you have received the confirmation from the partner university. If you wish to book your flight earlier due to rising costs, please make sure you choose a ticket that can be rebooked and canceled.

The Learning Agreement is a contract between you and the MCI in which the crediting of courses is regulated. The Learning Agreement is approved by the respective degree program and is therefore a mandatory element of every stay abroad.

You will receive the relevant information after the places have been allocated.

Before your semester abroad:

Please submit the courses and syllabi to the coordinator within your degree program using the provisional Learning Agreement and clarify them. The relevant form can be found on myMCI.

The Learning Agreement BEFORE Mobility must be submitted BEFORE the start of the semester abroad as soon as the courses and, if possible, the semester dates are known. It is processed via myMCI.

During your semester abroad:

Changes are still possible on site and must also be clarified with your coordinator in your degree program - please upload the Learning Agreement DURING Mobility to myMCI.

After your semester abroad:

The Learning Agreement AFTER Mobility must match the Transcript of Records and be uploaded to myMCI.

Regardless of whether your stay is self-organized or part of an exchange program: It is your responsibility to check the courses offered at the host institution on the website of the respective university abroad and to match them with the planned courses at MCI.

On myMCI you will find information on whether you need a language certificate at the respective partner university.

When choosing a partner university, pay attention to which language certificate is required. Some universities require an official language certificate, while for others, proof of your language level issued by MCI or proof that you are studying in English at MCI is sufficient.

Please contact your degree program if you require a certificate issued by the MCI. You will of course receive it free of charge.

If an official language certificate (TOEFL, IELTS, DELF/DALF etc.) is required for studying at the partner university, this must be submitted when the places abroad are allocated. Please take care of this in good time.

Official language certificates can be obtained from the following organizations, for example, and are subject to a fee:

• English (e.g. Innsbruck, Vienna, Munich)
  • IELTS https://ielts.britishcouncil.org
  • IELTS at ISI https://www.uibk.ac.at/isi/
  • TOEFL ets.org/toefl
• French (e.g. Innsbruck, Vienna)
  • DELF http://franco-tyrolien.at/
  • DELF https://www.institutfrancais.at/
• Spanish (e.g. Linz, Vienna)
  • DELE https://www.cebs.at/
  • DELE https://viena.cervantes.es/de/
• Italian (e.g. Innsbruck)
  • Perugia-exam CELI https://www.tirol.wifi.at/
  • PLIDA https://www.dante-innsbruck.com/

In general, language certificates are valid for 2 years.

Please make sure you have adequate insurance cover before you start your stay abroad.

Health Insurance

If you are staying in an EU member state (as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or the United Kingdom), the European Health Insurance Card entitles you to medically necessary public healthcare services (under the same conditions and at the same cost as insured persons in the respective country). ATTENTION: Routine examinations are not covered - only emergencies!

We generally recommend that you take out private international health insurance with repatriation to Austria for the duration of your stay.

In some countries, proof of health insurance is a prerequisite for obtaining a visa. For more information, please contact the partner university or the relevant embassy.

Accident and liability insurance

As a regular student, you are generally covered by accident and liability insurance through the ÖH (the Austrian Student Union) insurance. This insurance also applies abroad (with a few exceptions, e.g. USA, Australia, Canada) in the event of damage occurring during the course of studies or on the way. Further information and how to obtain proof of insurance can be found at https://www.oeh.ac.at/service/oeh-versicherung/

Private accident and liability insurance with cover abroad is recommended for leisure time.

Further insurances

In addition to the above-mentioned insurances, insurance against loss or theft of documents, tickets and luggage is recommended.

After consultation with the coordinator in your degree program, you might go as a freemover to a university that is not a partner of any MCI degree program (applies MCI-wide, i.e. students cannot go to a partner university of the MCI as a freemover).

As a freemover, you are responsible for the complete organization of your stay. However, the courses must be clarified in advance with your degree program using the syllabi of the courses offered abroad.

Yes, you will have to arrange your own accommodation abroad during your study visit. However, you will usually receive helpful and detailed information from your future university abroad.

During your stay abroad, you might sublet your room/ appartment to an MCI incoming stundent.

If you are interested to let your room to an incoming student studying at MCI for one semester, please write an e-mail to incoming@mci.edu .

Please include a short description of the room / flat (in English), photos as well as your contact data.

In EU/EEA member states:

Citizens of EU/EEA member states are entitled to work in any EU or EEA country without a work permit if the job is compatible with their studies.

If you would like to work there, you should always enquire at the relevant consulate or embassy about the requirements for applying for such a work permit before leaving the country.

Outside EU/EEA member states:

In many countries, employment is generally not possible or is subject to strict conditions, e.g. depending on the visa, foreigners in the USA can only take up jobs within the universities (library, computer lab, kitchen, hall of residence, etc.). You should therefore not include the possibility of working in your host country in your financial plans from the outset.

Depending on the available Erasmus budget, it is possible that only a maximum duration per semester can be funded (plus travel costs). You will receive more information at the infosession on the semester abroad.

Every student who goes to an MCI partner university within the EU (or an Erasmus program country) is entitled to an Erasmus scholarship if he/she successfully completes courses amounting to at least 3 ECTS per month.

To apply for the Erasmus scholarship, you will be given access to the Grant Agreement via myMCI two months before the start of your semester abroad (according to the dates of your Learning Agreement - so please enter your Learning Agreement in good time). The Grant Agreement is a prerequisite for the scholarship. You can find a guide with detailed information on the Erasmus process on myMCI.

• Learning Agreement Before Mobility - signed by you, the partner university and the MCI
• Grant Agreement - signed by you and the MCI
• Learning Agreement During Mobility (only in case of course changes) - signed by you, the partner university and the MCI
• Learning Agreement After Mobility (Before, During & After Mobility) - signed by you, the partner university and the MCI
• Confirmation of stay - signed and stamped by the partner university at the end of your stay
• EU Participants Survey - online survey, you will receive the link at the end of your stay

You can find more detailed information in the Erasmus Guide on myMCI.

The Grant Agreement is the legal agreement between you and the MCI regarding the payment of the Erasmus scholarship. The scholarship cannot be paid out without a Grant Agreement.

You can enter the relevant data in myMCI two months before the start of your stay abroad (according to the data in the Learning Agreement). You will then receive an e-mail as soon as your Grant Agreement is ready for download and signature.

Please check all data carefully (including address, telephone number, period, etc.).

If you receive an Erasmus grant for your stay abroad, you will automatically receive a travel support. This will be higher if you choose environmentally friendly means of transportation for the majority of your trip (to the partner university and return).

If the distance to the partner university is less than 500 km, you are required to travel in an environmentally friendly manner. If this is not the case, a justification must be submitted.

Bus, train, carpooling, bicycle, etc.

Please note: Ferries and electric cars do not count as green travel (as defined by the European Commission).

As proof of Green Travel, please upload the declaration of honour to myMCI.

Please also keep tickets etc. after your stay in case of a random check.

Erasmus+ participants with fewer opportunities include:

• Students with a disability
• Students with a chronic disease (physical or mental), if this results in increased financial costs during their stay abroad
• Students who take their child or children with them on their Erasmus+ stay

If you belong to one of these student groups, you can apply for a top-up to the Erasmus+ grant as well as inclusion support for any additional costs. You may obtain further information from your responsible outgoing coordinator.

Here you can find general information for students with special needs at MCI.

The Erasmus Student Charter reflects the values and priorities of the Erasmus+ program and serves to adequately inform participants of their entitlements and obligations and to ensure the successful implementation of their mobility.

You may find the charter at: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/de/resources-and-tools/erasmus-student-charter-0

Please also refer to the guidelines provided by the MCI for your stay abroad.

Information about the deadline and application form can be found within the BIP exchange opportunity publication by the study department on Sakai,  MyMCI, or via E-Mail. Further information on documentation for the eligibility, Erasmus+ funding, administrative steps and documentation can be found within our BIP guidelines.

BIP Guidelines for MCI outgoing students

The open slots per BIP are communicated within the dissemination email or shared information (e.g. via Sakai). The amount of open slots may differ between various BIP offers.

The submission of this application form results in an evaluation of the entered data. Falsely entered data or missing data (e.g. missing documents) will not be considered and will count as an incomplete submission. Please note that you cannot re-submit your application.

If you receive an Erasmus+ grant with your BIP participation, this may affect further Erasmus+ funding periods. A student can participate in several Erasmus+ funded programs, however can only participate for a maximum of 12 months per study cycle. Therefore, please bear in mind that your (usually 5 day) BIP participation timeframe counts towards the 12 months.

It may be the case that the Ulysseus Website for the specific BIP states different application requirements than the published BIP offer via Sakai, MyMCI or Email. Please note that the requirements may differ from university to university because the selection process is individual to each university structure and decision-making entity.

No, you may apply for all BIPs which are published via Sakai or MyMCI. The application form may differ, we thus advise you to make sure you follow the instructions on the specific BIP publication via Sakai , MyMCI or E-Mail.

For a complete overview of each document please consult our BIP guidelines.