A) MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM DURATIONS FOR TRAINEESHIP MOBILITY
Within the scope of Erasmus+ traineeship program, the traineeship can last between 2-12 months at every level (undergraduate, master and doctoral). Duration of the traineeship activity must not be less than 2 months (60 days). In case that students return before the aforementioned minimum period is completed, the activity is not confirmed and the grant is not paid except force majeure events.
During the traineeship mobility, the traineeship may be interrupted in case that the management is closed because of a holiday. In this case, the grant will be paid for the period when the management is closed however, the period when the management is closed will not be added to activity period. That is why, the dates when the management which the student will have traineeship will be closed must be searched before the mobility in order to meet the minimum activity period and the student must ensure that the minimum period for traineeship is met even the holidays are excluded. Weekends are not considered as holiday period which is excluded from the activity period.
It is important to receive information from Erasmus/Traineeship coordinator of the department during the determination of start and termination dates of the traineeship period. Since the students need to be in METU during the course registration period, some faculties do not accept the traineeship activity which include this period.
B) DOCUMENTS WHICH MUST BE PREPARED BEFORE THE MOBILITY
1) Letter of Acceptance: It is the official document which indicates that the student is admitted by the institution, the traineeship dates and a short content of the traineeship. This document must be printed on a letterhead and bear the signatures with seal.
Students who graduated after being selected can do their traineeship within 1 year of their graduation. The students who are selected from 2020 Budget Year (2020-2021 semester) will have to finish their Erasmus Traineeship until 31.05.2021. Students who will be selected this term (2021-2022) (2021 Budget Year) have to finish their internships until 31.10.2023. These dates are the project deadlines that are determined by the Turkish National Agency.
If an updating is required by ICO advisors for traineeship acceptance letter received from host institutions, the letter of acceptance which is updated is delivered to advisor. There is no need to submit letter of acceptance again if the student is not required to update it.
2) Learning Agreement for Traineeship before the Mobility: Along with the agreement, it is the basic document which enables student for traineeship mobility. This document which contains details about traineeship program must be prepared with the reconciliation between the student, host institution and the department of the student.
The document also contains information about recognition of the traineeship activity by METU. Recognition of the traineeship activity by METU has these features:
• Traineeship activity is credited with a certain ECTS credit and it is substituted for a course.
• This course is stated on transcript, Diploma Supplement and Europass Mobility Document. Therefore, it is proper to answer the related questions with ‘’yes’.
This document is prepared in computer environment and it is delivered to ICO advisor to be signed after it is signed by Erasmus coordinator of the department. The signature of the institution coordinator is received only through the medium of ICO. Students do not get in contact with institution coordinator for the signature.
3) Academic Confirmation Form for Traineeship (Outgoing): It is the document which specifies that the traineeship was approved by the department of the student and the traineeship is recognized (substituted) as it corresponds to a course offered at METU. Even if the traineeship activity is not a part of the compulsory curriculum of the student at METU, it is needed to be substituted and it is responsibility of the student to pursue this procedure.
As long as the related department and deaconship/institute approves, the traineeship within the scope of Erasmus+ can be substituted for compulsory traineeship course of the student. On the other hand, it is decided to open the courses under the name of ‘’International Student Practice’’ for undergraduate students and ‘’International Graduate Student Practice’’ for the graduate students within the body of all faculties and institutes of METU in case that there is no proper course within the curriculum of the department which corresponds to the traineeship activity. In case that it is not possible to substitute the traineeship activity for another course in the department, the traineeship must be substituted within this scope.
Traineeship Academic Confirmation Form is prepared separately for leaving and returning. The document is delivered to ICO advisor by student after receiving the signatures of the people stated on the document. In order to carry out substitution of traineeship activity the student must apply to the department with Traineeship Academic Confirmation Form (return) and other required documents.
4) Health Insurance: For students who will participate in traineeship activities, it is compulsory to have health insurance coverage, liability insurance coverage and accident insurance coverage. These insurances can be done by the host institution or student. With respect to these insurances, the student must first negotiate with the host institution; if the host institution does not make the insurance, the student must do it herself/himself and the company names and policy numbers of the insurance must be written on the agreement.
Liability insurance compensates the damages caused by the student during the period when student is abroad (regardless of being at workplace or not). There are different regulations for the liability insurance in different countries which participate in transnational traineeship mobility. That is why, trainees may face the risk of being out of the scope of the insurance. Therefore, it is the responsibility of sender institution to check whether there is a liability insurance which at least compulsorily compensates the damages caused by the student at the workplace.
Accident Insurance compensates the damages which employees may have at the workplaces due to accidents. In many countries, employees carry insurance against such accidents at the workplace. However, there are differences between the countries which participate in transnational learning mobility regarding to what extent the transnational trainees will be covered within the scope of the same insurance. It is the responsibility of the sender institution to check whether the insurance is required against the accidents at the workplace. In case that the host institution does not provide such assurance (it is not obligatory unless the regulations of the host institution requires it), the sender institution ensures that the insurance possesses by the participant is within such scope.
5) Online Language Support (OLS) exam: The exam which is arranged as online is prepared by European Commission and it is optional for the students who will participate in Erasmus program.
The students can receive online language course support during the mobility. However, the students who can benefit from this course will be determined by National Agency. The exam and course are given in 6 different languages: English, French, German, Italy, Spanish, and Dutch. The student must attend to exam and course with the language of the courses that the student will receive at the host university.
6) Grant Agreement: To be able to prepare the grant agreement, all abovementioned document and transactions must be completed. Each student must open a Euro account at Vakıfbank METU branch in order to transfer the grants to students without cutback. The information can be received from this bank regarding usage of this account abroad. IBAN version of Euro account number is written on grant agreement. Grant agreement is prepared and signed with ICO advisor. After the grant agreement is signed by both parties, it takes minimum 10 working days to transfer the program grants to the account of student. Therefore, participants must complete all of their transactions and sign the grant agreement 15 days prior to leaving.
C) GRANT PAYMENT
The grant which is deserved by the student within the scope of Erasmus+ traineeship mobility is calculated by considering country group and duration of the traineeship. After the National Agency transfers the grant to universities and the student prepares the documents stated at the (A) part above and sends an e-mail to the advisor that the student obtained the visa, first of all 80% of the total grant is paid. The remaining 20% amount is transferred to the account after students complete their retuning transactions.
Grant Amount
Countries according to cost of living Host Countries for Mobility Monthly Student Learning Grant (€)
2022-2023 Projects Erasmus traineeship grants in Euros (monthly)
1. ve 2. Group Countries: 750 €
- Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Cyprus, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Greece
3. Group Program Countries: 600 €
- Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Macedonia, Polond, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
D) PASSPORT and VISA
Passport without fees: The students who will participate in Erasmus+ program must deliver the passport fee exemption form which is received from Registrar’s Office to the same Office after filling the form in order to obtain a passport without fees. Then, the student must receive the official letter from the Registrar’s Office which is generally prepared within 2 working days.
After the official letter is received, it is necessary to go to Directorate of Tax Administration which is located behind Ulus Zincirli Mosque. When the student goes to Tax Office, student must have photocopy of the identity card, photocopy of school identity card and the photocopy of the document which is given after the transactions at the school. After the transactions are completed there, the passport must be received by going to General Directorate of Security with necessary documents.
Note: Students over 25 years old must obtain a letter of passport without fees from ICO before going to Registrar’s Office.
Visa: First of all, it is necessary to make contact with the consulate and to learn the necessary documents for the visa application. Visa transactions are under the responsibility of the student. ICO does not give information about required visa types and visa transactions. Generally, a document which indicates the financial competence is required for the visa. ICO advisor prepares the official grant letter regarding that the student will receive Erasmus grant. The student must demand the official grant letter from ICO advisor at least 10 days before the visa application. It is not possible to receive this letter within shorter time. However, in most instances, Erasmus grant does not meet the financial assurance alone for the visa application therefore, students need to submit additional documents like financial assurance letter received from the bank.
Important Note: Some countries (Denmark, Norway) may require a work permit, which takes a lot of time to be issued, for students to do an Erasmus Traineeship. Some other countries (Spain) may expect large amounts of money to be in your bank account. These procedures may change each year. In the recent years we also experienced visa denials for students who graduated with the explanation that 'they have not enough reasons to turn back'. The office has no responsibility on visa delays or rejections. Please make sure to hand your documents on time and inform yourself about the visa processes.
E) DOCUMENTS WHICH MUST BE DELIVERED AFTER THE MOBILITY
1) Learning Agreement for Traineeship: The student must bring the document with himself/herself after receiving the signatures on before, during and after parts of it from the host institution. During the mobility document is prepared in case that there is an alteration on traineeship activities or contact persons of the institution. The students who do not have any change regarding traineeship activity do not have to prepare the during the mobility document. However, in any case, before the mobility and after the mobility documents must be delivered to ICO after the mobility as they are confirmed by the host institution (signature and seal).
2) Traineeship Academic Confirmation Form- Return: It is the document which indicates that the traineeship is approved by the department of the student and it is recognized (substituted) as it corresponds to a course offered at METU. Even if the traineeship activity is not a part of student’s compulsory curriculum at METU, it must be substituted and following this procedure is under the responsibility of the student.
As long as the related department and deaconship/institute approves, the traineeship within the scope of Erasmus+ can be substituted for compulsory traineeship course of the student. On the other hand, it is decided to open the courses under the name of ‘’International Student Practice’’ for undergraduate students and ‘’International Graduate Student Practice’’ for the graduate students within the body of all faculties and institutes of METU in case that there is no proper course within the curriculum of the department which corresponds to the traineeship activity. In case that it is not possible to substitute the traineeship activity for another course in the department, the traineeship must be substituted within this scope.
Traineeship Academic Confirmation Form is prepared separately for leaving and returning. The document is delivered to ICO advisor by student after receiving the signatures of the people stated on the document. In order to carry out substitution of traineeship activity the student must apply to the department with Traineeship Academic Confirmation Form (return) and other required documents.
3) Certificate of Attendance: It is the document which shows the start and termination dates of the traineeship of the student. It is approved the institution which the student had traineeship. Original version of the related document with wet-ink signature must be delivered to ICO.
4) Flight ticket for outgoing and return/Boarding Pass: To determine exact traineeship duration, the dates on the flight ticket of the student along with certificate of attendance have importance. For this purpose, photocopy of flight ticket (or boarding pass) which shows the outgoing and return dates and identity information must be delivered to ICO. Duration indicated at certificate of attendance and flight ticket must not be less than 60 days. Erasmus+ traineeship activities less than 60 days are cancelled and the student returns the grant payment even if it is already paid.
5) Online Language Support (OLS) exam: The exam which is arranged as online is prepared by European Commission and it is optional for the students who will participate in Erasmus program.
6) Online EU Survey: Final report form will be sent to students via e-mail after ICO advisor enters the information of students to the system and the student must fill this from as online. 5% of return grant will be cut from the payment of students who did not fill the online EU survey.
