Anyone from the following groups can be financially supported by the Erasmus+ program once per academic year:

• both non-academic and academic university staff
• professors and lecturers with a contract with RWTH
• unpaid lecturers at RWTH
• instructors with contracts for services at RWTH
• academic and research staff at RWTH
• retired RWTH professors
• retired instructors (with approval from the dean for the teaching assignment abroad)

• STA is short for STaff Assignment, that is the completion of a teaching stay abroad: mobility for teaching purposes
• STT is short for STaff Training, that is further training abroad

A staff mobility stay must be completed on at least two consecutive days and must not exceed 60 days in total. Erasmus+ can support a maximum of ten days/nights of mobility.

You will need to submit your application for funding along with the Mobility Agreement at least six weeks before your  stay abroad. The Mobility Agreement serves to describe the intention and purpose of the trip. In addition, you will need to present proof of your business travel authorization. You can find the Mobility Agreement as well as all further information regarding the application on the corresponding websites:

• Application for funding for a STA
• Application for funding for a STT

Currently, all applications receive funding that are completed correctly and submitted on time. If staff mobility increases in the future and the number of applications exceeds the available funding volume, a selection process will take place. One significant criterion woul be whether this it was an individual's first application. Furthermore, additional selection criteria would be determined together with the Rector's Office and communicated to university staff.

There are no restrictions to the number of times you can receive funding for STA/STT mobilities. However, the funding depends on the funds available in the respective academic year and the number of total applications. If the number of applications exceeds the funds available, individuals who are requesting funding for the first time will be given preferential consideration.

No. It is possible to conduct two STA/STT mobilities one right after another. Although you only need to enter one travel request via the FIORI travel portal and thus only submit a single travel expense report afterwards, you must, however, submit two separate STA/STT applications (mobility agreement).

Example: You first complete a one or multi-day STA/STT stay in Rome and then immediately conduct a two-day STA/STT stay at the Uni Perugia. You must submit separate mobility agreements for Rome and Perugia but can submit one travel expense report after both stays.

Excluded from Erasmus+ funding are:

• stays abroad that are already funded by other EU programs
• participation in conferences and fairs
• participation in summer/winter schools
• participation fees of any kind
• visits that serve exclusively to initiate a new university partnership (so-called preparatory visits)
• staff mobility stays lasting longer than 60 days

In accordance with the State Travel Expenses Act, the maximum amount of funding from Erasmus+ for travel and accommodation expenses incurred during a stay abroad is determined by the EU based on the destination country and is made up as follows:

1. the average cost of stays in the respective country (the European countries are separated into three country groups based on the average cost of living), that is the average cost times the number of STA/STT days requested
2. the average cost for roundtrip travel. This is calculated using an EU distance calculater and is tiered based on distance.

If the travel office approves additional days in the travel expense report, the Erasmus+ maximum funding increases to up to two days of average costs, however, no more than ten days in total.

Additional funds are available for anyone with a disability degree of 50 percent. The application must be submitted to the International Office two months before your planned stay abroad. Please get in touch with the Erasmus+ staff mobility contact person there.

You can also apply to receive a travel allowance for sustainable travel if you use a low-emission means of transport.

ZHV staff, as well as academic staff, submit a request to have a business trip approved using the RAFAEL process from Division 8.3 (Travel Management and Benefits Office). Approval of the business trip is considered a prerequisite for funding of an Erasmus+ staff mobility stay.

Employees and civil servants of RWTH Aachen University are generally covered by health, accident, and liability insurance when traveling abroad. Participants who are not employed by RWTH must ensure that they have sufficient insurance coverage themselves.

If the submitted documents are accepted, the applicant will receive the confirmation of funding with the grant agreement. Then they can follow the RAFAEL travel workflow. (Note: It is possible to claim reimbursement of travel expenses already granted in advance as well as per diems and accommodation allowances up to 80%).

After completion of the mobility stay, the participant settles the trip via the travel portal and submits the Confirmation of Stay Abroad (COSA). As soon as the business trip has been settled by the Business Travel Management, the participant and the International Office will receive the travel expense statement. The travel expenses incurred in accordance with the State Travel Expenses Act will be credited to the WBS/PSP element specified on the travel expense statement - up to the maximum funding amount possible under Erasmus+.

The Confirmation of Stay Abroad (COSA) is a confirmation from the host university that the participant has actually been there. Participants receive the corresponding form before their mobility stay. The periods of stay confirmed by the host university must correspond to the details in the Mobility Agreement and Grant Agreement. After you have completed your mobility stay, you must submit the COSA. You can submit the original or a scanned copy.

All individuals, who receive Erasmus+ funding for an STA/STT mobility, automatically receive a grant certificate in German and English. As these certificates are issued at a specific time every year, you will not receive the certificate immediately after completing your stay abroad – we ask for your understanding.