Exchange Free Mover

If you wish to study in a country or at a university with which there are no cooperation agreements, you can apply individually as an Exchange Free Mover. This also applies to internships that are not funded through the Erasmus+ programme, Promos, or SEMP.

This allows you to tailor your studies or internship exactly to your personal preferences.

However, the organisational effort is greater than when participating in an exchange programme, and you will need to take care of everything yourself.

Selection of the university

In general, you can apply to any foreign university. Check the university's website to see if there is specific information available for Exchange Free Movers.

You can also contact the International Office of the foreign university. Here, you can ask about:

Whether the university accepts applications from Exchange Free Movers,
What the application deadlines and procedures are,
How much the tuition fees for Free Movers are, and
What course selection options you have as an Exchange Free Mover.

Basic information about the education system in each country can be found in the country database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

DAAD country database(German)

Some countries, such as the UK, Spain and France, also offer an official website with useful study information for foreign applicants.

When searching for information, please note that the term exchange free mover is mainly used in the European Higher Education Area. Other terms you can search for include non-degree student, occasional student or visiting student.

Studying abroad as an Exchange Free Mover can be equally recognised at TU Braunschweig as an exchange study programme. The prerequisite is that you have discussed the choice of university and courses abroad with your faculty in advance. This works in a similar way to the exchange programmes:

You draw up a Learning Agreement in which you specify the courses you plan to take abroad.
You discuss the Learning Agreement with your lecturers at TU Braunschweig and have it signed.
If you need to change your course selection again while abroad, clarify this with your faculty by email.
After your return, go to your faculty with your Learning Agreement and the Transcript of Records from your host university and have your foreign academic achievements recognised.

More information on academic recognition

On the basis of the Higher Education Statistics Act (HStatG) §4, TU Braunschweig is obliged to record and document both organised and self-organised mobilities.

Before mobility

Before beginning your self-organised mobility, please complete the online form after consulting with the contact person for international exchanges at your faculty/institution (e.g., exchange coordinator, professor, or lecturer). Download the generated PDF and have it signed by your contact person for international exchanges. Once signed, please submit the scanned PDF via email to the International House/Mobility Office to: auslandsstudium(at)tu-braunschweig.de.

Click here to go to the online registration portal

The application procedures and deadlines vary significantly from country to country and between universities. You will find specific information at the respective university.

In most countries, the German Abitur is widely recognised as a general qualification for university entrance. Depending on the degree programme and university, factors such as your GPA, CV, previous academic achievements, certificates, or references play a crucial role in the selection process.

Additionally, you will generally need to demonstrate a good command of the local or instructional language.

It is beneficial to identify a lecturer at your chosen university who can provide guidance or may even be willing to supervise your study project. This not only simplifies the preparation for your studies but can also be a significant factor in the success of your application and any scholarship application you may pursue.

Make sure to document your learning objectives in a Learning Agreement. Depending on whether you are undertaking an internship, a research stay, or a summer school abroad, you may be able to have courses from your programme at TUBS recognised. It is also essential to outline your responsibilities within an internship or the project during a research stay in your Learning Agreement. If you have specific questions regarding recognition, please contact your faculty directly.

You can find a template for a Learning Agreement here

Send the Learning Agreement, fully signed by all parties, as a scan by e-mail to the International House/Mobility Office:
auslandsstudium(at)tu-braunschweig.de

Arrival Sheet of the Confirmation of Stay

Please have your arrival confirmed at your host organisation.

You can use the arrival sheet of the Confirmation of Stay for this purpose: Link to the Confirmation of Stay.

Please also send the signed arrival sheet as a scan by e-mail to the International House/Mobility Office:
auslandsstudium(at)tu-braunschweig.de

If there are any changes to the Learning Agreement during your stay abroad, please inform your contact person, your faculty and the International House/Mobility Office immediately. Have the amended Learning Agreement signed again by all parties and send it as a scan by e-mail to the International House/Mobility Office:
auslandsstudium(at)tu-braunschweig.de

You can find a template for a Confirmation of Stay here

Please also have the end of your mobility confirmed on the Departure Sheet of the Confirmation of Stay and send this signed by your host organisation as a scan by email to the International House/Mobility Office:
auslandsstudium(at)tu-braunschweig.de

You can find a template for a Confirmation of Stay here

Most foreign universities charge tuition fees, which can be very high depending on the country, degree programme and reputation of the university. These fees are usually waived as part of exchange agreements, but as an exchange free mover you have to pay them.

For this reason, as an exchange free mover you usually not only apply for a study place, but also for a scholarship, for example from the DAAD, a foundation or a scholarship organisation for gifted students. This application must be submitted at around the same time as the application for a study place, as the application deadlines for scholarship providers are usually very early. This means that you cannot wait for the university to confirm your place, especially as many foreign universities will only admit you to the programme if you can prove how you will finance your stay.

You can find an overview of the various funding options on the page:

Finances

Contact

Studying Abroad: Overseas

Dr Ute Kopka

☎ +49 531 391-14335
u.kopka(at)tu-braunschweig.de

Office hours: by appointment, room 321, 3rd floor Bültenweg 74, 38106 Braunschweig

Online office hour: Mon 14:00 - 16:00

Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator

Dott Francesco Ducatelli

☎ +49 531 391-14 373
erasmus(at)tu-braunschweig.de

Office hours: by appointment, room 302, 3rd floor Bültenweg 74, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany

Online office hour: Wed 10:00 - 12:00

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Exchange Free Mover

Selection of the university

Before mobility

Arrival Sheet of the Confirmation of Stay

Contact

Studying Abroad: Overseas

Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator

Current changes

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