Preparations
Before you start your internship abroad, you need to find out about health insurance and visa or about intercultural differences in your host country.
Insurance abroad
Preparing to spend a stay abroad also includes organising international insurance.
If you are planning an ERASMUS+ trip abroad, you are responsible for informing yourself about international (health) insurance in good time.
Going abroad with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
Health care provision is often regulated entirely differently abroad. With the EHIC card, you can gain fast and easy access to medical care in line with the regulations of the respective EU member states, EEA countries, Switzerland, Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina . The EHIC can be found on the reverse of your e-card. More information can be found here.
Accident and liability insurance of the Austrian Student Union (ÖH)
On payment of their ÖH membership fee, students are covered by accident and liability insurance during their course. For more information, see the ÖH website.
If you are doing a traineeship for graduates, you do not pay ÖH membership fee any longer and are thus not covered by the ÖH insurance. In case the traineeship company does not cover accident and liability insurance trainees have to provide accident and liability insurance for themselves.
Doing a traineeship outside of Europe
It is recommend that you take out valid travel and health insurance before you travel abroad. Some countries require valid insurance for a visa to be issued.
Intercultural Preparation: Preparatory Workshop (as part of the Accompanying Seminar)
Officially nominated outgoing students and interns are being prepared for their stay abroad by a preparatory workshop. We will help you with your questions, deal with administrative issues and you can learn more about intercultural communication and European/global citizens in an interactive setting. The preparatory workshop is the first part of the (voluntary) Accompanying Seminar for going Abroad (2 ECTS).
Travel information of the BMEIA
The travel information section of the BMEIA provides useful travel information. Please be aware of global travel warnings!
You will find answers to questions such as:
How safe is the country?
Do I need a visa?
How do I contact the nearest embassy or the nearest consulate in case of emergency?
What should I do in case of loss of passport or sudden illness?
Country specific information of ministry
Emergencies abroad
Before you leave please register online so that the Ministry for foreign affairs can provide assistance more efficiently in case of emergencies.
ERASMUS+ Online Linguistic Support (OLS)
Under the new Erasmus+ programm generation an online linguistic support will be offered for all official EU languages.
What is the Online Language Support?
One or the strategic objectives of the Erasmus+ programm is to strengthen linguistic skills and support language learning.
The OLS language assessment is mandatory for all participants to Erasmus+ mobility activities of at least two months (studies/traineeships) with one of the official EU languages as the main language of instruction or work. Native speakers of the main working language do not need to participate in the OLS. Participants in ERASMUS+ Mobilities are required to take the language test before their stay and can take a language course during their stay. The online language test evaluates the listening and reading comprehension of the participants as well as their ability to write - according to the language levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
What happens with the assessment results?
For higher education students, the results will not be communicated to the receiving institution/organisation.
Based on the results of the language test, you will receive access to language support, if required, so that you can complete an online language course before or during your Erasmus+ mobility. If you attain level B1 in the language test, you will automatically be sent a link to an online language course in the main working language by email. From level B2, there is no automatic allocation and you can also request an online language course in the local language (if this is not your main working language).
Erasmus+interns have the possibility to do an online language course before the start and during the internship abroad.