"Documents required for Erasmus: the complete application and acceptance checklist"
A practical guide bringing together the most commonly requested documents from Erasmus application through post-acceptance in one list.
The biggest source of delay in Erasmus is not motivation but missing paperwork. The required set varies by department, though the core is largely the same — and the real issue is not which document is needed, but which one is blocking which.
This article lists them in that dependency order.
Stage 1: Application
At this stage documents go to your home institution.
- Current transcript. Your average is the weighted part of the application score.
- Language certificate. Which exam is accepted and how long it stays valid differ by institution — make sure your test date precedes the application deadline.
- Application form. Usually through an online system.
- ID / passport details.
The one critical task at this stage: check your passport validity. If it needs renewing, start now; it stands in front of every later step.
Stage 2: Academic documents after acceptance
- Letter of Acceptance. The official, signed version from the host institution. Drafts and email threads are accepted nowhere.
- Learning Agreement — Before the Mobility. Signed by three parties: you, the sending and the receiving institution. Recognition at the end is judged against it. See the Learning Agreement guide.
- Grant agreement. It contains the instalment split and your obligations; read it before signing.
Stage 3: The visa file
The order matters here, because the documents wait on each other:
- Valid passport — at least three months beyond your return date
- Letter of acceptance
- Proof of funds — blocked account confirmation in Germany (€11,904), bank statements or the grant letter elsewhere
- Health insurance policy — Schengen-valid, usually €30,000 minimum, ending after your return date
- Proof of accommodation — housing confirmation, rental contract or invitation letter
- Biometric photos
- Visa application form and fee receipt
Only book the appointment once you hold 1–5. An incomplete file is turned away and the next slot is weeks later. For the full flow see the visa and residence guide.
Stage 4: What to carry on arrival
Digital copies work in most places, but border control and first registrations may ask for print:
- Passport and visa
- Acceptance letter
- Insurance policy
- Rental contract
- Learning Agreement (signed)
- A few biometric photos — frequently requested at local registrations
- Emergency contact list
Stage 5: Return documents
This is the most-skipped stage and the one that touches your money most directly.
- Confirmation of Stay. Signed by the host institution, showing your actual dates. Get it signed in person before you leave — collecting signatures afterwards takes weeks, and the grant is recalculated against those dates.
- Transcript. From the host institution; the basis of recognition.
- Learning Agreement — After the Mobility.
- Language assessment and participant report. The second grant instalment does not close until both are done — details in the grant payment article.
A practical way to manage the paperwork
- Keep one folder, split into subfolders by stage.
- Keep both a cloud and a device copy of every document; there may be no connectivity at the airport.
- Put the date and version in the filename — which version of the Learning Agreement applies is a frequent dispute.
- Set calendar reminders for the expiry dates of passport, visa and insurance.
Common mistakes
- Noticing the passport expiry late — it shifts the whole calendar on its own.
- Not checking that the insurance covers the journey home.
- Trying to obtain the Confirmation of Stay after leaving the country.
- Leaving a Learning Agreement change unsigned.
- Keeping documents only as email attachments; lose account access and you lose everything.
For the whole pre-departure process see the first 30 days article. Your own institution's list is binding; for experience at the same host institution, look in the rooms.