Update: 22. 1. 2025

  1. Eligibility conditions for the Erasmus programme
  2. University selection, content of the traineeship and selection procedure
  3. Administrative preparation and application
  4. Acceptance by the workplace abroad and the Dean's resolution about the scholarship
  5. Pre-departure essentials – insurance, contacts
  6. Euro account for the transfer of the scholarship and signature of the Financial Agreement at the European Office of the Rectorate
  7. Extending the traineeship period
  8. Obligations after returning
  9. Financial compensation in the event of a shortened stay


1. Eligibility conditions for the Erasmus programme

Traineeships can be implemented according to the conditions specified on the website of the European Office of the Rectorate – https://cuni.cz/UKEN-155.html

The full text of the conditions of eligibility for study stays and practical internships for students of Charles University can be found in Rector's Measure no. 27/2017 (in Czech).

Please note, students of bachelor's degree programs can only submit an application after meeting the conditions for advancement to the 3rd and higher units of study, i.e. in the 2nd year of study at the earliest!

The realisation of the Erasmus traineeship is conditional on the acquisition of a person as a supervisor at the institution abroad. The traineeship must be compatible with the applicant's field of study.

Due to the limited budget, from January 1, 2025, it is only possible to implement long-term traineeships of a maximum duration of 5 months.

 

2. University selection, content of the traineeship and selection procedure

The choice of workplace is usually based on the supervisor's contacts abroad. However, the student can also find a host institution on their own.

Further information and an offer of traineeships can be found on the DZS website.

The offer of traineeships is also announced by Czech Centres abroad, and other internship opportunities can be found on the website of the European Commission.

A further practical option is to see the available final reports of students listed here, or web www.charlesabroad.cz .

The content of the traineeship is prepared in cooperation with the supervisors from both the sending and receiving institutions. It is also appropriate to inform the guarantor of the study programme, who ultimately approves the content of the traineeship.

The scope of work may include laboratory work, field research, cooperation within the project, etc.

The content of a traineeship does not include self-study, writing a diploma or dissertation thesis, or taking exams at the partner institution.

As selection procedures for traineeships are the responsibility of departmental/institutional Erasmus coordinators, they must be contacted well in advance. Applications for a traineeship can be submitted throughout the year.

 

The following documents must be submitted to the department coordinator for the selection procedure:
  • structured CV
  • cover letter
  • list of study results
  • preliminary content of the traineeship
  • supervisor's recommendations and language certificates, if applicable
  • Acceptance letter  (letterhead of the receiving institution, deadlines, signature of the supervisor in the receiving institution)

 

3. Administrative preparation and application

Applications must be submitted via the CU app – https://is.cuni.cz/webapps/?lang=en

In order to create the appropriate place in the application, please send the following information to: erasmus@natur.cuni.cz

  • Acceptance letter  (letterhead of the receiving institution, deadlines, signature of the supervisor in the receiving institution)
  • name and address of the receiving (foreign) institution, or code
  • contact person at the receiving institution incl. e-mail (supervisor)
  • if applicable, also a contact person – Erasmus coordinator for incoming students – Traineeships at the receiving institution incl. e-mail
  • planned dates/period of the internship
  • student's department and field of study
  • type of study

When the place in the app is ready, the student is informed by e-mail, and at the same time, students receive details about filling in the application – Learning Agreement.

Subsequently, the student must get the signature of the guarantor of the study programme in the section of "Responsible person" of the printed application form.

Once the application (Learning Agreement) has been signed as outlined above, the student must send it by e-mail to the faculty Erasmus Office, where it is signed by  the Vice-dean for Student Affairs.

The signed Learning Agreement is then e-mailed to the student in order to obtain a signature from the receiving institution.

NOTE:  application requirements, documents or deadlines may vary at the receiving institution!

If, for example, another Learning Agreement is required by the foreign institution, it can be confirmed in the faculty Erasmus Office – but only if the CU Learning Agreement has already been signed by the Vice-dean for Student Affairs.

 

Language certificate

– If a language certificate is required, the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies (ILPS) can be contacted. Confirmation can be issued on the basis of:

  • submitted certificate of successful completion of lifelong learning courses at the Faculty of Science
  • foreign-language exams MS760ZK (level B1) or MS760ZK2 (level A2)
  • performance of a one-time examination at ILPS CU – further information here
    In order for the student to sit the exam free of charge, it is necessary to submit a document to the faculty Erasmus Office stating that the foreign institution clearly requires language confirmation (e.g. website of the foreign university, e-mail with instructions for incoming students). The students then receive a confirmation, which they must then submit to ILPS for a free examination.
Language test

Students' language level can be tested through the EU Academy online tests – for further information see here.

 

4. Acceptance by the receiving institution and the Dean's resolution about the scholarship

The faculty Erasmus Office will issue to the student the Dean's resolution about the scholarship on the basis of the submitted Letter of Acceptance and the signed CU application (Learning Agreement). For this step the student may be represented through power of attorney without the need for notarisation.

Financial support for individual countries – rates by country: Call 2023, Calls 2024–25. The total amount of the scholarship is calculated according to the length of the traineeship.

Support for travel costs is also available for mobilities implemented under Call 2025. The amount of the allowance depends on the distance of the destination and the mode of transport. A higher allowance can be obtained when using an environmentally friendly mode of transport (train, bus, shared car, bicycle).

The amount of the allowance, including a link to the calculation of the distance of the destination according to the Distance Calculator, is given here.

 

5. Pre-departure essentials – insurance, contacts

The signature of the Dean's resolution about the scholarship by the Dean of the Faculty of Science will be obtained by the faculty's Foreign Affairs Department (Albertov 6, 3rd floor). Students receive an e-mail inviting them to pick up the document, and at the same time, confirming the Affidavit in accordance with Rector's Measure no. 33/2016. The student's pre-departure obligations are as follows:

  1.  obtain adequate health insurance for their destination (European Health Insurance card and, if required, supplementary insurance)
  2.  provide the faculty with contact details abroad
  3.  provide contact for close relative
  4.  familiarisation with the security situation in the target country

In connection with the performance of a work placement abroad, the host institution requires accident insurance and liability insurance, which the student must take out (some foreign institutions provide these insurance policies for incoming students).

 

6. Euro account for the transfer of the scholarship and signature of the Financial agreement at the European Office of the Rectorate

Before entering the number of the Euro account in the Erasmus application in the CU app, the Participation Agreement must be signed at the European Office of the Rectorate. Further information can be found here.

Information and formalities necessary to sign the Participation Agreement at the European Office of the Rectorate can be found here. Confirmation is attached to the contract – confirmation of the length of stay, which the student must have confirmed prior to departure. The original of this document must be submitted to the European Office of the Rectorate upon return and a copy must be sent to the Erasmus faculty office.

 

7. Extension of a practical internship

Extensions of an Erasmus+ traineeship abroad can be implemented:

If sufficient funds are available, the traineeship can be extended with financial support. Otherwise, it is possible to extend the internship without financial support, although students retain all the benefits of the Erasmus programme.

The conditions and procedure for the extension are as follows:
  • the total length of all Erasmus stays within a given level of study may not exceed 12 months
  • the extended period must directly follow the original traineeship period
  • the student must obtain consent for the extension from the relevant department/institute where the selection procedure was carried out – the departmental/institutional coordinator must send this statement to the faculty Erasmus Office
  • the student must record changes in detailed programme of the traineeship in the CU app and inform the faculty Erasmus Office
  • the student then receives from the faculty Erasmus Office an Application for Extension (with the content of the traineeship according to the text in the application). The application must then be signed by the guarantor of the study programme.
  • the student must also submit the Acceptance Letter for the subsequent period (letterhead of the foreign workplace, dates, signature of the foreign supervisor)

Once the above conditions have been fulfilled, the duration of the  traineeship in the web app is extended in the faculty Erasmus Office. If the student is awarded additional funds, an Addendum to the Dean's resolution about the scholarship is issued. The European Office of the Rectorate then sends an Addendum to the Financial Agreement to the student for signature.

 

8. Obligations after returning

Within 30 days of the return from the Erasmus traineeship, the student must submit the Traineeship Certificate and the original of the Confirmation to the Rectorate (it is also possible to forward an e-mail with the Confirmation sent directly by the foreign institution or a document with an electronic signature).

The student must further complete two Final Reports according to the instructions here.

 

The student must send the faculty Erasmus Office copies of the above documents:
Traineeship Certificate and Confirmation as well as the Request to record an Erasmus PhD study stay or internship in SIS. Should there be a change in the content of the originally approved traineeship, the student must also obtain a statement from the supervisor and the guarantor of the study programme.

In the event that the foreign institution requires documents to be sent directly to representatives of the CU Erasmus programme, the following e-mail addresses can be used:
erasmus.outgoing@ruk.cuni.cz or erasmus@natur.cuni.cz .

 

9. Financial compensation in the event of a shortened stay

If the duration of the traineeship is shortened according to the dates specified in the Confirmation and the dates in the Dean's resolution about the scholarship, the student is obliged to return the relevant part of the scholarship, the amount of which is automatically calculated on the basis of the data and lump sums in the CU app.

The student is then contacted by the CU European Office.