Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the university’s international cooperation, study and internship opportunities abroad, as well as mobility programmes for students and staff.
Erasmus+ for incoming students
- How can I apply for Erasmus+ exchange at RSU?
Full information about the application procedure for incoming students is available on the university's website.
- You must comply with the Erasmus+ student mobility eligibility criteria;
- There must be an existing Erasmus+ agreement between your home university and RSU's Erasmus+ partner universities.
Once you have been granted an Erasmus study place at RSU by your home university, the Erasmus coordinator at your home university must send RSU an official nomination. After the nomination has been submitted, you and your coordinator will receive a response regarding acceptance or rejection, as well as further instructions for the exchange.
Please note that incoming students from our partner institutions are accepted only based on a nomination by their home institution.
Nominations should be submitted by using the following form:
- Where can I find the course offer for Erasmus+ students?
The course offer for Erasmus+ students can be found on the following website:
- Can I choose courses only from the Erasmus+ course offer?
Erasmus+ exchange students can only choose courses from the Erasmus+ course offer. Courses from different study programmes cannot be mixed.
- When is the new Erasmus+ course offer published?
The new course offer for each academic year is published no later than 15 May on our website.
- Do you offer traineeships at RSU?
RSU offers traineeships/clinical placements in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and nursing.
The Faculty of Pharmacy also offers exchange students the opportunity to gain experience in laboratories.
RSU does not offer any type of traineeships or clinical placements in medicine.
- Can I come as an Erasmus+ student if I am not from a partner university?
If your university does not have a bilateral agreement with RSU, the exchange will not be possible.
If your university wishes to establish an agreement, please ask your coordinator to send an email with the proposal to mobility
rsu[pnkts]lv.- Can I mix courses from different years?
Yes, you can mix courses from different study years when completing your Learning Agreement but make sure that the selected courses are only from the official Erasmus+ course offer list.
Please note that schedule overlaps may occur if courses are mixed from different study years.
- How is the schedule made? Are there overlaps?
Each exchange student's schedule is prepared individually. Students are assigned to different study groups in each course to create individualised schedules.
Students are placed in regular study groups where free places are available. If courses from different study years are combined, schedule overlaps may occur.
- Does RSU have dormitories for Erasmus+ students?
Yes, RSU provides accommodation in student hostels for Erasmus+ students.
Once you have been approved for the exchange, you will receive information about the accommodation application process.
- Are there Latvian language courses for Erasmus+ students?
Yes, incoming exchange students are encouraged to take a Latvian language course worth 3 ECTS during their exchange at RSU.
The course is available to incoming Erasmus+ students during both the Autumn and Spring semesters.
- What should I do if I need a visa for my exchange at RSU?
Once you have been accepted for the Erasmus+ exchange at RSU, you will receive a questionnaire asking whether you require a visa.
If you do, you will receive instructions and support from RSU to arrange your visa.
Erasmus+ for outgoing students
- Can I apply for an Erasmus+ exchange?
Students from all study programmes can apply for Erasmus+ mobility. The study year in which it is possible to apply for the Erasmus+ programme depends on the specific study programme.
- Should I go on an Erasmus+ study exchange or traineeship?
If you want to gain international study experience at one of RSU’s partner universities, apply for study mobility. If you want to gain practical experience in an international environment at an institution of your choice, apply for traineeship mobility. A traineeship can be carried out during studies (if it is included in the study programme), during the summer period, or after graduation from the university.
- Can I go on an Erasmus+ exchange as an RSU graduate?
Erasmus+ traineeships can also be carried out after graduation. To do this, you must apply for the Erasmus+ programme during your final year of studies. The traineeship must be completed within one year after graduating from the university.
- How long can the duration of my Erasmus+ mobility be?
Study mobility: one semester (autumn/spring) or a full academic year.
Traineeship mobility: 2–6 months.
- Where, how and when can I apply for Erasmus+ mobility?
Applications for Erasmus+ programmes (both study and traineeship mobility) take place once a year – from 15 January to 15 February. Applications are submitted for the following academic year (both autumn and spring semesters). To apply, you need to complete the application form published during this period in the “Erasmus+” section of the RSU website.
- What are the selection criteria?
Study mobility: the weighted average grade for the last two semesters must be above 7.00; there must be no academic debts; and no financial obligations to RSU. If these initial selection criteria are met, the student is invited to an interview.
Traineeship mobility: the weighted average grade for the last two semesters must be above 7.00; there must be no academic debts; and no financial obligations to RSU. If these initial selection criteria are met, the student is immediately approved for participation in the Erasmus+ programme.
- How do I choose a traineeship institution?
For an Erasmus+ traineeship, students can go to any institution of their choice that is able to provide a suitable placement. Students are responsible for finding the traineeship placement themselves.
- How do I choose an Erasmus+ partner university and what courses should I take during my exchange?
For the Erasmus+ study mobility, it is only possible to go to one of RSU’s partner universities. The list of partner universities for each study programme is published on the RSU website.
During the Erasmus+ period, students are required to take the same or similar courses as those planned at RSU during the mobility period.
- For whom and how are the interviews conducted?
Students who have applied for Erasmus+ study mobility and passed the first selection round are invited to interviews. The interviews are held remotely via Zoom. A faculty representative, a representative of the RSU Student Union (Studējošo pašpārvalde, SP), a representative of the RSU International Student Association (ISA), and the RSU Erasmus+ coordinator also participate.
During the interviews, students are asked various questions, including their motivation for participating in Erasmus+ mobility, the reasoning behind their choice of universities, and their extracurricular activities.
- How is the Erasmus+ grant calculated?
The Erasmus+ grant depends on the country to which the student goes for mobility and the duration of the mobility period. The grant is calculated for the entire mobility period and is paid to the student in full as a single payment before departure. The monthly grant rates by country can be found on the RSU website.
- How do I manage changes during the Erasmus+ exchange period?
Any changes during the exchange period must be reported to the programme director and the RSU Erasmus+ coordinator. After that, the relevant changes are made to the Erasmus+ agreement, and the agreement is signed again.
- Do I need insurance or vaccinations?
To participate in an Erasmus+ study or traineeship mobility, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is mandatory, while other types of insurance are the individual choice and responsibility of each student. In the case of an Erasmus+ traineeship, the host institution (for medical and healthcare students) may also require vaccinations. However, that depends on the institution.
- Can I apply for Erasmus+ mobility multiple times?
Yes, it is possible to apply for the Erasmus+ programme more than once. However, it should be noted that a student’s total Erasmus+ duration cannot exceed 12 months, and priority is given to students applying for the programme for the first time.
- How do I prepare for my Erasmus+ mobility?
Carefully review the information about participation in the Erasmus+ programme published on the RSU website, including other students’ Erasmus+ experience stories on the Exchange Experience digital platform, and also take part in Erasmus+ information seminars.
- What happens upon return from my Erasmus+ mobility?
After the Erasmus+ mobility, it is necessary to ensure that all required documents specified by the RSU Erasmus+ coordinator have been submitted.
In the case of study mobility, after studying at the chosen Erasmus+ university, the courses completed and the grades obtained during the mobility are recognized and credited as equivalent to RSU study courses. After returning from the Erasmus+ exchange, the student continues their studies at RSU.
- Where can I read other students' experience with the Erasmus+ mobility programme?
It is possible to read other students’ Erasmus+ experience stories on the digital platform for exchange experiences.
