What steps are involved?

The Erasmus+ steps are outlined briefly below. Students sometimes get confused by the different requirements, so please read this section carefully.

Please note that all University of Galway students going on mobility abroad are required to complete a Mobility Assessment. This is not covered in the present handbook as it is a University requirement and not a formal element of the Erasmus+ Programme. As such, you will carry out the mandatory Mobility Assessment in conjunction with your University of Galway School or College.

University of Galway Erasmus+ Traineeships – Step by Step

1. Identify a host organisation and confirm dates. Ensure approval by academic coordinator or programme director.  Your placement officer or academic coordinator will send your name and details to Global Galway, and you will receive a link to the online Erasmus+ grant application form.
2. Complete the online Erasmus+ grant application form by the relevant deadline. You’ll get an email from Global Galway confirming receipt of your application and outlining the next steps in the process. The timeline for completing these will depend on the timing of your traineeship.
3. If your traineeship will involve the use of a language other than your native tongue, then you should complete an OLS language placement test. The OLS will give you access to free online language courses. It is strongly recommended that you avail of these.
4. Liaise with your host organisation and your University of Galway academic coordinator to ensure that your Learning Agreement will be completed BEFORE you begin your traineeship. Make sure that you send a copy of your completed Learning Agreement to your academic coordinator and to outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie before your traineeship begins.
5. Provided that your Learning Agreement is in order, you will receive your grant agreement from Global Galway.
6. Organise your EHIC and download and register on the AIG Travel Protect app.
7. Complete and sign the Erasmus+ grant agreement, emailing one copy to outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie and keeping the other for your own records.
8. You will receive 80% of your approved Erasmus+ grant as a first instalment. Be sure to return an acknowledgment form to outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie.
9. If something changes during your traineeship (coordinator, supervisor, content of placement, dates, etc.), you MUST complete the “During the Mobility” section of the Learning Agreement and return it to your coordinator and outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie
10. When your traineeship is coming to an end, have your supervisor complete your Traineeship Certificate, and return this to outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie.
11. Complete and submit the online EU participant report/survey. You will be sent an email inviting you to complete this report on (or shortly after) the last day of your traineeship.
12. You will receive the balance of your approved Erasmus+ grant after your traineeship is complete, and after you have submitted all of the required paperwork. Be sure to return another acknowledgment form for this final payment to outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie.

Find a host organisation

First of all, you will need to identify a suitable work placement. A small number of students manage to do this independently, but many are assisted by a Placement Officer at University of Galway. Over the years, relationships have been established with organisations and companies overseas, and these may provide on-going opportunities for our students. Or it may be that in your particular Discipline or School, there are Erasmus+ exchange places available for traineeships at some of our partner universities, in laboratories, or teaching hospitals; in these cases, the relevant academic coordinators may invite students to apply for selection on a competitive basis.

Complete the online Erasmus+ Traineeship Grant Application Form

Once you have secured a placement that meets the conditions described in Section 1.5, you will need to complete an Erasmus+ Grant Application form for University of Galway. You will do this via a web link that will be supplied by Global Galway when the relevant Placement Officer or academic coordinator passes your details on to us. The information you provide on this form will be incorporated into our database of traineeship students on Erasmus+, as well as into official European Commission records, so it’s very important that you complete it with care and attention.

The form consists of about 40 questions, mostly very straightforward. Before you begin completing it, you should have your bank details to hand, because you will be asked for your sort code and account number. Look for these on your bank statement. The 8-digit number on your debit card is not your account number!

You will be asked to give the start and finish dates of your traineeship, as well as providing the name and details of your contact person at the host organisation.

When you submit the online application form, you’ll receive a brief email confirming receipt and outlining the next steps in the process.

insurance

Travel Insurance is a type of insurance that covers a pre-planned trip and will reimburse the policyholder if certain unforeseen circumstances occur. University of Galway arranges Travel Insurance Cover for enrolled student’s resident in Ireland, who are traveling abroad to complete study or work placements as part of their university degree programme. AIG is the insurance company with which the University of Galway has set-up a Personal Accident and Travel Insurance Policy.

*Important note: Students travelling back to their home country for placement or study will not be covered under this policy.* 

Use the links below to register via AIG Travel Protect App.

Full policy information is available online:
Full Lifeline Policy Wording document

European Health Insurance Card
Students completing study or work placements in Europe must still also apply for an EHIC card in advance of travel. The EHIC provides for basic health cover whilst abroad. In some cases, this may require payment of a small fee.

• Apply for an EHIC card

Policy Exclusions

• Students travelling back to their home country for placement or study will not be covered under this policy. These students must take out their own travel insurance with respect to this travel.
• There is absolutely no coverage in respect to travel to Afghanistan, Belarus, Chechnya, Israel, Gaza, West Bank and Golan Heights, Iraq, Lebanon, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or United Arab Emirates. This includes routing through these countries to your onward destination.
• There is absolutely no coverage in respect to travel to any other region or country where the Republic of Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs Office has advised against “all travel” or “all travel due to the threat of kidnap” prior to the commencement of the trip.
• The policy does not cover any claim as a result of the use by the Insured Person of non-prescribed drugs which cannot be legally obtained from a pharmacy; arising directly or indirectly from excessive alcohol intake; arising from the Insured Person being involved in any deliberate, malicious, reckless, illegal or criminal act.
• Full exclusions are available online
  • Full Lifeline Policy Wording document

Health Insurance Some students may wish to additionally take out Private Health Insurance depending on personal circumstances. If you have a health insurance policy in Ireland already, contact your insurance provider to check if you are covered whilst abroad. You should bring a copy of this policy or policy number with you when travelling.

How to make a claim

AIG should be notified as soon as reasonably practical after the event that a claim is to be made. The claim may be rejected if it is made so long after the event that the Company is unable to investigate the claim fully. It may also result in the Insured (or Insured Person at the request of the Insured) not receiving the full amount claimed if the amount claimed is increased as a result of the delay.

For a claim under sections:  

• B1.1 – Medical and other Emergency Travel Expenses
• B6 – Kidnap and Ransom
• B7 – Political and Natural Disaster Evacuation
• Section C – Crisis Containment Management

Contact the 24 hour, 7 days a week emergency medical number immediately on:

• Telephone: +44 (0)1273 747 625

For a claim under all other sections:

• Claims can be submitted via the Claims Portal on the website digitalclaims.aig.com(opens in new tab)
• Claims can also be submitted via the Claims Portal on the AIG Travel Protect app

For claims under Section B4.1 Cancellation, Curtailment, Rearrangement, Replacement, Missed Departure & Travel Delay and B4.2, Cancellation, Curtailment, Rearrangement, Replacement, Missed Departure & Travel Delay due to a Natural Catastrophe a claim form is not required and the claim can be notified by email to irelandexpressclaims@aig.com(opens in new tab) along with supporting documentation.

The Accident & Health Claims Department, AIG Europe S.A., 30 North Wall Quay, International Financial Services Centre, Dublin 1

Insurance information for students NOT covered by the University of Galway student travel policy.

Recommendations for Insurance Cover 

There are a number of Insurance providers in Ireland who can provide cover.  

• Backpackers Travel Insurance | Long Stay Travel | AIG Ireland 

• Chubb Insurance Backpackers Travel Insurance Travel Insurance – Get a quote online | Chubb Insurance (chubbinsured.com) 

• Aviva Backpackers Travel Insurance – Travel Insurance Quotes 20% Off | Holiday Insurance – Aviva Ireland 

• Allianz Travel Insurance – Travel Insurance | Holiday Insurance | Allianz Assistance

• Blue Insurance Backpackers Insurance – https://www.blueinsurance.ie/travel-insurance.asp 

Pro-Trip World (Dr-Walter) – https://www.protrip-world.com/en 
There are different levels of cover available, which provide different levels of benefit under the policy and Students are advised to familiarise themselves with the cover types available.   

University of Galway Insurance Cover Requirements & Recommendations: 

• Medical Expenses to include Repatriation – at least €1 Million 

• Personal Liability – at least €500,000 

• Cancellation/Curtailment/Rearrangement – Highly recommended 
• Baggage /Personal Items/ Money/ Passport – Highly recommended 

Other important considerations when purchasing insurance: 

• Duration of the Policy cover – you need to ensure that your Travel Insurance covers the entire duration of your time abroad 

• Material Facts – please ensure you disclose all relevant material facts to your Insurers. For example, a pre-existing medical condition. 

• COVID 19 Cover – please ensure you check and review the policy carefully in relation to COVID 19 costs and expenses. Policies differ from one Insurer to another in relation to the coverage offered. 

• Excluded Territories – all policies will include an Excluded Territory List. Please ensure you are familiar with same and discuss any issues/concerns with your Insurer. 

• Exclusions – please read the Policy before purchasing to understand the specific exclusions. 

• Holidays/returning home – if you intend to take a holiday during your trip abroad or return home please check that this is covered by your policy before travelling. 

• Winter Sports – if you intend to participate in any winter sports during your time abroad please ensure this is covered by your Policy. 
• It’s important to check the policy Terms and Conditions at the time of purchase as these can change frequently 

Students are reminded that it is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain a policy which satisfies the University requirements and your own needs in advance of departure and to ensure you have adequate cover in place for the duration of your time abroad. 

Further information on travel insurance in Ireland is available through the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Travel insurance – CCPC 

Please note that some partner universities (for example some in the US) require you to buy a particular policy that they source. In these instances it can be more expensive than you might be able to find at home. Some host universities will also require you to provide them with details of your private travel insurance policy. 

Make sure that you keep a record of any emergency numbers provided by the insurance company incase you have to make a claim. Having the details readily to hand will alleviate some of the stress if you are in a difficult situation. Should you find yourself in circumstances where you will have to make a claim, you should contact the insurance company immediately, as a delay in doing this could affect your claim. 

Cover Under a Family Health Insurance Plan 

You may wish to investigate whether travel for your stay abroad under your own or your parents’ private health insurance plan is adequate. You will need to confirm the cover requirements as given above are met completely. You can establish this by reading the policy document and by contacting the health insurance company directly. You may be able to purchase additional cover for travel insurance if this is not included in an existing health insurance policy. 

IMPORTANT NOTE for EU Citizens Travelling to EU Countries 

A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is essential for every EU citizen travelling to another European country; as a student, it entitles you to necessary healthcare in the public system of any EU/EEA member state. The EHIC provides for basic health cover, but what constitutes basic cover may vary from one country to another, and in some cases the patient will be required to make a contribution to the costs of care in the public health system, so it’s advisable to check the website www.ehic.ie to get precise information on the different countries. You can also apply for the card via that website. One card is needed for each individual or member of a family. The EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance, however, and it’s quite limited in what it covers. Healthcare in a private setting is not included, nor is the cost of repatriation, or the additional travel and accommodation costs that can accrue in a case of illness or an accident abroad. You will also need to be covered for eventualities like cancelled/delayed flights and lost luggage. This is where private travel insurance comes in.

 Online Language Support (OLS)

Learning Agreement

Grant Agreement

Grant Acknowledgement Form

“During the Mobility”

This is the middle section of the learning agreement and most students won’t need to complete it. You need only fill it in if something significant changes during your traineeship: for instance, you get a new supervisor, the planned traineeship activities are revised, or your finish date changes. This document should be treated like the rest of the learning agreement, in other words, have it signed, keep a copy, and send a copy to your University of Galway academic coordinator and to  outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie.

Traineeship Certificate

Find it at www.universityofgalway.ie/erasmus-programme/outgoingstudents/erasmustraineeships/#tab3

This is another extremely important document and makes up the final section of the learning agreement. It’s the official confirmation from your host organisation that the traineeship was completed satisfactorily, as agreed previously in the original learning agreement. The form should ideally be typed, but if it is being handwritten, then you should print the page out for your host organisation supervisor and expand the sections so as to allow plenty of space to fill it in in detail. You should wait till the very end of the traineeship to have the form completed.

In terms of the “detailed programme” and the “knowledge and skills”, it would be expected that this would reflect the information already given in the first section of the original Learning Agreement, unless the activities and outcomes did not match what had been originally envisaged. The host organisation representative MUST complete the “evaluation of the trainee”, and the document must have this person’s signature and the organisation’s stamp. On no account do you complete the “evaluation of the trainee” yourself – it’s your employer’s appraisal of your performance that’s being sought here, not your feedback on your experience.

Normally we would expect to see at least a couple of sentences in this “evaluation” section. It’s acceptable for the host organisation to append signed supporting documentation to the certificate, but there should be a clear link between this and the “Evaluation of the Trainee”. It will not suffice for the host organisation representative to simply write “very good” or “pass” as an evaluation of your performance; they must provide more detail or refer to some other document where further detail is provided.

The dates shown on the Traineeship Certificate must show a duration of at least two full months.

You should send your Traineeship Certificate to outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie, but please do not send it until you have checked to make sure that all sections are properly completed and that the document has been signed and stamped. We only need the Traineeship Certificate, and not the entire Learning Agreement again. You can send it by post to Global Galway, deliver it to our office, or send it by email to outgoingerasmus@universityofgalway.ie – a scanned copy will be ok, as long as the signature and stamp are clear.

Participant Report

You will receive a request by email from the European Commission to complete an online participant report/survey. Please check your junk email regularly, as this email has been known to go into people’s spam folders.

OLS language assessment #2

If you already took an OLS placement test, then you should take another one at the end of your traineeship.