GENERAL INFORMATION
The Erasmus+ Mobility for Traineeship action provides students with the opportunity to 1th (undergraduate students), 2th (postgraduate students) and 3th (doctoral candidates) as well as recent graduates (PhD candidates) and recent graduates[1] all Departments of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens to carry out a period of internship in a company, organization, university, research institution, laboratory or any other relevant workplace in European countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme.
The objectives of mobility for traineeships are:
- the acquisition of professional experience
- the development of transversal skills (such as communication, language, critical thinking, problem solving, intercultural and research skills)
- the development and acquisition of digital skills[2]
- facilitating the student's personal development (such as the ability to adapt to new situations and self-confidence)
The call for student and recent graduate mobility under the Erasmus+ programme is announced around the beginning of March each year.
SUBJECT OF THE TRAINEESHIP (ACQUISITION OF WORK EXPERIENCE)
Student mobility for internships abroad aims to gaining work experience relevant to the subject of their studies and can be carried out in the physical presence of the host organisation in the host country.
► Please note that the attendance of courses a higher educational institution/institute, or the preparation of part of the postgraduate/doctoral thesis cannot be considered as a practical training.
In terms of workload, participants should in principle work with full time, based on the working time of their host organisation.
ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANT(S)
Eligible to participate in the mobility for traineeships are:
- Students 1th, 2th and 3th course of studies (undergraduate students, postgraduate students and doctoral candidates) who are enrolled in a Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, regardless of the academic year (from 1th year of study) and retain their student status until the date of selection of students and the announcement of the results by the University's International Relations and European Educational Programmes Committee, which is responsible for approving the transfer.
- Recent graduates. Recent graduates must be selected while retaining their student status and must carry out and complete their internship within one year after graduation (e.g. Student declared a graduate on 30 June. His/her internship must be completed before 30 June of the following year).
► Please note that:
- If the student 1th,2th and 3th student who loses his/her student status before being selected, then his/her application is automatically cancelled.
- Students in their final year of study or degree students should contact their Departmental Secretariat for information regarding the maintenance of their student status.
- Students who have already moved with Erasmus+ for study or training in the past are eligible to move again if the total period of mobility does not exceed twelve (12) months (including old and new periods) per study cycle. However, they will have a low priority in the selection process compared to students applying for a move for the first time.
ELIGIBLE PERIOD OF TRAVEL FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING
Mobility for traineeships may take place from 1η October until 31 October andη July of an academic year. For example, for the academic year 2025-2026, mobility for internships can take place from 1η October 2025 until 31 October 2025η July 2026.
The end of the internship depends on the length of time the student wishes to complete an internship period (e.g. 2 months, 2.3 months, 3.5 months, 3.7 months, 4 months, etc.) but not later than July 31, 2026.
Attention: for the academic year 2025-2026 move for internships to United Kingdom can only be carried out in spring semester (January 2026-July 2026).
DURATION OF THE TRAINEESHIP
Students have the opportunity to move for study or internship in all study cycles (1ous cycle: undergraduate studies, 2ous cycle: postgraduate studies, 3ous cycle: doctoral studies) from two (2) to twelve (12) months in each cycle, regardless of the number of trips and the type of trip (study or internship).
It is noted that travel for studies or internships without financial support (zero grant) as well as the extension of studies or internships are included in the maximum of twelve (12) months per study cycle.
The minimum time travel for an internship abroad are two (2) months.
SUBSIDISED DURATION OF THE TRAINEESHIP
At the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens the duration of mobility for internships with a grant is from two (2) to six (6) months.
The student should carefully choose the period of the internship as any change in the start date of the internship is not acceptable except in cases of emergency or "force majeure" with the provision of evidence.
Changing the interval or moving the start date due to vows or other academic obligations will not be accepted.
ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MOBILITY FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING
Students must carry out the mobility activity for a placement with a physical presence - in European Union (EU) Member States participating in the Erasmus+ programme: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Spain, Sweden and the Czech Republic - in third countries associated with the programme: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey - in third countries not associated to the programme: Andorra, San Marino, Vatican City State, Monaco, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Faroe Islands, United Kingdom, Monaco, Switzerland. Under the Erasmus+ programme, traineeships cannot be carried out in Greece
PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS/RECEIVING AGENCIES
♦ ELIGIBLE ENTITIES
Any public or private organisation active in the labour market or in the fields of education, training, youth, research and innovation can be an eligible host organisation.
Such an organisation can be:
-public or private, small, medium or large enterprise (including social enterprises)
-a public body at local, regional or national level
-embassies or consular offices of the EU Member State or the sending institution's associated third country
-the Permanent Representation of Greece and Cyprus to the European Union
-Permanent Representation of Greece to NATO
-Council of Europe
-Parliament of the European State -European Court of Human Rights
-UNESCO
-social partner or other representative of the labour sector including chambers of commerce, craft/professional associations and trade unions
-research institute
-foundation
-hospital
-school/institute/educational centre (at any level, from pre-school to upper secondary education, including also vocational and adult education)
-representation or public organisation (educational institute, school) of the sending country
-non-profit organisation, association, NGO
-a provider of guidance, counselling and information services; a higher education institution from an EU Member State or a third country associated with the programme that has an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) or a higher education institution from a third country not associated with the programme that is recognised and has signed inter-institutional agreements with its partners from an EU country
Students can also send a request for a traineeship at the universities of the alliance. CIVIS of which the University of Athens is a member.
The universities in the CIVIS network are:
Aix-Marseille Université (France)
Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
Universitatea din București (Romania)
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Sapienza Università di Roma (Italy)
Stockholm University (Sweden)
Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen (Germany)
University of Glasgow (United Kingdom)
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (Austria)
University of Lausanne (Switzerland)
More information about the CIVIS Alliance universities and the admission of students can be found on the website: https://www.interel.uoa.gr/civis/ and in the table of partner universities https://www.interel.uoa.gr/fileadmin/depts/interel.uoa.gr/www/uploads/CIVIS-GR/Pinakas_Synergazomenon_Panepistimion_ERASMUS_CIVIS_2025-2026.xlsx
♦ INELIGIBLE ORGANISATIONS FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING
The following types of organisations are not eligible as host organisations for the realization of practical training by the students:
EU institutions and other EU bodies, including specialised agencies (the detailed list of non-eligible agencies is available on the website: www.europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/index_el.htm)
-organisations managing EU programmes, such as Erasmus+ National Agencies, to avoid possible conflicts of interest and/or double funding.
-the 'intermediary' organisations which initially accept the student for a traineeship in their own organisation by sending him/her a letter of acceptance and then, after the student's selection, place him/her in a different organisation for the traineeship
operators identified as "non-trustworthy operators" by the National Unit (IKY): DOCTUM, Futuro Digitale, DPoint Group, Robot4Work
♦ The Erasmus programme regulation does not require the existence of a bilateral agreement for the internship between the University of Athens and the host institution.
However, some host institutions (universities/institutes), according to their internal regulations, consider it a prerequisite that there is a signed bilateral agreement between the two institutions and specifically the respective Departments or that a shorter agreement is signed together with the Learning Agreement. For this reason, the student's request may be accepted by the professor but the student may not be accepted by the host institution.
♦ Some universities/institutions consider that a student should register at the university as a student, regardless of whether he/she is studying or doing an internship, and therefore should apply for registration after being accepted by a professor of the host institution.
In this case, the student should send his/her request directly to the relevant Department of European and International Relations of the University or Institute and not directly to a professor of the institution or in consultation with the professor to inform the Department of European and International Relations of the University/Institute.
The student should be informed by the host institution, immediately, if there is final acceptance procedure although he/she may have been sent a Letter of Acceptance stating 'with conditions' or 'with some reservations'.
For the deposit of the Certificate of Acceptance the above conditions must have been met.
♦ For schools in the sending country (Greek schools in the EU) students send the request to both the office of the education coordinator of the school of interest and the Director of the school.
♦ Internships in Greek authorities abroad (embassy, consulate, permanent representation) can be carried out if a prior notice is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in http://www.mfa.gr/eykairies-stadiodromias/praktike-askese
It is noted that students follow the conditions and criteria set by the University of Athens.
Students of the Department of Economics of the School of Economics of the University of Athens are invited to contact the Academic Coordinator of the programme Erasmus+ Internship Assistant Professor Pantelis Costis at email cost@econ.uoa.gr and/or with the Academic Associate Coordinator Assistant Professor Evangelia Siachou at email esiachou@econ.uoa.gr.
ATTENTION: It is noted that the host institution is the sole responsibility of the student. In addition, the Academic Coordinator is not involved in the selection process and cannot write the respective letters of recommendation.
CONNECTIONS USED
Website of the Department of International Relations and Etiquette of the University of Athens
https://www.interel.uoa.gr/erasmus/pm/
Official website of the European Union
Learning Opportunities and Qualifications in Europe
Supporting education and training in Europe and beyond
http://ec.europa.eu/education/opportunities/higher-education/traineeships_en.htm
European Commission
State Scholarship Foundation-IKY
ERASMUS+ National Units per country
www.iky.gr/epikoinwnia/erasmus
EuroguidanceNetwork
[1] Recent graduates must be selected in their final year of studies (while retaining their student status) and must undertake and complete their internship within one year of graduation.
[2] Each student internship will be considered a "digital skills internship" when the intern engages in one or more of the following activities: digital marketing (e.g., social media management, web data analysis); digital graphic, mechanical or architectural design; application, software, action link or website development; installation, maintenance and management of IT systems and networks; cybersecurity; data analysis, mining and visualization; robot and application programming and training; and digital marketing. General customer support, order processing, data entry or clerical work does not fall under this category.