Organising your stay

Studying abroad on a university exchange programme qualifies you to take an authorised break from your study programme (leave of absence). You can find further information and the application form here  

You can ask Academic Registry for advice on the consequences of taking leave of absence.

Many of our partner universities offer pre-sessional induction weeks or days for international students free-of-charge (also known as an “orientation period” or “induction course”) including:

• Language courses for exchange students
• Newcomers’ guide to the university
• Assistance with enrolling for courses
• Chance to meet other exchange students
• Excursions and outings around the university’s town/city and local region.

We strongly recommend taking these opportunities and tailoring your travel arrangements to include them, as taking part in pre-sessional induction events makes it much easier for international students to find their footing in the foreign university system.
You can find out whether you can attend induction events, and the relevant dates, on the info sheet for your chosen university via the search engine.

If you are likely to want to drive abroad (your own car or a rental), you will need to check in advance whether the EU plastic card drivers’ licence suffices, or if you will need an international driving permit by contacting the relevant road traffic authority / driver licensing agency.

Discounts are offered in some countries for holders of an International Student Identity Card. You can apply for an ISIC card online. 

For further details, click here (ISIC)..

Please bear in mind that you will need a passport to travel to countries outside the EU. You must also ensure that your travel documents cover your entire stay – or if they are due to expire before then, renew them in good time.

If you would like to sub-let your room / apartment in Kempten while you are abroad, then the International Office can help put you in touch with incoming exchange students, for example.

Check in good time before going abroad whether your health insurance will cover you there. It might make good sense to arrange for additional cover. In a few cases (e.g. Australia), you must arrange health insurance via the partner university. You can find out your chosen partner university requires this by consulting the relevant info sheet via the search engine. 

Additional information about health insurance for students can also be found on various consumer websites. You should also consider taking out personal accident and liability insurance for the duration of your trip abroad.

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst – DAAD) offers interns, students and academics travelling abroad affordable combined health, accident and personal liability insurance via its group arrangement. The insurance tariff 720 applies to internships. Plenty of information is available  on the DAAD website.

You don’t need a visa for countries in the European Union, but you will often require one for studying outside the EU (e.g. United States, Australia). The embassy or consulate of your destination country is the sole authority for issuing visas. You can find out whether a visa is required to study in your case by consulting the info sheet for your chosen university via the search engine.