Visas and Mobility Logistics for Multi-Country Erasmus & Joint Degrees

Why a multi-country degree needs extra planning

A normal study-abroad move involves one country and one permit. A multi-country Erasmus Mundus or joint degree is different: your studies are spread across several European countries on a fixed mobility schedule, so the immigration picture changes at each stage.

This is general information, not immigration advice. Rules differ by country and change frequently. Treat this guide as a planning checklist, and verify every requirement on the official government website of each country you will study in before you act.

• Your route may cross two or more countries on a set timetable.
• Each stage can involve a different country's immigration system.
• Confirm every step on each country's official government source.

Short-stay (Schengen) vs long-stay (national) — the key split

European study mobility usually involves a national long-stay route, not a tourist visa. For studies lasting more than about three months, countries generally require a national long-stay visa (often called a Type D) and, after arrival, a residence permit — this is the route that lets you live and study there for the full period.

A Schengen short-stay visa covers only short visits (broadly up to 90 days in any 180-day period) and is not the basis for a multi-month study stay. Whether your first country sits inside the Schengen area also affects how you later move; check each country's official immigration site for which route your specific study period requires. This is general information, not immigration advice.

• Study over ~3 months → national long-stay visa + residence permit (per country).
• Schengen short-stay → only short visits, not a full study period.
• Not every European country is in the Schengen area — confirm per country.

Moving between EU countries during your studies

The EU has a framework (Directive (EU) 2016/801) intended to make it easier for non-EU students to study part of a programme in another EU country when they are on a Union or multilateral programme — such as an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master — or covered by an agreement between universities. Under it, a valid student residence permit from your first EU country can let you carry out part of your studies in another EU country for a defined period, often through a notification procedure rather than a brand-new visa.

Not every country implements this identically, and it does not remove the need to check each step. Your programme's coordinator and each host country's immigration authority are the authoritative sources for exactly what you must do before each move. This is general information, not immigration advice — verify on the official government site of each second country.

Plan each leg before it begins

Because consulate processing can take time, the single biggest risk is starting too late. Map your full mobility route as soon as you accept your offer, and work out the immigration step for each leg well in advance — including any summer schools or thesis placements in additional countries.

Keep a complete, organised document pack you can reuse at every stage: programme admission letters, proof of funds in the form each country requires, accommodation, and health insurance evidence. Carry official originals plus copies, since each new host may ask for them again.

• List every country and date in your mobility schedule.
• Start each country's visa/permit process as early as it allows.
• Re-use a master document pack (admission, funds proof, insurance) at each leg.
• Build in buffer time for appointments, biometrics, and permit collection.

Insurance, registration and money proof at each stop

Most countries require you to hold valid health insurance and, on arrival, to register locally (for example with the town hall or immigration office) and obtain or update your residence permit. These steps repeat, in that country's form, each time you relocate.

Countries also typically require evidence that you can support yourself — sometimes via a blocked account or a minimum-funds proof — but the amounts and accepted formats differ by country and change over time. Do not rely on a fixed figure: confirm the current health-insurance, registration, and funds requirements on each host country's official government website before each move.

• Hold accepted health insurance valid for each host country.
• Register locally and sort the residence permit on each arrival.
• Proof-of-funds amounts and formats vary by country — verify the current rule officially.