Erasmus+ Mobility for staff

Maastricht University (UM) regards the mobility of all its employees as an important means to foster personal and professional development, in the context of life-long learning

UM therefore, under the UM Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Policy, actively encourages its employees to visit partner universities abroad to participate in job-shadowing, the exchange of practices and initiation of joint research activities. This via the Erasmus+ EU-funded staff mobility grants, which are topped up by UM to ensure accessibility. 

In the calendar year 2024 applications are possible for support staff from the Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life-Sciences (FHML), the Faculty of Science & Engineering (FSE) and the Maastricht University Office (MUO). Participating faculties and service centers for the subsequent years will be announced in fall 2024.

Erasmus+ programme

What is the Erasmus+ staff mobility grant?

The Erasmus+ staff mobility grant is an EU-funded grant that helps finance EU staff training mobility with other Erasmus+ partner institutions. The activities that are covered by UM’s Staff Mobility Policy are:

  • Job-shadowing and the exchange of practices for support staff (including teaching staff category 4), also in the context of partners’ staff weeks (for an overview of available staff weeks read more on IMOTION
  • In 2025, research activities (e.g. developing a joint paper, collecting data, presenting research outcomes etc.) for early career researchers (research profiles R3 up to R4) will be possible as well. 

If you would like to participate in this programme, you will have to arrange the job shadowing/ training yourself. The duration of your stay can range from 2 till 5 working days. Erasmus+ provides a partial contribution to the cost of the stay abroad. Yet as the Erasmus+ grant only provides a partial compensation of the costs (see below), it will be supplemented with UM funds to a maximum of €1,500.- per mobility. Being a Dutch public university, these top ups are subject to the nationally agreed maximum remuneration amounts for foreign business trips. 

Grant and travel amounts

The UM Erasmus+ staff mobility grant therefore consists of three funding components:

  1. a daily allowance (for accommodation & meals)
  2. a travel cost allowance (to and from the mobility destination)
  3. a UM top-up, where necessary (the total grant can be up to a maximum of €1,500.-)


Daily allowance amounts

Receiving country/Programme countryGrant amount per day 
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Norway€ 120,-
Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal€ 110,-
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Turkey€ 100,-


Travel cost amounts

Based on the travel distance per participant. Travel distances must be calculated using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission. The applicant must indicate the distance of a one-way travel to calculate the amount of the EU grant that will support the round trip.

Staff members can apply for a green travel allowance. This allowance is in place if the staff member travels by train or bus to the mobility destination.

Travel distancesAmountGreen travel - Amount 
Between 10-99 km€ 23,-€ -
Between 100-499 km€ 180,-€ 210,-
Between 500-1999 km€ 275,-€ 320,-
Between 2000-2999 km€ 360,-€ 410,-
Between 3000-3999 km€ 530,-€ 610,-
Between 4000-7999 km€ 820,-€ -

 

Can I apply for an Erasmus+ staff exchange?

 UM staff visiting a partner institution abroad for training may be eligible for funding for a minimum duration of two days to a maximum of 5 working days, including travel, if: 

  • they have a P-number; 
  • receive salary by the UM; 
  • They are employed at MUO, FSE or FHML (for 2024, from 2025 on new faculties and service center will be added),
  • and if their proposed staff mobility includes one or more of the following elements:

The activities that are covered by UM’s Staff Mobility Policy are:

  • Job-shadowing and the exchange of practices for support staff (including teaching staff category 4), also in the context of partners’ staff trainings weeks (for an overview of available staff training weeks read more on IMOTION)
  • In 2025, research activities (e.g. developing a joint paper, collecting data, presenting research outcomes etc.) for early career researchers (research profiles R3 up to R4) 

 Please note: Erasmus+ funding is not possible for conferences

Application procedure

Before you apply

Step 1: Check the table with daily allowance amounts  above to make sure the higher education institution where you wish to go on mobility is in one of the participating programme countries. Contact the institution and receive permission for your mobility there.

Step 2: Receive permission from your manager or head of department at UM. 

 

Deadlines

The deadline for applying for mobility starting between 01-09-2024 and 31-10-2024 is 15-07-2024.

The deadline for applying for mobility starting between 01-11-2024 and 31-05-2024 is 01-10-2024.

Application

Step 3: Complete the application form within the deadline and send it to the Staff Mobility Coordinator. Within 1 week after the deadline, you will receive an email with the outcome of the selection. 

In the application form you have to explain where you want to do your mobility and what you want to do. You have to motivate your choices and indicate why you need to get awarded the staff mobility grant. You will be asked to indicate relevant passages of your CV and give an estimated budget overview for travel & accommodation (max. €1500 for 5 working days including 2 travel days). Furthermore, we would like to receive the confirmation from the receiving institute that they can and will receive you. 

If you are selected for an Erasmus+ staff mobility you have to: 

Step 4: Complete the form Staff Mobility Agreement for Training, make sure the form is signed by your manager, a representative of the receiving institution and yourself.  
Step 5: Send the Staff Mobility Agreement for Training via email to the Staff Mobility Coordinator.
Step 6: The Staff Mobility Coordinator will check your form and if correct, send it to the Central Erasmus+ Office.
Step 7: The Central Erasmus+ Office will send you a Grant Agreement, which needs to be filled out at least 2 weeks before the start of your mobility. 
Step 8: Finally, you will receive a Certificate of Attendance Staff Mobility. This form must be completed by the receiving institution and must be sent via email to the Central Erasmus+ Office within two weeks after the end of your mobility.
Step 9: The day after your mobility ends, you will receive an automated email invitation to fill out the online Participant Report detailing your Erasmus+ mobility. Completing this last step is mandatory; please note that the Erasmus+ funds will not be transferred to the budget number until this Participant Report has been submitted.

During and after your exchange

Insurance

 As a staff member of Maastricht University, your Erasmus+ training period abroad will be covered by AIG Travel Guard Business Travel Insurance. Please note; if you extend your stay make sure to take out a travel insurance for the private part of your stay. You can find more information on UMployee. 


Declare your costs

You can apply for a deposit before the start of your mobility to cover your costs. Within 2 weeks after your mobility, you have to provide evidence of those costs (tickets, invoices etc.). You can declare a maximum of €1,500.- per mobility. 

Expenses for accommodation and other cost

You can only declare a maximum as indicated by the Dutch Government based on the country/city your mobility takes place in. You can find the rates here.

For example: 

You go on mobility to Florence for 4 days (3 nights). 

ItalyMaximum amount for accommodation costs (in €) Maximum amount for other costs (in €) 
Rome 185145
Bologna 151123
Florence 179105
Lampedusa 20983
Milaan 198155
Napels 212159
Palermo 156143
Triëst 115134
Turijn 153135
Venetië 252168
Overige 9999

You can declare a maximum of €179,-/night (3 x €179,- = € 537,-) for your hotel and maximum €105,-/day (4 x €105,- = € 420,-) for other costs like diner, taxi etc. 

A maximum of €543,- is left for travel expenses. 

Expenses for travel

Participating staff members can use the following transportation options in line with the applicable provisions.

Train
If the travel time by train for your business trip is a maximum of eight hours, we will encourage you to make your business trip by train. The travel time is the time involved in traveling, calculated from the employee's work location to the destination. This includes pre- and post-transport to the station or airport and includes waiting time (check-in time). 

Plane
If the travel time by train is more than 8 hours, you can travel by plane. If this is the case, you can still choose to make the business trip by train.

You are entitled to a direct flight if available. This is only different for a direct flight of more than 6 hours. In that case, your employer can give you tickets or reimburse you for a non-direct flight if:

• the costs are at least € 350.00 lower than the ticket for the direct flight and

• the travel time due to the non-direct flight increases by a maximum of four hours.

Instructions how to apply for a deposit and declare costs will be send by email together with the Grant Agreement.