Erasmus guide University of the Basque Country
Courses, housing, visa, campus life and exchange basics for studying at University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain.
City
BilbaoCountry
SpainInternational
Around 1,700 incoming exchange students in 2024-25. In 2023-24 the total was 1,458: Erasmus+ 821, SICUE (Spanish domestic exchange) 209, Latin America 355 and other destinations 73.
Enrollment
35,636 bachelor's degree students in 2026-27 (8,605 of them in first year), per the EHU's start-of-year figures; master's and doctoral students are counted separately.
Study abroad at University of the Basque Country (EHU): overview
Study abroad at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) if you want a large public university with real academic weight and are willing to work mostly in Spanish. The EHU has 35,636 bachelor's students in 2026-27, hosted about 1,700 exchange students in 2024-25, and in Bizkaia it splits between the Leioa campus and city faculties in Bilbao.
Enrollment
35,636 bachelor's degree students in 2026-27 (8,605 of them in first year), per the EHU's start-of-year figures; master's and doctoral students are counted separately.
International Mix
Around 1,700 incoming exchange students in 2024-25. In 2023-24 the total was 1,458: Erasmus+ 821, SICUE (Spanish domestic exchange) 209, Latin America 355 and other destinations 73.
Why students choose it
Bizkaia campus, split between the Leioa/Erandio site north of Bilbao (Science and Technology, Social and Communication Sciences, Medicine and Nursing, Bilbao Faculty of Education; reached by Bizkaibus) and faculties inside Bilbao: Bilbao Engineering School (metro San Mamés), Economics and Business at Sarriko (metro Sarriko) and Elcano (metro Moyua). Best for students in engineering, sciences, economics and social sciences who are comfortable studying mostly in Spanish. The other campuses are in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Araba) and Donostia-San Sebastián/Eibar (Gipuzkoa), roughly an hour or more away, so they are a different exchange, not an add-on.
Language of instruction: Spanish and Basque (main languages of degree teaching), English: a published list of English-taught bachelor and master subjects per faculty for 2026-27, plus English Friendly Courses (EFC/EFC+) taught in Spanish or Basque with English support
Exchange & application at University of the Basque Country (EHU)
Your home university nominates you to one EHU faculty, then you apply online and send your Learning Agreement. Erasmus+ documents are due 30 June for autumn and 30 November for spring; Latin America and other partners worked to 15 April and 15 October 2026.
Official links
-
Open page
Exchange page
The university’s own page for incoming exchange students.
-
Open document
Exchange fact sheet
Deadlines, requirements and contacts for exchange students, published by the university.
-
See courses
Course catalogue
The official list of courses. Check which ones are open to exchange students and taught in a language you speak.
✅Requirements
Nomination by your home institution, a Learning Agreement or provisional academic agreement, a scanned passport or ID, and the online application. On arrival you hand in a passport/ID copy, proof of travel insurance, a copy of your home enrolment form and photos. There is no minimum credit load, but the EHU recommends at least three subjects per semester.
📨Nomination Process
Erasmus+: your home Erasmus+ coordinator sends your details (full name, date of birth, passport number, gender, email) to the Erasmus+ coordinator of the EHU faculty you will join. After that official nomination you receive an invitation to apply online through the student mobility management system. Non-Erasmus partners send the nominee's documents to incoming.internatonal@ehu.eus (address as printed in the official fact sheet).
🛂Visa Support
Students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland are responsible for obtaining their visa or stay authorisation before arriving; the International Welcome Centre publishes separate guidance for this group and can issue invitation letters. The EHU's IBILI insurance covers what Spanish law requires for a study stay authorisation.
🧭Orientation Week
🗓️Deadlines by intake
| Intake | Nomination deadline | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 1st semester | No separate nomination date is published; nominate before the 30 June document deadline (faculty coordinators can set other dates). | 30 June for August-September arrivals (Learning Agreement and documents). |
| 2nd semester | No separate nomination date is published; nominate before the 30 November document deadline (faculty coordinators can set other dates). | 30 November for January-February arrivals (Learning Agreement and documents). |
| Full Year Or First Semester | 15 April 2026 for the 2026-27 full year or first semester (complete documentation sent by the home university). | 15 April 2026 (same deadline; Medicine, Physiotherapy, Dentistry and Nursing only accept this first deadline). |
| 2nd semester | 15 October 2026 for the January-June/July 2027 semester. | 15 October 2026 (same deadline; the EHU advises sending documents early because of consulate visa backlogs). |
Arrival Checklist
- Before travelling, confirm your EHU faculty and check that your subjects run in your semester; full-year subjects are not allowed for one-semester stays.
- Buy insurance covering travel assistance, medical care and civil liability for the whole stay (EHIC alone is not enough); the EHU's IBILI policy is one option.
- Request a buddy through the International Welcome Centre form and answer the buddy's first email.
- Register for the free Spanish or Basque course; for the second semester, registration opens in December.
- At your faculty, hand in passport/ID copy, proof of insurance, home enrolment form and photos.
- If you live in Bilbao but study in Leioa, plan your Bizkaibus or metro commute and get a Barik transport card.
Academics & courses at University of the Basque Country (EHU)
Courses are graded 0-10 with ECTS credits. Most teaching is in Spanish or Basque, so use the 2026-27 English-taught lists and English Friendly Courses, and keep almost all subjects in one centre.
📝Course Registration
Pick subjects from a single EHU centre (faculty or school). You may add one or two subjects from another centre only if it is on the same campus and most of your subjects stay in your admitting centre; mixing Leioa and Bilbao centres is described by the EHU as very difficult because of the commute. Check each faculty's website for semester, timetable and syllabus, since the offer changes every semester. Medicine admits only sixth-year clinical internships, preferably September to December.
🎓Credit System
ECTS. There is no minimum number of credits for visiting students, but the EHU recommends at least three subjects per semester.
💯Grading System
0-10 scale: 9.0-10 excellent (A), 7.0-8.9 good (B-C), 5.0-6.9 pass (D-E), 0-4.9 fail (F). INC means the student did not sit the exam or hand in assignments.
✍️Exam Culture
Autumn exams are mostly held in January, and moving one to December is only possible if the professor or faculty agrees, with no guarantee. Spring exams fall in May/June.
📚Library Access
The Leioa Central Library building also houses the International Relations Office and the Leioa International Welcome Centre.
Tuition & fees at University of the Basque Country (EHU)
Erasmus+ students pay no tuition at the EHU. Degree students pay a public price of EUR 13.42-18.92 per credit in 2026-27, and the EHU estimates living costs at EUR 750-1,000 a month.
| Student Type | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EXCHANGE | EUR 0 tuition at the EHU | Erasmus+ students are exempt from tuition, registration, exam and library/lab fees at the host university. Your own insurance (compulsory) and living costs a… |
| Full degree – bachelor's, 2026-27 public price (first enrolment) | EUR 13.42-18.92 per ECTS credit (about EUR 805-1,135 for 60 credits) | Set by the Basque Government order of 1 June 2026. The credit price depends on the degree's experimentality level (level 4, e.g. Law or History, is the cheap… |
| Full degree – administrative fees (2026-27) | EUR 30.68 fixed enrolment charge + EUR 27.96 to open an academic file | Charges for degree-seeking students: the fixed enrolment charge includes basic accident insurance; the file-opening fee applies when you start studies at a c… |
EUR 0 tuition at the EHU
Erasmus+ students are exempt from tuition, registration, exam and library/lab fees at the host university. Your own insurance (compulsory) and living costs a…
EUR 13.42-18.92 per ECTS credit (about EUR 805-1,135 for 60 credits)
Set by the Basque Government order of 1 June 2026. The credit price depends on the degree's experimentality level (level 4, e.g. Law or History, is the cheap…
EUR 30.68 fixed enrolment charge + EUR 27.96 to open an academic file
Charges for degree-seeking students: the fixed enrolment charge includes basic accident insurance; the file-opening fee applies when you start studies at a c…
Fees change annually — verify current rates on the official exchange office page
Student housing at University of the Basque Country (EHU)
Halls fill early: the EHU's Unamuno hall in Bilbao costs EUR 924 a month full board, and full-year students take most places in spring. Most exchange students rent a room, with OSTATU as the EHU's own listing service.
University of the Basque Country (EHU) offers official housing
EHU-run hall in Bilbao: EUR 924/month full board for the full year; pre-register 1 March-30 April.
Apply for housingFull housing guide
Find housing in Bilbao
Official contacts, student residences, private platforms, tips & red flags.
Insurance & campus support at University of the Basque Country (EHU)
The International Relations Office sits in Leioa, and the International Welcome Centre has desks in Leioa and Bilbao. Ask early for a buddy and a place on the free Spanish or Basque course.
🛡️Mandatory Insurance
Yes. EU/EEA students bring the EHIC plus travel and civil liability cover; non-EU students need valid health insurance for the full stay that also meets visa rules.
🇪🇺EHIC Accepted
Yes
🏥Campus Clinic
No on-campus clinic is described on the exchange pages; routine care goes through your Osakidetza health centre (with EHIC) or your private insurer's network.
🧠Mental Health
Not covered on the exchange pages consulted; ask the International Welcome Centre or your faculty coordinator for referral options.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
Issued free by your home system
Gives access to Osakidetza, the Basque public health service; find the health centre for your address.
IBILI-EHU travel assistance policy
Sold online by the EHU; covers medical assistance, accidents, repatriation and civil liability, with extended options. It is travel insurance, not health insurance, so pre-existing conditions are excluded except life-threatening emergencies.
Campus services
International Relations Office (IRO)
Erasmus+ and bilateral agreements, nominations and the institutional fact sheet. Central Library building, 2nd floor, Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa; internacional@ehu.eus.
International Welcome Centre (Leioa and Bilbao)
Practical help with insurance, legal stay, accommodation and arrival, plus welcome events. In-person desks in Leioa (Library building) and Bilbao (Engineering School).
Free Spanish and Basque courses
Free autumn and spring Spanish and Basque courses on all three campuses for Erasmus+, SICUE and Latin America/Other Destinations students, plus an online intensive Spanish course. Contact cursosidiomas@ehu.eus.
Buddy Programme
Matches visiting students with volunteer EHU students; some Bizkaia centres (Engineering Bilbao, Economics Elcano, Science and Technology, Social and Communication Sciences, Education) run their own buddy contacts.
OSTATU accommodation service
EHU database of rooms and flats for the university community, with temporary access before your EHU ID is issued.
ESN Bilbao
Erasmus Student Network section for Bilbao: trips, cultural and social activities, WhatsApp groups and volunteering.
Student life at University of the Basque Country (EHU)
Social life runs through ESN Bilbao, campus welcome events and your buddy. Living in Bilbao and studying in Leioa means a daily bus or metro ride, so build your week around it.
Student Clubs
- ESN Bilbao (Erasmus Student Network section)
- International Welcome Centre cultural activities and events
Buddy Program
Sign up through the International Welcome Centre form; a local EHU student contacts you by email to help with your first days.
Public Groups & Communities
Your First 2 Weeks
- Hand in arrival documents at your faculty.
- Meet your buddy and visit the International Welcome Centre.
- Finalise subjects with your faculty coordinator.
- Set up a Barik card for metro and Bizkaibus.
- Attend the campus welcome event and ESN Bilbao activities.
Key exchange dates at University of the Basque Country (EHU)
First-semester classes run September to December with exams in January; the second semester runs end of January to mid-May with exams in May-June. Check faculty exam dates before booking flights.
-
1
Residence pre-registration for the next academic year
Unamuno hall: 1 March-30 April (2026-27 cycle); EHU-linked halls: April
EUR 200 pre-registration, refunded if no place is allocated.
-
2
Latin America and Other Destinations application deadlines
15 April 2026 (full year or autumn 2026); 15 October 2026 (spring 2027)
Home university sends complete documentation; visa timing is the main risk.
-
3
Erasmus+ document deadlines
30 June (August-September arrivals); 30 November (January-February arrivals)
Unless your EHU faculty coordinator sets a different date.
-
4
Intensive online Spanish course and first-semester start
End of August/early September; most 2026-27 classes began on 8 September 2026
Free for incoming exchange students; register in advance.
-
5
Autumn exams and spring start
Exams in January; second-semester lessons from the end of January to mid-May
Second-semester language-course registration opens in December.
-
6
Spring exams
May-June
Dates vary by faculty; confirm before booking travel home.
Campus events hub: Browse all events
Interested in this university?
Would you like to study at University of the Basque Country (EHU)?
Tell us what you have in mind in under a minute. We will write back with information on how to apply. Odisea does not handle admissions yet.