In this guide
Fast answer
An Erasmus checklist is really a paperwork chain with an order: nomination → Learning Agreement → grant agreement → insurance (EHIC) → housing proof → arrival folder → first-week admin. Each document has a different owner, and most pre-departure stress comes from asking the wrong office for the wrong paper. Work the chain in order and the semester starts calm.
Every Erasmus document depends on an earlier one: you cannot sign a grant agreement without a Learning Agreement, and you cannot finalise that without your nomination. That is why generic packing-list checklists fail Erasmus students — the real checklist is a dependency chain. Here it is in order, with who owns each step and what breaks if you skip it.
The Erasmus Paperwork Chain, In Order
| Step | Who issues / signs it | What breaks without it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nomination + acceptance | Your home international office → host university | Everything. No nomination, no Erasmus. |
| 2. Learning Agreement (OLA) | You + coordinators at BOTH universities | Credit recognition — courses you pass may not count at home. |
| 3. Grant agreement | Home international office | No signed agreement, no grant payments. |
| 4. EHIC / insurance proof | Your national health service (EHIC is free) + any extra policy | Healthcare access, and some host universities refuse enrolment. |
| 5. Housing confirmation | Landlord or residence | City registration, bank setup and sometimes the grant paperwork ask for an address. |
| 6. Arrival folder | You | First-week queues become first-week chaos. |
The Learning Agreement: Do It First, Not Last
The Learning Agreement is the document students underestimate. It lists the courses you will take abroad and confirms they map to credits at home — and it needs signatures from coordinators at both universities, who are slow to answer in summer and February. It is now usually handled through the Online Learning Agreement (OLA). Start it as soon as the host course catalogue opens, and save the name and email of the person who signs changes on each side — you will probably need them again during the semester. A full semester is normally around 30 ECTS credits.
Grant Paperwork and the Money Trap
The grant agreement sets your payment schedule, and here is the part to plan around: most agreements pay 70-80% after you arrive and paperwork clears — often 4-10 weeks in — with the rest after you return. So the deposit, the first rent and your setup costs all land before any grant money does. Sign the grant agreement before booking travel, then make sure the first two months are covered in your own cash. Check which top-ups you qualify for at the same time — fewer-opportunities and green-travel supplements have to be claimed, not assumed.
Insurance: the EHIC Is Step One, Not the Whole Answer
For an Erasmus semester inside the EU, order the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from your national health service — it is free and covers necessary public healthcare on the same terms as locals. But it does not cover repatriation, private clinics or liability, and some host universities and landlords ask for extra cover. Read the Erasmus health insurance guide for what to add on top, and carry proof of cover in your arrival folder.
Housing Proof Before You Fly
You need a confirmed address for more than sleeping: city registration, bank accounts and sometimes the university’s own arrival forms ask for it. Get the contract or residence confirmation in writing before departure, verify the landlord is real (video tour, readable contract — deposit scams target incoming Erasmus students every semester), and photograph the room’s condition on day one. If you are still searching, the accommodation guide covers where to look and how to avoid the classic traps.
The Arrival Folder
Three copies of everything: printed folder, cloud folder, offline phone folder. Inside: passport/ID, acceptance letter, Learning Agreement, grant agreement, EHIC and insurance proof, housing contract, emergency contacts, and the address of your first night written out (batteries die on arrival days). It sounds bureaucratic until a university desk, a landlord or a bank asks — and one of them will.
First-Week Admin, In the Right Order
- University registration and course confirmation — attend the first classes; if a course clashes or is full, start the Learning Agreement change immediately, not at the deadline.
- Certificate of arrival — most grant agreements require the host to confirm your arrival date; it triggers your first payment. Get it signed in week one.
- Transport card — the student passes (Madrid’s Abono Joven, Barcelona’s T-Jove and their equivalents) beat per-trip tickets from day one.
- SIM / phone plan and any city registration — requirements change by country, so follow your host university’s arrival guide rather than assuming every city works the same.
- Room inspection photos — dated photos of every wall and appliance. Your deposit will thank you.
What to Pack (and What to Buy There)
Pack for the first two weeks, not for every season: documents, medication, chargers, one adapter, laptop, cards, weather-appropriate clothes. Buy bedding, hangers, pans and cleaning products after you see the room — leaving students sell them for almost nothing at semester start. The full packing list has the complete breakdown.
Same Chain, Different Friction: It Depends on Your Countries
One honest warning before you treat this checklist as universal: the chain above is EU-level Erasmus+ rules, so the steps are the same everywhere — but the friction is not. How fast your grant is paid depends on your sending country’s national agency; how much arrival admin you face depends on the host country and even the city. Some destinations keep it light — France’s process is famously straightforward for incoming students — while others, like Spain, add more registration steps and slower queues. Two students on the same checklist can have very different first weeks.
So use this page for the order and the owners, and your specific country guide for the local reality: registration requirements, healthcare access, housing documents and the quirks students actually report there.
Sources & References
- European Commission — Erasmus+
- Online Learning Agreement (OLA)
- European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
- SEPIE — Spanish National Agency
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need for Erasmus?
The core chain: nomination and acceptance, the Learning Agreement signed by both universities, the grant agreement from your home institution, EHIC plus any extra insurance, and your housing confirmation. Keep printed, cloud and offline copies of all of them.
When should I start the Erasmus checklist?
The moment you are nominated — usually one or two semesters before departure. The Learning Agreement and grant agreement depend on other people’s signatures, so they need the most lead time. Packing is the last 10%.
What is the most common Erasmus paperwork mistake?
Leaving Learning Agreement changes until after the change deadline, and booking travel before the grant agreement is signed. Both are fixable only with luck; both are avoidable with order.
Do I need a visa for Erasmus?
EU citizens moving within the EU do not, though some countries require address registration after arrival. Non-EU students on Erasmus in Europe usually need a visa or residence permit — check your host country’s guide early, because appointments fill up.