The planning process of internship abroad demands initiative and organizational efforts.

As a starting point, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• When do I want to go abroad?
• Where do I want to go?
• How do I get there?

When?

You have the possibility to do the internship either during semester break or during the semester (depending on the duration you may apply for a semester on leave). For Bachelor students, the internship is recommended from the third semester on, for Master students already from the first semester on.

You should think about how the internships fits into your study planning, time wise as well as content wise. For further questions, for instance about the transfer of credits, contact your faculty’s contact person for international affairs. 

Where?

When choosing the country and working field of your internship, consider the fact that organizing internships overseas often is an elaborate and expensive process, as you need various documents like visa requests and work permits. EU-citizens applying for internship within Europe do not need these documents.

How?

When searching for an internship you have various possibilities, for example

• Organizing and financing the internship on your own
• Consult placement agencies
• Apply for a scholarship program

Further Steps

Depending on the country and your individual internship requirements, you should consider the following aspects:

• Finding an internship: first contact / Application process
• Financing: Application for Scholarship programs 
• Language Skills (language courses, tandem partners, online classes)
• Visa and Work Permit
• Insurance Coverage
• Accommodation on site
• Information on transfer of credits (Faculty Department/ Examination Office at Goethe University)