Internship abroad

An internship abroad gives you the opportunity to get really close to a different company culture and learn different ways of working and solving problems.

You get the chance to build an international network, and you will get practical international experience for your CV. 

One of the first things to do, when considering an internship abroad, is to get an overview of the process and timeline, where do you start and what do you need to do. You can do an internship in almost any part of the world, as long as the company and the learning objectives are approved by your internship coordinator.

Information about approval of internships, deadlines, examples of learning objectives in an internship agreement, how to fill in the internship agreement, the name of your internship coordinator/supervisor is available through your programme or on Canvas, so you will also need to read that when starting your process of finding an internship abroad.

If you are a first-semester student, you may also want to look up information on dates, as well as the duration of the internship, plus the deadline for your internship approval. You need to have passed all of your exams by the time your internship starts.

Most Study programmes at Business Academy Aarhus have an obligatory 12-week internship period (15 ECTS). Exemptions to this is our laborant programme, where the internship period is 10 months. 

You can only get an internship period approved for the obligatory weeks. If you choose to stay longer with the internship company, this is considered as your "own" spare time (and you will not be able to apply for i.e. the Erasmus+ grant for a longer period than the obligatory Business Academy Aarhus internship period). 

The majority of internship periods on all programmes either start in August or January, but you will need to check your curriculum to confirm that this is correct for your programme.

Knowing where and how to start looking for an internship abroad can be confusing, but you can find tips and tricks as well as an overview of the process in our Step-by-Step overview below, which provides a general overview of all the things you need to do/consider when planning an internship abroad. Some of the steps are explained in more detail.

You will also have to look at your programme’s curriculum, and you will have to read the relevant parts in this guide in order to find more detailed information. 

Make a time schedule for yourself - it is recommended to start looking for an internship abroad at least 6 months in advance, especially if you need to get a VISA for some countries, which may take up to 3 months.

See an overview on how to get an internship abroad and read all about it below:

​How to find an internship company?

You can take your compulsory internship in companies all over the world. You are responsible for investigating your possibilities and planning an internship abroad that supports your career plans.

It is up to you to agree with a company abroad, but you can get help from internship agents who match students with companies seeking interns.

Information on finding an internship company

Practical information

Information on insurance, vaccines and visa

Expenses and financing

Information on costs and financing  

Student's story: Matiss went to China to do his internship

Matiss Zarins chose to his internship at a makerspace in Shenzhen - China’s booming centre for technological innovation. But he had an unexpected start. 

Read Matiss' internship story

Find a company

If you want an internship abroad, you need to start looking early to find an internship company. It is your responsibility to find an internship company that suits you.

When you need to find a company, you can for example:

  • Look for internship possibilities abroad on the Job- and Internship Portal
  • Search a database for companies abroad - get help from the library
  • Ask your internship coordinator to put you in touch with students who have done their internships abroad
  • Check these lists with companies that have had an internship agreement with former students Internship companies abroad 2020-2023 (pdf) (Please be aware that you still need to check the quality of the internship company)
  • Search the Erasmus Intern Traineeship Portal that has been developed by a network of Erasmus students.

Send CV & application

When you have a list of potential internship companies, send them a good CV and an application. You will be surprised how effective it is.

The internship coordinator for your programme can give you a list of foreign companies that have previously had students as interns from your programme.

Be aware that there are a number of requirements for an internship company (pdf)

Find additional information for your company on baaa.dk/internship

Get help from internship agents

You can get help finding an international company from internship agents. An internship agent is a company that specialises in helping students find internships abroad.

There are many different agents that can help. At the Academy, we have experience with these agents.

Practical information

Expenses and financing

Travel and accommodation costs will vary according to location, the method of travel and your own lifestyle. 

If you prepare your stay in detail you will be able to minimise any additional costs that may be associated with a stay abroad.

​When you do an internship abroad as part of your studies, you have a number of options to cover your expenses:

For Erasmus+ financing, you must apply at least 5 weeks before departure if you want the money before you leave. International students will not get Erasmus funding if they do an internship in their home country as we want to encourage new cultural exchanges.

Erasmus+ internship grant

You may be able to get an Erasmus+ Internship grant if you are going abroad to do an internship. You cannot get an Erasmus grant if you are doing an internship in your own company.

Most of our grants are dedicated to internships in the EU, but a few grants are also available for internships outside the EU. Those grants are given on a first-come, first-served basis.​

You must apply for the Erasmus+ grant at least five weeks before you start your internship, but only once your internship agreement has been signed. We need time for you to send the required documents, buy insurance, etc. Applications made​ later than this will only be considered if we have any grants left. We will contact you directly with an answer.

  • If your internship starts in the spring semester, the deadline is December 1.
  • If your internship starts in the autumn semester, the deadline is July 1. 

Erasmus recent graduate

Are you about to graduate from a BA or a BA top-up programme? Then you might be able to do an Erasmus+ internship once you are finished at the Academy!

Recent higher education graduates (Bachelor level only) may participate in an internship in an Erasmus+ programme country.

You have to apply and be approved by the International Office and your internship coordinator during your last semester of study and no later than one month before you finish your studies (hand-in of final paper or last exam). You have to complete the internship within one year of graduating.

We have a limited amount of funding available, so we reserve the right to decline any applications.

Practical information for Erasmus+ recent graduate grant:

  • You have to find your internship yourself outside of Denmark, international students will not get a grant if they travel to their home country
  • You have to have a signed contract at least one month before you finish your studies (hand-in of final paper or last exam).
  • You must apply for the Erasmus+ internship grant before the above-mentioned deadline.
  • If you have already done an Erasmus+ exchange during your study period (AP or top-up), the duration of that will be deducted from the time allowed for the recent graduate internship.
  • The grant size depends on the host country and the length of the internship. The internship has to be for at least 2 months.
  • You do not need to receive ECTS for the internship as you have already ended your studies when the internship ends. However, the internship does need to be approved by your internship coordinator and must be relevant to your programme.
  • Your internship company must evaluate you after the end of your internship period.
  • You can only do the recent graduate internship after you have completed your bachelor's degree or bachelor's top-up programme.
  • The Erasmus+ grant is subject to requirements such as language tests and an evaluation after the internship. If these are not fulfilled, the grant will be reclaimed.

Do you have any questions?

Sharon Wilkins

Position

Head of International Relations