Incoming Exchange Students

Frequently asked questions of exchange students who are coming from abroad to Salzburg.

Did not find a sufficient answer to your question? Make sure to join us during our digital office hours! You can find our opening hours and the meeting link here.

General Questions

  • Who do I contact in case of questions?
    Who you should contact depends on the type of question. Generally, requests can be categorized into administrative and academic requests.

    Administrative Coordinators assist you in your application process to PLUS as an exchange student and make sure all necessary bureaucratic steps are taken in time.

    Academic Coordinators (also sometimes referred to as Departmental Coordinators) assist you with requests regarding your actual studies at PLUS. This can range from questions about courses to providing assistance with and signatures on academic documents.

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    If you have administrative questions, please refer to your respective administrative coordinator:

    Erasmus+/SEMP (except CIVIS): Ms. Julia Stallinger

    CIVIS: Ms. Egzona Krasniqi

    Study Abroad: Ms. Elona Memisha-Schnappinger

    ISEP: Mr. Benjamin Gauss

    The International Office opening hours, online office hour dates/times and the MS Teams access link can all be found here.

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    If you have any academic questions, please get in contact with your academic coordinator that you will be assigned during your application process.

    Please note: The International Office administrative coordinators cannot provide assistance with questions regarding courses, course details, course selection, or academic documents (e.g. Learning Agreement). If you have not yet been assigned an academic coordinator but are already in need of one, please make sure to complete all required steps in your application to be assigned a coordinator.

  • What are the semester dates at PLUS?
    Please note that the full semester dates and the course period are not identical! Please list the course period as your study period at PLUS! The dates are the same every year.

    Winter Term:

    Course Period: October 1 until January 31

    Full semester (including the semester break): October 1 until February 28

    Summer Term:

    Course Period: March 1 until June 30

    Full semester (including the summer break): March 1 until September 30

    Orientation Period:

    The Orientation Weeks for Incoming Exchange Students always take place in the first two weeks before the beginning of the new semester. The first Orientation Week is always held online, the second Orientation Week takes place physically in Salzburg. Attendance is voluntary but highly recommended. Please find information on the Orientation Weeks of each semester here.

  • Do I need to know German to participate in an exchange?
    While most courses at PLUS are taught in German, we offer a broad range of courses and degree programmes in English only.

    You do not need to know German to participate in an exchange semester/year at PLUS, as long as you can find enough courses in English to fill your schedule!

    The required language level to participate in courses taught in any language is always CEFR level B2!
    Your language level is not being tested prior, and you do not need to provide proof of your language skills. However, it is your individual responsibility to keep up with the linguistic requirements of your courses!

  • How do I obtain health insurance?
    All long-term students at PLUS must provide sufficient health insurance coverage for their stay!

    Students from EU/EEA countries are required to have the European Health Insurance Card (e-card).

    For students from NON-EU/EEA countries, the following applies:

    1. Students that have a valid national health insurance in a country that has concluded a social insurance agreement with Austria have to bring along the A3 form for short stays, the A4 form for stays with primary residence (“Hauptwohnsitz” in German) in Austria. Both forms are available from the respective national health insurance provider and can be exchanged to a confirmation of insurance at the relevant Austrian health insurance provider (ÖGK) that entitles to medical treatment in Austria and can be presented at the residence authority. Social insurance agreements are currently in place with the following countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey.

    2. All other students have to purchase a travel insurance for the first two weeks of their stay in Salzburg and then purchase a  health insurance policy for students (“Studierendenselbstversicherung” in German) with the ÖGK after arrival and enrollment at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg. The approximate cost of this insurance coverage for students amounts to about EUR 69,13 per month (as of 2023).

  • Which transportation services are available in Salzburg?
    Salzburg is a walkable city! If you live in the city center, you might not need public transportation at all. If you require transportation services, though, we recommend the following:

    The main public transportation provider in Salzburg is  Salzburg Verkehr. You can acquire a semester or study year ticket for public transportation not just in the city, but the entire state of Salzburg on their  website. Requirement to purchase their semester ticket is the confirmation of your enrollment to PLUS, which you can download after completing your personal registration to PLUSOnline upon successful enrollment.

    You can further import your ticket and check the bus and train schedules on their  public transporation app.

    If you love nature as much as we do and are resistant to the seasons, you can also acquire a second-hand bicycle through  Willhaben, Austria’s second-hand private reseller page, or through one of the various bicycle rentals in the city, for a relatively good price. If you purchase a second-hand bike, you always have the option to sell it again on the same website.

  • Is there a way to connect with other (exchange) students?
    There are multiple ways to get to know other fellow exchange students or also local students!

    If you wish to connect with other exchange students, you can try to connect through the following platforms:

    1. You can check out this  Exchange Students Facebook Group!

    2. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) also hosts a  Facebook group.

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    If you wish to connect with local students, the following options are available to you:

    1. The PLUS hosts a buddy network, through which you get matched with a local student to be your buddy for the time being! Please register on the  Papaya Website and identify yourself with your full name. If you already have a PLUS e-mail account, please make sure to use this one. Otherwise, please use the e-mail that you also used to apply for your exchange semester/year.

    2. Both the ÖH (Austrian students union) and the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) offer various events throughout the year, through which you can connect with local students as well!

    3. You can always check out other Social Media Networks and see if your department/study field/etc. have e.g. a Facebook group or something similar to connect through.

    Please note that most of these networking opportunities are not in the hands of the International Office and can therefore not be monitored by us! These are merely recommendations that have proven to work out well for many previous exchange students.

    There are of course many other ways to connect with each other. These are merely a few out of many potential suggestions!

 

Study-Related Questions

  • Which language level do I need to participate in courses?
    The required language level to participate in courses taught in any language is always CEFR level B2!

    Your language level is not being tested prior, and you do not need to provide proof of your language skills. However, it is your individual responsibility to keep up with the linguistic requirements of your courses!

  • Where can I find the course register?
    1. You can find a list of courses taught in English per department here.

    2. If you wish to participate in courses that are taught in German or another language, please find the full, publically accessible course register  here. Please make sure to click “continue without login” to gain access!

    Please note that the list of courses taught in English is being updated constantly. The final course list for the respective winter term will only be up around mid-August. If you have to create a list of courses you would like to participate in before that, please use the course register of the previous study year as a guideline until the full new list is online.

  • I have questions about specific courses. Who do I ask?
    If you have questions about specific courses, you preferably get in touch with the respective lecturer directly. They will be able to provide you with the most precise answers!

    If you cannot find their contact address, please reach out to your academic coordinator.

    International Office staff cannot assist with questions about specific courses.

  • Why can I not register for courses?
    There might be a few reasons as to why you are encountering difficulties with course registration.

    1. You have not completed the enrollment: Make sure that you have completed the pre-registration, used your registration PIN-code, paid the ÖH fee (ca. 24 Euros), and the payment shows up as completed. Only upon successful payment of the student unions fee, you will be able to register for courses.

    2. The course period has not yet started or is already over: Make sure that you are trying to register within the course registration period. The registration periods can vary within the different departments! Therefore, please double-check in the course registration field whether you are trying to register in the correct timeframe. If you have missed the course registration period, please write an e-mail to the lecturer directly and inquire spot availability. Make sure to identify yourself as an exchange student when doing so.

    3. Your degree does not match the course registration profile: If you cannot register, because students from the degree you are enrolled in are not naturally able to register through the digital system, please reach out to the lecturer directly. They are able to add you to the participant list manually.

    4. Technical problems: If you are unable to register due to what seems to be a problem of technical nature, please reach out to our IT-support

  • Why am I on the waiting list of my courses?
    In almost all course types, except for lectures (labelled as VO or L), you are automatically waitlisted until the end of the registration period. Students are only assigned spots once the registration period has ended. This is because the system does NOT follow first-come-first-serve-principle.

    If the registration period is over and you are still waitlisted, please make sure to STILL attend the first session of the course. In this session, the final spots are assigned, and in almost all cases, students who attend that class, receive a spot. Missing the first session, on the other hand, can lead to you losing your spot in a course!

  • What can I do if I did not get a spot in my desired course(s)?
    If you did not get a spot in a desired course, please take the following steps:

    1. Contact the course lecturer and inform them you are an exchange student and require a spot.

    2. Even if you do not receive an answer to your previous contact attempt, attend the first session of the course.

    3. If you attended the first session and were still not assigned a spot in the course, contact your administrative coordinator.

    4. If administrative assistance was also unsuccessful, please choose an alternative course.

    Please note that in almost all cases, visiting the first session resolves any spot problems automatically. While you should have an alternative plan ready, it is only really needed in the rarest cases, as long as you stick to this order.

  • I missed the course registration period. Help!
    If you missed the course registration period, do not panic! Please follow these steps:

    1. Contact the course lecturer, inform them that you are an exchange student and were unable to register during the registration period but would like to attend their course.

    2. Even if you do not receive an answer to your contact attempt, visit the upcoming session of their course and talk to them personally.

    3. If the lecturer cannot provide you with a spot anymore at all, please find an alternative course.

    Please note: If you have missed the course registration period by more than two weeks, you will in almost all cases not be able to register to the courses anymore. This is due to students being required to participate in at least 80% of the course period (mandatory attendance regulation). However, almost all lectures (labelled as type VO or L) follow voluntary attendance principles and can be enrolled in throughout the entire semester. Therefore, if you were not able to enroll in a desired course and it is too late to enroll into another, you can try to find lectures that match your interest at any time during the semester (even during the exam period, if ECTS are required urgently!) instead. Simply register, as for any other course, in PLUSOnline and start attending the lecture. No further steps are needed.

  • Where can I find the contact data to my professors?
    If you are looking for contact data to your overall academic coordinator, please find it in your e-mail inbox (the e-mail address that you applied with). You are assigned an academic coordinator throughout your application process and receive their contact data via e-mail.

    If you wish to contact another professor for questions about their courses, etc., please find their contact data in the course descriptions of each respective course. You can additionally search for contact addresses of lecturers in PLUSOnline upon successful enrollment. In many cases, you can also find their contact on the public PLUS page of the respective department by searching their name via the search-function of our PLUS website.

  • How do I receive a Transcript of Records at the end of my stay?
    Once you have finalized all of your courses and all grades have been entered into the online system at the end of your stay, you can conveniently download and print your full transcript of records through your own PLUSOnline account!

    The document is automatically digitally signed on page three and legally valid in accordance with Austrian law.

    Each time a grade is added into the system, you can generate an updated version of your transcript. You can print as many transcripts as you want entirely on your own. Even after finalizing your studies, you will still have access to your PLUS account for about another year and can therefore, even months after studying at PLUS, still access and print your full transcript!

 

Erasmus-Specific Questions

Please note: This section only applies to students who are joining PLUS via the Erasmus+ exchange programme. If you join PLUS through another exchange programme, you can disregard the questions and documents discussed in this section!

  • How many ECTS do I need to complete during my stay?
    If you are an Erasmus+ Incoming student, please note that the general requirement for grant entitlement is the completion of 3 ECTS per started month of mobility.

    However, it might be that your university sets a higher standard for credit completion! In most cases, you should be able to find a precise quantitative answer in your Grant Agreement (the Erasmus+ scholarship contract). If you are still unsure, please contact your home university and inquire with them, how many credits will suffice for you.

  • Who signs my Learning Agreement?
    Only your academic coordinator can sign your learning agreement!

    Please note that International Office staff cannot replace your academic coordinator and can therefore not assist you with academic inquiries or signature requests. Administrative staff members are NOT legally entitled to sign academic documentation!

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    If you do not know who your academic coordinator is, please make sure of the following:

    1. You have completed all required application steps to be assigned an academic coordinator.

    2. If step 1 has been completed, please check your e-mail inbox for the name and contact address of your academic coordinator.

  • How do I make changes to my existing Learning Agreement?
    Most students have to make adaptations to their Learning Agreements shortly after the beginning of the course period. This is a normal and actually quite simple procedure:

    Before making any changes, please inquire with your academic coordinators on both ends whether your suggested changes are okay for them as well!

    1. Open your Learning Agreement (either in Word/PDF or via Erasmus Without Papers, depending on how you issued the first agreement)

    2. Go to the section “During the Mobility”

    3. In the section “During the Mobility”, note down all courses in table A that you either wish to delete or add. Note down the course number, title, ECTS, and tick whether the component is being added or deleted

    4. Once completed, either send the draft directly as a Word/PDF document to your academic coordinator, or submit it via Erasmus Without Paper for digital signature.

 

Administrative Questions

  • When is the Orientation Period for the upcoming semester?
    The current Orientation Week Programme can always be found under this link.

    Generally, the Orientation Week consists of a two-week programme:

    The first Orientation Week is online only – you do not need to be physically present in Salzburg!

    The second Orientation Week takes place in person in Salzburg. During this week, you get to pick up your student ID and finalize any other needed administrative steps.

    Attendance of both Orientation Weeks is voluntary! You are not required to attend, though we highly recommend it to finalize most bureaucratic steps.

  • When and where can I get my student ID?
    There are two ways to pick up your student ID:

    Option 1: You can pick up your student ID during our physical Orientation Week. The physical Orientation Week always takes place the week before the beginning of the upcoming semester (for winter term the last week of September, for summer term the last week of February).

    Option 2: If you cannot attend the Orientation Week, you can pick up your student ID in the International Office at the desk of your respective administrative coordinator upon scheduling an appointment with them. Please find contact data and opening hours here.

 

Technical Questions

  • Why can I not access my PLUSOnline e-mail account?
    There are two options as to why you might struggle setting up and accessing your PLUS e-mail account:

    1. Enrollment is incomplete: You might not have completed the enrollment procedure yet. Make sure you have finalized the pre-registration, received your PIN-code, set up your PLUSOnline account, paid the ÖH-fee (Austrian student union fee), and see that the payment has been completed in your PLUSOnline account.

    2. Two-Factor Authentication has not been set up: Please set up two-factor authentication to gain access to your e-mail account. You can find a tutorial on how to set up the authentication here.

    If you still encounter technical problems, please contact our IT-Support.

  • Where can I find my immatriculation number?
    Once you have received a PIN-code to finalize your enrollment to PLUS, you have multiple options to find your immatriculation number:

    1. On the letter with your PIN-code: In the very bottom of the document, listed as “your registration number“

    2. In your personal PLUSOnline account (e.g. in your personal student data, on your confirmation of enrollment, etc.)

  • How can I access WIFI (eduroam)?
    The Paris Lodron University of Salzburg is an eduroam partner.

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    If you wish to access eduroam through your PLUS account, please use the following data to log into your WIFI:

    E-Mail:

    Password: Your personal PLUS account password

    Please note that the e-mail for eduroam differs from the e-mail suffix of your general student e-mail address!

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    If you still encounter problems accessing WIFI, try the following tutorials

    If the tutorials do not provide a solution either, please contact our IT-Support.