International trainees

The Erasmus term is traineeship. Other terms used are placement and internship.

The type of traineeship students request varies. It could be a programme student at another EU university who is taking a 15-credit placement course and wants to do it abroad. It can also be a student who wants to do their thesis abroad. In these cases, the student is registered on the course at their home university and has their main supervisor there, but has a secondary supervisor at SLU. It can also be a student who wants to take part in a research project, or simply spend some time working in an administrative division.

There are no formal language requirements for incoming trainees, as the admission process is not a formal one like for programmes and courses. However, there is a general recommendation for English at the B2 level, equivalent to Eng 6.

The Mobility Team does not provide scholarships for trainees. As a traineeship host, you are not obliged to pay a salary, but if you wish to do so, it can be combined with the Erasmus grant.

Please remember that under EU rules, Erasmus trainees are not allowed to study during their traineeship. The trainee must therefore not be admitted and registered in Ladok and will not receive any credits from SLU.

As a traineeship host, you are responsible for the following:

• Appoint a supervisor, who can, of course, be yourself.
• Arrange a desk, access card and SLU account. Contact the catalogue manager at your department and ask them to register the trainee in Omada (formerly Idis). Ask for the person to be registered as an International trainee student. A note/comment with important information, such as the name of the supervisor, should be added. Once they are registered, the trainee can go to the service centre to collect their access card and login details.
• Ensure that premises, tools, working methods and handling of hazardous substances fulfil basic requirements for a safe working environment.
• Write a signed invitation letter to the trainee, stating that insurance is included. This is particularly important if the applicant comes from a non-EU country and needs to apply for a residence permit. A template is available here: Invitation letter for traineeship. 
• Sign the learning agreement if the applicant needs it. The learning agreement is provided by the trainee's home university, but needs to be signed by the host university for the student to receive their grant.
  
  As the host university is responsible for the trainee and has most of the contact with them, the Mobility Team does not sign learning agreements. However, you can contact us for advice, for example on documentation requirements. The SLU Erasmus code is S UPPSALA02 (for all campuses) if this is to be specified. For the questions on accident insurance, please fill in YES. Similarly, fill in YES for Liability Insurance.

The staff web has more information on insurance schemes at SLU. International trainees at SLU who are not registered in Ladok are covered by the Insurance for Foreign Visitors. This is a collective insurance policy for those invited by SLU to do a traineeship here. This means that the department does not need to arrange or pay for individual insurance.

The insurance for foreign visitors covers accidents and illness requiring emergency care in Sweden, 24 hours a day. It also includes liability cover. Insurance terms and additional information are available on the Kammarkollegiet website: Terms and conditions – insurance for foreign visitors 2025.

Trainees from EU countries should be encouraged to bring their European health insurance card, which entitles them to essential medical and dental care under the same conditions and at the same cost as those insured in Sweden.

Information on these topics can be found on the page Incoming traineeship/internship.

Once the trainee has completed the traineeship, the supervisor may be asked to sign a traineeship certificate, which the trainee receives from their home university.  It is entirely up to the student's home university to assess and award any credits for the traineeship.

Veterinary medicine and veterinary nurse students who want to do clinical practice at SLU (take a clinical course) should contact the coordinator at their home university. If SLU has an agreement with that university, they can apply to SLU as exchange students, as exchange students are admitted to and registered on a course in Ladok. More information for veterinary students.