Exchange Students

An exchange student can be defined as a student doing a limited period of study or training abroad (in the framework of ongoing studies at the home institution).

It definitely increases your linguistic and social skills and well as your maturity, confidance and self-esteem.

Having an International experience has a positive impact in your future career and it’s a mind opened for an increasingly global world.

Some advantages of an exchange period:

Linguistic skills development
Knowledge of new cultures;
Personal growth.

Incoming Students

To do an exchange you must be following studies at one of our partner institutions under the umbrella of an Inter-Institutional agreement (Erasmus +) or of a Cooperation Protocol.

You will need to apply through your own Higher Education Institution irrespective of the kind of mobility activity you are interested in. The International Office of your Institution will be able to inform you about the conditions to participate, details of the selection criteria and documents needed. Under no circumstances is it possible to do a partial period of study as a free mover, that is, outside the framework of an existing program or protocol.

Guide for Visa Procedure

What choices do I have

Erasmus +

It’s the most important exchange program covering a wide range of opportunities for students and teaching and non-teaching staff to study, to do teaching assignments or training abroad. It provides also additional opportunities under the previous Erasmus Mundus Program for full master’s degrees through scholarships for Joint Master Degrees. The program is covering now not only the EU countries, and a number of partner countries to regular Erasmus mobility or under ICM (International Credit Mobility).

Students interested in doing an Erasmus+ mobility period for studies in the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, must apply via their home university and there must be an agreement between the home university and IPLeiria. For a list of our Erasmus partner universities please take a look at the list of Agreements.

Nomination by the sending institution

The nomination it’s a document (can be made by e-mail), always from the home institution, which confirms that the student was selected by your institution to carry out a study period at IPLeiria. Applications received without the correspondent nomination will not be considered.

After IPLeiria receive your nomination you are able to start your application procedure.

Application dates:

1st Semester and one academic year: until May 31^th (applications after this date are accepted, but the approval of the Learning Agreement might not be ready before starting classes)
2nd Semester: until November 30^{th (applications after this date are accepted, but the approval of the Learning Agreement might not be ready before starting classes)}

It’s a form provided by the sending institution, which must be filled in by computer and properly signed and stamped by the home institution. All the courses taught at IPLeiria are available at https://www.ipleiria.pt/cursos/courses/.

Information about the subjects available for Erasmus+ incoming students in the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM) in the link https://www.ipleiria.pt/estm/exchange-students/.

Information about degrees and subjects must be given by the corresponding Coordinator in IPLeiria. All schools/departments have a Departmental Coordinator which is the contact person for exchange students on all academic matters. They are assisted by the International Office in IPLeiria’s headquarters and by extensions of this office in each School (see Contacts).

The coordinator is the only person that can inform if the subjects are available or not to Erasmus students.

Students should be aware that some changes on the LA’s will have to be done upon their arrival in Leiria depending on the instructions of the coordinators and the schedule of each subject.

Changes to the previous Learning Agreement can be made within one month after arrival, after permission of both institutions: the sending and the receiving.

Nomination by the sending institution
Learning Agreement
Scanned transcript of records of the previous semesters (if not in Portuguese or English, translated, signed and stamped by the sending institution);
1 photo (jpeg format);
Scanned Passport or ID document;
Scanned of valid European health insurance card

All the required documents must be sent before arriving in IPLeiria to the following e-mails: naide.martins@ipleiria.pt; internacional.esecs@ipleiria.pt; internacional.estg@ipleiria.pt; gamci.esad@ipleiria.pt; gac.estm@ipleiria.pt; tania.mota@ipleiria.pt and International and National Mobility Coordinator – coord.mob.esslei@ipleiria.pt (originals are not necessary)

Documents that prove the acceptance of the students in IPLeiria:

Acceptance letter – issued by IPLeiria proving that the student was accepted and which will be used for visa’s purposes (only if required);
Learning Agreement approved by IPLeiria – After signed and stamped by the Departmental Coordinator, Learning Agreement is sent by e-mail to the sending institution.

The acceptance letter for visa procedures will be sent only after the approval of the LA by the correspondent coordinator in IPLeiria and the reception of the language certificate.

As sooner as we receive the LA – to get it approved and signed by our coordinator – and the required certificate of language (by e-mail; original documents are not needed), early we’ll send the acceptance letter for visa procedures.

IPLeiria has seven student residences in the cities of Leiria, Caldas da Rainha and Peniche. It also has a School-Hotel and Pousadinha José Saramago, with a total of 740 beds. Any student can be lodged in the residences, although they are destined, preferably, to the scholarship students of IPLeiria’s Social Action Services.

Contacts of IPLeiria’s residences: sas@ipleiria.pt

More information: https://www.ipleiria.pt/sas/accomodations/

Accommodation in the city of Leiria:

Leiria also offers a variety of other residential options for students.

For more information:

Leiria Mobility Students Network
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/141408659221714/

Erasmus Leiria 2015/2016
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/684867464957940/

Erasmus Student Network Leiria
- https://www.facebook.com/esnleiria/

Hotel Leiria Classic

Casullo
- http://www.casulo.pt/en
Atlas Hostel
- http://www.atlashostel-leiria.com/
Bquarto:
- http://www.bquarto.pt/
Airbnb
- https://www.airbnb.pt/
Housinganywhere
- https://housinganywhere.com/
Second Option
- https://www.facebook.com/secondoption.leiria/?fref=ts
- www.secondoption.pt

Coming for the Autumn/Winter semester you should arrive by the beginning of September (at least one week before the starting of classes).

Coming for the Spring/Summer semester you should arrive by the beginning of February (at least one week before the starting of classes).

At your arrival you should meet the international responsible person for incoming students in the corresponding School.

In order to schedule the time to receive you, as soon as possible, you must inform the international responsible colleague about the date and the time of your arriving in IPLeiria.

Opening hours: 10 am- 12.30am.

IPLeiria will have a welcome day after the arrival of every students and you will be informed about the welcome day after your arrival to IPLeiria.

International Office

Polytechnic Institute of Leiria

Edifício Sede – Rua General Norton de Matos

Apartado 4133| 2411-901 Leiria | PORTUGAL

Email: naide.martins@ipleiria.pt | gmci@ipleiria.pt

Phone number: +351 244 860 448 | +351 244 830 010

www.ipleiria.pt

International Office in the Schools

School of Education and Social Sciences (ESECS), Leiria: Margarida Cerejo – internacional.esecs@ipleiria.pt

School of Technology and Management (ESTG), Leiria: Liliana Santinhos – internacional.estg@ipleiria.pt

School of Arts and Design (ESAD.CR), Caldas da Rainha: Sandra Ferreira – gamci@ipleiria.pt

School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM), Peniche: Helena Santos – gac.estm@ipleiria.pt

School of Health Sciences (ESSLei), Leiria: Tânia Mota – tania.mota@ipleiria.pt and International and National Mobility Coordinator – coord.mob.esslei@ipleiria.pt

Before returning home you need to have the following documents:

Confirmation letter – issued by IPLeiria with the respective mobility dates proving that the student completed the mobility program. It’s given to the student the day before leaving from Leiria;

Transcript of records / Grade Certificate – issued by IPLeiria with the marks obtained which will formalize the academic recognition at the home institution. Every student is entitled to an official Transcript of Records after having completed his studies in IPLeiria. The Transcript of Records will be send directly to the International Office of the sending institution;
Final exchange report (provided for the effect) – must be filled before the student returns their home country.

IPLeiria organizes a Portuguese Language Course for Erasmus Students in each semester. This course will be held on a b-learning modality to all students who are doing an international mobility at IPLeiria. This course will have indoor classes and e-learning classes using a specific web platform.

All the interested students will be informed about the registration procedure and specific information about this course (such as price, number of credits, …) in the beginning of each semester (after the arrival to IPLeiria).

It is strongly recommended that participants in transnational projects are in possession of a European Health Insurance Card. This is a free card that give access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and of the same costs (free in some countries, like UK) as people insured in their country.

More information on the card and on how to obtain it is available at the European Commission.

Students outside EU should have a certificate providing that are covered by a health insurance in your country.

Brazil

IPLeiria has a long tradition cooperating with Brazil, sharing ,as they do, the same language and common culture. Regarding Brazil IPLeiria has bilateral protocols with each institution. Students have to pay enrollment and tuition fees at their home institutions and are exempt of this expenses in IPLeiria, even though they have to pay their accommodation and food. The only exception to the rule is UNIVATES

Macau and China

Macau for historical reasons has a strong connection with Portugal and IPLeiria was always a step ahead seeing China as a strategic economic partner. We were pioneer in the course of translation Portuguese-Chinese and Chinese-Portuguese, especially in the unique characteristics it has.

Africa

Promote activities on the continent through cooperation for development, providing assistance and strenghten unity and friendship within the scope of cultural diversity.

Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Bielorrússia

The partner countries form the ex-russian federation are very important for the EU, mainly in what concerns its politics with neighbouring countries. IPLeiria is now implementing the protocols within the scope of dual and join degree, Erasmus Mundus projects or merely bilateral exchanges.

ADA University (Azerbaijan)
Azerbaijan State Agricultural University (Azerbaijan)
Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (Azerbaijan)
Technical University of Moldova (Moldova)
State Engineering University of Armenia (Armenia)
Polotsk State University (Bielorússia)
Brest State Technical University (Bielorrússia)

Outgoing Students

Erasmus +

You may find all information regarding this programe on our mobility page.

Brazil

IPLeiria has a long tradition cooperating with Brazil, sharing ,as they do, the some language and common culture. Regarding Brazil IPLeiria has bilateral protocols with each institution. Students have to pay enrollment and tuition fees at their home institutions and are exempt of this expenses in IPLeiria, even though they have to pay their accommodation and food. The only exception to the rule is UNIVATES

Macau and China

Africa

Promote activities on the continent through cooperation for development, providing assistance and strenghten unity an friendship within the scope of cultural diversity.

Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Bielorrússia

ADA University (Azerbaijan)
Azerbaijan State Agricultural University (Azerbaijan)
Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (Azerbaijan)
Technical University of Moldova (Moldova)
State Engineering University of Armenia (Armenia)
Polotsk State University (Bielorússia)
Brest State Technical University (Bielorrússia)

Double Degrees

The RETHINKe it is an innovative project in the frame of the European Programme Tempus IV – Joint Projects/Structural Measures, called RETHINKe – Reform of Education THru INternational Knowledge Exchange. The major novelty of the double degrees is the use of a new instrument to enable participants to do a mobility period in one of the partners Higher Education Institutions (Outgoing students in Polotsk State University ,Belarus, and Technical University of Moldova, in Moldova and Incoming students in IPLeiria) in an exchanging mobility environment, with the unique possibility to attend one study programme and receive two final Master Diplomas issued by both universities- home and host.

You may find more information here.