FAQ
FAQ student mobility policy regarding the corona virus
Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions about Radboud University’s current student mobility policy.
Questions about general conditions and travelling abroad
Questions about interim changes to the travel advice
Questions about grant retention and cost compensation in case of cancellation
Questions about general conditions and travelling abroad
I am leaving for my approved stay abroad while my destination is colour green/yellow. What do I need to do?
You do not need to take any additional steps, besides submitting the usual documents on time and carefully going through all the information. We wish you a pleasant stay abroad!
My destination has an orange travel advice due to covid-19. Am I allowed to I travel abroad anyway?
Yes, you may travel abroad, on condition that you sign and submit an Own Risk Declaration form (pdf, 124 kB), in addition to the usual documents, to Student Life and International Mobility, 2 weeks before the start of your stay abroad at the latest. We require this document so you are aware of and accept the elevated risks of your destination. If you do not submit this document in time, you do not have permission to start your programme abroad and the consequences apply as mentioned under the question "My destination has a red travel advice. Am I allowed to travel abroad anyway?" Please note: The elevated risks (pdf, 142 kB) could concern your financial situation, your study progress, your health, and other important facets. Please consider your choice carefully.
My destination has an orange travel advice due to other reasons than covid-19. Am I allowed to I travel abroad anyway?
See answer below.
My destination has a red travel advice. Am I allowed to travel abroad anyway?
No, you are not allowed to travel abroad. If you do not meet our requirements and still decide to travel abroad, you will do so as a private person.
In that case the following consequences will apply (when applicable:)
- The credits obtained at the foreign institution will not be recognized at Radboud University;
- You will not be eligible for any form of funding from Radboud University;
- In the case of a study exchange: you will have to pay tuition fees to your host institution.
If you have already received an advance on your grant, you will have to return this in full. Please note: Student Life and International Mobility will under no circumstance provide grants if you travel abroad while not meeting the set requirements.
Questions about interim changes to the travel advice
The colour code of my travel destination has changed before departure or during my stay abroad from orange to green/yellow. What do I need to do?
You do not need to take any additional actions at this time.
The colour code of my travel destination has changed from green/yellow to orange due to covid-19 before departure. Can I still go?
Yes, you may travel abroad, on condition that you sign and submit an Own Risk Declaration form (pdf, 124 kB) in addition to the usual documents, to Student Life and International Mobility, 2 weeks before the start of your stay abroad at the latest. We require this document so you are aware of and accept the elevated risks of your destination. If you do not submit this document in time, you do not have permission to start your programme abroad and the consequences apply as mentioned under the question "My destination has a red travel advice. Am I allowed to travel abroad anyway?" Please note: The elevated risks (pdf, 142 kB) could concern your financial situation, your study progress, your health, and other important facets. Please consider your choice carefully.
In case you decide to not sign the Own Risk Declaration form and to not go abroad due to the changed travel advice to orange due to covid-19, please see the response to the question "I have incurred costs for my stay abroad, but it cannot go ahead because I do not meet the conditions prior to my stay abroad. What happens to my grant and am I eligible for compensation for incurred costs?" as this might be applicable to you then.
The colour code of my travel destination has changed from green/yellow to orange due to covid-19 during my stay abroad. What do I need to do?
In case the colour code has changed to orange due to covid-19 because you are, for example, at a higher risk for infection in your host country, you may consider returning to the Netherlands/your home country and possibly continue your exchange online. If you do decide to return home because of this reason (departed under code green/yellow but colour code changed to orange due to covid-19 during your stay), you could be eligible for ‘force majeure’ and retain your right to keep the grant that you applied for in full. Please contact Student Life and International Mobility for more information and to check your eligibility.
You are also allowed to continue your programme in your host country. However, in that case, you should sign and submit the Own Risk Declaration form (pdf, 124 kB) to Student Life and Mobility within two weeks of the change in colour code. Before you decide to stay, carefully consider the elevated risks (pdf, 142 kB) you would be taking. Staying in your host country would be at your own risk. If you submit the Own Risk Declaration form in time, you will retain the grant that you applied for in full for the duration of your stay abroad. Furthermore, you would not need to pay tuition fee to your host institution (if applicable) and you would also retain your credits (provided that your Examination Board has approved the credits of your stay abroad in advance).
Questions about grant retention and cost compensation in case of cancellation
I have incurred costs for my stay abroad, but it cannot go ahead because the travel advice of my destination has changed from green/yellow to orange (due to covid-19) and for that reason, I have decided to cancel my stay abroad. What happens to my grant and am I eligible for compensation for incurred costs?
See answer below.
I have incurred costs for my stay abroad, but it cannot go ahead because I do not meet the conditions prior to my stay abroad. What happens to my grant and am I eligible for compensation for incurred costs?
If you do not meet the set requirements prior to departure, your grant will be cancelled. If you have already received an advance, you will have to pay it back in full. However, you may be eligible for compensation of your incurred costs, which we will then deduct from your grant's advance payment if applicable. Whether you are eligible very much depends on the active colour code during which you incurred these costs.
Costs incurred under colour code yellow/green
Costs made within 3 months before departure at the time of colour code green/yellow can be compensated up to a maximum of your total grant amount (see Grant Agreement) in the event that your stay abroad is cancelled beforehand due to force majeure. This is provided that you have signed your Grant Agreement and have taken out adequate insurance.
Costs incurred under colour code orange
Unfortunately, there is no compensation scheme for costs incurred under code orange. Therefore, postpone the making of (non-refundable) costs as long as possible. Look at the travel advice 3 months before departure to assess whether it is still realistic that your stay abroad can take place. If the travel advice is orange 3 months before departure, you may continue your preparations and incur costs at your own risk, but think about this carefully, as we cannot compensate any costs made under code orange in case your stay abroad is cancelled.
I have decided to return to the Netherlands/my home country because the colour code has changed from green/yellow to orange (due to covid-19) during my stay abroad. What happens to my grant and incurred costs?
If you travelled abroad with colour code green/yellow, you can retain the grant you applied for in full through the Force Majeure scheme, as described in your Grant Agreement. Please contact Student Life and International Mobility. Do you have an Erasmus+ grant? It may be possible to apply for additional compensation for the accommodation costs abroad. We will inform you about the accommodation costs compensation as soon as it applies to you. In order to be eligible for this compensation, you must be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient insurance in accordance with the conditions in your Grant Agreement.
I travelled abroad while the travel advice for my destination was orange due to covid-19, and I signed the Own Risk Declaration form. Once abroad, however, I decided I wanted to return to the Netherlands/my home country. What happens to my grant and incurred costs?
If you travelled abroad during colour code orange, you will unfortunately not be able to retain your (entire) grant. Do you meet the minimum duration of your stay abroad according to the grant conditions? Then you can keep the grant amount for the period of time of your programme abroad before leaving. If your advance payment was already higher than that, you will have to repay the remaining amount. Do you not meet the minimum duration according to the grant conditions? Then you have to pay back the full advance of your grant already received. You are not eligible for compensation for (accommodation) costs incurred. Going abroad under code orange therefore entails a greater (financial) risk!
My destination is and has been code green/yellow but I decide that I would rather cancel my stay abroad anyway or return to the Netherlands/my home country. What happens to my grant and incurred costs?
Considering this is a personal decision to withdraw from your programme abroad even though you do have permission from Radboud University to start or continue your stay abroad based on the green/yellow travel advice, you are not eligible for compensation of the incurred costs. Any advance payment of your grant will need to be repaid in full.
In case you are already abroad and decide to return during code green/yellow, you are unfortunately not eligible to retain your grant in full. Do you meet the minimum duration of your stay abroad according to the grant conditions? Then you can keep the grant amount for the period of time of your programme abroad before leaving. If your advance payment was already higher than that, you will have to repay the remaining amount. Do you not meet the minimum duration according to the grant conditions? Then you have to repay the advance payment already received.
I have travelled abroad under code green/yellow or under code orange (due to covid-19) and after signing the Own Risk Declaration form, but once abroad, my destination receives code orange due to a different reason than covid-19 or even code red. What happens to my grant and incurred costs?
In this case, it is likely that something serious not related to covid-19 is going in your host country, triggering the change in travel advice. We will then strongly recommend you to return to the Netherlands/your home country. You may also be eligible to keep the grant that you applied for in full according to 'Force Majeure'. Contact Student Life and International Mobility for more information in this case.