Prepare for your departure

Dormitories

It is important to apply for housing on time (preferably, on the first day of the designated period), as the number of places in dormitories is limited, and partner universities cannot always guarantee places for everyone. ‘First come, first served’ approach usually applies. You can find all the information on the host university website and check with the mobility coordinator.

Accommodation aggregators

A lot of universities do not provide dormitories. In this case, students look for housing via special online systems and services, such as Airbnb, Uniplaces, Housinanywhere, Spotahome.

NB: Please pay attention whether there is a deposit, additional tax fees, whether utilities are included, and whether there are platform fee discounts for students.

Local housing websites

In Italy, for example, these are https://www.idealista.it/ru/ and https://www.immobiliare.it/ru/

The minimum rental period on such websites is usually from 6 months, but you can find offers from 1-3 months.

The host university e- groups

You can usually google them, find them on the host university official website or ask the mobility coordinators. Please be careful and beware of scammers.

The host university ESN section

ESN (Erasmus Student Network) – is an international student organization that helps international students to adapt at the host university. Their motto is ‘Students help students’. They organize orientation sessions, trips around the country, various festivals and other events, share advice, so do not be afraid to ask them for help in finding housing. You can find contact information for the ESN branch in your university/city on the website or contact the coordinator at the host university.

And a few more tips:

• Start looking for accommodation in advance, ideally as soon as you receive your Acceptance letter at the host university. Thus, you are likely to have better housing options in terms of price, location and conditions. Note that the choice is especially limited in small towns.

• Try to look not only for apartments, but also for rooms.

• Consider different check-in/out dates, perhaps the apartment you are interested in is occupied now but will be free a week after your expected check-in date. Consider splitting the whole “long” mobility period into parts: first stay in one apartment, and later on move to another.

• Team up with other exchange students in the same city to look for accommodation together.

• Ask for housing advice from former exchange students.

Before arriving at the host university, find out in advance how to get to the city where the university is located, what kind of transport you can get there by, and its schedule.

Find out in advance at the host university whether you can apply for a buddy or a similar service that helps international students settle into the local life. If you are going to a city where there is no airport and you need to travel by train, contact your buddy, who might be able to meet you at the airport / train station and help you with purchasing a ticket. If the host university does not provide such service, please contact SIMO-Student International Mobility Office at studyabroad@hse.ru: it is possible that one of the international exchange students at HSE University will want to become your buddy when you arrive at their home university.

CIS countries

In the CIS countries, you can get from the airport to the host university by taxi at an affordable price. You can use Yandex.Taxi/Gett-taxi or the official airport taxi service (in Yerevan, for example). You can use such map apps as Yandex, 2GIS here. Search for more applications on the Internet.

One bus / trolley bus trip in cities of the CIS countries will cost you about 20 rubles, and a taxi here, as noted above, is much cheaper than in Moscow.

Europe

Please note that taxis in Europe are very expensive (from 60 euros for a few minutes), so you need to get used to public transport.

There are student discounts and special transport apps in many countries, where you can check routes, timetables and stops. For example, DB Navigator for Germany, SNCF/Oui for France, etc.

Be sure to check with the host university whether your host university student card is valid as a travel card and in which regions of the country. In regions where you need a ticket, you can buy it at a train station or on the app. Find out information about season tickets, it is usually more beneficial. On some buses/trams you can buy a ticket from a driver, but this is quite rare. Ticket inspectors can enter the transport at any time and check your ticket, so make sure you validate your ticket every time you board on.

You’d better choose trains to travel between different cities. There are ordinary and high-speed trains (in Germany, high-speed ICE trains). Tickets for high-speed trains are much more expensive, but you can also get to any point if you wish by regional (regular) trains, but with transfers.

Check with the host university what insurance policy you need to purchase.

Find out in advance whether the host university has its own clinic and how it works: whether there is a doctor at the university, what you should do in emergency situations, how to call an ambulance. If the host university has no clinic, ask your insurance company in what medical institutions you can seek help if you need it during mobility.

CIS countries

Find out in advance if the host university has its own clinic and how it works. For example, at Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (Belarus) there is a medical center where you can get free medical care.

As for medications, in the CIS countries you can easily buy most of them, but the names may differ from those used in Russia or your country of origin.

Europe

If you need an insurance policy for a German university, you can use the Fintiba+ service, which, apart from insurance, will help you to prepare documents for visa application, including opening a blocked bank account. In addition to this service, you can contact any insurance company in the city of the host university to get insurance. An insurance policy usually costs about 50 euros per month. If you purchase insurance through services such as Fintiba+, it is important to activate it. You will find detailed instructions on the website. In Germany, mostly state insurance is required, but if you purchase insurance from a private company, you can go to any insurance company in the city, where you will confirm its validity, which means that this insurance is equivalent to the state insurance.

In case of illness, you can contact the clinic at your university or any other clinic by presenting your medical insurance (a document or a screenshot). Sometimes your insurance can cover free medications as well. If you call an ambulance, paramedics can get the number of your insurance by your full name.

We recommend taking as much medication as you are allowed to from Russia, for example, antibiotics, medicines for influenza, painkillers, antipyretics and other medicines that may be needed during your mobility. In Europe, you will need a doctor's prescription to buy most medications.

Basic medications in the CIS countries can be purchased without a doctor's prescription, and in Armenia, for example, you can buy a few pills instead of the whole pack.

CIS countries

Besdies local operators in the CIS countries, there is also Beeline (for example, in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan), Tele-2 (in Kazakhstan), MTS (in Armenia, Belarus). The average cost of the Internet varies between 500-1500 rubles per month.

Europe

Please note that the Internet is more expensive in Europe than in Russia. Check out popular mobile operators, for example, Vodafone. You can also inquire about student mobile phone plans at the international office of the host university. To obtain a SIM card, you should conclude a contract. NB: Pay attention to the terms of the contract, look for a contract that can be terminated at any time without reference to any specific period.