FAQ programme
If you were accepted to the Global-MINDS programme this Q&A can be helpful for you. Please make sure you check the questions below before sending us any queries by e-mail.
VISA
Do I need a visa to study at Global-MINDS?
Depending on your country of origin and residence, your might need to apply for a visa to study in some or all of our partner countries. The process and requirements for the visa, vary in each destination country. Note that is your responsibility to check with the local embassies of the countries you need to travel to if you are required to have a visa and, if so, have clear the process and requirements that apply to your specific case. You are also responsible for covering the costs of all visa procedures.
Are there official documents I would need from the program coordinators before applying for a visa?
Yes, To apply for a visa, you will need the official acceptance letter from the programme and the letter of acceptance from your first academic institution (ISCTE or SWPS).
Do I need to apply for Visa in Ireland alongside Portuguese or Polish visa during the first semester?
No. Before the first semester, you only need to apply for a visa in the country where you will be studying (Portugal or Poland). During the first semester your might need to apply for the second visa to travel to Ireland or Norway. However, note that even if Ireland is not officially on your mobility path, you might need to apply for an Irish visa to attend the summer school hosted in Limerick.
When is it ideal to start the visa application process?
It is recommended to apply at least three months before your intended travel date. Make sure you have all the documents required before asking for an appointment. .
Do I have to apply for Temporary Residency Cards in all countries in the consortium?
You only need to apply for a visa and residence permit in the countries where you will be living and studying. Depending on the country where you are from, you might need to apply for both visas and residence permits. Usually, you need to apply first for a visa and then apply for a residence permit once you are installed in the country. The process to apply for visas and residence permits varies depending on the country you are applying to and your nationality. You are responsible for verifying with your local embassies if you need a residence permit in addition to your visa. We will provide you with guidance in due time.
What information should I be aware of when applying to the Polish visa?
- Date of arrival: Ideally, you should be in Warsaw before the start of the semester on September 18th.
- Date of departure: Although exams will end in mid-January, we suggest you specify a date by the end of January or later.
- Name and address of the inviting company/organisation: SWPS University, ul. Chodakowska 19/31, 03-815 Warsaw.
- Telephone and telefax of company organisation: + 48 22 103 26 30
- Address of inviting person or accomodation: You may not get a visa without proof of accommodation, please refer to the information on SWPS website on arranging housing https://english.swps.pl/programs/study-comfortably/accommodation
- Email of the person in contact of the organisation: rstanczewski@swps.edu.pl
- Cost of travelling and living duration the applicants stay is covered by: Family (if self-funded or partially funded student) or Scholarship Global MINDS (if full scholarship).
- You will need a hard copy of your enrollment certificate for your visa. You can request it from the SWPS admissions team after you have completed the online enrollment process. The issuing of the enrollment certificate usually takes around one week.
Can programme coordinators help me to speed up the visa process?
Unfortunately, we do not influence this process. We tried to contact the consulates in the past, but this was not useful.
If you are waiting for an appointment, we suggest checking the system and consulting the consulate regularly. Places may free up unexpectedly.
You should be able to set up an appointment based on the acceptance letter from any of our partner universities. You will need the insurance letter for the appointment but most probably not before.
The process might be different in every country. Therefore, you should follow the instructions from the consulate.
If you are refused a visa please notify us immediately as we will do our best to assist you in your appeal.
On my visa application, can I apply for more than one year since there is a chance that I might return to my first university after the summer school?
We advise you to ask for this information directly from the Portuguese or Polish consulate where you are applying to.
Historically, we have never had a student who received a visa for a period extending over one year. Usually students apply for a residence/study permit after they arrive in Europe so that they do not have to travel back to their home country for a new visa.
However, please rely on information from the consulate as there may have been an update of the rules that we are not aware about.
Administration
Should I expect a notification email from my first academic institution?
Yes. You will receive information about ISCTE or SWPS, including your acceptance letter and information to access the academic services in the institution.
What does my scholarship cover?
If you are a partial scholarship recipient, you are exempt from paying the tuition fees for the programme. However, you must pay all additional expenses to participate in the programme: Accommodation, travel, and living costs. If you are a full-scholarship recipient, besides being exempt from tuition fees, you will receive 1400 Euros per month. This includes all potential costs related to your mobilities between countries and monthly living expenses.
Where and when do we have to submit to Global MINDS our final degrees?
You can get a visa without having completed your bachelor but you will have to submit your bachelor’s degree to UL and SWPS or ISCTE by the time classes start, i.e. in September 2023.
Do we have to get a health Insurance?
The consortium will provide insurance for all participants of the programme, regardless of their scholarship status. However, the University of Limerick must issue a public tender to select the insurance provider. This may take some time.
Based on our recent communication, we have received assurances that the insurance should be finalized by the end of June.
Do we need to register to all partner universities?
As Global MINDS students you remain enrolled at the University of Limerick throughout the programme. However, you still need to register with partner universities, depending on your mobility path.
If you are a Path A student, you need to register with ISCTE.
If you are a Path B student, you need to register with SWPS. During the first semester, you will be asked to also register with the University of Oslo.
If you are a Path C student, you need to register with SWPS.
Do I need to pay registration fees?
If you are a full or partial scholarship holder, then you are exempt from all fees. None of the universities should ask you to pay any registration or tuition fees. If you are prompted to pay any fees, please let us know, as this is likely a system error.
If you are a self-financing student, you should pay all fees to the University of Limerick. You should not pay any fees to any of the partner universities.
How is the process to register to SWPS?
In order to comply with SWPS requirements, you need to register in the local student administration portal. You will first need to create an account here: https://rekrutacja.swps.pl/s/logUser/register?language=en_US
Once your account has been created, please enroll on the Global MINDS programme at SWPS via this link: https://rekrutacja.swps.pl/s/offer-selection?rev=a2b6M000004NnL4
If you run into any trouble, please contact admissions@swps.edu.pl
Please, always let them know you are a Global MINDS student when contacting them.
SWPS should not charge you any fees. If you are prompted for fees, let us know, as this is a system error.
Accomodation
Where can I find information about accommodation in my destination countries?
Accommodation options vary depending on the country you will be living in.
- For Warsaw please visit: https://english.swps.pl/programs/study-comfortably/accommodation
- For Oslo please visit: https://www.uio.no/english/student-life/services/sio-housing/
- For Lisbon please visit: https://erasmuslifehousing.com/
- For Limerick please visit: https://studentliving.ul.ie/index.jsp?p=116&n=129
Is there a housing crisis in ireland and if so, Will that become a problem for student accommodation?
Yes, Currently, there is a shortage of accommodation in Ireland. The programme will reserve housing in a student village for students in paths A and C during their second semester. It will be up to the students if they accept this offer or not. If not, it is the sole responsibility of the students to find their accommodation.
Funding
How to apply for the Erasmus+ Special Needs Support grants?
We received instructions from the UL Disability Services Office on how to best proceed in the case of special needs funding requests from Global MINDS students.
First, you should register with the Disability Services by logging on to the student portal and clicking the option to register with Disability Support Services. You should explain the type of the special needs and provide supporting documentation.
The Disability Services will help you estimate the cost of the necessary support. Please get back to us with the estimate bearing in mind that we would need it to reflect the entire duration of your enrolment in the programme (i.e. two years).
For more information, see here.
You can contact UL Disability Services via email at disabilityservices@ul.ie should you have questions for them.
Is there any additional information about external funding opportunities?
Unfortunately, we do not have any additional information on external scholarships beyond what is already listed here.
The information provided on our website is all that the scholarship providers have given us, and we do not have any control over the scholarship application process.
We suggest that you visit the official websites of the scholarship providers for more information. Alternatively, you can try contacting the scholarship providers directly to inquire about the application process and eligibility criteria.
Can I benefit from the Erasmus + Grants?
All students who don’t have the full scholarships can apply to the Erasmus mobility grants. This won’t apply in the first semester, but you can get it for the second semester onwards. First you can get a study semester grant from January till June (second semester). And then, you can get a traineeship grant to cover the second year – internship and thesis.
Please note that the decision to provide grants depends on the sending academic institutions, not the programme. The money received through these grants would cover only a part of your expenses, so you might still have to work part-time.
Work
As an international student from the Erasmus Program, will I be able to work part-time at the university or other places?
Once you get a student residence permit in any of our partner countries, you might be entitled to work a max of 20 hours per week during classes period and up to 40 hours during holidays. This permit will depend on the immigration office to which you are applying.
It is feasible to work while studying in the Global-MINDS Programme?
Working during the first year will be challenging but not impossible. Consider that it might take some time while you get your first job, and then you would need to move before the start of the second semester.
You have only four modules during the second semester because summer school is the fifth module. So there is much more chance to work and have continuity into the second year so that you can find something more long-term.
During the second year, you have much more freedom to work, and hopefully, you find a paid internship. The thesis work is mostly independent work, where you meet with your supervisor, and have some regular research lab meetings. Mostly online, and not every day. Thus this gives flexibility for part-time work.