Dear Student,

Congratulations on having been selected as an exchange student for the Polytechnic of Rijeka!

We would like to provide you with some additional information about the academic calendar, courses, application procedure, admission, visa, residence permit, health insurance and accommodation.

Erasmus Welcome Day for students enrolling A.Y. 2023/2024 will be held on October 03, 2023. Incoming students will receive email with all required information. 

KEY DATA VELERI 2023/2024 POLYTECHNIC OF RIJEKA STUDENT GUIDE 2022

Nomination deadlines - Erasmus+:
1st June – for the winter semester / whole academic year
1st November – for the summer semester

Application deadlines – Erasmus+:
15 June - for the winter semester / whole academic year
15 December - for the summer semester

VELERI ACADEMIC CALENDAR

1^st semester (winter): early October – late January

2^nd semester (summer): early March – late June

Examination period: February, late June, early July

COURSES SELECTION courses are held in the Croatian language, and for incoming foreign Erasmus+/CEEPUS students are carried out in English in the form of consultancies with professors of the chosen subjects.  

APPLICATION PROCEDURE In order to apply for admission at the Polytechnic of Rijeka you need to fill in the

Application Form (online) with all relevant documents (scan).

Note that your home coordinator needs to sign and seal the Erasmus Student Application form (the part referring to the sending institution), confirming your student status at your university, your nomination for the exchange programme and your sufficient knowledge of English.

The VELERI departments decide upon the feasibility of proposed study programmes and bring a final decision on whether Erasmus students will be accepted.

ADMISSION

After the deadlines, the VELERI International Relations Office will send an Acceptance Letter and information on living and studying in Rijeka to all students who submitted complete applications and were formally accepted by VELERI department.

VISA

You will not need a visa for travelling within the EU if you are a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

Nationals of countries subject to the visa requirement need to procure an entry visa for Croatia. Detailed information on visas (contacts, procedures) can be found on the website of Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs: The visa application must be submitted to the diplomatic mission or consulate of the Republic of Croatia in the foreign national's home country, well before arrival to Croatia.

• NOTE: The processing of a visa application may take several weeks or even months, therefore you are advised to file your application at the earliest possible date.

RESIDENCE PERMIT

Hotels and student dormitories register their foreign guests with the Primorsko-Goranska County Police Administration. Foreign citizens (except from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland citizens) staying at an apartment should register their address or change of address in person at the Primorsko-Goranska County Police Administration within forty-eight hours upon arrival (weekends excluded).

EU citizens and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland need to apply for a residence permit in person at the Primorsko-Goranska County Police Administration within 3 months upon arrival to the Republic of Croatia.

Please check the instructions in the Polytechnic of Rijeka International Office, in order to prepare all required documents before coming to Croatia!

All information related to short-term and temporary stay in Croatia can be found at the following address:

Ministry of Interior

Primorsko-Goranska County Police Administration

Department for Foreigners

Trg žrtava fašizma 3, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia

Tel: (0)51 430 333

HEALTH INSURANCE

All foreign students must have health insurance during their stay in Croatia. For non-EU citizens health insurance is also a prerequisite for the approval of a temporary stay. The best option is to enrol in an insurance plan in the home country that covers one's stay in Croatia. They may use international health insurance from their home country or choose to be insured at the health insurance company of their choice.

EU citizens and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland may apply for the European Health Insurance Card (or EHIC) at the health service institute in their own country, before departure for Croatia.

The European Health Insurance Card is issued free of charge and allows anyone who is insured by or covered by a statutory social security scheme of the EU to receive medical treatment in another member state for free or at a reduced cost if that treatment becomes necessary during their visit. It will cover you for treatment that is needed to allow you to continue your stay until your planned return. The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare. Therefore, it is advisable to have both an EHIC and a valid private travel insurance policy.

Non-EU countries with health care agreements with Croatia: If there is a signed bilateral health care agreement between your home country and Croatia, ask for the bilingual form (tiskanica) to be filled in and stamped by your health insurance company. The form should then be presented to the Croatian Health Insurance Company (Hrvatski zavod za zdravstveno osiguranje, http://www.hzzo.hr/en/), which will issue a health insurance document valid in Croatia (bolesnički list). E.g., Croatia has entered into agreements on social security with the following non-EU countries participating in CEEPUS: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

Countries without health care agreements with Croatia and without the European Health Insurance Card: Students coming from countries that do not have bilateral health care agreements with Croatia or that do not use the European Health Insurance Card are obliged to organise and cover the costs of health care services by themselves. We recommend that you organise travel insurance before your mobility. Any health insurance expenses for scholarship holders from these countries will not be covered by the CEEPUS scholarship.

ACCOMMODATION

Polytechnic of Rijeka does not guarantee accommodation. However, there are some options that you can use to find your own accommodation:

1. Accommodation in Student Dormitories of the University of Rijeka

https://www.scri.uniri.hr/smjestaj/smjestaj-erasmus

All rooms have free Internet access. Life in Student Dormitories is organised on the basis of students' needs and requests, including a very good standard of living, nutrition, and cultural and sports events. The rooms are given to students on a "first come first serve" basis.

3. Hotels

Hotel accommodation can be quite expensive (more than 50 EUR per day).

Grand Hotel Bonavia, Rijeka (www.bonavia.hr; bonavia@plavalaguna.hr)

Hotel Continental, Rijeka (www.jadran-hoteli.hr; continental@jadran-hoteli.hr)

Hotel Jadran, Rijeka (www.jadran-hoteli.hr; jadran@jadran-hoteli.hr)

4. Hostels

Hostel Dharma, Rijeka (www.dharmahostels.com; info@dharmahostels.com).

Prenoćište Kantrida (www.prenociste-kantrida.com; prenociste@stm.hr).

Botel Marina, Rijeka (www.botel-marina.com/en).

The full list of hostels in Rijeka can be found here.

2. Private accommodation

After your arrival in Rijeka, visit the International Relations Office. You will get a list of agencies that organise student accommodation in private apartments. Also, members of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN Rijeka) and your Erasmus buddies will assist you with finding the appropriate accommodation.

Prices of accommodation vary according to the size of the apartment, provision of central heating facilities, the location, etc. (eg. €200 – €300 per month for a room at a landlord's, or €350 – €450 per month for a flatlet). Overhead costs can be included in the price, but most often they are paid separately by the consumer. Payment is expected at the beginning of the month, while some landlords request payment for several months in advance.

AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL

After your arrival, you should visit the International Relations Office of the Polytechnic of Rijeka, where you will get further instructions and a student identity card (X-card).

Erasmus students at the Polytechnic of Rijeka are entitled to hold a student identity card (X-card) during their stay in Rijeka. It enables them to eat in students' cafeterias and restaurants at a reduced price. It proves a student status and may also be used to get a discount for some tickets and services.

In order to obtain the X-card you have to apply for the personal identification number (OIB in Croatian) at the Tax Department (Riva 10, Rijeka). You need to fill in the form which you will receive there and bring the original and a copy of your passport. You will receive your OIB number on the same day.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR KA171 PARTICIPANTS

Students and staff members should contact their home university to be nominated at the Polytechnic of Rijeka. Once You are nominated to the Polytechnic of Rijeka, you will be contacted by our Erasmus coordinator for further arrangements.

The grants for incoming students and staff are funded by the European Union.

The Erasmus+ Programme aims to promote equity and inclusion by facilitating access to participants with fewer opportunities compared to their peers. Students with special needs can request “special needs” support to cover the extra costs involved.

• Online Language Support (OLS)

The Erasmus+ programme offers Online Language Support for its participants, hosted by the EU Academy portal. All languages of Programme countries will be available, while other international languages will be added in the future.

Participants can take as many language courses (and assessments) as they wish, in the languages of their choice available in the OLS tool. Students undertaking an activity of 14 days or more should take a self-assessment in their language of mobility in the OLS tool prior to departure. However, if the language is not available in the OLS tool, the self-assessment is not mandatory.
 

The Welcome Day will be organised by the International Relations Office. You will be informed about the exact dates and the Welcome Days program well in advance via e-mail, after registration at the Polytechnic of Rijeka.

We look forward to welcoming you in Rijeka!

International Relations Office, Polytechnic of Rijeka

Trpimirova 2/V, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia

Tel: +385 (0)51 321 309

Mob: +385 (0)91 332 1349

E-mail: mobility@veleri.hr; msudac@veleri.hr 

Opening hours for international students:

Monday-Friday 8.30 AM – 10.30 AM and 2.00 PM – 3.00 PM

Contact person:

Martina Sudac, Erasmus Coordinator

More information on studying and living in Croatia you can also find here: International Student Guide to Croatia.