FAQs
Have a look at the frequently asked questions below. If you still have questions do not hesitate to contact us!
Frequently asked questions
THE PROGRAM
Usually, IFYE exchanges last between three to six months. However, there is some flexibility to adapt the length of your stay abroad. Nevertheless, eight to ten weeks are the absolute minimum in order to allow you to truly make the experiences the program is designed for.
Travel to the US or to a country within Europe. Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, or the United Kingdom including England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man and Scotland – the options are manifold. If you decide to go abroad for a total of six months, you can travel to two different countries (or States) and spend three months in each one of them. In your application you can indicate your favorite choice of countries.
Yes, if you decide to go for a six-months-exchange you usually get the opportunity to travel on your own for a couple weeks in-between. But even if you take part in a shorter program, you can always decide to travel for a time after your exchange officially ended.
Yes, many countries organise a welcoming event for the incoming IFYEs, where they get to meet the other exchange participants that will stay in the country at the same time. During these first days of your exchange you will get all the important information you might need to help you integrate as best as possible.
During your exchange you will stay with different host families. Depending on the length of your stay you will move to a new family every two to four weeks.
The IFYE associations of the hosting countries do their best to match the selected families as best as possible with the interests of the exchange participants.
In consultation with the local exchange coordinator, an early change of host family is possible depending on the situation. However, this only applies if there are valid reasons.
REQUIREMENTS
Theoretically anyone with the Luxemburgish nationality, living in Luxembourg and aged between 18 and 30 can submit an application to take part in an IFYE exchange program. You will have to go through a selection procedure though, including a formal application and interview with the committee of the IFYE Luxembourg association.
No, you do not have to show proof of any language proficiency. Having some basic knowledge in English or another spoken language of the country you will travel to might be helpful. But after all the exchange program also aims at helping you to improve your language skills during your stay abroad.
You can get a certificate proving your participation in the IFYE exchange program after delivering a report and giving a presentation about your experiences while on exchange.
However, the program is not an officially recognised internship in the context of school programs.
The IFYE program typically runs from June to December. Depending on where you travel to your exchange might start a bit earlier or a bit later, but in general no exchanges take part during the period from January to June.
If you are interested, it is advised to get in touch with us as soon as possible. Applications run until mid-March for an exchange in the same year. But if you plan to travel to a country outside of the EU you might need to apply for a visa. Those procedures usually take time. The earlier you start planning, the better.
The costs vary greatly depending on the country that you travel to and the length of your stay. IFYE Luxembourg supports the exchange participants by covering part of their traveling costs to and from the host country up to a certain amount. As you stay with host families nearly the entire time, there are barely any costs for housing or food to take into consideration. Costs you have to think about, though, are those of getting a visa (if necessary) and additional insurance.
From April onward we are looking for host families for incoming IFYEs from abroad. But you do not have to wait until then. You can contact us all year long and we will get in touch with you!