The University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) will officially welcome the more than 2000 international and exchange students enrolled for the 2026-2027 academic year on October 5, 6, and 7. Following the reception of over 2000 students in September, the university is organizing a joint welcome event for the first time for both new degree-seeking students and exchange students.
During these days, Monday the 5th in Leioa, Tuesday the 6th in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and Wednesday the 7th in Donostia/San Sebastián, the university will organize festive reception events. After the welcome by university and municipal authorities, students will enjoy local food and participate in demonstrations of rural sports and Basque dances.
In addition to celebrating the arrival of these students, this year the International Welcome Centre (IWC) has organized information sessions. On September 14, 15, and 16, in person on all three campuses, for exchange students; and on September 28, online, for postgraduate students. During these sessions, they received practical information for their stay at the EHU and in the Basque Country, about the IWC's services, university services, legal residency, insurance, accommodation, and the territory's lifestyle and culture.
Regarding exchange students, the EHU continues to be one of the Spanish public universities that hosts the most students, having reached 1700 last year. This course, 1160 students from mobility programs have started classes: 193 are from SICUE (other Spanish universities), 685 from Erasmus+ (EU, EEA, and Turkey), 236 are from Latin America, and 46 have arrived from other destinations such as Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Canada, Tanzania, or Kenya. By campus, 137 students are in the Álava Campus, 692 in the Bizkaia Campus, and 331 in the Gipuzkoa Campus.
To welcome the growing number of international students enrolling at the EHU for their degrees, this year all international students who have just started their studies have also been invited to the October events. More than 700 international students are currently pursuing official master's degrees and own titles, with final PhD enrollment data still pending, reflecting the university's efforts to attract foreign talent and its high-quality academic offerings, including numerous master's programs in English.
The International Welcome Centre (IWC), part of the International Relations Office, also supports international visitors before, during, and after their stays with matters such as accommodation, legal residency, and university services, as well as managing integration initiatives like the "buddy" program or cultural visits.
