Home › DzCademia practical guides

How to get a host letter for an internship, a scholarship or a research stay

A host letter, also called an invitation letter, is the document in which a laboratory or a researcher at a host institution confirms they will receive you for a specific period. Most mobility programmes, short research stays and many scholarships require it, and it is often needed for the visa application.

What is it for?

It proves that a host team has accepted your project: without it, a research stay or mobility application is usually incomplete. It also reassures funders, who want to know where and with whom you will work.

Depending on the programme, it is required at application stage or only after selection: read the call rules carefully.

Who issues it?

A researcher or a laboratory director at the host institution, sometimes countersigned by the international relations office. The closer the signatory is to your topic, the stronger the letter.

How to get it, step by step

• Target 5 to 10 teams whose recent publications are close to your topic (not random institutions).
• Prepare a one-page stay project: objective, method, expected results, duration and timeline.
• Write a short, personalised e-mail: who you are, why this team, what you will bring, the desired period, with your CV and project attached.
• Follow up politely once after 10 to 15 days without an answer.
• Once they agree, offer a letter template to make the host’s work easier.

What the letter should contain

• Name, position and contact details of the host, on institutional letterhead.
• Your name, status (PhD student, lecturer…) and home institution.
• The purpose of the stay and the work topic.
• Exact dates or duration of the stay.
• Resources provided (desk, lab access, supervision) and, if relevant, that no fees are charged.
• Date and signature.

Common mistakes

• Sending the same generic e-mail to dozens of addresses.
• Asking for a letter without presenting a precise project.
• Giving dates that do not match the funding programme’s calendar.
• Starting too late: it often takes several weeks between first contact and the signed letter.

Frequently asked questions

Useful pages

• Scholarships by discipline
• Calls for papers by discipline
• Conferences, seminars and study days by discipline
• Research internships and short research stays abroad

DzCademia practical guides

• Research internship abroad: find, fund and prepare your stay
• Answering a call for papers: abstract, proposal and selection
• Finding a scholarship and succeeding in your application (bachelor, master, PhD, postdoc)
• Taking part in a conference or a seminar: choose, prepare, present
• What is a PGCE? The UK teacher training qualification explained
• How many ECTS credits is a master’s degree? Understanding and converting credits
• Graduate teaching assistant: teaching during your master’s or PhD