Förderung von Musikprojekten im Ausland (Travel Grant for Music Projects Abroad)

This covers the cost of getting you and your instruments to gigs outside Germany. The Goethe-Institut pays travel: flights or train fares, transfers, instrument shipping and visa fees. It does not pay for accommodation and it will not top up your fee, so the rest of the project budget needs to be in place before you ask.

You need to be a professional musician or ensemble based in Germany with a firm invitation already in hand from a partner abroad. The trip must be built around concerts, though masterclasses, workshops and seminars attached to those concerts count, and it must involve at least three events — the Institut does not fund short hops, on sustainability grounds. Most genres are eligible; schlager, blues, cabaret, folk and musicals are not. Also excluded: newcomer acts, music-education projects, school and university work, fundraisers, conferences and competitions.

The grant is partial by design and the amount is not published — it depends on the itinerary you propose. Rail travel is preferred within Europe for journeys up to seven hours, and the Institut will weigh the extra cost against flying.

You submit an application form, written confirmation from your partner abroad with agreed dates and what they are covering (fee, accommodation, equipment), a recent audio link, and two quotes for the travel to show you have found a cheap route. One trap worth knowing: if you have already booked flights, the project is normally ineligible. Ask for a written dispensation before committing to anything. There is no fixed deadline — apply at least three months before the project starts.