AGTV-BJR Student Exchange
Information correct as of February 6th 2025
The AGTV is a registered Student Exchange Organisation (SEO) and partners with the Bayerischer Jugendring (BJR) in the state of Bavaria in Germany to offer Victorian students learning German the opportunity to participate in a reciprocal exchange program, the AGTV-BJR Student Exchange.
Victorian students must be Australian citizens or have permanent residency and be learning German at an AGTV member school.
Purpose of the AGTV-BJR Exchange Program
The purpose of the exchange is to provide a broad educational experience for students, including building resilience, improving language skills, and to further international and intercultural understanding.
About the AGTV-BJR Exchange
The AGTV-BJR Student Exchange is a direct reciprocal exchange program. Students learning German in Years 9 or 10 in AGTV member schools in Victoria apply to be matched with students in Bavaria in one year, and in the following year when they are in Year 10 or 11, the exchange begins.
The group of Bavarian students arrive in February to stay with their exchange partners and host families in Victoria for approximately 10 weeks. In November, their Victorian exchange partners travel as group to Germany to live with their exchange partner and host families for approximately 10 weeks.
Exchange student must attend school in their host country.
NB: Schools must agree to accept exchange students and must not charge school fees.
Exchange students travel as a group with Group Leaders appointed by the AGTV of BJR.
Exchange students are offered an optional Study Tour while on exchange. This is organised by the BJR or AGTV and paid for by the exchange student’s family, not the host family. Victorian students usually travel to Berlin with BJR and Victorian Group Leaders.
Support on Exchange
Support for Victorian students, Bavarian exchange students and host families is provided 24/7 by the AGTV Coordinator throughout the exchange periods and in office hours by BJR personnel in Munich.
The nominated School Liaison Officers support exchange students at school.
The AGTV Group Leaders support exchange students in Germany.
Orientation programs are provided for Victorian and Bavarian students.
Conditions of the AGTV-BJR Exchange
Victorian applicants must be learning German in an AGTV member school and be Australian citizens or have permanent residency in Australia.
Exchange students, host families and schools must formally agree to abide by the AGTV-BJR Exchange Guidelines to comply with our SEO registration with the VRQA. Exchange students must formally agree to abide by the AGTV and BJR student Codes of Conduct.
All 18+ members of the household/s where the exchange student will live must have current Working With Children clearance in both Victorian and Bavaria.
The Bavarian Government requires all exchange students to be vaccinated against measles.
Host families care or the exchange student as a member of their family throughout the exchange period. This includes over the Easter holidays for Victorian host families and over the Christmas and New Year holidays for Bavarian host families.
Families of exchange students pay for the international travel costs of their child including flights, travel insurance, a contribution to cost of the Group Leaders and pocket money. Families also pay for any extra curricula activities at school and the optional Study Tour for exchange students.
Students must be enrolled and attend school in their host country as a condition of the exchange. Schools must not charge school fees for exchange students.
Independent travel is strictly forbidden.
The AGTV and BJR have the right to cancel the exchange at any time for any reason including response to events and a breach of the AGTV-BJR Exchange Guidelines or student Codes of Conduct.
General Timeline for a Victorian Exchange Group
NB: Specific dates are in the AGTV-BJR Student Exchange brochure (download below).
Dates are subject to change.
- AGTV call for Expressions of Interest open in February until April
- Applications forwarded by the AGTV to families by the start of May
- Formal applications, administration fee and WWW clearances due to the AGTV in June
- Schools formally accept to participate and nominate a School Liaison Officer in June
- Matching process begins in Bavaria until August
- Notification of the outcome of matching process at the end of August
- Formal acceptance of matches in September
- Refund to families not matched in September
- Pre-arrival meeting in October for Victorian families
- Deposit for Victorian exchange student flights due to the AGTV travel agent in December
- Bavarian students arrive in February for approximately 10 weeks
- Orientation meeting for Bavarian students in February
- Optional Study Tour for Bavarian students in February or March
- Bavarian students depart in April
- Pre-departure meeting for Victorian families in October
- Victorian students depart in November for approximately 10 weeks
- Orientation meeting for Victorian students in December
- Optional Study Tour for Victoria exchange students in January
- Victorian students return in late January
Expressions of Interest for the 2026/2027 Exchange Group
A formal application form will be forwarded to students and their families who submit an expression of interest in being matched for this exchange group.
There is no cost to express interest.
NB: An administration fee including a non-refundable processing fee must be paid to the AGTV upon submission of a formal application.
Download further information and link to the online Expression of Interest form in the brochure:
In 2025, Expressions of Interest close at the end of Term 1 on April 3
Schools will be notified students from their school have expressed interest in the exchange.
About the AGTV and BJR
The AGTV is a non-profit incorporated association supporting the teaching and learning of German. The AGTV is also a registered Student Exchange Organisation (SEO) with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA). This means that the AGTV is lawfully permitted by to offer students the opportunity to participate in the AGTV-BJR Student Exchange program.
BJR is an acronym for Bayerischer Jugendring (Bavarian Youth Council), a non-profit public body authorised and funded by the Bavarian State Government in Germany to provide a range of youth service throughout Bavaria. One role is to facilitate international student exchanges.
The AGTV Committee has coordinated the BJR Student Exchange program in Victoria since 1988 and appoints an AGTV Coordinator to administer the exchange with the BJR in Munich.
The AGTV is a child safe organisation and has zero tolerance of child abuse or racism.
For further information about AGTV policies and making a complaint, visit: