The present study attempts to propose a model integrating different factors that influence the decision-making process of choosing foreign academic destinations for short-term mobility. The theoretical model will be supported by empirical research carried out using a questionnaire administered to students who participated in an exchange programme in Poland (N = 135) and in Portugal (N = 137). This paper contributes to literature by empirically investigating the pull factors affecting the international students' decision-making process in three dimensions: the country, the city and the university. The findings have implications not only for universities but, for that matter, for local and national governments.