Britain is preparing to return to the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, with funding applications opening next month and more than 100,000 people expected to benefit from renewed opportunities to study, train and gain work experience across Europe.
The government has confirmed that the UK will formally rejoin the exchange programme on 1 January 2027, reversing one of the most controversial decisions made under Boris Johnson’s Brexit agreement.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told MPs on Tuesday that the scheme would be open to a far wider range of institutions than universities, with apprentices, school pupils, adult learners and education staff among those set to benefit.
The announcement represents a significant development in Britain’s relationship with the European Union, restoring access to a programme that had allowed generations of young people to experience education, training and working life in other European countries.
It also comes at a time when Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering closer economic ties with Brussels, prompting renewed arguments about the consequences of Brexit and the opportunities Britain gave up when it left the bloc.
Erasmus applications to open in November
Speaking in the House of Commons on 27 October, Falconer confirmed that the UK’s return to Erasmus+ would take effect at the beginning of next year.
The programme is designed to support international education, professional development, training and cooperation between participating organisations.
“Applications open this November. They are not simply for undergraduate university students. They are for educational institutions of all kinds,” the minister told MPs.
The funding application process will be managed through participating organisations, rather than individual students submitting requests directly to the government.
Universities, colleges, schools, training providers and other eligible organisations will be able to apply for funding to develop projects and international placements.
Under the published timetable, the first funding calls are expected in November 2026, with deadlines during the early months of 2027.
Successful applicants are expected to receive funding decisions between June and August, allowing the first newly supported placements to begin later in the year.
The distinction matters because the return of Erasmus+ does not mean that every student can immediately book a publicly funded placement abroad from November.
Instead, institutions must secure funding and organise the opportunities that students, apprentices and other participants will subsequently be able to access.
More than 100,000 people expected to benefit
The government estimates that more than 100,000 people could benefit during the first year of Britain’s renewed participation.
Those opportunities are not restricted to university students spending a semester or academic year overseas.
Apprentices and further education students could undertake placements with European employers, developing practical skills and experiencing different working environments.
Schools will also be able to organise international exchanges, allowing groups of pupils to learn alongside young people from other countries.
Adult education providers, youth organisations and sports clubs will be eligible for activities under the wider programme, subject to the rules governing individual funding schemes.
Education professionals will also be able to take part in training, teaching and job-shadowing opportunities overseas.
The government argues that international experience can improve employment prospects, strengthen language skills and allow participants to develop confidence and independence.
Importantly, Erasmus+ is intended to make those opportunities available to people who might otherwise struggle to afford them.
Grants can contribute towards expenses associated with international placements, with additional support available under some schemes for participants facing financial or other barriers.
The precise funding available will depend on the type of project, destination and circumstances of those taking part.
Britain left Erasmus under Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal
The return of Erasmus+ marks a reversal of a decision made during the final negotiations over Britain’s departure from the European Union.
Although the UK formally left the EU in January 2020, its participation in Erasmus continued during the Brexit transition period.
The decision not to remain associated with the programme took effect from 2021.
Johnson’s government argued that the cost of continued participation was too high and that Britain could establish its own international student mobility programme.
The replacement, known as the Turing Scheme, supported placements for British students and learners overseas.
However, the two programmes operated differently.
Erasmus+ provides opportunities for international cooperation between institutions, as well as supporting exchanges involving participants travelling in both directions.
Turing was primarily designed to fund outward mobility from the UK.
Critics argued that leaving Erasmus had weakened established partnerships between British and European institutions, created additional administrative obstacles and restricted opportunities for students and young people.
Supporters of Turing maintained that its global focus allowed participants to experience education and training beyond Europe.
The government has now decided to return to Erasmus+, with the previous replacement scheme being wound down as part of the transition.
What countries will British students be able to visit?
The return will allow British institutions to organise Erasmus+ activities across the 27 European Union member states.
That includes popular destinations such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Opportunities will also extend to other countries associated with the programme, including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Türkiye, Serbia and North Macedonia.
The type of placement available will depend on the institution, the specific Erasmus+ project and the partner organisations involved.
For university students, opportunities may include studying at a European university, undertaking work-based learning or participating in joint educational projects.
Apprentices could benefit from placements with employers, while school pupils may take part in group exchanges and cultural activities.
Some programmes will also enable staff to travel abroad for professional development, with the aim of sharing expertise and improving teaching and training.
The scheme does not automatically provide unrestricted rights to live or work in the European Union.
Participants will still need to comply with the applicable immigration, travel and administrative requirements associated with their placement.
A major part of Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with Europe
Britain’s return to Erasmus+ forms part of a wider effort to rebuild cooperation with the European Union after years of disputes over Brexit.
The agreement was developed through the UK-EU reset process initiated under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and formally confirmed in April 2026.
The current government has continued that work as Burnham seeks to develop closer relations with Brussels.
The Prime Minister has recently suggested that Britain should reconsider aspects of its economic relationship with the EU, including the possibility of more ambitious arrangements to improve trade and mobility.
Those discussions have attracted fierce criticism from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who argues that reopening questions about freedom of movement would undermine the referendum result.
However, joining Erasmus+ is different from restoring general freedom of movement.
The scheme provides structured opportunities for education, training and professional development through approved organisations and projects.
It does not require Britain to rejoin the European Union, the single market or the customs union.
Nor does participation itself give every British citizen an automatic right to work anywhere in Europe.
It does, however, represent the restoration of a programme that many universities, students and education organisations regarded as an important casualty of Brexit.
Labour MP says young people were deprived of opportunity
During the Commons exchange, Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan raised the impact of leaving Erasmus on younger generations.
The Tooting MP argued that young people had been “deprived of opportunity” following Brexit and asked what further steps the government was taking to improve ties with the European Union.
Falconer pointed to Britain’s return to Erasmus+ as an example of how closer cooperation could deliver practical benefits.
He urged MPs across the political divide to encourage educational institutions in their constituencies to get involved.
“That is one of the concrete ways we will be helping young people through closer relationship,” he said.
The comments reflect the government’s argument that rebuilding cooperation with Europe can produce tangible improvements without requiring a reversal of the entire Brexit settlement.
For universities and colleges, that means the opportunity to restore partnerships that were disrupted when Britain left the programme.
For apprentices and students, it could mean access to placements which provide professional experience that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.
And for schools and youth organisations, it offers the prospect of international exchanges that extend beyond traditional university study.
How students and organisations can prepare
The British Council, which serves as the UK’s Erasmus+ National Agency, has already published guidance to help organisations prepare for the first funding calls.
Institutions are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the programme’s requirements, develop potential projects and establish relationships with European partners.
They will also need to ensure they meet the relevant eligibility and registration rules.
Universities wishing to take part in higher education mobility projects must hold the appropriate Erasmus Charter for Higher Education.
For individuals interested in studying or working abroad, the advice is to contact their university, college, school, training provider or other participating organisation to find out what opportunities may become available.
The Erasmus+ funding call is expected to open in November 2026, followed by application deadlines and decisions during 2027.
The European Commission has indicated that individual opportunities under the newly funded projects will begin in the second half of 2027 at the earliest.
Britain’s formal return on 1 January therefore marks the restoration of the country’s place in the programme, while the practical opportunities for students and apprentices will follow as institutions establish their projects.
After six years outside Erasmus+, British organisations will once again be eligible to apply for the same broad range of activities as their counterparts in participating European countries.
The first step begins next month, when the funding applications open.
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