DiscoverEU: free travel pass for 18-year-olds – next round in spring 2027

• What DiscoverEU offers
• The autumn 2026 round: closed
• The next round: spring 2027
• Who can apply
• How the application works
• What the pass covers – and what it does not
• Key points

⇑What DiscoverEU offers

DiscoverEU is part of Erasmus+ and gives young people a travel pass to see Europe, usually by rail. Selected travellers also receive a DiscoverEU discount card, which offers reductions on culture, sport, transport, accommodation and food. You can travel alone or with up to four friends, so a group can have no more than five people. Friends join by using the main applicant’s application code.

There are two application rounds each year, one in spring and one in autumn. Each round is aimed at a specific group of birth dates, so in practice you have a limited window in which you can apply.

⇑The autumn 2026 round: closed

The most recent round ran from 1 October 2026 (midday Brussels time) to 15 October 2026 (midday Brussels time). It was open to people born between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008, and the European Commission planned to award travel passes to around 40 000 young people, with a planned budget of EUR 23.5 million. Applicants will be notified of the results in January 2027.

Those selected in this round can travel between 1 March 2027 and 31 May 2028, for between 1 and 30 days. The official rules of the call set the details.

⇑The next round: spring 2027

According to the European Youth Portal, the next application round will take place in spring 2027 and will be open to applicants born between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009. The exact opening and closing dates had not been published by 6 November 2026, so it is worth checking the portal regularly. Young people born in the second half of 2008 fall within the age range of both the autumn 2026 and the spring 2027 rounds.

A change is also planned for 2027: the United Kingdom will join Erasmus+, including DiscoverEU, from that year.

⇑Who can apply

Under the rules of the autumn 2026 round, applicants had to be citizens or residents of:

• an EU Member State, including its outermost regions;
• an Overseas Country or Territory associated with the EU;
• one of the Erasmus+ associated third countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye.

Only one application per person is allowed in each round, even when applying as part of a group.

⇑How the application works

You apply through an online form on the European Youth Portal. Part of the process is a quiz of five multiple-choice questions on general knowledge about the European Union. Once the number of available passes is reached, a reserve list is drawn up.

⇑What the pass covers – and what it does not

Successful applicants receive the travel pass and the discount card only. Travel is in second class, and flights are offered only in exceptional cases, when no other means of transport is available. Under the autumn 2026 rules, the pass is used over a maximum of one month, with seven travel days.

Participants pay for everything else themselves, including:

• accommodation and meals;
• insurance;
• travel supplements and any other expenses.

It is therefore worth planning a budget before setting off. Our guide to travelling in Europe covers documents, roaming, money and passenger rights, while our Erasmus+ guide explains DiscoverEU alongside youth exchanges and volunteering.

⇑Key points

DiscoverEU offers 18-year-olds a free travel pass, mainly by train, plus a discount card. The autumn 2026 round closed on 15 October 2026, with results due in January 2027 and travel possible from 1 March 2027 to 31 May 2028. The next round will take place in spring 2027 for those born between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009; its exact dates will be announced on the European Youth Portal.