Erasmus+ study period or traineeship abroad: a step-by-step guide for students

• Step 1: check that you can take part
• Step 2: choose a study period or a traineeship
• Step 3: go through selection at your university
• Step 4: sign the learning agreement
• Step 5: understand the grant
• The traineeship option for recent graduates
• Before you go
• Key points

⇑Step 1: check that you can take part

Erasmus+ mobility is open to students at short-cycle, bachelor’s and master’s level and to doctoral candidates. The condition is that you are enrolled in a recognised degree programme at a higher education institution that takes part in Erasmus+. Your stay abroad has to fit the programme you are studying, so a semester abroad should bring courses you can count towards your degree, and a traineeship should be relevant to your field.

The European Commission’s page on studying abroad with Erasmus+ sets out these conditions. The detailed rules are in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide; on 9 November 2026 the current edition was still the 2026 guide (version 1 of 12 November 2025).

⇑Step 2: choose a study period or a traineeship

There are two main ways to go abroad, and they can be combined:

• Study period: from 2 months (or one academic term) to 12 months at a partner university.
• Traineeship: from 2 to 12 months at a company or other organisation abroad, not counting travel time.
• Short blended stay: 5 to 30 days abroad combined with an online part.

Each study cycle (bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate) gives you up to 12 months abroad in total, however many stays you make. In one-cycle programmes such as medicine or architecture, the limit is 24 months.

⇑Step 3: go through selection at your university

Erasmus+ funding is awarded to universities, not to individual students, and each institution chooses its own participants. It must do this in a fair and transparent way, but the criteria and dates are set locally. In practice, students usually compare the list of partner universities available in their faculty, check the language requirements and submit an application to the international or Erasmus+ office by the internal deadline.

For a study period, the destination must be one of your university’s partner institutions. For a traineeship, you normally find the host organisation yourself. The Commission’s page on traineeships abroad points to the Erasmus Intern portal, which lists offers from companies, and to your university’s office.

⇑Step 4: sign the learning agreement

Before you leave, you, your home university and the host institution sign a learning agreement. It lists the courses or traineeship tasks you will complete abroad and states how they will be recognised. Once you return, the host institution issues a transcript of records, and your home university must recognise the credits agreed in the learning agreement and count them towards your degree. You also receive the Erasmus+ Student Charter, which explains your rights and obligations.

As an Erasmus+ student, you pay no tuition, registration or examination fees at the host university, nor fees for access to laboratories or libraries. Small charges, for example for insurance or student union membership, may still apply.

⇑Step 5: understand the grant

The Erasmus+ grant is a contribution to travel and living costs, paid through your institution after you sign a grant agreement with it. Under the 2026 Programme Guide, national agencies set monthly rates for long-term stays within three ranges:

• 292 to 606 EUR when moving to a country with similar living costs;
• 348 to 674 EUR when moving to a country with higher living costs;
• 225 to 550 EUR when moving to a country with lower living costs.

The guide sorts countries into three groups. Group 1 includes, among others, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden; group 2 includes Spain, Portugal, Czechia and Greece; group 3 includes Poland, Hungary, Romania and Croatia. Students on traineeships receive an extra 150 EUR per month, and students with fewer opportunities an extra 250 EUR per month. The exact rate you receive is set by your national agency and university.

⇑The traineeship option for recent graduates

You can also go on an Erasmus+ traineeship after finishing your degree. The rule is about timing: your university must select you during your last year of study, and you must carry out and complete the traineeship within one year of graduating. If you are in your final year, this means applying before you graduate, even if the placement starts afterwards. We explain this route in more detail in our guide to traineeships abroad, also after graduation.

⇑Before you go

Erasmus+ also offers Online Language Support to help you learn the language of your studies or work. If you have a health condition or disability, ask your Erasmus+ coordinator about additional funding. More on choosing a partner university is in our article on studying abroad with Erasmus+.

⇑Key points

Erasmus+ students can study or train abroad for 2 to 12 months per study cycle, pay no tuition at the host institution and have their credits recognised through a learning agreement. Selection and deadlines are set by your own university, so contact its Erasmus+ office first. Recent graduates can take part in a traineeship if they are selected in their final year and finish within one year of graduating.