Erasmus+ Scholarships
Erasmus+ is the European Union’s programme for education, training, youth and sport. For students it pays grants for a study period or a traineeship abroad and funds full scholarships for Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters. This post explains how the 2021–2027 programme works: which countries take part, who can apply and how, what the grant covers, how the time abroad is recognised, and where to ask in Spain. The figures come from the European Commission’s Erasmus+ site and Programme Guide, checked in October 2026.
The programme and the countries that take part
According to the European Commission, the 2021–2027 programme has an estimated budget of €26.2 billion, nearly double that of the 2014–2020 programme. It offers mobility and cooperation opportunities in higher education, vocational education and training, school education, adult education, youth and sport.
The Programme Guide lists two kinds of country:
- EU Member States and countries associated to the programme. These take part fully in all actions. The associated countries are Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye.
- Countries not associated to the programme. The rest of the world is grouped into 14 regions and can take part in certain actions under specific conditions. The United Kingdom and Switzerland are listed here, in Region 14, together with the Faroe Islands.
Spain is an EU Member State, so Spanish higher education institutions can both send and receive Erasmus+ students. The directory lists the universities in Spain.
Studying abroad: who can apply and for how long
An Erasmus+ study period is an exchange, not a full degree. The student stays enrolled at the home institution and spends part of the programme at a partner institution. The Commission’s page on studying abroad sets these conditions:
- It is open to students at short-cycle, bachelor and master level and to doctoral candidates
- The student must be registered at a higher education institution that takes part in Erasmus+ and be enrolled in studies leading to a recognised degree
- The two institutions must have an inter-institutional agreement, and institutions in EU Member States and associated countries must hold the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education
- The period abroad must be part of the student’s own study programme
A long-term mobility lasts from 2 to 12 months. A short-term mobility lasts between 5 and 30 days and must be blended, that is, combined with a virtual component; only doctoral candidates can do a short stay without one. The maximum is 12 months within one study cycle, and more than one exchange is possible within that limit. In one-cycle courses such as medicine or architecture the limit is 24 months.
How to apply
There is no central application form. Students apply through the international or Erasmus+ office of their own university, which must select applicants in a fair and transparent way. Each institution sets its own internal deadlines, so the home office is the place to ask about dates, partner universities and language requirements.
What the grant covers
The grant is a contribution to travel and daily living costs, not a full scholarship. Students sign a grant agreement with their institution. At the receiving institution an Erasmus+ student pays no fees for tuition, registration, examinations or access to laboratories and libraries. Small fees for insurance or student union membership may still apply.
The monthly amount depends on the two countries involved. The Programme Guide sorts the participating countries into three groups by living costs. Group 1 (higher costs) includes Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries. Spain is in Group 2 (medium costs), with Portugal, Greece, Czechia and others. Group 3 (lower costs) includes Poland, Hungary, Romania and Türkiye. National agencies fix the exact amounts within these ranges:
- To a country with similar living costs: between €292 and €606 per month
- To a country with higher living costs: between €348 and €674 per month
- To a country with lower living costs: between €225 and €550 per month
A student from Germany who comes to Spain therefore receives the lower range, a student from Portugal the medium range and a student from Poland the higher range. A student from Spain who goes to a Group 1 country receives the higher range. The exact amounts are published by each national agency and each institution.
Two top-ups are added to long stays. Students with fewer opportunities receive €250 more per month, under criteria defined in each country. Students on a traineeship receive €150 more per month. For short stays the grant is paid per day: €79 per day up to the 14th day and €56 per day from the 15th to the 30th day.
Exchanges with countries outside the programme have fixed amounts. A student from a programme country who goes to most non-associated regions receives €700 per month. A student who comes from those regions receives €900, €850 or €800 per month for a Group 1, Group 2 or Group 3 country, which means €850 for Spain.
Recognition, the learning agreement and language support
Before leaving, the student signs a learning agreement for studies with the sending and the receiving institution. It defines how the activities abroad will be recognised. The student also receives the Erasmus+ Student Charter, which explains rights and obligations.
After the stay, the receiving institution must issue a transcript of records with the results achieved. The sending institution must recognise the credits, using ECTS credits or an equivalent system, and count them towards the degree without any other requirements.
Language preparation is offered through Online Language Support (OLS). Institutions send selected students a link to the platform. Higher education students going abroad for 14 days or more must take the OLS language assessment in the language of the mobility before departure, except native speakers. The result does not prevent anyone from taking part. OLS covers all official EU languages, Spanish among them, and also Icelandic, Macedonian, Norwegian, Serbian and Turkish. Students who want classroom teaching before or during the stay can compare language courses in Spain.
Traineeships abroad
Erasmus+ also supports traineeships (work placements or internships) for students at short-cycle, bachelor and master level and for doctoral candidates. The student must be enrolled at an institution that holds the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education. The placement can be at any organisation anywhere in the world, except EU institutions, bodies and agencies. Support runs from 2 to 12 months, and a traineeship can be combined with a study period.
Recent graduates can take part too. They must be selected by their institution during the last year of study and complete the traineeship within one year of graduating. Offers appear on the Erasmus Intern Traineeship Portal of the Erasmus Student Network, and applications go through the university’s international or Erasmus+ office.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are the part of Erasmus+ that works as a full scholarship, and they are open to students from all over the world. Each master’s programme is designed and taught jointly by at least 3 higher education institutions from at least 3 different countries. It lasts 1 to 2 academic years (60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits) and leads to a joint degree or to multiple degrees.
The main rules for applicants are these:
- A bachelor’s degree is required; students in the last year of a bachelor’s degree can apply if they graduate before the master’s programme starts
- Students apply directly to the consortium that runs the programme, not to a national agency; the Commission’s course catalogue lists the programmes on offer
- Most applications are submitted between October and January for courses that start the following academic year
- All students study in at least two countries other than their country of residence
Scholarships go to the best-ranked applicants. Under the Programme Guide the scholarship is calculated at EUR 1,400 per month for the whole duration of the programme. It is a contribution to travel, visa, installation and subsistence costs. Scholarship holders cannot be charged tuition fees or other mandatory costs, and programmes cannot charge application fees. No more than 10% of a programme’s scholarships may go to candidates of the same nationality, and a student who has already held an Erasmus Mundus scholarship cannot receive a second one. According to the Commission, almost 50,000 students have taken part since 2004.
Erasmus+ in Spain: where to ask
Erasmus+ grants for exchanges are managed in each country by a national agency. Spain has two. The Servicio Español para la Internacionalización de la Educación (SEPIE) covers education and training, and the Agencia Nacional Española, part of the Instituto de la Juventud (INJUVE), covers youth. For SEPIE, higher education includes universities, higher artistic education and higher-level vocational training (FP de grado superior), so students at those institutions in Spain can also go abroad with Erasmus+.
Students do not apply to SEPIE. The agency funds the institutions, and the institutions select and pay their students. SEPIE answers general questions by telephone on 91 760 36 02 and by email at [email protected]. Its office is at Calle General Oraa 55, Madrid.
Students who come to Spain from outside the EU may need a visa or residence permit. The Programme Guide recommends requesting it well in advance, because the process may take several weeks. For choosing a host institution, see selecting a university, school or program in Spain and the list of all schools in Spain.
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