UK to Rejoin EU’s Erasmus+ Student Exchange Programme in Major Post-Brexit Reset
Britain and the European Union agree to restore Erasmus+ participation from 2027, expanding opportunities for study, training and cultural exchange
The United Kingdom has struck an agreement with the European Union to rejoin the EU’s flagship Erasmus+ student exchange programme from the 2027-28 academic year, a move that marks a significant thaw in post-Brexit relations and realises a key policy objective of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government.
Under the terms of the arrangement, UK students, apprentices, educators, adult learners and youth groups will once again be able to study, train or gain work experience in EU countries with the support of grants and mobility funding, while EU citizens will be able to take part in exchange activities in the United Kingdom.
The scheme’s reinstatement comes after the UK’s withdrawal following its exit from the EU, when successive governments chose not to associate with the programme’s 2021-27 cycle, replacing it with the Turing Scheme that lacked reciprocal opportunities.
The UK will contribute approximately £570 million for its initial year of participation, a figure that British officials say reflects a negotiated discount and a balanced deal negotiated as part of broader efforts to reset diplomatic ties with the EU. More than one hundred thousand British participants are expected to benefit in the first year, with universities, colleges and training providers welcoming the restoration of a programme that had been one of the most popular channels for international study and professional exchanges within Europe.
Ministers also emphasised that Erasmus+ participation will extend beyond higher education to apprenticeships, vocational training, youth work and sport, underscoring the scheme’s wide social and cultural reach.
UK and EU officials said the agreement is part of a wider package of cooperation, building on progress made at a summit earlier this year that also addressed trade, climate and other mobility initiatives.
Educators and student groups greeted the announcement as a transformative step that will expand horizons for young people and help rebuild deep institutional and cultural links that were diminished after Brexit.
While future annual contributions beyond 2027 remain subject to further negotiation, this landmark deal underscores a substantive shift in UK-EU relations and reopens pathways for long-standing educational partnerships across the continent.
Under the terms of the arrangement, UK students, apprentices, educators, adult learners and youth groups will once again be able to study, train or gain work experience in EU countries with the support of grants and mobility funding, while EU citizens will be able to take part in exchange activities in the United Kingdom.
The scheme’s reinstatement comes after the UK’s withdrawal following its exit from the EU, when successive governments chose not to associate with the programme’s 2021-27 cycle, replacing it with the Turing Scheme that lacked reciprocal opportunities.
The UK will contribute approximately £570 million for its initial year of participation, a figure that British officials say reflects a negotiated discount and a balanced deal negotiated as part of broader efforts to reset diplomatic ties with the EU. More than one hundred thousand British participants are expected to benefit in the first year, with universities, colleges and training providers welcoming the restoration of a programme that had been one of the most popular channels for international study and professional exchanges within Europe.
Ministers also emphasised that Erasmus+ participation will extend beyond higher education to apprenticeships, vocational training, youth work and sport, underscoring the scheme’s wide social and cultural reach.
UK and EU officials said the agreement is part of a wider package of cooperation, building on progress made at a summit earlier this year that also addressed trade, climate and other mobility initiatives.
Educators and student groups greeted the announcement as a transformative step that will expand horizons for young people and help rebuild deep institutional and cultural links that were diminished after Brexit.
While future annual contributions beyond 2027 remain subject to further negotiation, this landmark deal underscores a substantive shift in UK-EU relations and reopens pathways for long-standing educational partnerships across the continent.
