Erasmus+ and other EU programmes
What Erasmus+ is, how it differs from DiscoverEU and the European Solidarity Corps, how much students from Spain receive and what you can still do now.
Updated: 2026-10-06
Urgent: DiscoverEU closes on 15 October 2026
The autumn DiscoverEU round is open to people born between 1 January and 31 December 2008 who are citizens or legal residents of an EU country or an Erasmus+ associated country. Applications close at 12:00 Brussels time on 15 October 2026. You have to answer a five-question quiz about the EU. Passes give up to 7 travel days within a month between 1 March 2027 and 31 May 2028. The round offers about 40,000 passes.
Conditions and dates come from the European Commission page on the update date. Open the official DiscoverEU page before applying.
What Erasmus+ is
Erasmus+ is the European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport. It is best known as “student exchange”, but under that name there are very different formats: from a semester studying abroad to youth exchanges and volunteering.
Important: you almost never apply in Brussels. You apply to your own organisation — university, school or youth organisation — which selects participants and awards the grant.
What options exist
| Format | Who | What you get | How to join |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study abroad (study mobility) | University students; usually from year 2, the university sets the rules | A semester or year at a European university, a monthly grant, recognition of courses | Through your university's international office (internal call by grades and language) |
| Traineeship abroad | Students and recent graduates | A placement at a company or organisation, €150 a month on top of the base grant | Through your university or directly with the host organisation |
| Youth Exchanges | Ages 13–30 | A group trip of 5 to 21 days, costs covered by the grant | Through a youth organisation taking part in the project |
| European Solidarity Corps | Ages 18–30 (register from 17) | A volunteering project with housing, food, travel and pocket money | Register on the portal and contact organisations |
| DiscoverEU | People turning 18 | A rail pass to travel around Europe | A round on the youth portal (now, until 15 October 2026) |
| Erasmus Mundus (master's) | After your bachelor's | Joint master's programmes with scholarships | Apply on each programme's website |
How much students from Spain receive (2026 call)
According to SEPIE, the base monthly grant for study depends on the destination country. Your university sets the exact amount within the range.
- Students with “fewer opportunities” receive an extra €250 a month; they include holders of the Ministry of Education's general grant and students with a disability of 33 % or more.
- Traineeships add €150 a month to the base amount.
- Travel is funded separately under the Programme Guide.
| Country group | Examples | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 (higher cost) | Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark | €350–674 |
| Group 2 (medium) | Portugal, Czechia, Greece, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovakia | €300–606 |
| Group 3 (lower cost) | Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Türkiye | €250–550 |
Practical takeaway: if you hold the general grant (Beca general), an Erasmus+ exchange will cost noticeably less. Apply for it early.
How to get an exchange place at your university
- 1Choose a university and degree with Erasmus+ agreements with the countries and institutions you want.
- 2Follow your university's internal call: it usually comes out several months before departure and the international office sets the dates.
- 3Check the language rule: B1–B2 in the language of study is typical; a certificate is not always required.
- 4Sign the Learning Agreement: the list of courses that will be recognised when you return.
- 5Sign the grant agreement. Most of the money arrives at the start and the rest after you return.
- 6Take the online language assessment and course (OLS) if your university requires it.
- 7On return, get your courses recognised: keep the transcript and the proof of stay.
If you start university in 2027, your first exchange will not come before the 2028/29 academic year. Programme rules for the next period change: check with your university.
Other general programmes and useful portals
- European Youth Portal (youth.europa.eu): opportunities in Europe for ages 13 to 30.
- Eurodesk in Spain (Injuve): free information about mobility, volunteering and traineeships.
- Bono Cultural Joven: €400 for culture when you turn 18 (in 2026, for people born in 2008 with Spanish nationality and legal residence in Spain; apply by 31 October 2026).
- GrantCompass catalogue, type “Mobility”: every travel and exchange programme in one list.