The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) welcomes the UK’s association with the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, signed today in Brussels. From 2027 onwards, the country will once again participate fully in all areas of Erasmus cooperation, ranging from schools and vocational training to higher education, youth, adult education and sport.

“The signing of the association agreement marks another milestone towards the United Kingdom’s full return to the Erasmus+ programme from 2027,” said DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee. “This is good news for Germany and Europe: our British friends are thus once again closely connected to Europe, both through Horizon Europe in research and through Erasmus+ in exchange and teaching.”

New opportunities for exchange and cooperation

Following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU in 2020, the country also left the Erasmus programme. The association now agreed upon reverses this step. German universities and students will once again have significantly better opportunities for exchange and cooperation with the United Kingdom. Before Brexit, around 4,500 students from German universities went to the United Kingdom on Erasmus each year.

“German universities and we at the DAAD have worked continuously since Brexit to maintain relations with our British partners – despite the more difficult conditions. Erasmus+ offered opportunities for this even after Brexit. With the association, this is now once again significantly easier and can be done to the full extent. The course has thus been set for existing partnerships to be revitalised and for new ones to be established much more easily,” added Dr Stephan Geifes, Director of the Erasmus+ National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation at the DAAD (NA DAAD).

Implementation from 2027

In practice, higher education institutions will therefore be able to apply for funding for the United Kingdom again from the 2027 call for proposals (expected to open in November ). Stays by students and doctoral candidates, as well as cooperation projects between higher education institutions, will be able to commence from the 2027/28 academic year. Since the political decision on association at the beginning of this year, the NA DAAD has been in close contact with its British partners Universities UK International (UUki) and the British Council (BC) to ensure a successful restart of Erasmus relations. 

Preparations are in full swing

Most internationally active British higher education institutions have now applied to the European Commission for the accreditation required for Erasmus+, known as the ECHE (Erasmus Charter for Higher Education). The NA DAAD, Universities UK International and the British Council are keeping German higher education institutions continuously informed about new opportunities and the timetable.

A NA DAAD Webseite brings together the latest information on the UK’s association. The DAAD is closely monitoring the process and keeping universities and students informed about developments and funding opportunities.

The UK’s participation in the next generation of the Erasmus+ programme, running from 2028 to 2034, will need to be agreed upon again at a later date. 
 

Erasmus+ from 2027 onwards also with Switzerland

Following its association with the EU’s Horizon Europe programme at the end of 2025, Switzerland is also aiming for full participation in Erasmus+. Switzerland’s full participation in the Erasmus programme is also scheduled for 2027.