After months of quiet diplomacy, the UK and EU are poised to announce Britain’s return to the Erasmus+ student-exchange programme, the Financial Times reported on 16 December 2025. Final sticking points relate to the UK’s annual contribution—estimated at £120 million—with Brussels offering a 30 % discount in the first year. The agreement fulfils Labour’s manifesto pledge to rebuild educational ties severed in 2020 and is seen as a confidence-building step toward a broader youth-mobility accord that could allow 18- to 30-year-olds to work and travel in each other’s territories for up to three years.
Re-entry means UK undergraduates will once again be able to study at EU universities while paying home-rate tuition and receiving Erasmus grants; reciprocally, EU students will come to UK campuses under the same terms. Universities UK and the Russell Group hailed the move, citing evidence that outward mobility boosts graduate earnings and language skills.
![UK set to rejoin Erasmus+ in 2027, paving way for wider youth-mobility deal]()
For global-mobility managers the implications are twofold. First, Erasmus placements often lead to graduate-hire pipelines; employers should revisit early-talent strategies to leverage a more internationally experienced applicant pool from 2027. Second, the looming youth-mobility deal could simplify short-term intra-company transfers and internships, reducing visa red tape for junior staff.
At this junction, it’s worth noting that VisaHQ can smooth the logistics of any cross-border move. Via its dedicated UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/), students, graduates and HR teams can verify current entry rules, compile the right documents and lodge visa applications online—freeing them to focus on the academic or professional opportunity rather than the paperwork.
Questions remain over the future of the domestic Turing Scheme, which replaced Erasmus in 2021 and funds worldwide (not just European) exchanges. Ministers hinted that Turing may be refocused on non-European destinations rather than scrapped, but budget overlaps are likely. Companies should stay alert for consultation on the new funding architecture in 2026.
Re-entry means UK undergraduates will once again be able to study at EU universities while paying home-rate tuition and receiving Erasmus grants; reciprocally, EU students will come to UK campuses under the same terms. Universities UK and the Russell Group hailed the move, citing evidence that outward mobility boosts graduate earnings and language skills.
For global-mobility managers the implications are twofold. First, Erasmus placements often lead to graduate-hire pipelines; employers should revisit early-talent strategies to leverage a more internationally experienced applicant pool from 2027. Second, the looming youth-mobility deal could simplify short-term intra-company transfers and internships, reducing visa red tape for junior staff.
At this junction, it’s worth noting that VisaHQ can smooth the logistics of any cross-border move. Via its dedicated UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/), students, graduates and HR teams can verify current entry rules, compile the right documents and lodge visa applications online—freeing them to focus on the academic or professional opportunity rather than the paperwork.
Questions remain over the future of the domestic Turing Scheme, which replaced Erasmus in 2021 and funds worldwide (not just European) exchanges. Ministers hinted that Turing may be refocused on non-European destinations rather than scrapped, but budget overlaps are likely. Companies should stay alert for consultation on the new funding architecture in 2026.
