The government confirmed on 17 December that the United Kingdom will associate to the EU’s €26 billion Erasmus+ programme from January 2027. Treasury has allocated £570 million for the first year after negotiating a 30 % fee reduction compared with pre-Brexit terms. Up to 100,000 UK participants – spanning university students, apprentices, adult learners and youth workers – are expected to benefit in year one.
Rejoining delivers on a Labour manifesto pledge to ‘rebuild people-to-people links’ with Europe. It also signals warmer UK-EU relations following the broader “reset” talks that secured a youth mobility pilot earlier this year. Education leaders hailed the decision, noting that Erasmus covers work placements and vocational exchanges, not just university semesters abroad.
Students, apprentices and mobility managers who need to line up the right visas now have an ally in VisaHQ, whose UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) walks applicants through Schengen study, training and short-stay permits and can coordinate bulk submissions for universities or employers—helping everyone spend less time on paperwork and more on the opportunities Erasmus+ offers.
![UK to Re-Enter Erasmus+ in 2027, Unlocking EU Study and Training Mobility]()
Universities UK predicts a net skills gain for employers: graduates with international experience are 20 % less likely to be unemployed six months after graduation, and language-skilled apprentices could help address export-market shortages. Businesses that run apprenticeship levy programmes can partner with colleges to place trainees with EU firms, funded by Erasmus grants.
The future of the domestic Turing Scheme remains unclear, but ministers hinted that both programmes might operate in parallel, with Turing focusing on global (non-EU) destinations. Sector bodies seek clarity to avoid funding duplication in 2026/27 budgets.
For global mobility managers, Erasmus+ association will revive demand for short-term secondments to EU offices and could see a resurgence of corporate ‘sandwich-year’ placements that ease graduate recruitment pipelines.
Rejoining delivers on a Labour manifesto pledge to ‘rebuild people-to-people links’ with Europe. It also signals warmer UK-EU relations following the broader “reset” talks that secured a youth mobility pilot earlier this year. Education leaders hailed the decision, noting that Erasmus covers work placements and vocational exchanges, not just university semesters abroad.
Students, apprentices and mobility managers who need to line up the right visas now have an ally in VisaHQ, whose UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) walks applicants through Schengen study, training and short-stay permits and can coordinate bulk submissions for universities or employers—helping everyone spend less time on paperwork and more on the opportunities Erasmus+ offers.
Universities UK predicts a net skills gain for employers: graduates with international experience are 20 % less likely to be unemployed six months after graduation, and language-skilled apprentices could help address export-market shortages. Businesses that run apprenticeship levy programmes can partner with colleges to place trainees with EU firms, funded by Erasmus grants.
The future of the domestic Turing Scheme remains unclear, but ministers hinted that both programmes might operate in parallel, with Turing focusing on global (non-EU) destinations. Sector bodies seek clarity to avoid funding duplication in 2026/27 budgets.
For global mobility managers, Erasmus+ association will revive demand for short-term secondments to EU offices and could see a resurgence of corporate ‘sandwich-year’ placements that ease graduate recruitment pipelines.
