The EU approved the deal with the UK that would allow it to rejoin the Erasmus+ student and youth exchange scheme from 1 January 2027
The decision was signed off on the EU side on Tuesday, European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said. The agreement was first announced in December.
The EU has “enabled” the UK association to the programme in 2027 by adopting an amendment to Protocol I of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, following a commitment made at the EU–UK Summit in May 2025, the European Commission stressed in a statement on Wednesday.
Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship programme for studying, training and youth exchanges abroad, and the association would put UK learners, staff and education organisations on the same footing as participants in EU member states and other countries linked to the scheme.
The UK will designate a National Agency to oversee its participation in the programme from 2027.
What has been agreed and when it starts
The Commission said both the UK and Switzerland are set to participate in Erasmus+ from 1 January 2027, alongside non-EU countries already in the programme including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.
“Europe and the UK have enjoyed mutually beneficial educational ties for centuries,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
