How much does Erasmus+ pay per student for internship mobility by destination country?

Erasmus+ KA131 internship grants for 2026-2027: Group A (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden): EUR 670/month. Group B (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain): EUR 540-600/month. Group C (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey): EUR 350-460/month.

Can universities partner with private placement agencies for Erasmus+ internship mobility?

Yes. Universities can work with accredited placement organisations to source and verify internship hosts. The placement organisation acts as an intermediary and must be listed in the student's Learning Agreement. The grant still flows from the university to the student; the placement organisation may charge a service fee separately. This model is common for universities without large employer networks in target countries.

What counts as an eligible Erasmus+ internship for KA131 funding?

The internship must: take place in an Erasmus+ programme country; last at least 2 months; be carried out at a company, organisation, research institute or NGO (not at the student's own institution or an EU institution); be described in a Learning Agreement signed by student, sending university and host organisation; and be relevant to the student's field of study. Self-employment and family businesses are not eligible.

How many students can a university send per budget cycle?

The number depends on the grant allocation awarded to the institution's Erasmus+ application under KA131. Institutions apply to their National Agency (e.g. Erasmus+ NL, DAAD, British Council, SEPIE) for a budget envelope. A typical mid-size university might have EUR 200,000-500,000 per year, supporting 30-80 student mobilities (both study and internship combined).

What is the administrative burden for universities running Erasmus+ internship mobility?

Per student: draft and countersign a Learning Agreement before departure; process grant payment (typically 80% upfront, 20% on return); collect the Europass Mobility certificate and grant report after internship; upload completion evidence to the Beneficiary Module. Working with a placement partner reduces the coordinator's workload on employer sourcing and placement verification.

How do branded internship portals work for sending universities?

Some placement platforms offer universities a co-branded portal where students from that institution can browse and apply to vetted internship hosts. The university does not manage the placements directly -- the platform handles employer relationships, vetting and matching. The university coordinator approves placements and issues the Learning Agreement. This model significantly reduces coordinator workload while expanding the host employer pool.

Erasmus+ Internship Mobility for Universities 2026-2027: Funding, Partner Requirements and How to Join

Published 9 June 2026 · For University Coordinators, Erasmus+

Erasmus+ KA131 funds internship mobility for students at accredited EU higher education institutions at EUR 350-670 per month per student, depending on the destination country. The grant flows from the European Commission to National Agencies, then to institutions, then to students. Universities budget and allocate placements themselves; the EC does not manage individual student placements. For AY 2026-2027, institutional nomination windows are closing now -- this is the planning period for international office coordinators.

KA131 Internship Grant Amounts by Destination Country (2026-2027)

Group	Countries	Grant/month
A (highest cost)	Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden	EUR 670
B (mid cost)	Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain	EUR 540-600
C (lower cost)	Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey	EUR 350-460

These rates are set by the European Commission for KA131. Individual National Agencies may supplement the grant with national top-ups (Germany's DAAD, Spain's SEPIE, and the Netherlands' Erasmus+ NL all have supplement schemes). Check with your National Agency for the current top-up rates before communicating grant amounts to students.

How KA131 Internship Funding Mechanics Work

Who holds the grant: the sending institution (the university). The grant is awarded to the university under its Erasmus+ institutional accreditation. Students do not apply to the EC directly -- they apply to their own university's Erasmus office.

How students receive payment: typically in two tranches. 80% before departure, the remaining 20% on return and submission of the grant report and Europass Mobility certificate. Some universities pay 100% upfront with a clawback clause for early return.

Eligible duration: minimum 2 months (60 days), maximum 12 months per study cycle. A student on a 5-month Erasmus study exchange has already used 5 of their 12 available months; they can still do a 2-7 month internship under the same cycle's allowance.

Concurrent Erasmus mobility: students cannot receive two Erasmus grants simultaneously. A student on Erasmus study exchange is not eligible for an additional Erasmus internship grant for the same period, even at a different host.

Partner Agreements: What an Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) Covers

For study mobility, Erasmus requires bilateral Inter-Institutional Agreements between the sending and receiving universities. For internship mobility, no IIA with the host employer is required -- the Learning Agreement between student, sending university and host organisation is sufficient.

This is a frequently misunderstood point that creates unnecessary administrative delay. A student can do an Erasmus-funded internship at any eligible organisation in a programme country, regardless of whether a formal partnership exists between the university and that employer. The Learning Agreement is the operative document.

Universities that want to build a repeatable pipeline of vetted employers typically establish informal relationships or work with a placement partner. This reduces per-student coordination time significantly for coordinators managing high volumes of mobility.

Student Eligibility Requirements for KA131 Internships

Enrolled at the sending institution during the mobility period (including students doing internships as part of gap year or recent graduates -- see below)
ECTS progress: typically minimum 60 ECTS completed (first-year students usually not eligible; check your National Agency's rules)
One grant per study cycle rule: students can use up to 12 months total Erasmus+ per cycle (Bachelor, Master, Doctoral), counting both study and internship grants
Recent graduate mobility: students who apply during their final year and complete the internship within 12 months of graduation are eligible -- the application must be submitted while still enrolled

Application Calendar for AY 2026-2027

Step	Typical timing	Who acts
Institutional Erasmus+ application (new/renewal)	February-March 2026 (done)	International office
Institutional nomination window (semester 1)	April-July 2026	Students apply to Erasmus office
Student selection by university	May-August 2026	International office
Learning Agreement drafted and signed	6-8 weeks before start	Student + coordinator + host
Grant payment (tranche 1)	2-4 weeks before departure	International office
Internship takes place	September 2026 - August 2027	Student
Grant report + Europass Mobility	Within 30 days of return	Student + coordinator

How Branded University Portals Reduce Coordinator Workload

The most time-intensive part of internship mobility for coordinators is not paperwork -- it is sourcing and vetting suitable host employers. Many institutions spend disproportionate staff time on employer relationship management that is not core to their academic function.

A growing model is the co-branded internship portal: a placement platform provides a university-branded interface where students from that institution browse a curated, vetted employer pool across 17 countries. The platform handles employer sourcing, initial vetting, and matching. The coordinator approves the final placement and issues the Learning Agreement. This model is particularly effective for universities without extensive employer networks in target Erasmus+ countries.

This is exactly what the Internship Abroad university partner programme offers. Students from partner institutions access a co-branded portal -- the university's brand, our placement infrastructure. Coordinators issue Learning Agreements; we do the rest. See how the university partnership model works or speak to our partnerships team.

For the student-facing perspective on Erasmus+ internship funding, see our country-specific guides: Dutch students going to Barcelona, German students' Erasmus+ guide, and Spanish students going to Berlin.

Ready to Expand Your Internship Mobility Programme?

June is the planning window for AY 2026-2027. International offices closing out this academic year are simultaneously setting up the next one. If your institution wants to expand Erasmus+ internship placements without expanding coordinator headcount, the partnership model is the most direct route.

Create an account on our platform to explore the employer pool, or contact us directly to discuss a branded university portal for your institution.