How much does Erasmus+ pay for a traineeship in 2026?

Erasmus+ traineeship grants in 2026 range from EUR 350 to EUR 620 per month, depending on the destination country. Group 1 destinations (Norway, Iceland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, UK equivalent programmes) pay EUR 570 to EUR 620/month. Group 2 (Germany, France, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Greece) pay EUR 460 to EUR 540/month. Group 3 (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Turkey) pay EUR 350 to EUR 410/month.

Can non-EU students apply for an Erasmus+ traineeship?

Non-EU students can participate in Erasmus+ traineeships if they are enrolled at a European Higher Education Institution that holds an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). The student's nationality does not disqualify them; their institution's participation does. An Indian student enrolled at TU Delft, for example, can access Erasmus+ traineeship funding through TU Delft's Erasmus allocation.

Do I need to speak the local language for an Erasmus+ traineeship?

No formal language test is required, but Erasmus+ requires you to complete an Online Linguistic Support (OLS) assessment before departure. Most traineeship host organisations in major cities accept English as the working language. You may be offered free language lessons via OLS as part of your grant.

What is the minimum duration for an Erasmus+ traineeship?

The minimum duration for an Erasmus+ traineeship is 2 months (60 days). The maximum within a single study cycle (e.g., your entire Bachelor's) is 12 months including any prior Erasmus study exchanges. You can do multiple traineeships as long as the total does not exceed 12 months.

Can I do more than one Erasmus+ traineeship?

Yes, you can do multiple traineeships across different semesters or academic years, as long as the total Erasmus+ mobility time within one study cycle does not exceed 12 months. A student who did a 3-month Erasmus study exchange in Year 2 has 9 months of remaining Erasmus+ funding available for a traineeship.

Is the Erasmus+ traineeship grant taxable?

The Erasmus+ grant itself is generally not subject to income tax in most EU member states, as it is classified as an educational grant rather than earned income. However, if you also receive a salary or stipend from the host company on top of the Erasmus+ grant, the company stipend may be taxable depending on the host country's rules. Confirm with your sending institution.

What happens if the host company cancels my Erasmus+ traineeship?

If a host company cancels before you depart, contact your university's international office immediately. Your institution can often reassign you to an approved alternative host. Grant funds already disbursed for a cancellation before day 1 are typically returned; travel costs may be reimbursed depending on your institution's policy. This is why having a backup placement ready matters.

Erasmus+ Traineeship 2026: Grant Amounts, How to Apply and Which Countries Pay Most

Erasmus+ traineeships paid between EUR 350 and EUR 620 per month in 2026, depending on which country the student goes to. This is one of the most common questions students bring to career services: "how much will I actually get?" The answer matters because it determines whether students can afford the destination without taking on additional debt. This guide provides the exact figures, the application chain, and the placement data to help coordinators guide students accurately.

Erasmus+ Traineeship vs. Erasmus+ Study Exchange: A Critical Distinction

Many students and even some academic advisors conflate the two. They are structurally different:

Feature	Erasmus+ Study Exchange	Erasmus+ Traineeship
Host type	Partner university	Any employer (company, NGO, research institute)
Academic credit	Mandatory (credit transfer agreement)	Optional (depends on programme requirements)
Minimum duration	3 months	2 months
Grant level	Group 1/2/3 rates	Group 1/2/3 rates (same structure, slightly higher for traineeships in some countries)
Organisation of stay	University handles housing coordination	Student arranges own accommodation
Recent graduate eligible?	No	Yes (within 12 months of graduation)

The traineeship route has historically been underutilised relative to study exchanges. Yet it offers more flexibility: any employer counts as a host, credit is optional, and recent graduates can still access funding within 12 months of completing their degree.

2026 Grant Amounts by Destination Country

The Erasmus+ programme divides host countries into three groups based on cost of living. These are the 2026 individual support rates (traineeship allocation, which is typically EUR 50 to EUR 100/month higher than study exchange rates in the same group):

Group	Countries	Grant per month (2026)
Group 1 (highest)	Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden	EUR 570 to EUR 620
Group 2 (mid)	Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain	EUR 460 to EUR 540
Group 3 (lower)	Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey	EUR 350 to EUR 410

Exact amounts within each range are set by the sending institution's National Agency allocation and the student's sending country. A Dutch student going to Germany (both Group 2) typically receives EUR 490 to EUR 520/month. The final figure is confirmed in the Grant Agreement signed with the sending institution before departure.

Dutch students can also stack an Erasmus+ traineeship grant with the Nuffic-beurs or ROB-beurs depending on destination. German students have the DAAD PROMOS as an alternative for destinations outside Europe.

Who Can Apply for an Erasmus+ Traineeship

Enrolled at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) holding an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE)
At least completed the first year of study (institutional rules vary; some require Year 2)
Nationality is irrelevant -- what matters is institutional enrolment
For recent graduates: the traineeship must start and end within 12 months of graduating
No minimum GPA is required by the programme, though individual HEIs may set their own criteria

The Application Chain: Step by Step

Unlike direct applications, Erasmus+ traineeships require institutional intermediation. The process is:

Contact your institution's international office or Erasmus+ coordinator. Confirm that your degree programme is eligible and that Erasmus+ traineeship funding is available for your faculty. Allocation varies by faculty and academic year.
Find a host employer. The employer must be based in an Erasmus+ participating country and cannot be an EU institution or organisation that manages EU programmes (to avoid conflicts). Internship Abroad operates across all 27 EU member states and can provide host matching for students whose coordinators need to verify host eligibility. See our placement network.
Complete the Learning Agreement for Traineeships. This tri-party document (student, sending institution, host employer) defines learning outcomes, working hours, and credit recognition. It must be signed before departure.
Sign the Grant Agreement with your institution. This sets the exact monthly amount and payment schedule. Typically 70 to 80% is paid before departure; the remainder after submission of the final report.
Complete Online Linguistic Support (OLS). An online language assessment (and optional free lessons) administered through the Erasmus+ OLS platform. Mandatory but does not block funding.
Submit the final report. After return, within 30 days. Required for release of the second grant payment.

Top Host Destinations by Sector (2025-2026 Placement Data)

Sector	Top Cities	Group	Grant/month
Technology / Software	Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin	2 / 2 / 1	EUR 490 to EUR 600
Hospitality / Tourism	Barcelona, Lisbon, Athens	2 / 2 / 2	EUR 460 to EUR 520
Finance / FinTech	Luxembourg, Dublin, Amsterdam	1 / 1 / 2	EUR 520 to EUR 620
Sustainability / NGO	Brussels, Copenhagen, Stockholm	2 / 1 / 1	EUR 520 to EUR 610
Media / Communications	Amsterdam, Berlin, Warsaw	2 / 2 / 3	EUR 380 to EUR 510

For career services offices managing large cohorts: Internship Abroad provides bulk host verification, Learning Agreement template support, and Erasmus-eligible host placement across all 17 of our active markets. Read more about our institutional placement approach or contact us via the Partners page.

What Erasmus+ Does Not Cover

Coordinators frequently need to clarify this list with students:

Flights (student pays; no travel grant component for most short traineeships, though some National Agencies include a flat travel supplement)
Visa costs (student pays; no reimbursement from Erasmus+ for short-stay visas)
Private health insurance top-up (EHIC covers emergencies inside EU but not comprehensive cover)
First/last month housing deposits (common in Berlin and Amsterdam; budget EUR 800 to EUR 1,500 upfront)

Students planning summer 2026 traineeships are confirming placements now. Students planning for the 2026-27 academic year are in the early research window -- the best time to lock in host employers for autumn 2026 is May to June.

To explore how a marketing student presents their international internship application, or to refer a student to the platform, visit internshipabroad.me.