Erasmus+ Traineeship Grants: How Much You Get and How to Apply
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Feb 14, 2026 • Study Abroad, Study in Europe, Erasmus & Exchange, Scholarships & Funding
Erasmus+ traineeship grants pay a fixed monthly amount based on your host country's cost group, and you apply through your home university's international office, not the EU directly.
💶 Higher-cost host countries pay more: 540 EUR/month under the Dutch national agency's 2026-27 rates, against 480 EUR/month for medium and lower-cost countries.
🎓 Traineeship grants run about 150 EUR/month above study grants because internships come with no student housing or meal plan.
⏱️ Placements last 2-12 months, and recent graduates can use one within 12 months of finishing their degree.
Students facing economic, social or health barriers can add up to 250 EUR/month in inclusion support.
📩 Start with your international office: they nominate you and issue the Learning Agreement for Traineeships.
What the grant pays for
An Erasmus+ traineeship grant is EU money that helps cover your living costs while you complete a work placement in another European country. It is a contribution, not a full salary, and many host organizations pay you on top of it. You stay enrolled at your home institution throughout, and the placement can count toward your degree if your university agrees.
Both current students and recent graduates can apply. If you graduate first, arrange the traineeship and get nominated before your degree finishes, then complete the placement within 12 months of graduating.
Grant amounts by country group
The European Commission sorts host countries into three cost-of-living groups and suggests a funding range for each. Each country's Erasmus+ national agency then sets the exact monthly rate within that range, so your figure depends on where you study, not just where you go. The table below shows the rates the Dutch national agency published for outgoing students in 2026-27, as one example of how the groups work.
| Group | Example host countries | Traineeship grant (2026-27, Dutch NA) |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 (higher cost) | Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden | 540 EUR/month |
| Group 2 (medium cost) | Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain | 480 EUR/month |
| Group 3 (lower cost) | Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey | 480 EUR/month |
Check your own country's Erasmus+ national agency or your international office for the exact rate that applies to you. Source: Utrecht University .
Universities typically pay the grant in 2 installments: most of it before departure once you sign the agreement, and the rest after you submit your final report. Budget for the gap between arriving and receiving the first payment, since it can land close to your start date.
Where you can complete a traineeship
Most students complete their placement in an Erasmus+ Programme Country, the EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. Placements in a wider group of Partner Countries outside Europe exist too, but they run under different budget rules and sit outside the country groups above.
Tax and social security
Erasmus+ grants generally count as a scholarship rather than salary, so most students do not pay income tax on it, though the exact rule depends on your home country. Confirm the tax treatment with your international office before you rely on the full amount as spending money, and check whether you need health insurance cover for your host country beyond your European Health Insurance Card.
Extra money on top of the base grant
Students with fewer opportunities, meaning documented economic, social or health barriers, can receive an inclusion top-up of 250 EUR/month on top of the standard rate. Proof usually means a letter confirming you receive a supplementary national grant or documentation of a diagnosed medical condition. Ask your international office what counts as proof in your country.
Erasmus+ also rewards low-emission travel. If you reach your host country mainly by train, bus or carpool instead of flying, you qualify for a higher one-off travel top-up and extra individual support days to cover the longer journey time. Erasmus University Rotterdam's 2026-27 figures show 28-580 EUR for standard travel against 56-785 EUR for green travel, depending on the distance band (up to 3,999 km) between your home and host city (source: Erasmus University Rotterdam ).
How long a placement can last
A single traineeship runs 2-12 months. Within one study cycle (bachelor, master or PhD) you get a combined mobility limit of 12 months for study and traineeship together, so a semester abroad plus a summer internship both count against the same cap. Ask your international office how much of your limit you have left before applying.
Applying step by step
Contact your international office to confirm you are eligible and check how many mobility months you have left.
Find a host organization yourself, or use a placement offered through your university's partner network or an approved traineeship platform.
Draft and sign the Learning Agreement for Traineeships with your university and the host organization, listing your tasks and learning outcomes.
Get formally nominated and sign the Erasmus+ grant agreement, which fixes your monthly rate and payment schedule.
Complete the Online Linguistic Support (OLS) language assessment before you leave. For longer placements you take a second assessment afterward, and you get free access to online courses in the language you need for work.
Travel, complete your placement, and submit your final report and a second Learning Agreement confirmation when you return.
Combining it with national funding
The Erasmus+ grant does not replace your national student finance. You can stack it with a domestic grant or loan such as German Bafög, Swedish CSN, Danish SU or Dutch studiefinanciering, since none of these systems count Erasmus+ money as income that reduces your award. Check the specific rules for your country before you travel.