Western Balkans Erasmus+ Association: How EU Candidate Status Expands Student Mobility Funding
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Nov 14, 2024 • Study Abroad, Study in Europe, Erasmus & Exchange, Education News & Policy
Serbia and North Macedonia are full Erasmus+ Programme Countries, so their students get the same mobility grants as students from EU states. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo are Partner Countries with more limited access.
🎓 Programme Countries: Serbia and North Macedonia join all Erasmus+ actions on equal terms
📩 Partner Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo access only selected actions
💶 Programme Country status brings guaranteed national mobility budgets
⏱️ EU candidate status alone does not grant Erasmus+ association
Two Levels of Erasmus+ Access in the Western Balkans
The Erasmus+ programme splits non-EU countries into two groups. Programme Countries take part in every Erasmus+ action on the same terms as EU member states. Partner Countries join only specific actions, under narrower rules and smaller budgets.
Serbia and North Macedonia hold full Programme Country status. Their universities and students access the same exchange grants, joint degree partnerships and staff mobility funding as students in Germany or France. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo sit in the Partner Country group, listed under Western Balkans Region 1 in the official Erasmus+ Programme Guide.
What Programme Country Status Changes for Students
| Country | Erasmus+ status | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Serbia | Programme Country | Full participation, all actions |
| North Macedonia | Programme Country | Full participation, all actions |
| Albania | Partner Country | Selected actions only |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Partner Country | Selected actions only |
| Montenegro | Partner Country | Selected actions only |
| Kosovo | Partner Country | Selected actions only |
A student from a Programme Country applies for Erasmus+ exchange through their home university's national allocation, the same route open to a student in Poland or Spain. A student from a Partner Country needs their university to hold a specific partnership agreement or capacity-building project that includes their country. Only some Erasmus+ actions, such as International Credit Mobility, stay open to them.
Candidate Status Does Not Equal Association
All six countries hold EU candidate or accession-track status, yet that alone does not decide Erasmus+ access. Serbia and North Macedonia became Programme Countries through separate association agreements negotiated with the European Commission, not automatically from candidacy. Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina are also candidate countries, but have not signed the same association agreement, so their students still rely on Partner Country routes.
For a student in Sarajevo, Podgorica, Tirana or Pristina, this means checking whether a target university runs an active partnership before assuming Erasmus+ funding is available. National Erasmus+ agencies in each country publish current partnership lists and confirm whether a specific exchange qualifies for funding.
What This Means for Applicants
Students in Serbia and North Macedonia apply for standard Erasmus+ exchange grants through their home university international office.
Students in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo should ask their university whether it holds an International Credit Mobility agreement with the destination country before applying.
Association status shifts as EU accession talks progress, so confirm current status with your national Erasmus+ agency each academic year.