Erasmus+ Grants for Studies

Conditions for Erasmus+ Applications

In order to qualify for a grant, you must at least comply with the following conditions:

• You are registered in a study programme at Bachelor's or Master's level, or for a PhD, which culminates with a diploma from Utrecht University (pre-master not applicable).

• The minimum duration of your Exchange must be 2 months.

• You have successfully completed a first year of higher education studies (and started the second year) when your Stay Abroad begins.

• You will register for and complete a full-time study/work load (see below) at the receiving institution.

• You will be physically present at the receiving university.

• You will undertake your Exchange in a country other than The Netherlands. The destination country cannot be the same as your country of residence at the time of Grant application.

Important note: If (during your exchange) your situation changes and you no longer meet the above requirements, or if you return from your exchange and you have completed (including exams!) less than 22,5 ECTS worth of courses for a full semester abroad (or 5 ECTS for other durations), then you will have to pay back the grant. 

Restrictions

• Under Erasmus+ rules, the same student may not receive Erasmus+ grants for mobility periods totaling up to more than 12 months within the same study cycle (study cycle = Bachelor, Master, or PhD). If you have received an Erasmus+ grant before (during the same study cycle) you are obliged to report this in your grant application.

Maximum Grant Period 

The budget which Utrecht University receives from the European Commission is limited. In order to ensure that as many students as possible can receive an Erasmus+ grant we have to set a maximum grant period per student. The maximum grant period is determined in spring on the basis of available budget for the upcoming academic year.

• The maximum Erasmus+ grant period for UU students going on Exchange in Academic Year 2025-2026 is 2 months + 17 days, unless it is mandatory within your study programme to go abroad for a longer period (students who fall under this exception will be notified).

Please note: Erasmus+ budgets differ greatly between institutions, so other universities may be able to give their students an Erasmus+ Grant for more than one semester or the current UU maximum of 2 months and 17 days (up to 12 months per study cycle).

Exchange 2026-2027

Whether your destination is eligible for an Erasmus+ grant depends not only on the country but also on whether your faculty or Utrecht University has concluded an exchange agreement with that institution. As a consequence, if you go abroad in academic year 2026-2027 or later, your study programme must have elective space (e.g. profileringsruimte) of at least 22,5 ECTS for you to qualify for an Erasmus+ grant. You also qualify for a grant if the exchange is fully integrated into your study programme.

Students in the following study programmes don’t qualify for an Erasmus+ grant for exchange:

• Bachelor Geneeskunde

• Bachelor Rechtsgeleerdheid track Notarieel Recht

• Bachelor Academische lerarenopleiding primair onderwijs (ALPO)

• Nearly all Master’s programmes

Students in these Master’s programmes can qualify for an Erasmus+ grant for exchange:

• Intercultural Communication, only for Eurocampus exchange

• Research Masters of the Faculty of Humanities, except for Linguistics

• Research master Multidisciplinary Economics

• Global Challenges for Sustainability (CHARM-EU)

• Veterinary Medicine

This is not a requirement for Erasmus+ grants for traineeships, only for exchange.

Application deadlines 2025-2026

If you want to have a chance to receive an Erasmus+ Grant from Utrecht University for your semester abroad, then your Erasmus+ Grant Application has to be submitted in Osiris by the deadline below. Please be aware that you cannot submit your Erasmus+ Grant Application in Osiris unless you have a fully approved Learning Agreement (i.e. signed/approved by you, your UU International Office, and the Receiving Organisation). See steps 1-3 under 'How to apply' for further information. 

The start date is the first day on which you need to be physically present for a mandatory activity (i.e. and introduction activity, or your first day of classes) at your host university. The start date should be accurately reflected on your Learning Agreement.

*If you think you might not be able to submit your Erasmus+ Grant application in Osiris by this deadline, contact your International Office as well as the UU Erasmus Office (erasmus@uu.nl) as soon as possible, and definitely before your application deadline! Otherwise, you may miss your chance to receive the grant.

Basic Grant Amount

The Erasmus+ grant is meant as a contribution to cover additional travel and living costs abroad. The grant amounts per month have been determined by the National Agency Erasmus+. In the table below you will find the basic grant amounts per month of the Grant Period in Academic Year 2025-2026. The amounts below are per full month abroad (a full month in Erasmus+ terms always counts as 30 days), any additional grant days are calculated proportionally (monthly amount / 30). 

Important note: UU students can be awarded a maximum grant period of 2 months + 17 days (i.e. 77 days in total). If your Exchange lasts longer, the remaining days will be awarded as 'Zero Grant Days' (you will still be an Erasmus+ student for the remaining period, but you will not receive funding during that time). See above under 'Conditions & Restrictions' for more information. 

Fewer Opportunities Top-up / Special Needs

Under some circumstances, students may receive additional funding (250 Euros per month of Grant Period) due to medical or financial needs. Please see 'Erasmus+ Top-up' and 'Students with special needs' for further information.

Travel Allowance

Students going on Exchange in 2025-2026 will receive 'Travel Allowance' on top of the basic Grant Amount. This is a one-time amount (i.e. not per month) which is automatically added in full to the first Grant Payment (see: 'Grant Payments' below). Travel Allowance is based on:

• Distance to your destination, as calculated using the Erasmus+ Distance Calculator ('start' is always Utrecht, 'end' is the city where your host institution is based), and;
• The main mode of travel used for the majority of your round trip (in terms of distance travelled). (Below 500 km, you are in principle expected to travel sustainably.)
• In order to receive the Travel Allowance amount for Green Travel, you have to upload a Declaration of Honour in your application, in which you promise to travel sustainably. See 'Green Travel' below for further information and the Declaration of Honour format.

Green Travel According to Erasmus+

As an Erasmus+ student, you are in principle expected to travel sustainably if your destination is less than 500 KM from Utrecht. In your Erasmus+ grant application in Osiris, you will have to specify your means of transportation. Erasmus+ sees the following options as Green Travel:

• train
• bus
• cycling
• carpooling (i.e. sharing a ride with someone who was already going to your destination) 

Please note that hybrid/electric cars are not viewed as a sustainable option according to Erasmus+ rules (unless used for carpooling).

Declaration of Honour

In order to receive the Erasmus+ Travel Allowance amount for Green Travel, you have to upload a Declaration of Honour in your application, in which you promise to travel sustainably. 

Interrail Pass for Erasmus+

If you want to travel by train, make sure to take a look at the new Interrail Pass for Erasmus+. This is an Interrail Pass with a longer validity period, so that you can use it at the beginning and at the end of your exchange semester. If you're travelling with an Interrail Pass, be aware that place reservations on high speed trains will cost extra, and can get expensive. Calculate your costs before deciding on the best type of ticket to buy.

Tips & Tricks 

• Buy your tickets as soon as possible, because ticket prices go up and travel options disappear once you get closer to your travel date. Buying ahead saves money!
• NS International and Omio.com are handy websites for booking tickets. Combine different online search engines to get a fuller picture of all available options.
• Night trains run from the Netherlands to certain locations in Europe. Taking a night train (in a sleep cabin) may seem expensive but for longer journeys this can be the most economical option, as this allows you to save on hotel/hostel costs along the way. 

Top-up for Fewer Opportunities

Erasmus+ offers a Top-up for Students with Fewer Opportunities. The Top-up amount is € 250,- per month, based on the duration of your Erasmus+ Grant Period. You are eligible if:

• you experience economic barriers and therefore receive (or have received, see below) a supplementary grant (i.e. aanvullende beurs) from DUO, and/or;
• you have a disability or a diagnosed chronic medical condition which may influence and complicate travel and/or studying abroad.

How to apply for the Top-up?

In your application for the Erasmus+ Grant in Osiris, you will be asked if you want to apply for the Erasmus+ Top-up for Fewer Opportunities. If you answer 'yes' to this question, you will need to upload one of the following types of proof to show that you are eligible:

• Official letter from DUO - The official letter granting your supplementary grant, i.e. the DUO Toekenningsbericht (the date, your name, and the grant amount must be clearly visible). If you do not receive a supplementary grant at this time but have received one in recent years, please send us an email to confirm whether your letter is still valid.
• Medical Statement - A medical statement can be a statement from your doctor, or a copy of an official document which states that you have a diagnosed (i.e. recognised) condition. If you want to keep your condition private then you may upload a statement from a medical professional which makes it clear that you have a diagnosed condition which can impact travel/study abroad, but which does not explicitly name the condition.

If you fall in both groups, then you may upload EITHER a DUO-statement, OR a medical statement, whichever is preferable to you. 

What if I don't have the right proof?

In exceptional cases, students are allowed to upload a different type of proof than stated above. If you believe you have grounds to receive the Top-up (i.e. you fall under one of the two categories described above) but you cannot provide the required documentation, please contact the UU Erasmus Office and explain your situation. 

Please note: the Top-up is part of the Erasmus+ grant. This means that you cannot receive a Top-up separately, and if you are not (or no longer) eligible for the Erasmus+ grant, you will also not be eligible to receive the Erasmus+ Top-up for Fewer Opportunities. 

Grant application step-by-step

1. Read the Conditions and Restrictions (see above) and the information about the Erasmus+ Top-up (see above) carefully before applying for the grant.
    
2. Complete the online Learning Agreement in Osiris. (Click here for instructions.)
   
   Important note on dates: Your start date is the first day on which you have to be present at your exchange university for an introduction activity or classes. The end date is not the date on which the semester ends, but (your best estimate of) your last mandatory activity abroad, such as the end of the regular exam period. Resit exams are not included in the grant period.
    
3. Submit your Learning Agreement and wait for your Sending Institution and your Receiving Institution to approve your Learning Agreement.
    
4. Before you start the Erasmus+ Grant application in Osiris, have your IBAN (International Bank Account Number) ready. Payments to foreign bank accounts take more time and require more bank details. If you have a non-Dutch account, you MUST fill out the BIC/SWIFT and address for your bank (main branch) as well, otherwise we cannot process your grant payment.
    

5. Apply for the Erasmus+ Grant in Osiris by going to the Stay Abroad (Buitenland) section in Osiris, where you will find the application processes for any grants you can apply for. Choose the Erasmus+ Grant application. Fill out all the questions and upload the correct documents. (For further information about the Top-up, see 'Erasmus+ Top-up' above. For further information about Travel Allowance, and the Declaration of Honour for Green Travel, see 'Green Travel' above.) All uploads in Osiris have to be in a commonly used format (.docx, .pdf). ZIP files cannot be opened. 

   When you are done with the application in Osiris, don't forget to press submit.

    

After you have submitted your application

The UU Erasmus Office will review your application and inform you if there are any mistakes that need to be rectified. Please be patient, as the Erasmus Office deals with many applications at the same time. If everything is in order, you will receive an e-mail to notify you that the application is complete. You will also be notified once the grant has been officially awarded to you and the first Grant Payment has been set in motion. This usually happens within 6 weeks after you submit your application. 

Erasmus+ Grant Payments

The Erasmus+ grant is not paid per month, but in two installments. You will receive one larger payment at the beginning of your exchange, and one smaller payment once you have returned home and completed your Grant application file in Osiris.

First payment

The first payment will consist of 80% of the basic Grant Amount awarded to you plus the full Travel Allowance. The total Grant Amount is a combination of the basic grant amount, Travel Allowance, and in some cases the Top-up. (See 'Grant Amount' above for more information.) The first payment will be made out to you once you have received the notification that the grant has been officially awarded to you.

Please note: in some cases, the first payment may arrive some weeks after your start date. The timing is dependent on when your application is complete, processing times at the UU Erasmus Office, and processing times at the UU Financial Department.

Final payment

The second and final payment will be transferred after your exchange, and only once your file is complete and everything has been processed. 

Calculation of final payment

At the end of your Stay Abroad, you will hand in a Certificate of Attendance. If the dates on your Certificate of Attendance differ from the dates on your Learning Agreement, your total Grant Amount may be recalculated:

If the total period as stated on your Certificate of Attendance is shorter than the Grant Period which was awarded to you (please consult your Grant Agreement), then the total Grant Amount finally calculated for your Exchange will also be less. If the new total Grant Amount is less than the First Payment which you already received, UU will reclaim the difference.* 

If total period as stated on your Certificate of Attendance is longer than the awarded Grant Period (please consult your Grant Agreement), the dates of the Mobility Period (and the number of Zero Grant Days) may be adjusted, but the Grant Period will not be adjusted if the Maximum Grant Period is already reached.

*Due to the maximum Grant Period of 77 days (in most cases), a shorter stay will likely not negatively impact your total Grant Amount unless you have stayed less than 77 days at the partner. We do however need to register the correct Mobility Period to report to the European Commission.

Please note: these are the recalculation rules for 2025-2026. Students returning from a Stay Abroad which took place in 2024-2025 have received different information, and that information will apply.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some students may still be returning from their Stay Abroad 2024-2025. The information below is relevant for 2025-2026 students, and students from the previous academic year can refer to the information received in their emails.

Complete your Erasmus+ file

Your Erasmus+ grant has been awarded conditionally and will only be definitively awarded after you have completed your entire file. This means you have to complete/upload the required report documents and assessments before the appropriate deadlines (see above).

The Erasmus Grant Checklist document will guide you through all steps you must take to have your Erasmus+ grant awarded definitively, including the Report Requirements at the end of your Stay Abroad. You have received this document by e-mail when your grant was provisionally awarded, but it can also be found below for reference:

Erasmus Checklist Part 2 (download)

• Please read the instructions carefully.
• Check the various deadlines.
• Please be aware that you will receive the invitation for the Participant Report not from UU, but as an e-mail from the European Commission's Erasmus+ system.
• The UU format for the Certificate of Attendance can be found below. Do not use other formats!

Report documents 

Certificate of attendance - Studies 

Deadlines report requirements at the end of your Exchange*

Extra help during your application

If you need extra help during the application process for the Erasmus+ Grant, and you feel comfortable sharing this information: please make sure your Exchange Coordinator knows about your situation in advance so that they can give you extra guidance. This may be the case, for example, if you have a medical condition which impairs your visual abilities. 

Additional Special Needs Funding

Students who have a diagnosed medical condition or disability which makes it impossible to study abroad without additional financial support (i.e. who need to cover costs which cannot be covered by the regular Erasmus Grant plus the Fewer Opportunities Top-up) may be eligible to apply for Special Needs Funding. Applications are based on an estimation of actual (expected) costs, so that the National Agency Erasmus+ may grant the student a specific personal budget in addition to the regular grant amount. 

Special Needs Funding may cover, for example:

• Costs for specific housing-needs, such as wheelchair-accessible housing.
• Costs for renting medical equipment abroad.
• The travel costs of an additional person, if the student cannot travel alone.
• Costs for travelling with a support animal.

This is not an exhaustive list and other types of costs may be eligible as well. If you have any questions about this or if you believe you may be eligible to apply, please feel free to send an e-mail to erasmus@uu.nl.

Email

You can contact the Erasmus+ Office for questions about your grant through erasmus@uu.nl.

Teams

It is also possible to make an appointment with the Erasmus+ Office via Teams. If you have a question, please use the calendar below to make an appointment. We will call you on Teams (video call) during the appointed time.

When you make your appointment, you should give a good (detailed) description of your question. Otherwise we may not be able to answer your question during the call. 

If you are unable to make it to your appointment, please don't forget to cancel.