Erasmus+ Grants for Traineeships
Applications for 2026-2027
The information below is up to date for students who are going on a Traineeship abroad in academic year 2026-2027 and who want to apply for an Erasmus+ Grant from Utrecht University.
The application process for the Erasmus+ Grant will open in Osiris on 1 July 2026. However, students can already start filling in their Learning Agreement and collect the necessary signatures/approvals. The Learning Agreement format can be found below under 'How to apply'.
Conditions for Erasmus+ applications
In order to qualify for an Erasmus+ Grant for your Traineeship (i.e. internship) abroad, you must at least comply with the following conditions:
- You will undertake your Traineeship in a country which participates in the Erasmus+ Programme (other than The Kingdom of the Netherlands).
- 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).
- For Bachelor's and Master's students: the Traineeship must be integrated and recognized in your study programme at UU (i.e. will appear on your diploma supplement).
- You have successfully completed a first year (i.e. Bachelor's year 1) of higher education studies when your Traineeship begins.
- Your Traineeship will last 2 months at minimum (see Table A below).
- You will register for and complete a full-time study/work load at the Receiving Organisation (see Table A below).
- You will be physically present at the Receiving Organisation for the duration of the Erasmus+ Mobility Period.
- You will live in the country of the Receiving Organisation.
- You have not been living in the country of your Traineeship during your regular study programme at UU (not counting previous Stay Abroad periods).
- Traineeships at European Union institutions and National Agencies for Erasmus+ are not eligible for Erasmus+ grants
Table A
| Full-time requirement for Traineeships |
|
| Please note: You cannot shorten your Traineeship or adjust your work hours if this means the total Traineeship period would drop below 2 months, and/or the amount of ECTS would go down below the minimum, and/or you no longer work on your Traineeship full-time. In such cases you no longer qualify for the grant, and you will have to pay back the entire grant amount to UU. | |
| *If your Traineeship is extracurricular, you must still work full-time for the duration of your Traineeship and receive 5 ECTS per month. These ECTS should also be registered on your Diploma Supplement. PhD's do not have to gain ECTS, but still need to work full-time. | |
Maximum Erasmus+ grants in total
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 (either from UU or another institution), then you are obliged to report this in your grant application.
Maximum grant period 2026-2027
Due to limited budgets, the maximum Erasmus+ Grant Period for UU students going abroad in academic year 2026-2027 is 3 months + 22 days. If your Traineeship 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 'Grant Amount' below for more information.
Apply on time
If you want to receive an Erasmus+ Grant from Utrecht University, then your Grant Application has to be submitted in Osiris by the deadline below. Your application deadline is based on your start date. Your start date is the first day on which you need to be physically present for present for work at the Receiving Organisation.
Preparation before you can apply
Please be aware that you cannot start your Erasmus+ Application in Osiris until you have a (conditionally) approved Stay Abroad request in Osiris (which can take some weeks to arrange). You can also not submit your Grant Application unless you have a fully approved Learning Agreement (i.e. approved by you, your UU International Office, and the Receiving Organisation). This can take several weeks to arrange. See 'How to apply' for further information about the Stay abroad request and the Learning Agreement.
Deadlines 2026-2027
| Group | Application deadline |
| Your start date is before 1 August 2026 | Apply at least 6 weeks prior to your start date* |
| Your start date is before 15 August 2026 | 15 July 2026 at the latest* |
| Your start date is between 15 August and 31 August 2026 | 3 August 2026 at the latest* |
| Your start date is 1 September 2026 or later | Apply at least 1 month prior to your start date* |
| *If you think you might not be able to submit your Erasmus+ Grant application in Osiris by this deadline, contact the UU Erasmus Office (erasmus@uu.nl) as soon as possible, and definitely before your deadline has passed. Otherwise, you may miss your chance to receive the grant. (Notifying only your International Office is not enough!) | |
Please note: the sooner you submit your application, the sooner we can process it.
Basic Grant Amount
The Erasmus+ grant is meant as a contribution to cover 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 in academic year 2026-2027. The amounts below are per full month of the Grant Period (Erasmus+ always counts a full month as 30 days), any additional grant days are calculated proportionally (monthly amount / 30).
| Group 1 - Programme countries with higher living costs Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden | € 540 |
| Group 2 - Programme countries with medium living costs Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain | € 480 |
| Group 3 - Programme countries with lower living costs Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey | € 480 |
Maximum Grant period
Utrecht University receives a limited budget from the European Commission for the Erasmus+ Grants. To give as many students as possible an Erasmus+ Grant, we have to set a maximum grant period per student (based on available budget for the academic year). Erasmus+ budgets differ between institutions, so other universities may be able to give their students an Erasmus+ Grant for longer or shorter periods.
| Maximum Grant Period UU students 2026-2027 |
| 3 months + 22 days (112 days in total) |
Erasmus+ Top-up
Students who experience economic or medical/health-related barriers may receive additional funding on top of the Basic Grant Amount. Please see 'Erasmus+ Top-up' below for further information.
Travel Allowance
In addition to the Basic Grant Amount, students will receive 'Travel Allowance' to help cover travel to and from the Traineeship destination. 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/town where your Receiving Organisation is based), and;
- The main mode of transport used for at least half of your round trip (in terms of distance travelled in km). Below 500 km, you are in principle expected to travel sustainably.
| Travel distance in km | Green travel* | Non-green travel |
|---|---|---|
| 100 to 499 | 285 EUR | 211 EUR |
| 500 to 1999 | 417 EUR | 309 EUR |
| 2000 to 2999 | 535 EUR | 395 EUR |
| 3000 to 3999 | 785 EUR | 580 EUR |
In order to receive the Travel Allowance amount for Green Travel, you have to travel by sustainable means and upload a Declaration of Honour in your application (see 'Green Travel' below for further information).
Green Travel According to Erasmus+
In your Erasmus+ grant application in Osiris you will have to specify the main means of transportation you intend to use for at least half of your round trip (in terms of distance travelled in km). This determines your Travel Allowance amount (see 'Grant Amount' above). If you are travelling sustainably, and upload a Declaration of Honour (see below), then you are eligible for a higher amount of funding. Erasmus+ regards only the options in right column in the table below as sustainable/green travel:
| Not Green | Green |
| Plane | Train |
| Car (including electric/hybrid) | Bus |
| Motorcycle | Cycling |
| Ship, unless combined with a green means of transport | Carpooling (i.e. sharing a ride with someone who was already going to your destination) |
| Ship, if combined with a green means of transport |
Sign your Declaration of Honour
In order to receive the higher amount of Travel Allowance for Green Travel, you have to sign the Declaration of Honour and upload it in your Erasmus+ Grant application in Osiris.
Interrail Pass for Erasmus+
If you want to travel by train, make sure to take a look at the 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 Traineeship. 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 such as European Sleeper and Nightjet run from the Netherlands to many 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 of € 250,- per month on top of your Basis Grant Amount and Travel Allowance. The Top-up amount, like the Basic Grant Amount, is 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 complicate travel and/or studying abroad.
How to apply for the Top-up?
In your Erasmus+ Grant application in Osiris, you will be asked if you want to apply for the Erasmus+ Top-up for Fewer Opportunities. If you answer 'yes', you will need to upload one of the following types of proof:
- 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). This letter should not be older than two years, counting from the end of the allocated supplementary grant period (‘Periode Aanvullende Beurs’ as mentioned in the letter from DUO)
- 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?
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. In exceptional cases, students are allowed to upload a different type of proof than stated above.
Grant application step-by-step
Read the Conditions (see above) and the information about the Erasmus+ Top-up (see above) carefully before applying for the grant.
- Before you can apply for an Erasmus+ grant, you need to have a Stay Abroad request in Osiris which has been approved by your faculty. If you have not already done so, register your traineeship/internship abroad by submitting a Stay Abroad request in OSIRIS Student. Do not forget to submit your application.
- You can continue preparing your grant application (step 3 and 4), but the application for the Erasmus+ Traineeship grant in Osiris (step 5) can only be started after your Stay Abroad request has been approved by your faculty (and this can take quite some time, depending on your situation). Therefore, please contact your faculty's International Office as soon as you have finished step 1. Contact details can be found on this page.
- Download the Erasmus+ Learning Agreement for Traineeships 2026-2027.
- Complete the Learning agreement by filling out the general part, and the BEFORE THE MOBILITY part (including your signature). The start date is the first date on which you have to be present for work at the Receiving Organisation. Get the document signed by your UU (faculty) International Office or Internship Coordinator (for students from the faculties of Humanities or Social & Behavioural Sciences: your faculty's International Office needs to sign) and your supervisor/coordinator at the Receiving Organisation. Digital and scanned signatures are allowed, so you can arrange all per email.
Apply for the Erasmus+ Grant by going to the Stay Abroad (Buitenland) section in Osiris and click on your Stay Abroad Request. In the 'Further Actions' tab, choose the Erasmus+ Grant application. Answer all the questions and upload the correct documents. (For further information about the Top-up, Travel Allowance, and the Declaration of Honour for Green Travel, see 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. You will be notified once your file is deemed complete, and the grant is officially awarded to you. This usually happens within 4 weeks after you submit your application. Please be patient, as the Erasmus Office deals with many applications at the same time.
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 Traineeship, 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, 80% of any Top-up Amount awarded to you, and the Travel Allowance (100%), (see 'Grant Amount' above for more information). The first payment will usually be transferred to your account within three weeks after you have received the notification that the grant has been officially awarded to you, but processing times may be slightly longer in busy periods.
Please note: If you submitted in time but your application still needed corrections, the first payment may arrive some time after your start date.
Final payment
The second and final payment will be calculated and transferred after your Traineeship, and only once your file is complete and everything has been processed. At the end of your Stay Abroad, you will hand in a Traineeship Certificate. If the dates on your Traineeship Certificate differ from the Mobility Period as listed on your Grant Agreement, your total Grant Amount may be recalculated. See Checklist part 2 for more information (you will receive this checklist per e-mail).
IMPORTANT NOTE: The information below is applicable to students who have been on a Stay Abroad in academic year 2025-2026. This information has not yet been updated for students who doing a Traineeship abroad in 2026-2027.
Completing your Erasmus+ file
Your Erasmus+ grant has been awarded on the condition that you have to complete your Erasmus+ file. All necessary steps need to be completed by the deadlines which have been communicated to you by UU.
The Erasmus Grant Checklist (parts 1 and 2) will guide you through all these steps. You received the first part of the Checklist at the beginning of your Stay Abroad. The second part of the Checklist can be found below:
Erasmus Grant Checklist
Erasmus Grant 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.
- The UU format for the Traineeship Certificate can be found below. Do NOT use other formats!
Report documents
Deadlines report requirements at the end of your Traineeship
| General | Deadlines for upload(s) in Osiris |
| If you stay abroad ends before 1 February 2026 | 1 March 2026 |
| If your stay abroad ends 1 February 2026 or later | 1 July 2026 |
| Exceptions | Deadlines for upload(s) in Osiris |
| If stay abroad ends between 1 July and 1 September 2026 | contact the Erasmus Office for a personal deadline |
| If stay abroad ends after September 2026 | this page will be updated with new information in the Fall for 2026-2027 |
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 Faculty International Office 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 do a Traineeship abroad without extra financial support (in addition to 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.
It is no longer possible to apply for an Erasmus+ grant after you have graduated from your study programme (even if you are still enrolled at UU). If you are set to graduate but you really want to do an Internship with Erasmus+ funding, you can reach out to your Board of Examiners to discuss the option to postpone your graduation.
Please note however that the Board of Examiners can not advise about the Erasmus+ Grant rules, so if you have any specific questions regarding the grant and your eligibility, please contact the Erasmus Office directly (see below) before you decide to postpone your graduation.
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.