2026 negotiations and agreements: the UK's path to rejoining Erasmus+ in 2027

The past months have seen major negotiations and agreements between the United Kingdom and the European Union to prepare for the UK's return to the EU mobility programme, Erasmus+, in 2027. The UK left Erasmus+ in 2020 after Brexit, but agreed to work towards rejoining the programme at the 2025 EU-UK summit.

The UK started 2026 by negotiating its future contribution to Erasmus+ upon rejoining the programme in 2027, which it agreed to set at £570 million (€648.97m) for its first year as an associated partner.

"The UK has negotiated financial terms that strike a fair balance between our contribution and the benefits offered by the programme, including a 30% discount on the default terms. This ensures value for UK taxpayers while guaranteeing full participation benefits," the UK Mission to the EU said.

This contribution will cover the academic year 2027-2028, while future participation in Erasmus+ under the next budget for 2028-2034, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), will need to be agreed "based on a fair and balanced contribution".

This declaration was followed, in February…