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Sep 2025
The United Kingdom has taken concrete steps toward rejoining the European Union’s (EU) Erasmus+ student mobility program.
A Department for Education (DfE) tender advertised in August invited bids for an 18-month contract worth up to £24 million to administer the scheme, marking the clearest indication yet that the government is preparing to re-enter the EU’s flagship exchange program.
Government lays groundwork
The DfE’s pronouncement notice followed commitments made at the UK-EU summit in May 2025, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government agreed to “work towards” association with Erasmus+.
Britain’s European Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told the Financial Times that the UK was “open” to re-engaging with the program. The contract would begin in July 2026 and run through the end of the current Erasmus+ cycle in 2027.
Participation remains subject to financial negotiations, as London has insisted it will only return under “significantly improved financial terms” compared with those rejected during Brexit talks.
Before Brexit, the UK was a net contributor to Erasmus+, with more European students coming to Britain than UK students studying abroad. In 2021, then-universities minister Michelle Donelan estimated the imbalance could cost around £2 billion over a seven-year cycle.
That calculation, combined with political resistance, led Boris Johnson’s Conservative government to withdraw from the program in 2020.
Cost and visa hurdles
While enthusiasm for rejoining is growing, unresolved issues remain. Erasmus+ is backloaded, meaning its final years are more expensive. Negotiators must decide how much the UK would pay to participate in the remaining period through 2027.
Visas are another sticking point. Erasmus+ depends on students moving freely across borders, but post-Brexit rules require separate visa applications.
Universities have urged the government to negotiate simplified processes for exchange students.
Despite the obstacles, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed progress during a London visit in May, saying that she was “so glad” young people would once again benefit from Erasmus+.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič called the UK’s prospective return “symbolic value,” describing it as a signal that the UK and EU remain “friends and neighbours” despite past divisions.
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Impact on the Turing Scheme
The UK created the Turing Scheme in 2021 as a domestic alternative to Erasmus+, funding placements abroad but limited to outward mobility from Britain. Unlike Erasmus+, it offered no reciprocal support for students coming into the UK.
The Labour government extended Turing for the 2025–26 academic year with a reduced £78 million budget, nearly a third less than the previous year. Ministers have pledged that the program will continue alongside any Erasmus+ re-entry, but questions remain about how the two schemes would coexist.
Universities have acknowledged Turing’s role in expanding placements beyond Europe but said that it lacks the scale and reputation of Erasmus+. According to Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, Erasmus “offers a broad range of opportunities for learners and staff across the education, training, youth and sport sectors.”
Who will run the program?
A further question is which body would manage Erasmus+ in the UK if rejoining proceeds.
Before Brexit, the British Council held the role of national agency. That changed in 2021 when the Conservative government awarded administration of Turing to outsourcing firm Capita, a move that drew criticism.
The DfE notice stressed that any new procurement would be open to small and medium-sized enterprises, voluntary groups, and consortia. A British Council insider told University World News that the organization is interested in returning as a national agency, though it remains unclear whether the government will opt again for a private contractor.
(Image courtesy of Nikolay Georgiev via Pixabay)
Cross-party and sector support
The push to rejoin Erasmus+ has broad political and institutional backing.
Anne Corbett, Senior Associate at LSE Consulting, said that it was unlikely that the government would be preparing a procurement exercise without a draft agreement already in development. She noted that the UK had similarly rejoined Horizon Europe midway through its budget cycle.
Thomas Jørgensen, Director of Policy Coordination at the European University Association, called the association “certainly good news,” stressing that even late-stage participation would create lasting collaborations into the next decade.
Public opinion also leans toward closer cooperation. A YouGov survey commissioned by the Travel Association (ABTA) found that 76% of Britons support a youth mobility deal with the EU, including 61% of those who voted to leave in 2016.
Mobility shifts, travel authorizations
The UK’s move to rejoin Erasmus+ comes as the EU rolls out new border systems. In October 2025, the bloc will launch the Entry/Exit System, which will track when non-EU visitors enter and leave.
A year later, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will require visitors from countries like the UK to apply online before traveling.
For students on Erasmus exchanges, these steps may add paperwork. Still, a mobility deal between the UK and EU could make the process easier, especially for those on organized study or training placements.
Seasonal workers could also benefit. Travel groups said that far fewer young Britons have worked abroad since Brexit, leaving gaps in the tourism industry. A new mobility deal could bring back these opportunities, even as border checks become stricter under ETIAS.
Building bridges through Erasmus+
The UK’s move to rejoin Erasmus+ is about more than restoring a study abroad program. It shows a change in how Britain works with its neighbors, its young people, and its universities.
Erasmus+ has helped students study, work, and share cultures across Europe, and joining again could bring back chances that were lost after Brexit. For students, schools, and employers, it means stronger links, new skills, and easier travel.
The next steps depend on talks over cost, visas, and how it fits with the UK’s Turing Scheme, but the direction is clear. The debate over Erasmus+ is really about how the UK wants to connect with Europe in the years ahead.