An Erasmus+ study visit is a short trip where a youth worker gets to know and study another organisation abroad, its practices, methods, and systems, by seeing them first-hand. It is not a holiday and not a youth exchange for young people. It is a professional development activity designed to help youth workers, trainers, and project coordinators learn from how other organisations work, and bring those ideas home. This guide explains what a study visit is, how it differs from job shadowing and training courses, who can take part, how long it lasts, and how it is funded.
What Is an Erasmus+ Study Visit? 🌍
In the Erasmus+ programme, a study visit is defined as a trip where the participant gets to know and studies another organisation or institution, its practices and systems. The whole point is direct contact and observation: you spend time inside a host organisation, watch how they do things, ask questions, and take away concrete ideas and methods you can use in your own work.
It is a form of learning by observation, and it sits within the youth field as a tool for the people who run youth work, not for the young people they serve. If you support young people professionally, a study visit is a way to grow your own practice.
A Professional Development Activity Under Mobility of Youth Workers 🎓
Study visits are one of the Professional Development Activities (PDAs) supported under Mobility of Youth Workers in Erasmus+. Alongside study visits, the same action supports job shadowing, youth worker exchanges, peer learning, and other assignments in youth organisations abroad. They are all part of Erasmus+ Key Action 1, and all aim to raise the quality of youth work across Europe. To see where this fits in the bigger picture, start with what is Erasmus+.
Study Visit vs Job Shadowing vs Training Course 🔍
These formats are easy to confuse, so here is the difference:
🔹 A study visit is about observing and studying a whole organisation, its systems and practices, usually over a short, structured visit
🔹 Job shadowing is following a specific person or role day to day to learn how they work in practice
🔹 A training course is a structured learning programme where you actively build a specific skill or competence
And none of these are a youth exchange, which brings young people together around a theme. Study visits, job shadowing, and training courses are for the youth workers, not the young participants.
What You Actually Do on a Study Visit 👀
A good study visit is more than a tour. You typically:
🔹 Spend time inside one or more host organisations abroad
🔹 Observe their methods, tools, and day-to-day practice up close
🔹 Meet their staff, ask questions, and discuss how and why they work the way they do
🔹 Compare their systems with your own and identify what you can adapt
🔹 Reflect on what you learned and plan how to apply it back home
The value comes from seeing real practice in context, something a document or a webinar cannot give you.
Who Is It For? 👥
Study visits are for the people who work with young people, not for the young people themselves:
🔹 Youth workers, youth leaders, trainers, mentors, and project coordinators
🔹 Participants must be at least 16 years old and resident in the country of their sending or receiving organisation
🔹 It runs between organisations, so you take part through a youth organisation, not as an individual applying alone
If you are unsure whether you qualify, our guide on who can apply gives the wider picture, and you can check the eligible countries too.
How Long Does It Last, and How Many People? ⏳
The practical parameters are set by the Mobility of Youth Workers rules:
🔹 Duration: from 2 to 60 days, excluding travel, with a minimum of 2 consecutive days
🔹 Organisations: at least two, at least one sending and one receiving, from different countries
🔹 Group size: up to 50 participants can take part in a single activity
This flexibility means a study visit can be a short, focused few days or a longer, deeper stay, depending on the project's goals.
What Erasmus+ Funds 💶
As with other Erasmus+ mobility, the funding covers the costs of the activity rather than paying a wage:
🔹 ✈️ Travel support, with a higher amount for sustainable, green travel
🔹 🏠 Individual support toward accommodation and living costs during the activity
🔹 🧩 Organisational support for the organisations running the project
🔹 🤲 Inclusion support for participants with fewer opportunities
Exact amounts are set each year in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide and by the National Agencies, so the organisation running the project handles the budget.
Recognition: Youthpass 📜
Like other Erasmus+ youth activities, a study visit is a learning experience, and participants can have their learning recognised with a Youthpass certificate. For youth workers, Youthpass documents professional competences using the framework designed for youth work practice, which is useful for your portfolio and future applications.
How to Take Part 💫
You join a study visit through an organisation, not by applying alone:
🔹 If you already work with or volunteer at a youth organisation, ask whether they run or join Erasmus+ Mobility of Youth Workers projects
🔹 If not, connect with an active youth organisation in your country that does
🔹 Watch for calls where organisations look for participants to join a planned study visit
New opportunities appear regularly, and Youth Works Hub gathers them so you can find them in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
What is an Erasmus+ study visit?
It is a short trip where a youth worker studies another organisation abroad, observing its practices, methods, and systems first-hand. It is a professional development activity under Erasmus+ Mobility of Youth Workers, not an activity for young participants.
How is a study visit different from job shadowing?
A study visit focuses on observing a whole organisation, its systems and practices, while job shadowing means following a specific person or role day to day. Both are professional development formats for youth workers.
Who can take part in a study visit?
Youth workers, trainers, leaders, and coordinators who work with young people. Participants must be at least 16 and resident in the country of their sending or receiving organisation, and they take part through an organisation.
How long does a study visit last?
From 2 to 60 days, excluding travel, with a minimum of 2 consecutive days. Up to 50 participants can take part in a single activity.
Do participants get a certificate?
Yes. Participants can receive a Youthpass certificate that documents the competences they developed, using the framework designed for youth work.
In Short 💙
An Erasmus+ study visit lets youth workers step inside another organisation abroad and learn from how it really works. It is a professional development activity under Mobility of Youth Workers, lasts 2 to 60 days, runs between organisations in different countries, and comes with Erasmus+ funding and Youthpass recognition. If you work with young people and want to grow your practice, a study visit is one of the most direct ways to do it.
👉 Find your next opportunity: Erasmus+ projects on Youth Works Hub
