Some Actions of the European Solidarity Corps are open for participation of third countries not associated to the Programme. Young people from third countries not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4) can apply to the European Solidarity Corps and the Erasmus+ youth projects, but there are fewer places and more competition. Young people from countries that are not EU Member States, third countries associated to the Programme or third countries not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4) cannot take part in the European Solidarity Corps or in the Erasmus+ youth projects (Youth Exchanges, Mobility projects for youth workers, Youth participation activities); for them, Erasmus+ higher education mobility, Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges (Region 9 only) and Erasmus Mundus are open. Our guide on which countries can apply to Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) explains which countries are on each list.
Last updated: October 2026.
Which countries can take part in all the Actions?
Member States of the European Union and third countries associated to the Programme can participate fully in all the Actions of the European Solidarity Corps and of the Erasmus+ Programme.
In Individual Volunteering and Volunteering Teams of the European Solidarity Corps, the eligible participants are young people between 18 and 30 years who are legally residing in an EU Member State, a third country associated to the Programme or in a third country not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4) and have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal. Eligible participants in Youth Exchanges are young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the countries of their sending and receiving organisations. Our guide on ESC Volunteering Teams explains that Action, and what a Youth Exchange is covers the Erasmus+ side.
Which young people cannot join the youth projects?
Young people from countries that are not EU Member States, third countries associated to the Programme or third countries not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4) cannot take part in the European Solidarity Corps or in the Erasmus+ youth projects (Youth Exchanges, Mobility projects for youth workers, Youth participation activities); for them, Erasmus+ higher education mobility, Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges (Region 9 only) and Erasmus Mundus are open. Our guide on who can apply to Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps goes through the other conditions.
Why are there fewer offers for young people from neighbouring countries?
Young people from third countries not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4) can apply to the European Solidarity Corps and the Erasmus+ youth projects, but there are fewer places and more competition, because projects give priority to participants from EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects explains where the offers are published.
Why do higher education mobility, Virtual Exchanges and Erasmus Mundus stay open to the rest of the world?
🎓 Higher education mobility: the primary focus of the higher education mobility action is mobility among EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme. In addition, the action supports mobility activities involving third countries not associated to the Programme across the whole world. Student and staff mobilities to Belarus and Russia and staff mobilities from Belarus and Russia are not eligible. Higher education students and staff cannot apply directly for a grant; the selection criteria are defined by the higher education institution in which they study or are employed. The duration of student mobility for studies is from 2 months (or one academic term or trimester) to 12 months of physical mobility, excluding travel time. Our guide on how Erasmus+ differs from regular study abroad explains this side.
💻 Virtual exchanges: Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges projects consist of online people-to-people activities that promote intercultural dialogue and soft skills development. The action will aim to encourage intercultural dialogue with third countries not associated to the Programme and increase tolerance through online people-to-people interactions, building on digital, youth-friendly technologies. The eligible regions covered by this action are Region 1, Region 2, Region 3 and Region 9. Virtual exchanges must be for people in the 13-30 age range. You must be based in one of the countries of the organisations participating in the project. Our guide on online and virtual Erasmus+ opportunities covers virtual exchanges.
🌐 Erasmus Mundus: Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) scholarships can be offered to students from all over the world. Our guide on what Erasmus Mundus is explains the scholarship.
Where can you get help in your own country?
In certain third countries not associated to the Programme (Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, Asia and Pacific) National Focal Points provide guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Erasmus+ in the field of higher education, youth, vocational education, and training and sport. Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC takes the steps one by one.
Do you need a visa?
Participants in Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects may need to obtain a visa for staying abroad in the EU Member States and third countries hosting the activity. Our guide on visa and residence rules for ESC and Erasmus+ covers the paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need EU citizenship to join?
No: young people between 18 and 30 years who are legally residing in an EU Member State, a third country associated to the Programme or in a third country not associated to the Programme and have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal are eligible in Individual Volunteering and Volunteering Teams. In Youth Exchanges, the eligible participants are young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the countries of their sending and receiving organisations. Young people from countries that are not EU Member States, third countries associated to the Programme or third countries not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU (regions 1 to 4) cannot take part in the European Solidarity Corps or in the Erasmus+ youth projects (Youth Exchanges, Mobility projects for youth workers, Youth participation activities); for them, Erasmus+ higher education mobility, Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges (Region 9 only) and Erasmus Mundus are open. Our guide on Erasmus+ and ESC age limits explains which activities match your age.
Does Match filter projects by country?
No: Match does not filter directly by country. Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you: it asks 8 questions and shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards, and saved projects stay on your profile page. Using Match requires creating an account on the site; signing up with Google is available but not required.
Do I pay anything to apply?
No: no fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects; nobody should pay anything at the application stage. If an organisation asks you to pay at the application stage, report it to the National Agency or the European Commission and let us know, so we can report it too. Our guide on how to spot fake Erasmus+ offers explains the warning signs.
Start from where you live
Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are published. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: who can apply to Erasmus+ and ESC · Erasmus+ and ESC age limits · which countries can apply to Erasmus+ and ESC · visa and residence for ESC and Erasmus+ · what Erasmus Mundus is
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
