A Youth Exchange is a meeting of groups of young people from at least two different countries who gather for a short period to implement jointly a non-formal learning programme on a topic of their interest. Erasmus+ supports non-formal learning mobility of young people in the form of Youth Exchanges, with the objective to engage and empower young people to become active citizens, to connect them to the European project and to help them acquire and develop competences for life and their professional future. Youth Exchanges aim to foster intercultural dialogue and learning and feeling of being European, develop skills and attitudes of young people, strengthen European values and break down prejudices and stereotypes, and raise awareness about socially relevant topics and thus stimulate engagement in society and active participation in democratic life. Youth Exchanges are open to all young people, with a special focus on those with fewer opportunities. People with fewer opportunities means people who, for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons, a migrant background, or for reasons such as disability and educational difficulties or for any other reasons, including those that can give rise to discrimination under article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union, face obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities under the programme. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is explains how the programme is built, inclusion support in Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps explains the extra help for people with fewer opportunities, and what non-formal education is explains the learning style used.
Last updated: October 2026.
Who can join a Youth Exchange?
Eligible participants in Youth Exchanges are young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the countries of their sending and receiving organisations. A sending organisation is a participating organisation sending one or more participants to an activity of an Erasmus+ project. A receiving organisation is a participating organisation receiving participants and organising activities of an Erasmus+ project. For lower age limits, participants must have reached the minimum age at the start date of the activity, and for upper age limits, participants must not be older than the indicated maximum age at the start date of the activity. Group leaders, facilitators and accompanying persons are not to be considered as participants of the activity but are eligible for support under certain budget categories, and they must be at least 18 years old. In youth mobility projects, a group leader is an adult of at least 18 years of age who joins the young people participating in a Youth Exchange in order to ensure their effective learning (Youthpass), protection and safety. A facilitator is a person who helps a group of (young) people to work together better, understand their common objectives, and plan how to achieve these objectives through Erasmus+ activities. Our guide on who can apply to Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps goes through the conditions case by case, the age limits by activity explains how age is counted, and which countries can take part lists where you can apply from.
What happens on a Youth Exchange?
Young people on a Youth Exchange come from at least two different countries and gather for a short period to implement jointly a non-formal learning programme, a mix of workshops, exercises, debates, role plays, simulations and outdoor activities on a topic of their interest, seeking inspiration from the European Youth Goals. The European Youth Goals were developed in the frame of the EU Youth Strategy, and these goals identify cross-sectoral areas that affect young people's lives and point out challenges. The learning period comprises a planning period before the application, a preparation phase before the exchange, and evaluation and follow up after the exchange. Our guide on what a training course is sets that format next to this one, and how to plan a youth exchange covers the organising side.
The following activities are not eligible for grants under Youth Exchanges: academic study trips, exchange activities that aim to make financial profit, exchange activities that can be considered as tourism, festivals, holiday travel, performance tours, statutory meetings, and training courses by adults for young people.
Minimum requirements for Youth Exchanges: duration of activity from 5 to 21 days, excluding travel days. Our guide on travelling, learning and connecting on an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange describes what a week on one feels like.
The duration of the project is from 3 to 24 months.
Where can a Youth Exchange take place?
The activity must take place in the country of one, or several in case of itinerant activities, of the organisations participating in the activity; activities cannot take place in Belarus or Russia. Our guide on which countries can take part lists the eligible countries, and visa and residence for ESC and Erasmus+ covers entry papers.
What does Erasmus+ pay for on a Youth Exchange?
✈️ Travel: a contribution to the travel costs of participants, including group leaders, accompanying persons and facilitators, from their place of origin to the venue of the activity and return. The applicant must indicate the distance between the place of origin and the venue of the activity by using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission. Our guide on how travel distance bands work explains how that distance places a Youth Exchange trip in a band, and green travel in Erasmus+ and ESC explains what changes when you travel by low-emissions transport.
🏠 Individual Support: costs linked to subsistence. Our guide on how much money you actually need works through the daily reality, and what Erasmus+ covers lists the budget categories in full.
♿ Inclusion support for participants: additional costs directly linked to participants with fewer opportunities and their accompanying persons, group leaders and facilitators, including justified costs related to travel and subsistence if a grant for these participants is not requested through budget categories Travel and Individual support. The request must be justified and approved, and inclusion support for participants is 100% of eligible costs. Our guide on inclusion support explains who qualifies, and what National Agencies are explains who runs the programme in each country.
🛂 Visa and visa-related costs: exceptional costs cover visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations, medical certifications. The request must be justified and approved, and visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations, medical certifications are covered at 100% of eligible costs. Our guide on visa and residence for ESC and Erasmus+ walks through the paperwork.
Who is who on a Youth Exchange?
🧑🤝🧑 Participants: young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the countries of their sending and receiving organisations.
🧭 Group leaders: a Youth Exchange involves group leaders, and group leaders monitor and provide support to participants to ensure the qualitative learning process during the core activity. At the same time, group leaders enable a safe, respectful and non-discriminatory environment and protection of project participants.
🗣️ Facilitators: a facilitator is a person who helps a group of (young) people to work together better, understand their common objectives, and plan how to achieve these objectives through Erasmus+ activities. Facilitators are not to be considered as participants of the activity but are eligible for support under certain budget categories, and they must be at least 18 years old.
👥 Informal group of young people: a group of at least four young people between 13 and 30 years old, where one of the members of the group who is at least 18 years old assumes the role of representative and takes responsibility on behalf of the group. An informal group of young people must be established in an EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme or a third country not associated to the Programme neighbouring the EU, in regions 1 to 4. Our guide on how to find partners for an Erasmus+ project explains how a group meets its counterpart abroad.
🏛️ National Agency: a designated body in charge of managing the implementation of the Programme at national level in a Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme. Where to apply: to the National Agency of the country in which the applicant is established. Our guide on what National Agencies are explains who runs the programme in each country, and the role of youth workers covers the people who prepare a group.
Who applies for a Youth Exchange, and when?
Under the Youth Exchanges Action, organisations and informal groups of young people can receive support to carry out projects bringing together young people from different countries to exchange and learn outside their formal educational system. Where to apply: to the National Agency of the country in which the applicant is established. Applicants have to submit their grant applications by the following dates:
🗓️ Projects starting between 1 June and 31 December of the same year: applicants submit their grant applications by 12 February at 12:00:00 midday Brussels time.
🗓️ Projects starting between 1 January and 31 May of the following year: applicants have to submit their grant applications by 1 October at 12:00:00 midday Brussels time.
Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC takes the steps one by one, how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where open calls appear, and the 2026 EU project roadmap lays out the year.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Youth Exchange?
Minimum requirements for Youth Exchanges: duration of activity from 5 to 21 days, excluding travel days.
The duration of the project is from 3 to 24 months. Our guide on how to plan a Youth Exchange walks through the stages of a project from preparation to follow-up.
Do you have to pay to take part?
The beneficiary organisation may ask participants in a youth exchange activity for a contribution paid by the participants prior to departure. The amount of the participants' contribution must remain proportional to the grant awarded for the implementation of the project, must be clearly justified by a direct benefit to the participant, its purpose well explained and justified to the participants, collected on a non-profit basis, and may not create unfair barriers to participation. Contributions cannot be collected from participants with fewer opportunities. Additional fees or other participant contributions cannot be collected by other service providers chosen by the beneficiary organisation. Our guide on the hidden costs of a fully funded project counts what is left to you.
Is a Youth Exchange the same as a training course?
Training courses by adults for young people are not eligible for grants under Youth Exchanges. Our guide on what a training course is explains the training course format and how it compares with a Youth Exchange.
How young can you be?
Eligible participants are young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the countries of their sending and receiving organisations. For lower age limits, participants must have reached the minimum age at the start date of the activity. Our guide on Erasmus+ and ESC age limits compares the minimum and maximum ages across activities.
Do you get your learning recognised?
Organisations should support the learning process, the identification and the documentation of learning outcomes, in particular through Youthpass. Our guide on what Youthpass is explains how Youthpass works.
Where do you go from here?
Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC takes the application step by step, and how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where open calls are published. Our guide on how to plan a youth exchange is the one to read if you want to run a project rather than join one. Our Youth Works Hub guide on what Erasmus+ covers explains every budget category.
Related pages: how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC · how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects · what Erasmus+ covers · Erasmus+ and ESC age limits · how to plan an exchange project
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/category/erasmus-projects
