Erasmus+ supports non-formal learning mobility of young people in the form of Youth Exchanges. The objective of Youth Exchanges is 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. For Youth Exchanges, eligible participants are young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the countries of their sending and receiving organisations. There is no single registration point for Erasmus+ youth projects: calls are published separately (also on Youth Works Hub), and you apply through each call as it explains. Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you; using Match requires an account on the site, and signing up with Google is available but not required. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is explains the programme itself, and how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC sets out the steps.
Last updated: October 2026.
What do you gain from an Erasmus+ youth project?
🌍 Intercultural dialogue: Youth Exchanges aim to foster intercultural dialogue and learning and feeling of being European.
💡 Skills and attitudes: Youth Exchanges aim to develop skills and attitudes of young people.
🤝 European values: Youth Exchanges aim to strengthen European values and break down prejudices and stereotypes.
📣 Active participation: Youth Exchanges aim to raise awareness about socially relevant topics and thus stimulate engagement in society and active participation in democratic life.
After the core activity has finished, participants should be invited to provide feedback on the activity, reflect on what they have learnt and how they can make use of those learning outcomes. Our guide on what Youthpass is explains how that learning is written down, and whether Erasmus+ helps your career looks at what happens afterwards.
What kinds of Erasmus+ youth projects can you join?
🌍 Youth Exchanges: meetings 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, seeking inspiration from the European Youth Goals.
🎓 Training courses, seminars and study visits: many of these published on the SALTO European Training Calendar are Training and Cooperation Activities organised by National Agencies to cooperate across Europe and share good practice, and participants must be at least 18.
Our guide on Erasmus+ opportunities for young people introduces the activities one by one, what a Youth Exchange is covers the most common one, and what a training course is covers training courses.
What does Erasmus+ pay for in a youth project?
In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities, participants receive no pocket money or cash allowance: food, accommodation and travel are covered and the host organisation arranges everything, while personal expenses are the participant's own. In Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects, participants usually buy their own return ticket first and the organisation reimburses them afterwards; for participants with limited financial means, organisations can also support them, so this should be agreed with the sending and host organisations before buying. Our guide on what Erasmus+ covers lists what is paid for, and how travel reimbursement works explains the distance bands.
How do you apply for an Erasmus+ youth project?
You can apply to a call in three usual ways: by email with a motivation letter and a Europass CV, with an application form, or, for the European Solidarity Corps, through your profile on the European Solidarity Corps Portal. On a Youth Works Hub opportunity page, you apply through a link or an Apply button; both take you to the application form or to the original source of the call, and there is no application form on Youth Works Hub itself. Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC sets out the steps one by one, and application tips for Erasmus+ covers the CV, the email and the application form.
How are participants chosen?
Some young people are selected with their first application; what matters is not the number of applications but their quality. Everyone applying to Spain and Italy joins a long queue; demand is much lower in the Baltic countries, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and North Macedonia, so the chance of being accepted is higher. Organisations must follow the age rules of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide fully, but they can narrow the age range within a call, for example 18 to 25 for a Youth Exchange instead of 13 to 30, because project coordinators plan the activity around its aims and the target group. Our guide on ESC application tips explains how host organisations choose volunteers, and age limits for Erasmus+ and ESC gives the age rules activity by activity.
What happens once you are selected?
A Youth Exchange involves group leaders. 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. When travel costs are reimbursed differs from project to project; it should be written in the info pack, and if it is not, you must clarify it with the organisation before the project. If a problem comes up in a Youth Exchange, the young person should go first to their own group leader, then to the host coordinator, and last to the facilitator. Our guide on what to do before you go covers the preparation, and visas and residence permits covers the travel documents.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to be a student to join an Erasmus+ youth project?
Your level of education is not a barrier: someone who has only finished middle school can also take part in the projects. Our guide on who can apply lists the conditions one by one.
Do you need a high level of English?
No: for Youth Exchanges, a high level of English is usually not needed, but if the topic is technical a better level helps, so read the topic of the project carefully. Our guide on what a Youth Exchange is describes how the days are spent.
Do you pay anything to take part?
No fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects; nobody should pay anything at the application stage. In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges, training courses, seminars and study visits, about one in ten calls asks participants for a participation fee; Youth Works Hub does not support this practice. The participation fee is not a payment made in advance: it is usually deducted from the travel reimbursement. Our guide on how to spot a fake offer lists the warning signs.
Do you have to be a member of a youth organisation?
Being active in a youth organisation is important but not required; young people who understand how these projects work and cooperate with local organisations have a clear advantage. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the calls are published.
Where to go next
Our guide on how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC sets out the application steps, and application tips for Erasmus+ covers the documents you send. The Youth Works Hub pages below take each part further.
Related pages: what Erasmus+ is · how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC · application tips for Erasmus+ · ESC application tips · what to do before you go · what Erasmus+ covers
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
