Yes: an Erasmus+ study period abroad (student mobility for studies) lasts from 2 months (or one academic term or trimester) to 12 months of physical mobility (time abroad), excluding travel time. The study period abroad must be part of your study programme to complete a degree. A traineeship (student mobility for traineeships) is from 2 to 12 months of physical mobility, excluding travel time. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is explains the whole programme, and the sections below cover its short forms for students and for young people who are not at university.
Last updated: November 2026.
How does a one-semester Erasmus+ study period work?
A one-semester Erasmus+ study period is a study period abroad that must be part of your study programme to complete a degree. You can join if you are registered in a university or other higher education institution and enrolled in studies leading to a recognised degree or another recognised higher education qualification, up to and including the level of doctorate. You, your sending institution and your receiving institution must sign a learning agreement. The learning agreement defines how your activities abroad will be recognised, ensures the preparations are clear for all parties and sets the rights and responsibilities of the various parties. Your study period can be combined with a short traineeship (of less than 2 months) and still be considered as an overall study period. There is no central application form to study abroad with Erasmus+, so you start the process by reaching out to the international or Erasmus+ office of your university or higher education institution. Your sending higher education institution must select applicants in a fair and transparent way. Our guide on Erasmus+ study exchanges compared with studying abroad sets the two routes side by side.
What is the shortest Erasmus+ option for students?
The shortest Erasmus+ option for students is a physical mobility that must last between 5 days and 30 days (excluding travel time) and be combined with a compulsory virtual component, an online part for collaborative learning exchange and teamwork. The blended forms for students are:
🔹 Blended short-term mobility: any student may combine a shorter physical mobility with a virtual component. Students may use blended short-term mobility in particular if they are not able to participate in a long-term physical mobility for studies or for traineeships, for example, due to their study field or because they have fewer opportunities for participation.
🔹 Blended intensive programmes: any student may participate in blended intensive programmes, where the physical mobility must also last between 5 days and 30 days (excluding travel time) and be combined with a compulsory virtual component.
A blended mobility for studies must award a minimum of 3 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. If you are a doctoral candidate, mobility for studies and/or traineeships lasts from 5 to 30 days or from 2 to 12 months of physical mobility, excluding travel time, and a study mobility may include a complementary traineeship period, if planned. Our guide on how ECTS and Youthpass are recognised explains what happens to your credits afterwards.
Can you do a short traineeship instead?
Yes: a traineeship (student mobility for traineeships) is from 2 to 12 months of physical mobility, excluding travel time. During a traineeship, an enterprise or organisation holiday is not considered as an interruption period. Your grant is maintained during that holiday, and the holiday period counts towards the minimum duration of your traineeship. If you are a recent higher education graduate, you may participate in a mobility for traineeships. You must be selected by your higher education institution during your last year of study and must carry out and complete your traineeship abroad within one year of obtaining your graduation. Your university may opt out of recent graduate traineeships. Our guide on paid internships abroad covers the traineeship options, and Erasmus+ after graduation covers the route for recent graduates.
Do short stays count towards a limit?
Yes: you may participate in mobility periods totalling up to 12 months of physical mobility maximum per each cycle of study, whatever the number and type of your mobility activities. The study cycles are:
🔹 First study cycle: Bachelor or equivalent, including the short cycle.
🔹 Second study cycle: Master or equivalent.
🔹 Third cycle: doctoral candidates, at doctoral level.
Your prior experience under the Erasmus+ Programme and/or as an Erasmus Mundus scholarship holder counts towards the 12 months per study cycle. In one-cycle study programmes, such as medicine, you can be mobile for up to 24 months. If you are a recent graduate, the duration of your traineeship counts towards the 12 months maximum of the cycle during which you apply for the traineeship. The physical mobility period may be interrupted, and the interruption period does not count towards the duration of the mobility activity. Our guide on Erasmus+ after graduation explains how a traineeship after your degree fits in.
What short options are there if you are not a university student?
If you are not a university student, your short options are:
🔹 Youth Exchange: Youth Exchanges are meetings of groups of young people from at least two different countries who gather for a short period to implement together a non-formal learning programme on a topic of their interest. The duration of the activity is from 5 to 21 days, excluding travel days. Young people aged between 13 and 30 residing in the countries of their sending and receiving organisations can take part. You must have reached the minimum age and must not be older than the indicated maximum age at the start date of the activity. In Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities, food and accommodation are fully covered for participants; this is mandatory, not an exception. Our guide on what a Youth Exchange is explains how one works.
🔹 DiscoverEU: you can apply if you are 18 years old and a citizen or resident of one of the Member States of the European Union including its outermost regions, the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) associated with the European Union, or the third countries associated to the Erasmus+ programme (Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye). If successful, you can travel for up to 7 days in a period of maximum one month. If successful, you only receive the travel passes and the DiscoverEU discount card, and you cover accommodation, subsistence, insurance, travel supplements and any other expenses related to the travel yourself. Our guide on what DiscoverEU is explains the programme.
🔹 Volunteering Teams (European Solidarity Corps, not Erasmus+): Volunteering Teams of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) are from 2 weeks up to 59 days, excluding travel days. Volunteering Teams take place usually, but not only, during holidays, breaks between study periods or the transition from education to work. Our guide on Volunteering Teams explains the format, and how long an ESC project lasts covers the durations.
Frequently asked questions
Is one semester enough for Erasmus+?
Yes: an Erasmus+ study period abroad (student mobility for studies) lasts from 2 months (or one academic term or trimester) to 12 months of physical mobility, excluding travel time. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is explains the whole programme.
Can I combine study and a traineeship?
Yes: your study period can be combined with a short traineeship (of less than 2 months) and still be considered as an overall study period. Our guide on paid internships abroad covers the traineeship options.
Can I go twice in my Bachelor?
Yes: you may participate in mobility periods totalling up to 12 months of physical mobility maximum per each cycle of study, whatever the number and type of your mobility activities. Your prior experience under the Erasmus+ Programme and/or as an Erasmus Mundus scholarship holder counts towards the 12 months per study cycle. Our guide on Erasmus+ study exchanges compared with studying abroad sets the two routes side by side.
Do I get ECTS credits for a short stay?
Yes: a blended mobility for studies must award a minimum of 3 ECTS credits. Our guide on how ECTS and Youthpass are recognised explains what happens to your credits afterwards.
Can I do a traineeship after graduating?
Yes: if you are a recent higher education graduate, you may participate in a mobility for traineeships. You must be selected by your higher education institution during your last year of study and must carry out and complete your traineeship abroad within one year of obtaining your graduation. Your university may opt out of recent graduate traineeships. Our guide on Erasmus+ after graduation covers the route for recent graduates.
What should you do next?
To study abroad with Erasmus+, you can reach out to the international or Erasmus+ office of your university or higher education institution to start the process. 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 using Match requires creating an account on the site. Our guide on funded gap year options in Europe covers a whole year out.
Related pages: Erasmus+ study exchanges compared with studying abroad · paid internships abroad · funded gap year options in Europe · where to start
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
