In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and training courses, the time until the first answer to your application varies; the answer usually becomes clear 3 to 4 weeks before the start date of the activity, but you can also be included at the last minute. If you need a visa, applying late rarely works, because the host organisation has to allow for your visa process, which can take weeks. Our guide on what a Youth Exchange is explains one format, what a training course is explains the other, and the application timeline shows the full process.
Last updated: November 2026.
Where do you find calls that close soon?
You find these calls (project listings) in the Erasmus+ projects and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) projects categories on Youth Works Hub. SALTO (Support for Advanced Learning and Training Opportunities) training courses, seminars and study visits and European Youth Portal ESC opportunities are pulled into the site automatically several times a day, and SALTO calls appear in the Erasmus+ projects category. Some project listings on the Youth Works Hub site say ASAP instead of a date. The Match page 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.
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. Youth Works Hub does not publish an opportunity without a direct application link or email, and does not publish listings with missing information. The rule on direct application links and missing information does not cover what organisations publish themselves from their own pages. Youth Works Hub also checks those pages, but the content organisations share from their own profiles is entirely the responsibility of those organisations. Many calls circulating online are old: the deadline has passed, the place is filled or the project never started. Apply to calls with a current date on the official portal or websites like Youth Works Hub. Our guide on how to find projects covers the other places to look.
When is a last-minute application too late?
Applying late rarely works when you need a visa: if a project starts in June, applying in May is almost useless, because the host organisation has to allow for your visa process, which can take weeks. When you need a visa, apply at least four months before the project starts; for long-term projects, six months is better. Never buy your plane ticket before the visa is issued. Our guide on visa rules for ESC and Erasmus+ explains the process.
What should you have ready to apply in one day?
To apply in one day, have these ready:
🔹 English Europass CV: prepare an English Europass CV, a format organisations know and read quickly. The Europass CV format is the common format in youth projects. Save the CV as a PDF so it is ready to share. Our guide on the Europass CV shows how to prepare one.
🔹 European Solidarity Corps Portal profile: for the European Solidarity Corps, fill in a profile on the European Solidarity Corps Portal once, and after that click Apply for each project. Filling in the profile completely and choosing projects that match your own interests makes the difference. Our guide on how to register on the ESC Portal goes through the steps.
🔹 Full sentences in the form: take the time to fill in the form properly, in full sentences.
🔹 Details of the call: for Youth Exchanges, Volunteering Teams, training courses, seminars and study visits, you apply to the call itself; the call may ask you to apply directly, or it may name a sending organisation in your country through which you have to apply, so you must read the details of each call.
🔹 Info pack: the info pack is shared at the application stage, so you already know all the conditions. A good info pack includes the project topic and objectives, dates and city or country, activities and methods, travel budget, reimbursement rules and when travel costs are reimbursed, accommodation and meal details, participant profile, and application steps and deadline.
How fast should you answer?
Answer before two days have passed: a candidate who answers two days later is often eliminated, because an organisation that replies is usually talking to several candidates. During your application period, check your email every day, including the spam folder. After you apply to an Erasmus+ youth project, if you are selected you are always contacted, but if you are rejected you are often not contacted at all. Our guide on what to do after you apply covers the waiting period.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply to a project that starts next week?
Yes, in Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and training courses you can also be included at the last minute. If you need a visa, applying late rarely works, because the host organisation has to allow for your visa process, which can take weeks. Our guide on the application timeline shows the full process.
Do last-minute projects cost money?
No fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects; nobody should pay anything at the application stage. In Erasmus+ youth projects that ask selected participants for a participation fee, the fee is usually deducted from the travel reimbursement, not paid in advance. Pressure to decide immediately is a warning sign. Our guide on how to spot fake offers lists the other signs.
What if I need a visa?
Apply at least four months before the project starts; for long-term projects, six months is better. Never buy your plane ticket before the visa is issued. Our guide on visa rules for ESC and Erasmus+ explains the process.
Who pays the ticket if I book late?
In Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects, you usually buy your own return ticket first and the organisation reimburses you afterwards; if you have limited financial means, organisations can also support you, so this should be agreed with the sending and host organisations before buying. In the European Solidarity Corps, before buying, email the route, date, time and price to the host organisation and get its approval (this is required). If the ticket costs more than the amount for your travel distance band, you pay the difference. Our guide on booking flights covers the details.
How many last-minute calls can I apply to?
There is no limit on the number of applications: you can apply to every project that suits you. Twenty good applications work better than a hundred copies. Our guide on how to find projects shows where the offers are published.
What should you do next?
Our guide on how to find projects shows where the offers are published, and the Youth Works Hub categories below show the current calls. Our guide on what to do after you apply covers the days after you send your application.
Related pages: how to find projects · the application timeline · Europass CV · what to do after you apply · how to spot fake offers
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
