In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities, food and accommodation are fully covered for participants; this is mandatory, not an exception. Erasmus+ pays a contribution to the travel costs of participants from their place of origin to the venue of the activity and return. Visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations and medical certifications are covered as exceptional costs, and the request must be justified by the applicant and approved by the National Agency. All young people involved in mobility activities under all Key Actions of the Erasmus+ Programme must be insured against the risks linked to their participation in these activities. In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities, participants receive no pocket money or cash allowance. No fee is ever asked for applying, in the European Solidarity Corps or Erasmus+ youth projects; nobody should pay anything at the application stage. 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. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is explains the whole programme, and what the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) covers does the same for the other one.
Last updated: October 2026.
Which Erasmus+ youth activities does this guide cover?
For projects relevant for the youth field the main targets are young people from 13 to 30, youth workers, staff and members of organisations active in the youth field. Different age limits apply depending on the different types of activities. The three activities below are the ones this guide covers:
🤝 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 jointly a non-formal learning programme (a mix of workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, simulations, outdoor activities, etc.) on a topic of their interest. Our guide on what a Youth Exchange is explains how one works.
🎓 Activities for youth workers: professional development activities are transnational or international learning mobility activities supporting the professional development of youth workers. Our guide on what a training course is, what a seminar is, what a study visit is and mobility of youth workers and job shadowing covers each one.
🗳️ Youth participation: Youth participation activities support activities outside formal education and training that encourage, foster and facilitate young people's participation in Europe's democratic life at local, regional, national and European level. Our guide on Erasmus+ youth participation activities explains them.
Erasmus+ also has projects in higher education, vocational education and training, school education and adult education, with other main targets. Our guide on what Erasmus+ is maps all of the fields.
Are food and accommodation covered?
Yes: in Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities, food and accommodation are fully covered for participants; this is mandatory, not an exception. Individual support covers costs linked to subsistence.
In Erasmus+ youth projects, participants usually stay in hotels. The aim is to provide basic living conditions, so do not expect luxury. Because the projects aim at cultural mixing, rooms can be for 2 or 4 or 6 or 8 people. Our guide on how much money you actually need works through the daily reality of a project.
How is your travel paid?
Erasmus+ pays 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. Below 500 km, participants will, as a general rule, travel with low-emissions means of transport. Over 500 km, participants are strongly encouraged to use a combination of different modes of transport to make their travel more sustainable.
In Erasmus+ 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 receiving organisations before buying. If the ticket costs more than the travel distance band amount, the participant pays the difference; if it costs less, the remaining amount stays with the organisation. 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 you travel by low-emissions transport, these rules apply:
🌱 The top-up is yours: the green travel top-up belongs to the participant.
🧾 Proof: for green travel, all tickets and invoices are needed as proof.
✅ Tickets: green travel must be agreed with the organisation before you buy tickets.
📅 Extra days: the extra days of green travel are extra days of daily support, so after the organisation approves your travel plan, you can ask it to cover accommodation, food and drink on the way.
Our guide on how travel distance bands work explains how the distance puts your trip in a band, and green travel in Erasmus+ and ESC explains what changes when you travel by low-emissions transport.
Are you insured?
Yes: all young people involved in mobility activities under all Key Actions of the Erasmus+ Programme must be insured against the risks linked to their participation in these activities. The Programme leaves it up to project organisers to seek the most suitable insurance policy. Furthermore, it is not necessary to subscribe to a project-specific insurance if the participants are already covered by existing insurance policies of the project organisers. The following areas must be covered:
✈️ Travel: wherever relevant, travel insurance, including damage or loss of luggage.
🛡️ Third party liability: third party liability, including, wherever appropriate, professional indemnity or insurance for responsibility.
🚑 Accident and serious illness: accident and serious illness, including permanent or temporary incapacity.
🛬 Death: death, including repatriation in case of projects carried out abroad.
If applicable, it is strongly recommended that participants in transnational activities have a European Health Insurance Card. The European Health Insurance Card is a free card that gives access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country. If projects involve young people under the age of 18, participating organisations are required to obtain the prior authorisation for participation from their parents or those acting on their behalf. Our guide on insurance for ESC volunteers explains the policy of the other programme.
Do you get pocket money?
No: 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. Our guide on pocket money in the European Solidarity Corps explains the other programme.
Who pays for the visa, residence permit and vaccinations?
Visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations and medical certifications are covered as exceptional costs, at 100% of eligible costs. The request must be justified by the applicant and approved by the National Agency. Our guide on visa and residence for ESC and Erasmus+ walks through the paperwork.
What extra help is there if you have 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.
Inclusion support for participants in the activities below:
🤝 Youth Exchange: inclusion support for participants covers additional costs directly linked to participants with fewer opportunities and their accompanying persons, group leaders and facilitators, at 100% of eligible costs. The request must be justified by the applicant and approved by the National Agency.
🎓 Activities for youth workers: inclusion support for participants covers additional costs directly linked to participants with fewer opportunities and their accompanying persons, trainers and facilitators, at 100% of eligible costs. The request must be justified by the applicant and approved by the National Agency.
For extra support for young people with fewer opportunities, the organisation may ask for documents, especially when the need is related to health or when it involves a cost. Our guide on inclusion support explains who qualifies.
Can you be asked to pay a participation fee?
No fee is ever asked for applying, in the European Solidarity Corps 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. A participation fee is usually a contribution the organisation asks for its own institutional capacity, not a cost of the programme. A participation fee is never paid at application, only by selected participants, and in many cases it can be negotiated or even waived by the organisation.
In a Youth Exchange, the amount of the participants' contribution must be very low. It must be clearly justified by a direct benefit to the participant, its purpose must be well explained and justified to the participants, it must be collected on a non-profit basis, and it 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 organisation. 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 the hidden costs of a fully funded project counts what is left to you, and how to spot fake offers lists the warning signs.
Frequently asked questions
What if the ticket costs more than the travel amount?
If the ticket costs more than the travel distance band amount, the participant pays the difference; if it costs less, the remaining amount stays with the organisation. Our guide on how travel distance bands work shows how the band is set.
What if I cannot pay for my ticket first?
For participants with limited financial means, organisations can also support them, so this should be agreed with the sending and receiving organisations before buying. Our guide on inclusion support explains the extra help for young people with fewer opportunities.
When do I get my travel money back?
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. Our guide on how much money you actually need shows what to prepare before you go.
Are group leaders and facilitators covered too?
Yes: the travel contribution covers participants, including group leaders, accompanying persons and facilitators. Our guide on the role of youth workers explains who they are.
Where do you go from here?
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. There is no application form on Youth Works Hub itself. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where open calls are published, and how to apply for Erasmus+ or ESC takes the application step by step.
Related pages: how travel distance bands work · inclusion support · visa and residence for ESC and Erasmus+ · the hidden costs of a fully funded project · how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
