Erasmus 2026: everything you need to know before you go

🏠 TL;DR Your Erasmus+ grant for the 2026/2027 academic year is €530 to €580 per month, depending on which country group you're going to. It doesn't cover everything. In Amsterdam or Copenhagen, it covers about a third of your rent. In Budapest or Riga, it can cover most of it. Sort housing before you fly: cheap rooms are 70% scams, and the safest options book out by mid-July. Get your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before you leave (it's free), open a Revolut, Wise or N26 account before your first transfer, and don't pack more than you can carry in one go. Your room will already be furnished. Your first week will involve more admin than you expect: registration, student card, faculty registration, bank, SIM, transport pass. Plug into ESN (Erasmus Student Network) the day you land. They run the events, the discounts, and the orientation that your university won't.

You just got accepted. Congratulations, that's the easy part done. What comes next is roughly four months of admin, decisions about money you've never had to make before, and a housing search that will eat your June and July if you let it.

This guide is the one your university won't give you. It's what an older student who's been through it would actually tell you. Honest about the money, honest about the housing market, honest about the parts that go wrong. Read it once now and once again three weeks before you fly.

How much is the Erasmus grant in 2026? 💶

The Erasmus+ grant for the 2026/2027 academic year is €530 or €580 per month, depending on which country group you're studying in. Daily rates are €17.67 or €19.33 (the European Commission counts a month as exactly 30 days). On top of that you get a one-off travel allowance based on distance, and an extra €50 plus up to 4 paid travel days if you do Green Travel (train, bus, carpool, no flying).

The grant is a contribution, not a salary. It's designed to cover the difference between your home country's cost of living and your destination's, not to fully fund your semester.

Country groups for 2026/2027 (Lund University, applies across the EU):

A few things worth knowing about the grant:

• You'll be paid in two chunks. Usually 70% to 80% before you leave, the rest after you submit your completion paperwork at the end. Plan your first two months of cashflow accordingly.
• You can get a top-up of €250 per month if you qualify as a student with fewer opportunities (financial hardship, disability, chronic illness, first-generation university student in some countries). Ask your home university's international office. They won't volunteer this information.
• Internships pay the same rate plus €150 per month in most national agencies. Erasmus+ traineeships are massively underused, and there's usually less competition for them than for study exchange spots.
• You pay zero tuition at your host university. You keep paying tuition at your home university.

For the most realistic estimate based on your exact dates and destination, use the Erasmus Generation grant simulator.

Where does the Erasmus grant actually stretch? 🗺️

Your grant covers about 30% of monthly costs in Amsterdam, 50% in Berlin, and most of your rent in Budapest or Riga. Where you go matters more than how much you save before leaving.

In both Budapest and Riga, Fuse Stays offers all-inclusive co-living from around €450 to €480 per month, one of the few operators where an Erasmus grant can realistically cover most of your rent.

For a deeper look at what co-living gets you, what it costs, and how it compares to a shared flat or a dorm, see our co-living for students guide. For city-specific options, see our top 5 housing providers in Budapest and top 5 student housing options in Riga.

How to find Erasmus housing safely from another country 🏠

The Erasmus housing scam is the most common one in Europe right now. Same playbook every time: a listing €150 to €200 below market, a landlord who's "currently abroad", a request to wire a deposit before you've seen the place. The numbers vary, the script doesn't.

Here's the order to do it in:

1. Apply for university dorm housing the day your acceptance arrives. Application windows are often as short as two weeks. Erasmus students get deprioritised behind full-degree students, so apply immediately or assume you won't get one.
2. Book through a verified platform or operator before you fly. Co-living (Fuse Stays, Maverick Lodges, SHED), or marketplaces with deposit escrow (HousingAnywhere, Spotahome, Erasmus Play). Pay through the platform, never direct bank transfer.
3. Insist on a live video tour. If the landlord can't or won't walk you through the actual property on a live call, walk away. This single rule stops 90% of scams.
4. Read the contract in a language you understand. Legitimate landlords in 2026 expect to provide an English version. If they refuse, it's a red flag.
5. Never wire a deposit to a personal bank account. Platform escrow only.

For the full scam playbook, see our deep dive on student housing scams in Europe.

A note on timing. For September arrival, start searching in May, book by mid-July at the latest. For February arrival, start in October, book by mid-December. The cheapest options on the market disappear first because that's where scams cluster. Don't chase the lowest price. Chase the safest landing.

Skip the manual search 📲

Socials scans 250+ housing platforms across Europe and sends you matched rooms on WhatsApp the moment they go live. New listings disappear within hours during peak Erasmus season, so getting there first matters more than scrolling perfectly.

Get WhatsApp alerts for my Erasmus city →

Do I need health insurance for Erasmus? The EHIC explained ⚕️

Yes, every Erasmus student needs the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before they leave. It's free, it's issued by your home country's health insurance provider, and it gives you access to public healthcare in your host country at the same cost a local citizen would pay.

What the EHIC actually covers, straight from the European Commission:

• Necessary and urgent medical care in any EU country, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland
• Chronic conditions and pre-existing illnesses (diabetes, asthma, etc.)
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• GP visits, hospital care, prescriptions at public providers, at the same cost as local citizens

What the EHIC does NOT cover:

• Private healthcare. Only public providers count. If you walk into a private clinic, you pay.
• Repatriation. If something serious happens and you need to fly home for treatment, the EHIC won't pay for the flight.
• Dental care for adults over 18 (in most countries)
• Travel for the purpose of getting treatment. It's for things that happen while you're there, not planned procedures.
• Lost luggage, cancelled flights, or anything else. It's a health card, not travel insurance.

What to do:

1. Apply for your EHIC at least one month before you fly. It's free. In Ireland, the HSE issues it. In Germany, your Krankenkasse. In Spain, the INSS. Each country has its own portal.
2. Check the expiry date. EHICs are valid 1 to 5 years depending on country. If yours expires mid-semester, renew it before you go.
3. Consider adding a private top-up policy. EHIC is the floor, not the ceiling. A private student insurance policy (Aon, Allianz, DR-WALTER) costs €15 to €30 per month and covers private treatment, repatriation, and the things the EHIC won't.
4. Save the EU emergency number: 112. Works in every EU country, from any phone, free of charge.

UK students: you need a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or a new UK EHIC, depending on your status. The new UK EHIC covers students studying in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway. GHIC only covers state healthcare in the EU and Switzerland.

Banking without getting wrecked by fees 💳

Your home bank will charge you €3 to €5 per ATM withdrawal abroad and bury you in 2% to 3% currency conversion fees on every payment. Over a semester that's €100 to €300 in fees you don't need to pay.

The fix: open a free EU-wide account before you fly. Three options that work for international students:

Practical setup:

• Open one of these accounts at least two weeks before you leave. Card delivery takes 7 to 10 days.
• Keep your home country bank account open. You'll need it for your Erasmus grant payments, which usually go to your registered home IBAN.
• Set up a recurring transfer from your home account to Revolut/Wise once your grant arrives. That's where you spend from.
• Keep some cash in your home bank for emergencies (lost card, account frozen, etc.).

SIM cards and EU roaming 📱

Good news: EU roaming rules mean your home country SIM works across the EU at no extra cost. You can use your home plan in any EU country with no roaming charges, no data caps, no surprises. This is the law (Roam Like At Home regulation, in force since 2017).

The catch: if you stay in another EU country for more than 4 months consecutively, your operator can charge you a "fair use" surcharge or ask you to switch to a local plan. For an Erasmus semester (4 to 6 months), most students are fine. For a full year, switch to a local SIM after the first 3 months.

Local SIM options (€10 to €20/month, prepaid, no contract):

• Spain: Yoigo, Vodafone prepaid, O2 (15GB to 30GB for €10 to €15)
• Germany: Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect, Vodafone CallYa
• Netherlands: Lebara, Lyca, KPN prepaid
• Italy: ho. Mobile, Iliad, Vodafone
• Portugal: MEO, NOS, Vodafone prepaid
• Hungary: Telekom, Yettel, Vodafone
• Czech Republic: O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone

eSIM options (Holafly, Airalo) are useful for the first week, but a local physical SIM works out cheaper for a full semester.

What to pack (less than you think) 🧳

Your room will be furnished. Stop packing.

Co-living rooms, university dorms, and most shared flats in Europe come fully furnished, with kitchen equipment, bedding, and basic furniture already there. Packing a suitcase of pots and pans, bedsheets, and lamps is the most common over-packing mistake Erasmus students make.

Pack:

• Clothes for two seasons (you can buy more there)
• Laptop and chargers
• Plug adapters (UK/Irish students especially: EU plugs are different)
• Important documents (passport, acceptance letter, EHIC, Erasmus grant agreement, photos for student card)
• Prescription medication for the full semester (with a doctor's letter naming the medication)
• One winter coat (if you're going to Berlin, Riga, Warsaw, anywhere north)
• Your laptop charger plus one spare cable

Don't pack:

• Bedding, towels (already there or buy locally)
• Pots, pans, plates (already there)
• A second laptop, multiple textbooks (most reading is digital now)
• Toiletries beyond the first week (cheaper to buy locally)
• Anything you can't fit in one suitcase plus one backpack

The rule: if you can't carry it across a city on public transport, leave it.

Your first-week admin checklist ✅

You'll land, sleep, and then have approximately five days to do six things. Do them in this order.

1. Register your address with the local authority. Anmeldung in Germany (within 14 days, mandatory), Padrón in Spain, Inschrijving in the Netherlands, Lakcímkártya in Hungary. Each country calls it something different. You can't open a local bank account, get a transport pass, or sometimes even register at your university without this. Do this in week one.
2. Register at your host university and pick up your student card. Your faculty's international office handles this. The student card unlocks library access, cafeteria discounts, museum entry, public transport discounts, and proof of student status for everything else.
3. Get your local SIM card if you're staying more than 3 months. See the SIM section above.
4. Buy your transport pass. Most cities have monthly student passes at €10 to €30. Budapest is €11/month with student discount, the best deal in any EU capital. Buy from the city transport authority's app or office (Wiener Linien in Vienna, MVG in Munich, GVB in Amsterdam, etc.).
5. Open a local bank account if you need one for rent payments. Some German and Dutch landlords still require SEPA direct debit from a local IBAN. If so, N26 works as your local German account; ING or Bunq work in the Netherlands.
6. Find your faculty building and walk to it once. Sounds obvious. Do it before your first class so you're not panic-Google-Mapsing through a strange campus on day one.

ESN: how to plug in on day one 🤝

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is the volunteer network of past and current Erasmus students who run welcome events, orientation weeks, city trips, language exchanges, partner discounts (housing, transport, food, gym), and a social calendar that your university will not provide.

ESN is in 1,000+ universities across 40 countries. It's free to join (sometimes a €5 to €15 one-time fee for a card that unlocks discounts). The card gives you discounts on flights with Ryanair, RyanairBus, Flixbus, hostel networks, and city-specific partners.

What to do:

1. Find your local ESN section at esn.org. There's an ESN chapter at almost every Erasmus host university.
2. Sign up for their Orientation Week. This is where you'll meet most of the other Erasmus students arriving the same week. Don't skip it.
3. Get the ESN card. The discounts pay for it on your first flight or bus journey.
4. Join the WhatsApp/Telegram group for your city. This is where last-minute event invites, room re-listings, and useful local info actually circulate.

ESN is not a competitor to anything. It's the social layer of Erasmus, and the students who plug in early have a measurably better semester than the ones who don't.

When should I apply for Erasmus housing?

For September 2026 arrival: start searching in May 2026, book by mid-July. Dorm applications open the day you accept your Erasmus place, sometimes with a two-week window. Co-living operators (Fuse Stays, Maverick Lodges, Coliving Residences) book out by early August. Private market gets brutally competitive in August.

For February 2027 arrival: start in October 2026, book by mid-December. The spring semester has less competition for housing, but also less stock available.

Rule of thumb: book your housing before you book your flight. If your housing falls through, you can still change your flight. If your flight is booked and you have no room, you're now scrambling.

The bottom line

Erasmus is the cheapest way to live in another European country for six months as a student. The grant covers a chunk of it. Where you go decides how much of a chunk. The biggest decisions, in order of impact: pick a city where the grant actually stretches, book housing safely from another country before you fly, get the EHIC plus a private top-up, open a Revolut/Wise/N26 before you leave, and plug into ESN on day one.

Everything else is detail. Don't overpack, don't wire deposits to strangers, and don't skip Orientation Week.

Get WhatsApp alerts for new rooms in your Erasmus city →

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Erasmus grant? For the 2026/2027 academic year, the Erasmus+ grant is €530 or €580 per month depending on the country group of your destination. Higher cost-of-living countries (Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, UK) pay €580. All other EU and EEA countries pay €530. You also get a one-off travel allowance based on distance, plus €50 and up to 4 extra travel days if you use sustainable transport (Green Travel). Students with fewer opportunities can get an extra €250 per month top-up.

When should I apply for Erasmus housing? For September arrival, apply for university dorm housing the day you accept your Erasmus place (windows can be as short as two weeks). Book co-living or private accommodation through verified platforms by mid-July at the latest. For February arrival, start searching in October and book by mid-December. The general rule: book your housing before your flight.

Do I need health insurance for Erasmus? Yes. Every Erasmus student needs the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is free from your home country's health insurance provider. It covers necessary and urgent medical care at public providers in any EU country, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, including chronic conditions and pre-existing illnesses. It does NOT cover private healthcare, repatriation, dental care for over-18s, or planned medical treatment. Most Erasmus students also take out a private top-up insurance policy (€15 to €30/month) for full coverage.

Can I work during Erasmus? Yes, in most countries, but check the rules first. EU/EEA students can work in any other EU/EEA country with no work permit needed. Hours are usually capped at 20 per week during semester (full-time during holidays). Common student jobs: language tutoring, hospitality, university campus work, freelance online work. Non-EU students on a student visa face stricter rules, usually 10 to 20 hours per week, and may need a separate work authorisation. Check your host country's rules at your university's international office.

Is the Erasmus grant enough to live on? It depends entirely on your destination. In Budapest or Riga, the grant covers around 80% to 90% of your total monthly costs. In Berlin or Barcelona, around 40% to 55%. In Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Dublin, around 30% to 40%. Most students supplement with savings, family support, part-time work, or a country-specific national grant on top.

Do I pay tuition during Erasmus? No. You pay tuition at your home university as normal, but you pay zero tuition at your host university. Erasmus is one of the only ways to study abroad without paying foreign tuition.

How long can my Erasmus exchange last? Between 2 and 12 months per study cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD), with most exchanges lasting one semester (4 to 6 months) or two semesters (10 to 12 months). You can do multiple Erasmus periods if you don't exceed 12 months total per study cycle.

What's the difference between Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus? Erasmus+ (the classic one) funds a semester or year abroad at a partner university while you stay enrolled at your home university. Erasmus Mundus is a different programme that funds full master's degrees (1 to 2 years) at a consortium of universities across multiple countries. Erasmus Mundus is more competitive and pays a much larger total scholarship (€40,000 to €50,000 over two years), and it's open to students from any country in the world.

More guides to help you find your room

• Pillar Guide: Co-living for students: what it is, what it costs, and whether it's worth it (2026)
• City Guide: Top 5 student housing providers in Budapest for 2026
• City Guide: Top 5 student housing options in Riga for international students (2026)
• Safety Guide: Student housing scams in Europe: how to spot them and avoid them