Erasmus+ Global Mobility in higher education supports both incoming and outgoing mobility periods between Finland and third countries not associated with the Erasmus+ programme.
Students studying in a library
Photo: Satu Haavisto

Finnish higher education institutions and mobility consortia apply annually to the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) for Erasmus+ funding for European mobility.

Each higher education institution may submit only one application per call.

In addition to submitting their own application, higher education institutions may also participate in one or more mobility consortia formed by several institutions. A new mobility consortium must apply for accreditation using a separate application form in the same call as their first application for mobility funding.

Students, teachers and other staff members going abroad apply for their Erasmus+ grants directly from their own higher education institution.

 

Global mobility (also referred to as KA171 and International Credit Mobility, ICM) funding covers grants for studies, traineeships, teaching and training, as well as support for higher education institutions for organising and supporting mobility activities.

Global mobility is funded through the European Union’s external policy instruments. Mobility projects supported under external policy funding are divided across different world regions into 12 budget envelopes (regions). The size of the budget allocated to each region varies according to the EU’s external policy priorities. Partly different rules apply to mobility cooperation with different regions.

Individual grants for global mobility are higher than those for intra-European mobility. However, the organisation of exchanges largely follows the same principles as for mobility within Europe.

An HEI may apply for mobility funding both independently and as part of a mobility consortium, for example, by implementing all or part of its mobility activities (e.g. only traineeships) through the consortium. If an HEI is not part of a mobility consortium, it may only submit one mobility grant application per call. If multiple applications are submitted, only the latest will be taken into account.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a grant, the higher education institution must hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE), awarded by the European Commission.

A mobility consortium applying for Erasmus+ funding must hold an Erasmus+ Accreditation for Higher Education Mobility Consortia, awarded by the National Agency. A new mobility consortium must apply for the accreditation by using a separate application form, in the same call for proposals as the first mobility grant application (see the separate KA130 call for proposals for details on consortium accreditation).

 

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Higher education institutions and mobility consortia may apply for funding for global mobility for the following activities:

  • Studying abroad as part of a degree programme (SMS – student mobility for studies)
  • Traineeships abroad as part of a degree programme or recent graduate traineeships (SMT – student mobility for traineeships)
  • Teaching assignments at a foreign higher education institution or by invited staff from enterprises abroad (STA – staff mobility for teaching assignment)
  • Training abroad at another higher education institution or in an enterprise (STT – staff mobility for training assignment)
  • Organisational support for the implementation of mobility activities (OS)

In the 2026 global mobility call in Finland, fixed grant amounts are applied to both student and traineeship mobilities as well as to staff teaching and training mobilities.

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The European Commission annually allocates EU funding for European mobility in the higher education sector, which is then granted to higher education institutions by the National Agencies.

The total funding available in the 2026 call is approximately EUR 3,750,000.

Overview of partner countries and available funding amounts
The annex outlines the provisional 2026 budget by region and by country, as well as the related restrictions.
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When assessing award criteria for global mobility, consideration is given to the total available budget, the restrictions specific to each funding envelope, and the quality of the projects in comparison with other applications.

Mobility numbers applied for, awarded or implemented in previous contract periods, as well as the previous use of the grant, have no impact on the current award decisions.

The number of mobilities awarded in all categories may not exceed the number applied for. The final award is determined by the total available budget and the budget of each funding envelope. If the budget is insufficient to cover all requested mobilities, the number and/or duration of mobilities will be reduced.

Quality assessment

The global mobility award process includes a quality assessment of applications carried out by independent external experts in accordance with the evaluation criteria defined by the European Commission. 

The assessment examines, among other things, the clarity and feasibility of the project objectives, the justification for the mobility activities, the expected impact, and the planning and monitoring of activities.

Guide for experts on quality assessment
The Erasmus+ Programme Guide serves as the primary reference document for applying and includes the official eligibility and award criteria that applicants must meet. Evaluators also make use of the quality assessment guide prepared by the European Commission, which applicants may consult if they wish.
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In global mobility, the project agreement may have a duration of either 24 or 36 months. The higher education institution selects the contract duration at the application stage.

For the 2026 call, the project period will be either 1 August 2026 – 31 July 2028 (24-month contracts) or 1 August 2026 – 31 July 2029 (36-month contracts).

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There is one call for proposals per year in global mobility in the higher education sector.

Application period

In the 2026 call for proposals, the application deadline is 19 February 2026 at 13:00 Finnish time (12:00 CET).
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All Erasmus+ programme grants are applied for using an online application form. The form works with the most common and up-to-date web browsers. The application forms and instructions for using the electronic forms are available on the Finnish National Agency for Education’s website on page How to apply for Erasmus+ funding.

A technical guide for completing the application form is also available in the application portal.

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The application form addressed to the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) can be completed in Finnish, Swedish or English. We recommend completing the application in English.

The applicant higher education institution and all member organisations of a mobility consortium and partner organisations must have a valid Organisation ID (OID). The OID follows the format E00000000.

The partner country organizations OID can be validated after application round. 

You can search for partner organisations’ OIDs in the application portal’s Organisation Registration System (ORS).

 

Qualitative questions

In the application form, partner higher education institutions and traineeship host organisations (if known at the time of application) are indicated by region. In addition, applicants must answer three qualitative questions related to the award criteria:

  • The first question concerns the quality of the project plan and cooperation arrangements and is answered for the project as a whole.
  • The second and third questions (strategic relevance, and impact and dissemination of results) are answered separately for each region applied for.

The answers must take into account the perspectives of both the applicant higher education institution and the partner institutions.

Recording mobility activities

The student and staff mobilities applied for are entered in the application form by region. Mobilities are recorded by country under two participant categories: learners and staff.

Information to be provided for student mobilities:

  • Direction: incoming or outgoing.
  • Total number of participants per direction: includes both long-term and short-term mobilities.
  • Number of participants with fewer opportunities included in the total: the system automatically calculates the top-ups based on this figure.
  • Total duration of mobilities in months: for short-term blended mobility, the applicant must estimate the amount of grant needed and convert this into an equivalent number of months to be added to the total duration of student mobility.
    • Example calculation for short-term blended mobility:
    • 2 incoming students, 14 days of short-term blended mobility
    • Calculation: 2 × 14 days × €79 = €2,212
    • Three months of long-term mobility (3 × €900 = €2,700) are required to cover the grant for the short-term blended mobility.
  • Travel grants and possible fewer opportunities top-ups must also be taken into account.
  • Requested mobilities must also be listed with more detailed information (degree level, mobility type, duration, etc.) in the qualitative question

Information to be provided for staff mobilities:

  • Direction: incoming or outgoing.
  • Total number of participants per direction.
  • Total duration of mobilities in days.
  • Number of travel days (maximum 2 days per participant).

All mobilities with the same direction, distance band and destination country must be grouped into the same flow. If partners within the same country fall under different distance bands, separate flows must be created in the application.

Requested mobilities must also be listed with more detailed information (mobility type, etc.) in the qualitative question Strategic relevance, for example in the case of short-term mobilities.

Attachments and finalisation of the application

A Declaration on Honour signed by the legal representative of the applicant organisation must be attached to the application. The form can be downloaded for signature from the application system.

For mobility consortia, an Accession Form from the domestic consortium partner organisations must be attached to the application. The form can be downloaded for signature once the partner organisations’ details have been entered in the application.

The National Agency can never award a higher number of mobilities or a larger grant amount than what has been applied for in the application form. Late applications cannot be accepted. Applications are not submitted by post.

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When applying for and using the grant, it is important to take into account the principles governing the use of the grant and the determination of grant amounts.

Organisational Support (OS) 

Organisational Support can be used for activities related to supporting Erasmus+ mobility, helping higher education institutions ensure the quality of mobility periods and compliance with the obligations of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). In global mobility, the OS grant may be shared with the partner higher education institution. This must be agreed in the Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA).

In global mobility, the Organisational Support grant amounts to EUR 500 per awarded participant.

 

Additional Grants for Participants with Fewer Opportunities

Inclusion is one of the key priorities of the Erasmus+ programme. One way of promoting inclusion is through additional financial support (top-up grants). In the application form, institutions are asked to estimate the number of participants with fewer opportunities, broken down by mobility type.

A fixed top-up to the individual support grant is paid to outgoing students who belong to nationally defined groups with fewer opportunities. For incoming students, higher education institutions may, in addition, define further groups together with their partner institutions, taking into account the context of the sending country. These definitions must reflect the national context as well as the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes. In global mobility applications, the required fixed top-up grants for individual support are assessed per participant in the application form.

In addition to the fixed top-up grant, participants whose mobility entails extra costs due to personal circumstances, health conditions, learning difficulties or similar reasons may apply for inclusion support based on real costs from the National Agency. Inclusion support also includes organisational inclusion support for the sending higher education institution. This funding is applied for separately and is not tied to a specific application round.

 

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EDUFI provides support for applicants by organising guidance and information sessions during the open application round.

Below you will find events related to the 2026 call. If you are a new mobility coordinator, you may also wish to revisit the 2025 Mobility ABC webinar, which covers the basic principles of mobility activities.

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In the 27 partner countries of the EU’s Neighbourhood region, a National Erasmus+ Office (NEO) operates and can provide support for cooperation during the application phase.

Erasmus+ National Focal Points (ENFPs) support participation in the programme in 78 countries located in Africa, the Asia–Pacific region, the Middle East and the Americas.

In addition, following the activities of EU Delegations can offer valuable information and support for project planning.

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We are happy to provide guidance and advice regarding the application process for Erasmus+ funding.

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