Six years after Brexit, British students will soon be able to study and work across Europe again, as the UK formally re-joins the Erasmus programme. The legal text, signed in Brussels on Wednesday, is intended to bring the UK back into the programme in 2027 after the UK pulled out
Maria Ward-Brennan
Thursday 16 April 2026 1:22 pm | Updated: Thursday 16 April 2026 1:23 pm
Six years after Brexit, British students will soon be able to study and work across Europe again, as the UK formally re-joins the Erasmus programme.
The legal text, signed in Brussels on Wednesday, is intended to bring the UK back into the programme in 2027 after the UK pulled out of in December 2020 as part of its withdrawal from the European Union (EU).
Erasmus was one of the key commitments agreed at the first UK-EU Summit in May last year.
The UK government said this announcement “delivers” on its commitment to “reset relations with the European Union” and “strengthen cooperation following Brexit”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has recently called for strengthening ties with the EU, amid negative economic repercussions from the war in Iran and tensions with Donald Trump.
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The Erasmus programme has an overall indicative financial envelope of more than €26bn (£22bn) of the EU Budget covering 2021 to 2027.
The UK government said it secured a 30 per cent discount on the default contribution rate, calling it a “fair deal for taxpayers” to guarantee full participation in the programme.
EU relations minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said: “We want to give our young people the very best start, and bringing back Erasmus+ does exactly that.
“It offers thousands of students and apprentices the chance to learn and grow in Europe, boosting their quality of life and helping them gain a fresh perspective on the world.
“This is what a positive UK-EU relationship looks like in practice, making a tangible difference to people’s lives and careers,” he added.
These moves come as UK universities face an unprecedented period of turbulence.
A drop in international student numbers has driven the worsening financial position, resulting in redundancies, mergers, recruitment freezes and stalled promotions across the sector.
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