Erasmus+ for Kosovars: eligibility, application path and what’s funded
Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship education, training, youth and sport programme, with a budget of around €26 billion for 2021-2027. Kosovo is a “third country not associated to the programme” in Erasmus+ terminology, which sounds bureaucratic but in practice means Kosovars are eligible for a substantial portion of the programme — including most student mobility, staff mobility, youth exchanges and capacity-building actions. This page walks through what is realistically open to Kosovar students, researchers, staff and institutions, and how to access it.
What Erasmus+ actually funds
Erasmus+ is structured around three Key Actions:
- Key Action 1 — Learning Mobility: Funded individual exchanges. Students go abroad for a semester or a year; staff go abroad for teaching or training; young people go to youth exchanges and training courses.
- Key Action 2 — Cooperation among Organisations: Multi-institutional partnerships, capacity-building projects, knowledge alliances, sport partnerships.
- Key Action 3 — Policy Support: Policy-level cooperation, not typically relevant for individual applicants.
Plus Jean Monnet (EU studies in higher education) and dedicated actions in the sport field.
For most Kosovar applicants — students and university staff — the relevant entry points are Key Action 1 mobility and Key Action 2 capacity building.
Student mobility: the main route
Kosovar bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students at Kosovo universities can apply for International Credit Mobility (ICM) exchanges under Key Action 1, which fund:
- Semester or year-long study at an EU programme-country university (3-12 months)
- Traineeships at EU companies, research labs, NGOs or public bodies (2-12 months)
- Master’s degree mobility under Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters
- Doctoral mobility for research stays
The catch: ICM mobility for third-country students like Kosovars depends on individual partnership agreements between a Kosovo university and an EU university. Your home institution must have an active Erasmus+ agreement with the EU institution you want to go to. Without that bilateral agreement, the route is not open.
In practice, this means:
- Check your university’s International Office for current Erasmus+ partnerships.
- The University of Pristina, University of Prizren, AAB College and several private universities have active networks of EU partners.
- Selection is competitive — typically grades, motivation letter, language proficiency.
- The grant covers a monthly subsistence (around €700-900 for an EU programme country) and a travel contribution (calculated on distance, €500-900 for Kosovo origin).
Application deadlines are set by your home university; typical timing is February-March for the following academic year.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters
Erasmus Mundus is a particularly generous strand for high-performing Kosovars. EMJMs are integrated master’s programmes delivered by a consortium of universities across at least three different countries. As a Kosovar applicant, you can apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship that covers:
- Full tuition fees for the two-year master’s
- A monthly subsistence allowance (€1,400 per month as of recent rounds)
- Travel and installation costs
- Insurance
Applications go directly to the EMJM consortium (typically through one of the partner universities’ admissions systems), normally with deadlines in late autumn or early winter for the following autumn intake. The full list of EMJMs is on the EU’s Funding & Tenders Portal.
Competition is fierce — many EMJMs receive 200-500 applications for 20-30 funded places — but Kosovar applicants are eligible on equal terms with all other non-EU applicants.
Staff mobility
Academic and administrative staff at Kosovo universities can apply for teaching mobility (going to an EU partner to teach a short course) and training mobility (going to an EU institution to learn, shadow staff, attend training). Typical funded duration: 5 days to 2 months. The grant covers travel and a daily subsistence (around €120-180 per day, varying by destination).
This route is administered through Kosovo universities’ International Offices. Eligibility usually requires an active employment contract and a host invitation.
Youth exchanges and training courses
Erasmus+ Youth Actions are open to Kosovars aged broadly 13-30 (with variation by action). The main formats:
- Youth exchanges: Groups of young people from different countries meet for 5-21 days, jointly explore a theme, run activities. The hosting organisation covers food, accommodation and most of the travel.
- Training courses for youth workers: 5-15 days, professional development for people working with youth.
- European Solidarity Corps (related programme): 2-12 months of volunteering placement in an EU country, with subsistence, insurance and travel covered.
The route is via Kosovar non-profit organisations (NGOs, youth associations) which apply to Erasmus+ for hosting or sending grants. The Kosovo National Erasmus+ Office (NEO) at the University of Pristina maintains a list of accredited Kosovar organisations.
Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE)
Under Key Action 2, Kosovo universities and other Kosovo organisations can be partners (and increasingly coordinators) of Capacity Building projects worth €0.5-1 million each. These are 2-3 year cooperation projects between EU and partner-country universities that build curriculum, train staff, equip labs or develop institutional capacity. CBHE is one of the most accessible Erasmus+ routes for Kosovar institutions; the Horizon Europe page covers the research-funding parallel.
CBHE calls are annual, with applications submitted through the EU’s Funding & Tenders Portal. The Kosovo NEO publishes call-specific guidance.
Jean Monnet actions
For Kosovar academics teaching or researching EU studies (law, politics, economics), Jean Monnet actions fund:
- Modules (individual EU studies courses)
- Chairs (full professorial positions in EU studies)
- Centres of Excellence
- Networks (multi-institutional EU studies cooperation)
The University of Pristina has hosted Jean Monnet activities for over a decade. Applications are submitted by the individual academic or institution to the EU’s Funding & Tenders Portal.
The National Erasmus+ Office in Kosovo
The Kosovo NEO is the EU-funded support structure for Erasmus+ implementation in Kosovo. It is hosted within the University of Pristina and provides:
- Information sessions on calls
- Application support for institutions
- Training for university International Offices
- Networking events for Kosovar Erasmus+ alumni
The NEO website publishes upcoming deadlines, sample applications and contact points. It is the single most useful resource for any Kosovar exploring Erasmus+ access.
Visas and travel
A funded Erasmus+ student mobility from Kosovo to an EU country typically requires a national long-stay visa (a “D visa”) for the destination country, since 90/180 visa-free Schengen does not cover stays beyond 3 months. The student visa is supported by the Erasmus+ acceptance letter and is administered by the destination country’s embassy in Pristina. See our working rights guide for the broader picture of long-stay routes.
For shorter mobility (under 90 days), visa-free Schengen and the forthcoming ETIAS authorisation suffice, with the same documentation requirements.
In summary
Erasmus+ is one of the most concrete EU programmes open to Kosovars. The most accessible routes are:
- Bilateral student mobility through your Kosovo university’s existing partnerships
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters for outstanding students
- Youth exchanges through Kosovar NGOs
- Capacity-building projects for institutions
Funding is generous by Kosovo cost-of-living standards, the application processes are well-documented, and the alumni network in Kosovo is sizeable. Start with your university’s International Office or the National Erasmus+ Office in Pristina, and align the timing with the calls’ annual cycle.
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