UK Relaxes Visitor Rules for Erasmus+ Visitors Ahead of 2027 Return

The United Kingdom is easing immigration requirements for people taking part in Erasmus+ mobility programmes, ahead of the country returning to the European Union program in 2027. Starting October 8, 2026, new changes to immigration rules will allow eligible participants to study, train, and do job shadowing through the Visitor route without needing sponsorship.

Programme Rules

Under the revised rules, participants can study at UK educational institutions as part of a mobility project. They can also take part in training, job shadowing, and coaching assignments. Job shadowing must be limited to practical observation and cannot fill a permanent role. Participants aged 18 or under can complete a traineeship of up to 30 days, provided they have permission from their parents, legal guardians, and home institution. The Student and Child Student rules have also been updated so that qualifying Erasmus+ courses meet route requirements even if they do not lead to an approved UK qualification.

Visas and Travel

The updates change what eligible participants can do under the Visitor route, but they do not remove existing visa requirements. Participants must still follow the entry rules that apply to their nationality. For example, travellers from India will generally still need a UK visa because India is on the UK visa-national list. The European Commission agreed with the UK in April 2026 that the country will officially rejoin the Erasmus+ programme as an associated member in 2027.

Context

Erasmus+ is a major European Union program that supports education, training, youth, and sport exchanges. In 2024, the program supported almost 1.5 million learning mobility participants across more than 34,400 projects. India takes part in the international part of the program through higher-education partnerships and Erasmus Mundus scholarships.