OeAD: Brexit impact on the Erasmus+ programme
The transition period following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union on January 31st, 2020 ended on December 31st, 2020. As of January 1st, 2021 the United Kingdom will be treated as a third country as regards access to Erasmus+.
UK students will no longer be able to study at European universities with an Erasmus+ scholarship in the new Erasmus+ programme period that starts in 2021, nor will EU students be able to study in the UK within the Erasmus+ programme as the United Kingdom will no longer participate in the European flagship programme for education, youth and sports. The OeAD’s managing director Jakob Calice says: "The United Kingdom had been part of Erasmus, one of the most popular EU programmes, since the programme was launched in 1987. The end of the UK’s participation in Erasmus+ is highly regrettable – especially in times of growing internationalisation in education and science. Erasmus has been and still is a European success story. Erasmus is an initiative that broadens young people’s horizons, opens up career opportunities and enables friendships across national borders. With Erasmus international mobility that people would otherwise not be able to afford can take place." The OeAD now expects a shift in future applications towards Ireland or the Nordic countries, which also run study programmes in English.
What does this mean for approvals granted in 2020 for the Erasmus+ programme (period 2014-2020)?
1. Projects will continue to run:
The withdrawal agreement provides for the United Kingdom’s full participation in the current Erasmus+ programme 2014-2020. Specifically, this means that all projects approved during the current programme period will continue to receive EU funding for the entire duration of the projects. This includes those where funding extends beyond 2020 and the end of the transition period. Mobility within the 2020 call will therefore as a rule be funded until 2022, and projects until 2023.
Regardless of whether you are studying, training, volunteering or doing an internship abroad, participation is fully possible for the entire duration of the exchange and will also be funded by European grants. This applies both to British participants coming to Austria and to Austrian participants going to the UK. Every year approximately 400 Austrian students complete a study abroad period in the UK within Erasmus+.
Details:
- Within Erasmus+ all projects funded in the 2020 funding year will continue to run and to be funded until the end of their term.
- Mobility projects, for example, that have been approved in 2020 can still be carried out in 2021 and thus fall under the rules of the Erasmus+ programme period 2014-2020. For each project project managers are available at the OeAD to provide advice and support.
- All Erasmus+ projects approved up to and including 2020 in which a UK organisation is involved or which are led by such an organisation as lead partner can carry out their activities as before during the entire project period until the planned end of the project (even beyond Dec. 31st, 2020). Mobility of lecturers or students can still take place after 2020 if the higher education institutions have corresponding contracts. This means for the 2020 call that UK higher education institutions are still included in the projects. Student mobility to the UK can take place within these projects at least until 2022, depending on the term of the projects.
- Securing the right of residence in the UK for EU citizens: Schools and companies that cooperate with the United Kingdom via Erasmus+ or provide for learning and teaching mobility can continue to do so in 2021 if the projects have received funding approval before Dec. 31st, 2020.
- Charging tuition fees is not permitted within an Erasmus exchange and this therefore still applies for cooperation with UK higher education institutions.
2. Free mobility ends:
Nationality, duration of stay and purpose of stay in the UK will determine whether or not you will need to apply for a visa as of 2021 when travelling to the UK to participate in the Erasmus+ 2014-2020 programme period. Students from the EU who have settled in the United Kingdom before Dec. 31st, 2020 will need to register (apply) within the UK Government's “EU Settlement Scheme” free of charge by June 30th, 2021 at the latest in order to secure the rights associated with the “settled status” or the “pre-settled status” if they intend to continue to reside in the United Kingdom.
According to the UK stays of up to 6 months for study purposes will be possible for EU nationals without a visa for students entering the UK as of January 1st, 2021:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-uks-points-based-immigration-system-information-for-eu-citizens.de
https://www.bmeia.gv.at/oeb-london/service-fuer-buergerinnen/brexit/eu-settlement-scheme/
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/studying-in-the-uk-guidance-for-eu-students (English)
https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/moving-uk/eu-students (English)
Here you can check whether or not you will need a visa: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs’ website on Brexit: https://www.bmeia.gv.at/europa-aussenpolitik/europapolitik/zukuenftiges-verhaeltnis-eu-uk-brexit/
About the OeAD
The OeAD is Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation.