Erasmus+ ProgrammeInternational credit mobility
What is Erasmus+?
For over 30 years, Europe has funded the Erasmus programme, which has enabled over four million European students tostudy, train, and gain experience abroad.
Erasmus+ recognises the importance of opening up these opportunities, funding exchange of students, acad emics , id eas
and good practice between Programme countries1 and Partner countries 2 throughout the world.
In the framework of the new programme 2021-2027, the international activities will cover Higher Education (HE),
Vocational Education and Training (VET), Youth and Sport.

What is an International credit mobility project?
International credit mobility (ICM) supports the mobility of individuals in higher education institutions (HEIs), b etween
Programme countries and Partner countries. Through ICM, European HEIs can set up mobility agreements with partners
around the world 3 to send and receive students and staff.

What does an ICM project do?
The activities supported in ICM are:Student mobility: can be carried out in any study field and cycle (short cycle/bachelor/master/doctoral), and is open torecent graduates. The physical mobility can last from 2 to 12 months or between 5 and 30 days if part of blended
mobility4 . Student mobility can take the form of: A study period abroad at a partner HEI,
 A traineeship (work placement, internship) abroad in an enterprise, a research institute, a laboratory, anorganisation or any other relevant workplace.
The two types of student mobility could be combined, if the total duration of the mobility period does not exceed themaximum of 12 months per study cycle.
Staff mobility: can be carried out by any type of higher education staff or by invited staff from outside the HEIs. Themobility period can last from 5 days to 2 months. It can take the form of: A teaching period for academic staff and for invited staff from non-academic organisations to teach at apartner HEI abroad, A training period for teaching and non-teaching staff in the form of training events abroad (excludingconferences), job shadowing, observation periods and/or training at a partner HEI.
A staff mobility period abroad can combine teaching and training activities. Any teaching or training period abroad may b e
carried out as a blended mobility.
EU member states and third countries associated to the Programme.
Third countries not associated to the Programme.
3 With the exception of Andorra, Faroe Islands, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City State and the United Kingdom.
4 Blended mobility is a combination of physical mobility with a virtual component facilitating a collaborative online learning exchangeand teamwork.
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How is it funded?
Each Erasmus+ National Agency (NA) established in a Programme Country has a budget to fund a number of mobility
projects between HEIs in that Programme Country and those in Partner Countries. Institutions from Programme C ountries
can apply to their NA to organise projects with HEIs in one or more Partner Countries. The NA awards the successful HEIs agrant to cover the mobility of a number of students and staff. This grant will cover the cost of the individual and travel
grants and include a portion for organisational support.
For individuals:
Student and staff participants may receive a different monthly or daily contribution to their expenses abroad depending onwhether their mobility is incoming (to Europe) or outgoing (from Europe). In addition, each selected individual p articipantwill get a travel contribution based on the distance between the sending and the receiving institutions.
For more information, see the Programme guide.
For institutions:
The mobility project grant will include a contribution of EUR 500 per mobile participant in order to offset the co s ts to th einstitution of organising the mobility project.

Who can apply and take part in an ICM project? How?
Taking part as an organisation:
Only HEIs from Programme Countries may submit an application to manage a project for mobility between Programme andPartner Countries.
Once the project is selected for funding, in order for the mobility to happen, the European HEI must sign an Interinstitutional agreement with a HEI in a Partner Country. Under this agreement, it can host or send students, doctoralcandidates or staff from/to the Partner-Country HEI. In the agreement, the sending and receiving institutions agree o n th erange of courses open to visiting students and on the options for staff mobility. These agreements make s ure th at th esending institution will recognise the credits gained by its students for successfully completed activities abroad, which willcontribute to the student's degree once they return. Programme-Country HEIs require an Erasmus Charter for Higher
Education to apply and take part; by signing the inter-institutional agreement, Partner-Country HEIs agree to adhere to th eCharter’s principles.
Taking part as an individual:
Students and staff may contact their HEI’s international relations office for more information about the application andselection process.

What is new in 2021-2027?
 Focus on simplification. The application form is designed to have a regional approach, which will trans late into amore flexible budget management during implementation.
 Enhanced opportunities. In addition to the student exchange of 2 to 12 months, an option fo r s h o rter b lendedmobilities (5-30 days) is introduced, along with opening up to recent graduates, and pro viding a mo re flexib leformat for doctoral candidates.

More information
Detailed information on the criteria and funding rules: Erasmus+ Programme Guide
International credit mobility mailbox: EAC-NA-ICM@ec.europa.eu