U.K. and Switzerland to rejoin Erasmus+ in 2027

Britain had been one of the top destinations for European academic mobility before Brexit, leaving the program at the end of 2020 after the U.K. quit the EU. Switzerland has been partially outside Erasmus+ since 2014, when voters backed immigration limits that complicated its arrangement with the bloc on free movement of people.

The first calls involving British institutions are due to start this autumn, while the full return takes effect in 2027. That gives universities time to rebuild ties, but it also means the race is on now to secure partners, agreements and student flows before the new round opens.

For Poland, the timing is important. FRSE said Polish institutions are among the most active participants in European academic cooperation, but the real gain will depend on whether universities can quickly turn the policy opening into concrete exchanges. That includes attracting British and Swiss partners back into joint degrees, research networks and staff mobility.

The broader prize for Europe is deeper cross-border human capital circulation at a time when competitiveness is increasingly tied to skills, innovation and research output. Switzerland ranks first in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, while British universities remain among the most recognized in the region, making both countries attractive nodes in the education and technology ecosystem.

Erasmus+ has supported more than 16 million participants over nearly four decades, and its 2021-2027 budget is set at 26.2 billion euros. The return of the U.K. and Switzerland adds weight to a program that remains one of the EU’s main soft-power tools, even as Brexit and immigration politics have reshaped the map of European cooperation.