Erasmus+ Internship Grant 2026 for Indian Students: how to access European funding without being at an EU university

Indian nationals can access Erasmus+ internship funding in 2026 via the International Credit Mobility (ICM) strand -- if their Indian university has an active agreement with an EU institution. Stipends range from EUR 850 to EUR 1,200 per month depending on destination country, plus a travel lump sum and visa fee reimbursement. Most Indian students do not know this pathway exists because it is administered through the EU partner university, not directly applied to from India.

This is a companion article to our guide on DAAD scholarships for Indian students -- if Germany is your primary target, read that first. This article covers the broader Erasmus+ ICM route across all EU countries.

How Erasmus+ ICM works for non-EU students

Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (KA171) is the strand that allows students from outside the EU to participate in the programme. The pathway works as follows:

The key constraint: the EU university holds the grant and initiates the nomination. Indian students cannot apply directly to Erasmus+ ICM. The route requires that your Indian university has a pre-existing bilateral agreement with an EU institution that includes outgoing mobility slots for students from India.

Which Indian universities have active Erasmus+ ICM agreements?

Many ICM agreements are bilateral and not widely advertised. The international office at your institution is the authoritative source. That said, these institutions have documented active partnerships:

Indian university	EU partner institutions	Primary fields
IIT Delhi	KU Leuven, TU Delft, Politecnico di Milano	Engineering, STEM research
IIT Bombay	TU Munich, EPFL	Engineering, sciences, technology
BITS Pilani	University of Groningen, Ghent University	Engineering, pharmacy, sciences
Manipal University	University of Eastern Finland, Hochschule Hannover	Health sciences, engineering, management
University of Delhi	University of Warsaw, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona	Social sciences, humanities, life sciences

Important: agreements expire and renew on a rolling basis. An active partnership in 2024 may have lapsed or expanded by 2026. Always verify with your international office that the specific ICM project is currently active and has outgoing slots for your programme level (bachelor, master, or PhD).

To search for EU institutions with active ICM projects that name Indian universities, you can use the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform at ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects -- search for KA171 projects and filter by partner country (India).

What does the Erasmus+ grant cover?

The ICM grant has three components: the monthly stipend, a travel lump sum, and visa fee reimbursement for non-EU nationals.

Monthly stipend by destination country group

Group	Countries	Monthly stipend	Approx. INR/month
Group 1	Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, UK	EUR 1,200	Rs 1,06,200
Group 2	Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain	EUR 1,050	Rs 92,925
Group 3	Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey	EUR 850	Rs 75,225

Travel lump sum grant

Distance (one way)	Travel grant	Notes
Under 500km	EUR 275	Not applicable for India-EU
500 to 1,999km	EUR 360	Not applicable for India-EU
2,000 to 2,999km	EUR 530	Not applicable for India-EU
3,000 to 3,999km	EUR 820	Not applicable for India-EU
4,000 to 7,999km	EUR 1,100	India to southern/western Europe (Mumbai to Milan: ~6,900km)
8,000km and above	EUR 1,500	India to northern Europe (Delhi to Helsinki: ~8,300km)

For most Indian students flying to EU countries, the travel lump sum will be EUR 1,100 to EUR 1,500. This is a one-time grant per mobility period, not per direction. Economy class flights from major Indian cities to European hubs typically cost EUR 450 to EUR 900 depending on season and booking lead time.

Visa fee reimbursement

Non-EU nationals requiring a visa to enter the host country are eligible for up to EUR 180 in visa fee reimbursement. Schengen C visa fees for Indian applicants are currently EUR 80. Long-stay national visas (required for traineeships over 90 days) typically cost EUR 75 to EUR 120 depending on the country. Keep all receipts -- reimbursement requires proof of payment.

Application timeline and steps for 2026

The process runs through your Indian university's international office, not directly through Erasmus+ or the EU institution. Here is the practical sequence:

1. Step 1 -- Verify your university has an active ICM agreement. Contact your international office directly. Ask specifically: "Do we have an active Erasmus+ KA171 (ICM) agreement with any EU university that includes outgoing traineeship slots?" Ask which EU institutions and which programme levels are covered.
2. Step 2 -- Apply to your university's ICM selection process. Each Indian university runs its own internal call for ICM mobility nominations, typically between November and January for the following academic year. The international office advertises this internally. Missing this window means waiting until the next cycle.
3. Step 3 -- If selected, the EU partner university processes the Erasmus+ nomination. The EU institution sends you a formal acceptance and the relevant Erasmus+ grant agreement documents. You will need to sign a Learning Agreement and a Traineeship Agreement.
4. Step 4 -- Sign the Traineeship Agreement with your host company. The host company in the EU country signs the Traineeship Agreement alongside you and the EU university's international relations coordinator. This is the document that makes you Erasmus+-eligible for the traineeship period.
5. Step 5 -- Receive stipend payments from the EU sending institution. The first instalment (typically 80% of the total grant for the mobility period) is usually paid before your departure. The remaining 20% is paid after you submit a final report and confirmation of attendance from your host company.

Want to see how an engineering student presents themselves to companies in the EU before an Erasmus+ nomination? See how an engineering student presents themselves on our platform -- the format that consistently gets responses from European recruiters.

What if your university has no Erasmus+ agreement?

If your Indian university does not have an active ICM agreement, there are four alternative funded routes to European internships:

• DAAD WISE / Short-Term Research Grants
  EUR 650 to EUR 950/month for engineering and sciences students at German universities and research institutes. No ICM agreement required. See our full DAAD guide for Indian students for the complete application process.
• ARES Scholarships
  French government-funded scholarships for internships specifically in France. Open to students from partner countries including India. Administered by Campus France. Amounts vary by programme.
• British Council Scholarships
  For UK-based internships. The Charles Wallace India Trust and British Council India offer various mobility grants for Indian students and young professionals. Note that the UK is now outside the Erasmus+ programme.
• Self-nomination with a willing EU coordinator (rare but possible)
  Some EU universities with active ICM projects accept self-nominated non-EU students if: (a) the student has already secured a host company in the EU country, and (b) an international relations coordinator at the EU institution agrees to include them in an open ICM slot. This is uncommon but has worked for students who have a strong academic relationship with a professor or researcher at the EU institution.

Use the free internship toolkit to prepare your application materials before approaching any of these routes. The documents required (CV in European format, motivation letter, recommendation letters, proof of English proficiency) are substantially the same across all funded programmes.

Frequently asked questions