Same destination, different grant: €670 a month if you come from Poland, €350 if you come from Italy

In the same lecture hall at the University of Valencia there can be a Polish student receiving an Erasmus+ grant of €670 a month and an Italian student receiving €350. Same exchange, same city, same academic year. The difference is the country they come from.

How it works

The European Commission sorts countries into three groups by cost of living. Your grant depends on the jump between your home country and your destination:

• higher band if you go to a more expensive country than your own;
• middle band if the cost of living is similar;
• lower band if you go to a cheaper country.

For 2026-27, the Programme Guide sets these ranges: €348 to €674 a month in the higher band, €292 to €606 in the middle band and €225 to €550 in the lower band. Within them, each national agency decides. Some set one amount for the whole country; others let each university choose.

What each country pays in 2026-27

Monthly amounts for study exchanges. A dash means that band does not exist for that country: from a group 1 country there is no more expensive destination, and from a group 3 country there is no cheaper one.

Home country	Agency	To a more expensive country	Similar	Cheaper
Germany	NA DAAD	—	€600	€540
Austria	OeAD	—	€520	€470
Belgium (French-speaking)	AEF-Europe	—	€600	€540
Belgium (Flanders)	Epos	—	€419	€369
Finland	EDUFI	—	€540	€490
France	Agence Erasmus+ France	—	€292 to €606	€225 to €550
Ireland	HEA	—	€385	€330
Italy	INDIRE	—	€400	€350
Netherlands	Nuffic	—	€390	€330
Sweden	UHR	—	€580	€530
Czechia	DZS	€660	€600	€540
Portugal (mainland)	Agência Nacional Erasmus+	€500	€450	€400
Spain	SEPIE	€350 to €674	€300 to €606	€250 to €550
Hungary	Tempus	€600	€540	—
Poland	FRSE	€670	€600	—
Romania	ANPCDEFP	€674	€606	—

France and Spain do not set a national amount: each university picks one within the range. The University of Valencia, for example, pays the minimum (€350, €300 and €250). In Germany, the DAAD publishes fixed amounts, but another of its pages says each university sets them, so check with yours.

Three students, one destination

If the destination is Spain (group 2):

• from Poland (group 3), it is a more expensive country: €670 a month;
• from Germany (group 1), it is cheaper: €540;
• from Italy (group 1), it is also cheaper: €350.

What every country adds

European rules add €250 a month for students with fewer opportunities (each country and university defines who qualifies) and €150 a month more for traineeships. Many countries and regions also have their own top-ups.

What to do with this

Do not trust a grant figure that does not say which country the student comes from. Look up your national agency’s table and your university’s call, or use the Erasmus Kit comparison, which brings these amounts together with their sources. And remember that getting more does not mean getting it sooner: six in ten students receive their grant only after they have left.