Erasmus+ is the European Union programme that funds education, training, youth work and sport. It is best known for student exchanges, but the part called youth activities is open to people who are not studying at all — and it is far less well known in Serbia.
Three kinds of project for young people
Youth exchanges
A group of five to ten people from each participating country travels to a project lasting five to twenty-one days. You work on one theme — climate justice, mental health, media literacy, entrepreneurship — through workshops, discussion and practical tasks rather than lectures.
The age range is usually 18 to 30. Travel, accommodation and food are covered.
Training courses for youth workers
For people already working with young people, whether in organisations, schools or local initiatives. These last three to ten days and focus on method — how to run a group, how to write a project, how to facilitate a discussion.
There is no upper age limit.
European Solidarity Corps (volunteering)
Long-term placements of two to twelve months in another country. Volunteers get accommodation, a monthly allowance for food and personal costs, health insurance, a language course and covered travel.
This is the biggest commitment of the three, and the biggest change for the person who goes.
How to apply from Serbia
You apply through a sending organisation, not directly to the European Commission. That means finding an organisation in Serbia taking part in the project and applying through them. We are one of those.
The process looks like this:
- Find an open call — on an organisation’s site, in Facebook groups, or with us
- Fill in the application, usually a form with about ten questions
- Hear back within one to two weeks
- If selected, you get an infopack with travel, accommodation and topic details
- You book your ticket, keep the receipts, and get reimbursed after the project
Applying is free. If somebody asks you to pay a participation fee for an Erasmus+ project, it is not an Erasmus+ project.
What is expected of you
Less than people assume. No previous experience, no language certificate, no references. Organisations pick people with a clear reason for wanting to go and who will do something once they return.
What is expected: that you attend everything, take part, and share the experience with someone afterwards — through a workshop, a piece of writing, or a conversation with the next group.
Common questions
Answers to the most frequent questions about cost, age and language are below. If you were wondering about something else, write to us.