How much is the Erasmus grant and how is it paid? Amounts, the 70/30 rule, deductions
When each instalment arrives, which missing documents stop the payment, and what to do before you leave so the final instalment is not cut.
The most frequent question about the Erasmus grant is not how much it is, but when it arrives — because the payment schedule dictates the whole budget plan. Most of it lands before you leave; the rest only after you return.
The amount depends on the country group of your destination — the table below has the 2026 figures. The payment mechanism is the same everywhere — and that is where the problems actually occur.
How much is the Erasmus grant?
For students going out from Turkey the monthly amount is set by the cost-of-living group of the destination country. These are the figures universities publish for the 2026 budget period (2026-2027 academic year), KA131 mobilities:
| Country group | Study (monthly) | Traineeship (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Groups 1 and 2 — Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Greece and others | €600 | €750 |
| Group 3 — Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia | €450 | €600 |
On top of that comes travel support calculated from the distance band; if more than half of the return journey is made by low-carbon transport, the "green travel" rate is higher.
Three things to keep in mind. The grant is paid per month, so your total depends on how long the mobility lasts. Most institutions cap the funded period — five months is a common limit, and the remaining time is unfunded. And depending on the ranking, some students go as "zero-grant" students: you keep every Erasmus student right, you simply receive no payment.
If you are going out from an EU country rather than Turkey, your own national agency publishes its own table — the structure (country groups, a monthly rate, separate travel support) is the same, the numbers differ. The binding figure is always the table in your university's own call. Sources: Turkish National Agency, 2026 Erasmus+ call and programme guide, YTU grant amounts for the 2026 budget period. Last checked: 15 September 2026.
The 70/30 rule
The grant is paid in two instalments:
- First instalment — typically 70%. Paid before mobility starts, once the agreement is signed.
- Second instalment — the remaining 30%. After the period ends, return documents are submitted and obligations are complete.
Some institutions use 80/20. The split written in your own agreement is the one that applies.
The practical implication: if you are relying on the first instalment to cover setup costs, do not pay for flights or a deposit before you see it in your account. It usually lands a few weeks before term, but delays are common.
What delays or reduces the second instalment
Almost every post-return deduction comes from a missing document.
Confirmation of Stay. Signed by the host institution, showing your actual start and end dates. The grant is recalculated against them. If the period on the document is shorter than the one in your agreement, the difference is deducted.
Get this signed in person, before you leave. Collecting signatures after you have left the country can take weeks.
Language assessment. The online language test required at the end of the period. If it is not completed, the second instalment is held.
Participant report. An online survey completed after return. A simple form, but the payment does not close without it.
Learning Agreement mismatch. If the courses you took differ from the agreement and the change was not formally approved, problems surface at the end. If you changed courses, have the *Changes* section signed by your coordinator — there is usually a four-week window after term starts.
Early return. Leaving before the minimum duration causes a proportional cut and, in some cases, full cancellation. If circumstances force it, tell the office in advance.
Why does the Erasmus grant arrive late?
The chain runs: European Commission → national agency → university → student. Universities can only pay once funds reach them. So when the office says "we are waiting for the transfer", it is usually genuinely outside their control.
Annual contribution agreements are also not always signed before term begins. For that reason being selected with a grant does not mean the amount is final — universities routinely carry this warning in their call documents.
The practical conclusion: treat the grant as a contribution that arrives late, not a guaranteed part of the budget. Keeping one month of buffer is the simplest way to manage that uncertainty.
Checklist for closing the payment cleanly
- Note the instalment split and dates from your agreement before leaving.
- Do not make large payments before the first instalment clears.
- Make any course change within four weeks, with written approval.
- Get the Confirmation of Stay signed before you leave.
- Complete the language assessment and participant report in your first week back.
- Check your bank details (IBAN, name match) — one of the most common causes of delay.
To see the scale of the costs the grant does not cover, see the Erasmus budget guide.
Your institution's practice may differ; for the instalment split, document list and deadlines, the binding source is always your own Erasmus office.