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Earlier this month, Switzerland saw two favorable votes bringing it just one step away from rejoining the Erasmus+ programme in 2027. On 1 October 2026, the Council of States approved – by 23 votes to 18, and 3 abstentions – the funding for the country’s participation in Erasmus + in 2027. The approved budget amounts to CHF 192.6 million (EUR 207.5 million). The decision builds on a complex process over the last couple of years and follows previous decisions, such as the Swiss Federal Council’s approval of the draft EU Programmes Agreement (EUPA) in spring 2025 (see ACA Newsletter - Education Europe, April 2025).
In a second step, on 16 October 2026, the National Council’s Finance Committee has likewise approved the 2027 funding for Erasmus+, by 18 votes to 7. The majority of committee members found it crucial for Switzerland to able to participate in the Erasmus+ programme and for it not to be isolated in the fields of education and research, finding that the cost-benefit ratio was good.
One final approval is necessary – that of the National Council itself – the body being expected to deliberate on this matter in December 2026, i.e. just shortly before the start of the implementation period, in the event of a positive opinion.
In parallel, setting the ground for both Swiss and United Kingdom (UK) higher education institutions to be able to fully participate in the programme from January 2027, the European Union has approved 53 applications for ECHE accreditation submitted in the spring by Swiss higher education institutions, as well as 163 applications by the UK ones. Different from Switzerland, the UK has already greenlighted its reassociation to Erasmus+ for 2027.
The accreditation is essential for higher education institutions to be able, from 2027, to apply for funding for mobility and cooperation projects under Erasmus+. The Swiss accredited institutions include 12 universities, 14 universities of teacher education, 9 universities of applied sciences, 2 other institutions within the Swiss higher education sector and 16 colleges of higher education / professional school, while for the UK the total covers both higher education institutions and further education colleges. The high number of applications from both countries is a further sign that stakeholders in the education sector are committed to participating in Erasmus+.
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