Erasmus + KA171

Students and recent graduates who face barriers to taking part can receive a top-up: €250 per month for long-term mobility, or a single amount of €100 for 5 to 14 days and €150 for 15 to 30 days for short-term mobility. A participant receives one top-up, even if they face more than one barrier. Staff are not eligible for the top-up but can apply for inclusion support. There are two forms, depending on the direction of the mobility:

Completing a form does not guarantee a top-up. The form is submitted with the Participant Details Form.

Participants with physical, mental or health-related conditions can apply for inclusion support to cover the extra costs these create, for example help with transport, a personal assistant, medical follow-up, learning materials or assistive technology, a preparatory visit, or an accompanying person. Students can receive it in addition to the top-up.

The request is made on the HEA Inclusion Support Application Form, completed with the International Mobility Team. It must reach the HEA (erasmus@hea.ie) at least one month before the mobility starts, so please contact us as soon as a need is known. The form is available from international.mobility@dcu.ie.

Every KA171 participant, incoming and outgoing, student and staff, can use the EU's Online Language Support free of charge through the EU Academy. It includes language assessments and self-paced courses, and participants can take as many courses as they like, in any available language.

DCU gives OLS access to every participant as soon as possible after selection, once the mobility is registered. For incoming students, OLS supports but does not replace DCU's English requirement (CEFR B2). More about OLS

From November to 19 January each year, you can register interest in a new KA171 project through the Expression of Interest Form (currently closed, but it can be previewed; PDF version). The form is shared with Faculty Deans and Heads of School for internal circulation.

How applications are scored

Applications are assessed by independent experts appointed by the HEA against three award criteria. The first is scored once for the whole application; the other two are scored separately for each region, so every region gets its own score out of 100.

Strategic application tips

• Partner collaboration: engage partners early and ask them for supporting statements.
• Budget realism: grants may be lower than requested, never higher. Plan what you can credibly spend.
• Make the case for every region: relevance and impact are scored per region.
• Plan for inclusion: explain how participants with fewer opportunities will be identified and supported, with a realistic estimate. It is not binding but it counts in the quality assessment.
• Avoid underspending: it affects DCU's standing with the HEA and future funding, so have a clear utilisation plan before submitting.

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After the February submission, results usually arrive between June and July, and every project lead is told the outcome. The awarded amount may be lower than requested. Funding is awarded per region: within a region, budget can later move between countries with the HEA's approval, but never between regions.

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Every mobility must be covered by a valid IIA between DCU and the partner, signed before any planned mobility is submitted. Before submitting, please confirm that:

• an IIA with the partner exists and is active;
• the mobility type is covered (studies, traineeship, teaching or training);
• the correct KA171 project year is referenced; and
• it sets out each institution's responsibilities, including selection, criteria for participants with fewer opportunities, visa and insurance support, and recognition.

IIAs are signed between higher education institutions only. A non-academic host (for example, a company hosting a trainee) signs the participant's Learning or Mobility Agreement instead. Download the KA-171 IIA template

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Selection must be fair, transparent and documented at both DCU and the partner. The DCU call must:

• be open to all potentially eligible participants, not pre-selected individuals;
• state the eligibility criteria (mobility type, level of study, DAC restrictions) and the selection criteria;
• be published through appropriate channels and allow a reasonable response period;
• include an appeal procedure, so applicants who are not selected can ask for a review;
• avoid any conflict of interest between selectors and applicants; and
• where academic merit is equivalent, give preference to applicants with fewer opportunities, as agreed in the IIA.

Please also confirm the partner ran an open call with documented criteria, an appeal route and conflict-of-interest safeguards, and confirmed its nominees in writing. If your school has its own selection criteria, these must also be honoured.

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Participants apply for visas through Irish Immigration Service Delivery; allow at least 8 weeks. DCU issues a visa support letter once the mobility is registered, and Student Support and Development can advise. The European Commission encourages using organisational support to offset visa costs where possible.

Incoming study students (accredited)

• Start coordinating with the partner about 6 months before the semester (by March for a September start).
• Incoming students cannot register for modules themselves; registration is coordinated through the academic representative, who is also responsible for the Banner set-up for any modules outside the Erasmus exchange module list.
• If the IIA is limited to one school or faculty, students take modules in that school unless agreed otherwise.
• Students complete the DCU Exchange Application Form (general deadlines 30 May for Semester 1 and full year, 30 October for Semester 2).
• The general nomination windows are 1 to 31 March and 15 August to 15 September. They are not enforced for KA171 but work as deadlines.

Outgoing study students (accredited)

• Confirm the partner's academic calendar before agreeing dates.
• The Learning Agreement must list the courses and their recognition at DCU, and be signed before the mobility by an academic authorised by the school.
• Credits completed abroad as agreed must be recognised in full, without further exams, and appear on the DCU transcript and Diploma Supplement.

Incoming trainees

Register the trainee as a visitor with your school (each school has its own process). At the end, the DCU supervisor completes the Traineeship Certificate (the 'After the Mobility' section of the Learning Agreement for Traineeships) within five weeks.

Staff teaching and training

• Teaching: at least 8 hours per week (or shorter stay); 4 hours if combined with training; no minimum for invited enterprise staff.
• Training: training events, job shadowing, observation or training at a partner. Conferences are not eligible.
• The Mobility Agreement must be signed by the staff member and both institutions before the mobility.
• Staff grants are paid at the full daily rate up to day 14 and at 70% from day 15.

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DCU students and recent graduates on a traineeship abroad use the Learning Agreement for Traineeships. The tasks, learning outcomes and timing must be agreed and signed by the trainee, DCU and the host before the traineeship. Outgoing Bachelor and Master traineeships follow the same DAC restriction as study mobility.

In every case, the host issues a Traineeship Certificate within five weeks of the end of the traineeship, confirming the dates, tasks, skills gained and an evaluation of the trainee. Please tell the host before the traineeship starts.

Share the KA171 Participant Details Form with each participant. They complete it, upload their signed documents, and you receive an automated summary by email with everything needed for Step 7.

From all participants

• Full legal name as on passport, and the email address they will use on the portal
• Date of birth, nationality and gender
• Passport number (if a visa support letter is needed)
• Language of mobility, proposed dates, direction (incoming or outgoing), sending and receiving institutions
• Whether they qualify as a participant with fewer opportunities, and any inclusion support needs
• Travel and health insurance policy number

Students (SMS and SMP)

• Subject area, level of study and ECTS credits
• Signed Learning Agreement and signed Student Grant Agreement
• Fewer opportunities form if applicable: Incoming | Outgoing (DCU)
• English language certificate (incoming students)

Staff (STA and STT)

• Staff category and seniority
• STA: teaching hours and student level; STT: type of training
• Signed Staff Mobility Agreement and signed Staff Grant Agreement

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Log in to the KA171 Coordinator Portal and complete one planned mobility form per participant, for clean auditing and correct email routing. For incoming participants who need a visa, submit at least three months before the mobility starts.

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Once the form is submitted, the International Mobility Team will:

1. register the mobility in MoveON and the EU Beneficiary Module, and issue a visa support letter where needed;
2. send the participant an acceptance confirmation email with their checklist, templates, portal link and (for students) the Erasmus+ Student Charter;
3. give the participant access to Online Language Support (OLS);
4. send automatic reminders through MoveON for any outstanding documents, before, during and after the mobility; and
5. process payments at the right stages, and issue the Business Case for DCU staff reimbursements.

Please tell us promptly if dates change or a participant withdraws, as this affects the grant and reporting.

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Without a grant amendment, DCU can:

• increase or reduce the number of mobilities and adjust durations;
• switch between student and staff mobility, studies and traineeships, or teaching and training;
• move funds between incoming and outgoing mobility, up to 40% of the total project budget;
• move funds between individual and travel support, in full;
• move funds between countries in the same region, with the HEA's approval;
• move up to 50% of organisational support into participant grants, including inclusion support; and
• add or change non-academic organisations, once the HEA is notified.

With an HEA-approved amendment, DCU can go beyond the 40% or 50% limits, add a new partner institution in a country already in the grant agreement, or change the project between 24 and 36 months. Funds can never move between regions, countries not in the grant agreement cannot be added, and funds cannot be used for outgoing Bachelor or Master mobility to DAC-listed countries. Top-up funds can be moved to other categories in the same region with a justification.

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The DAC list that applies is the one for the call year of the project, not necessarily the latest: OECD DAC lists of ODA recipients.

Non-native English speakers need evidence of English at CEFR B2 level. See the DCU Registry page for accepted certificates; DCU also accepts certificates from partner universities that attest to their students' language abilities. Send it to your DCU coordinator.

• Study: Learning Agreement for Studies
• Traineeship: Learning Agreement for Traineeships

It must be signed by you, your sending institution and your receiving institution (for traineeships, your host organisation) before the mobility starts; scanned and electronic signatures are accepted. If your modules or tasks change after you arrive, record the change in the 'During the Mobility' section, approved by all parties, normally within five weeks of the start of the semester.

The template already contains our signature. Complete your details, sign, and return it before your departure; your advance payment cannot be processed until we have it. Download the Student Grant Agreement

Cover is a condition of funding for the full mobility: health, travel (with repatriation), accident and liability. Universities do not usually provide it, so please arrange a comprehensive policy. Incoming students from outside the EU need private health insurance for Ireland; EU students can use their European Health Insurance Card (more information).

Your grant is paid to the bank account on your DCU Key (under 'My Profile'); incoming students can add an Irish IBAN once registered at DCU. No Irish bank account? Complete the NIER payment details form.

Top-up: €250 per month (long-term), or €100 for 5 to 14 days and €150 for 15 to 30 days. Use the right form: incoming students (signed and stamped by your home institution) or outgoing DCU students. For a physical, mental or health-related condition, contact us at least six weeks before your mobility about inclusion support (see Support for participants).

Free language assessments and courses from the EU. We send your access once your mobility is registered. Incoming students still need B2 English; OLS helps you build on it. More about OLS

After the Participant Details Form, complete the DCU Exchange Application Form with your home university email and let us know at international.mobility@dcu.ie. We then register you and enrol you in your agreed modules. The deadline is in your confirmation email (general DCU deadlines: 30 May 2026 for Semester 1 and full year, 30 October 2026 for Semester 2).

Submit the Participant Details Form by the date in your confirmation email so we can issue your visa support letter in time. Check and apply through Irish Immigration Service Delivery and allow at least 8 weeks. DCU Student Support and Development can give guidance. The application itself is your responsibility.

Signed and stamped by the host institution on your first day. Download the template

Signed and stamped by the host institution on your last day, and uploaded through the portal. Download the template

Keep copies of all boarding passes (outward and return) and upload them through the portal.

Before your mobility ends, the European Commission's system emails you the EU Survey (the Erasmus+ participant report), not DCU, so check your spam folder. It must be completed before your final payment; attach the confirmation to your document submission.

A short reflection on your experience, with the option to share photos or videos. Details are sent after your return, and completion is required.

Study: the host issues a Transcript of Records. DCU issues transcripts to incoming students digitally through Digitary CORE, where you can share certified results with your home institution. Semester 1 transcripts follow results in February; Semester 2 and full-year transcripts follow results in June.

Traineeship: your host completes the Traineeship Certificate within five weeks of the end of the traineeship. Upload it to the portal.

• A maximum of 30 ECTS credits per semester.
• At least 80% of credits in your faculty stream (or the faculty in the exchange agreement); up to 20% (in practice, one module) elsewhere.
• Only modules taught in your semester can be chosen.
• The catalogue is shared after you apply; last year's is a good guide. Places are not guaranteed, so have alternatives.
• Check that your home institution will recognise the credits. DCU can sign digital learning agreements.

Erasmus exchange: available modules

Repeats for both semesters take place in the July to August resit period, and you must return to DCU to sit them. The Exams Team emails instructions in mid-June, including details of any fee. If you do not repeat, your current grade stays on your transcript.

Transcripts are issued digitally through Digitary CORE after results are published (February for Semester 1; June for Semester 2 and full year).

Dublin has a housing shortage and DCU cannot arrange or guarantee accommodation for incoming students, so please start looking as early as possible. Good places to start:

• On campus: enter the accommodation lottery at dcuaccommodation.ie, and look at off-campus options at the same time.
• Off campus: DCU StudentPad lists rooms and houses near DCU.
• Support and emergencies: DCU Student Life accommodation support covers on- and off-campus options, and the Students' Union can help in an accommodation emergency. Email the contacts on that page with "Emergency Accommodation" in the subject line.
• Cost of living and scams: International student support covers cost-of-living supports and how to avoid rental scams.

Non-EU students need private health insurance for Ireland, and those staying more than 90 days must register with Irish immigration after arrival (€300 fee). The grant is based on the duration of the mobility and is paid after arrival, so please budget for flights, deposits and your first weeks in Dublin from your own funds.

The template contains our signature. Complete it, get the host's countersignature, and send it to your coordinator before you go. Teaching needs at least 8 hours per week (4 if combined with training); training can include training events, job shadowing and observation, but not conferences.

• Staff Teaching Mobility Agreement
• Staff Training Mobility Agreement

Complete your details, sign, and send it to your coordinator before departure. Download the Staff Grant Agreement

Health, travel (with repatriation), accident and liability cover for the full mobility. Check what your institution already covers and arrange anything extra.

Staff are not eligible for the top-up, but staff with a physical, mental or health-related condition can apply for inclusion support (contact us at least six weeks before travel). All staff also get free Online Language Support.

Signed and stamped by your host, confirming your dates. It must be signed and stamped before you travel home. Upload it through the portal on your return. Download the template

The EU Survey is emailed by the European Commission's system before your mobility ends; complete it and attach the confirmation. Upload your boarding passes, and complete the short DCU feedback form after you return.

Yes, but travel support is calculated on the distance between the sending and receiving institutions, so it will be recalculated on the actual journey and may be reduced or not funded. Please tell us before booking.

Extra grant days for time spent travelling, paid only when travel falls on a different day from the first or last day of activity on the certificate. The maximum is 2 days.

Yes. Only the total grant is used as the basis for payment, and participants can use it across travel and living costs as needed.

No. We can only pay the participant directly, so there would be no way to reimburse the coordinator.

The grant is recalculated on the actual duration. If the reason was beyond the participant's control (force majeure, for example a visa refusal, serious illness or a family emergency), DCU can ask the HEA to accept it, so that the participant keeps the grant for the time abroad and eligible costs already incurred. Tell us straight away and keep all receipts and evidence.

Yes, if both institutions agree and the request is made at least one month before the planned end date. The grant agreement is amended and the extra days are either funded or treated as a zero-grant period, depending on the budget.

Yes, as a zero-grant mobility with a partner already in the project. The usual rules and documents apply, and it must be planned as zero-grant in full before it starts. The DAC restriction does not apply to zero-grant mobility.

Only with a grant amendment approved by the HEA, and only in a country already in the grant agreement, within the same region. Complete the New Partner Form and send it to us; a new IIA must be signed before any mobility. Funds can never move between regions.

Flag it on the planned mobility form. The mobility will not be registered until the IIA is signed.

No tuition, registration, examination, laboratory or library fees. Only small fees that local students also pay may apply.

An acceptance confirmation email with their checklist, templates and portal link once the coordinator registers the mobility, then automatic MoveON reminders for anything outstanding. The EU Survey comes separately from the European Commission's system.

Tell us as soon as possible. Date changes affect the grant and may need an amendment to the grant agreement.

Within one week of the end of the mobility. It is a soft deadline, but it becomes a hard one as the project closes (24 or 36 months after the start); documents received after closing cannot be paid.