Erasmus+ ICM for South African Students 2026: EUR 700-850/Month for European Internships

9 min read·May 2026·By Internship Abroad SA Team

South African students can receive EUR 700-850 per month (approximately R13,500-R16,500 at current rates) to do an internship or study exchange in Europe through the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) program. This is one of the most underused funding opportunities for SA undergraduates: the grants are real, the amounts are significant, and most eligible students never hear about them through their International Office.

Erasmus+ ICM is funded by the European Commission and administered through bilateral agreements between European universities and partner institutions outside the EU. South Africa is one of the qualifying partner regions, meaning SA students at universities with active ICM agreements can apply for funded European placements without needing to self-fund their living costs.

What Is Erasmus+ ICM and How Does It Work?

Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) is the outward-facing component of the Erasmus+ program. While standard Erasmus+ funds mobility between EU countries, ICM funds mobility between EU universities and institutions in eligible non-EU regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, South and East Asia, Latin America, and others.

The structure works as follows: an EU university holds a grant from its national Erasmus+ agency. That grant covers a specific number of mobility slots for students from partner countries. Your SA university must have a bilateral agreement with that EU institution. When a slot opens, your university nominates eligible students. You do not apply to the European Commission directly.

This means the availability of placements depends entirely on which EU universities your SA institution has signed agreements with, and how many slots those agreements include per academic year.

Erasmus+ ICM Grant Amounts for South African Students (2026)

Monthly grant amounts are set by the European Commission based on the cost of living in the destination country. South African students going to Europe receive the outgoing ICM rates, not the domestic Erasmus+ study grant rates.

Country Group	Monthly Grant	Approx. ZAR/month	Countries Included
Group 1 (High cost)	EUR 850/month	R16,000-17,000	Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden
Group 2 (Mid cost)	EUR 700/month	R13,000-14,000	Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
Group 3 (Standard)	EUR 600/month	R11,500-12,500	Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

Travel grants are added separately for longer distances. SA students typically receive EUR 820 for the outbound travel contribution (the EU uses a distance calculator based on the great circle distance from Johannesburg or Cape Town to the EU destination).

Additional top-ups of EUR 100-250/month are available for students from fewer-opportunities backgrounds (defined as those receiving financial assistance through NSFAS or institutional bursaries).

Which South African Universities Have Erasmus+ ICM Agreements?

ICM agreements are held by individual EU universities and specify which partner institutions outside the EU they work with. The following SA universities have confirmed active Erasmus+ ICM agreements as of 2026:

• University of Cape Town (UCT): Agreements with universities in Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden. Strong focus on law, health sciences, environmental science, and engineering
• University of the Witwatersrand (Wits): Partnerships spanning economics, business, architecture, and health sciences. EU partners include institutions in Belgium, Germany, and France
• Stellenbosch University: One of the most active SA institutions in Erasmus+ ICM. Agreements in agriculture, engineering, wine science, and humanities across the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and France
• University of Pretoria (UP): Agreements in engineering, law, natural sciences, and education. EU partners in the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Italy
• University of Johannesburg (UJ): Active ICM partnerships in business, engineering, and information technology
• University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN): Agreements particularly strong in agriculture, health, and social sciences
• Rhodes University: ICM agreements in journalism, environmental science, and psychology
• University of the Western Cape (UWC): Community health, law, and social work focus in its EU partnerships

Important: Not every agreement covers internship (traineeship) mobility. Some are restricted to study exchanges only. Ask your International Office specifically whether the agreement covering your faculty includes traineeship slots.

Erasmus+ ICM vs NRF vs DAAD-SA: A Funding Comparison

Program	Monthly Value	Duration	Level	Target Region
Erasmus+ ICM	EUR 700-850	2-12 months	UG, Honours, PG	Europe (27 EU + EEA)
NRF International Mobility	R15,000-40,000 one-off	1-3 months	Honours, Master's, PhD	Worldwide
DAAD-SA Scholarship	EUR 850-1,200	1-36 months	Postgraduate priority	Germany (primary)
DHET Mobility Bursary	R20,000-60,000 one-off	1-6 months	All levels	Priority bilateral partners

For undergraduate students planning a 3-4 month internship in Europe, Erasmus+ ICM is the most suitable option: it pays monthly, covers the full placement period, and is accessible to students who are not yet postgraduate. The NRF and DAAD-SA programs are better suited to postgraduate researchers doing 1-3 month research visits or longer doctorate programs.

How to Apply for Erasmus+ ICM as an SA Student

You do not apply directly to the European Commission or to the EU university. The application process runs through your South African home institution:

1. Contact your International Office (12 months before planned departure): Ask whether your faculty has an active Erasmus+ ICM agreement with an EU institution, and whether traineeship (internship) slots are available for the next cycle. Request the list of partner universities and which faculties they cover.
2. Check faculty alignment: ICM agreements are discipline-specific. A Stellenbosch agreement with TU Delft covers engineering students; it does not automatically cover business students. Confirm that your field of study is covered.
3. Submit your Internal ICM Application: Your International Office will run a nomination process. Required documents typically include: academic transcript, motivation letter, CV, language certificate (if the placement is in a non-English country), and a supervisor or faculty endorsement.
4. Receive nomination from your home institution: Once your university nominates you, the EU partner institution sends you a formal application package. You complete this directly with the EU institution.
5. Arrange your Learning Agreement: For study exchanges, a Learning Agreement specifying which courses you'll take replaces your home-institution modules. For internships, a Traineeship Agreement specifying the host organisation, duties, and learning outcomes is required.
6. Funding confirmation: The EU institution confirms the grant amount and payment schedule. Grants are typically paid 70-80% upfront and the remainder after you submit your end-of-mobility report.

2026 Application Timelines

ICM application cycles are tied to the EU academic year. The two main windows are:

• Spring 2027 / Semester 1 2027 placements: Internal SA applications typically due September-October 2026. EU institution applications follow in November-December 2026. Grants confirmed January 2027.
• Summer 2026 placements (May-August 2026): Deadlines have passed for most SA universities. Check directly if late applications are possible for a specific EU partner.
• Autumn 2026 / Semester 2 2026 placements: Internal SA applications typically due March-April 2026. Most of these cycles are already confirmed for the current cohort.

The most common mistake is assuming there is time when there is not. SA students who discover Erasmus+ ICM in July and want a January placement are in a reasonable position. Those who discover it in November for a February start are almost always too late.

What Counts as an Eligible Internship Under Erasmus+ ICM?

For traineeship ICM slots, the internship must:

• Be hosted by a recognised organisation in an EU programme country (company, NGO, research institution, public body, but not an EU institution itself)
• Last a minimum of 2 months (60 days) and no longer than 12 months
• Have a signed Traineeship Agreement between you, the host organisation, and your home institution
• Include a defined learning outcome relevant to your study programme
• Not be carried out at the same institution as the EU university you are partnered with under the ICM agreement

Recent graduates can also access ICM traineeships within 12 months of graduation, provided the internship was agreed and started within that window.

Combining Erasmus+ ICM with Other Funding

The Erasmus+ ICM grant is designed as a contribution, not a full cost cover. In practice, monthly living costs in European cities range from EUR 800 in Lisbon or Krakow to EUR 1,400 in Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Most SA students on ICM supplement the grant with:

• A one-off university mobility bursary (R10,000-30,000) for flights and initial setup costs
• Part-time work permitted under the Schengen visa work allowance (generally limited for non-EU nationals on student visas)
• A host company transport or meal allowance (common in Germany, Netherlands, and Spain)

What Happens If There Are No ICM Slots at Your University?

ICM agreements are time-limited and may not have available slots in every cycle. If your university does not have an active agreement covering your faculty or destination, you have several options:

• Apply independently to EU host organisations and fund the placement through a combination of NRF, DAAD-SA, and personal savings. See our guide on NRF and DAAD-SA funding for SA students
• Ask your International Office whether a new ICM agreement can be initiated with a specific EU partner university. It is a longer process (agreements take 12-18 months to formalise) but students who advocate for it sometimes succeed
• Check with your faculty department directly, some faculties manage their own bilateral agreements outside the central International Office

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