Erasmus+ 2026 deadlines: complete calendar

Erasmus+ 2026 application deadlines have been confirmed by the European Commission and published by National Agencies across Europe. Missing a deadline means waiting a full year for the next call — there is no late submission window, no appeal process and no exceptions. A strong application submitted one minute after the deadline is treated identically to no application at all.

This guide brings together all confirmed 2026 deadlines for KA1, KA2 and accreditation actions in a single reference document, explains what the second-round dates mean and how to use them strategically, and sets out the preparation timeline you need to meet each deadline with a competitive application — not just a submitted one.

1. How Erasmus+ Deadlines Work

Erasmus+ operates on an annual call cycle. Each year the European Commission publishes a Call for Proposals setting out the deadlines, priorities, eligible actions and budget for that programme year. The 2026 Call has been published and all major deadlines are now confirmed.

All deadlines are set in Brussels time (CET/CEST) and are absolute — the Beneficiary Module closes at the exact deadline time and no further submissions are accepted. There is no grace period, no technical exemption and no possibility of submitting supporting documents after the deadline. If the platform is slow in the final hours before a deadline, that is not accepted as grounds for late submission.

Most KA1 and KA2 actions have two deadline rounds per year — a Round 1 deadline in the first quarter and a Round 2 deadline in the autumn. Round 1 projects start in the second half of the same year; Round 2 projects start in the first half of the following year. Not all actions have a second round — KA220 Cooperation Partnerships and KA210 Small-Scale Partnerships typically have only one round per year.

2. Complete 2026 Deadline Calendar by Key Action

The table below covers all confirmed 2026 deadlines from the official Erasmus+ Call for Proposals. All times are Brussels time (CET/CEST — 12:00 midday unless otherwise noted). Verify with your National Agency for any country-specific variations.

3. Second-Round Deadlines: What They Mean and Who Should Use Them

Several KA1 Youth actions — youth exchanges (KA152), youth worker mobility (KA153) and youth participation activities (KA154) — have a second round with a deadline of 1 October 2026. This round funds projects that start between 1 January and 31 May 2027. Understanding when to use each round is a strategic decision, not just a logistical one.

Use Round 1 (12 February 2026) if your activity is planned for summer or autumn 2026, your partnership is confirmed and your application is ready, or you are an experienced applicant who has submitted to this call before and knows the process well.

Use Round 2 (1 October 2026) if you missed Round 1 or your application was not ready in time, you are a first-time applicant who needs more preparation time, your planned activity is in spring 2027 rather than summer 2026, or your partner organisations need more time to confirm participation and obtain OIDs.

4. National Agency Deadlines: Why They May Differ

The dates in the table above are from the official European Commission Call for Proposals — they are the reference deadlines. However, the vast majority of KA1 and KA2 actions are managed by National Agencies at country level, and NAs have some flexibility in how they implement these deadlines.

In practice this means two things. First, some NAs set their submission deadline earlier than the EC reference date — for example, requiring submission by noon on the deadline day rather than midnight, or closing their national platform several days before the EC platform closes. Second, some NAs add national requirements — additional documents, national-language summaries or pre-registration steps — that must be completed before or alongside the platform submission.

The Greek National Agency (IKY), the Italian NA (INDIRE/Erasmus+ Italia), the Spanish NA (SEPIE) and the Portuguese NA (Erasmus+ Portugal) — all relevant to your target client geography — each have their own submission procedures and may communicate supplementary requirements. Check the NA website for your country at least four weeks before the deadline to identify any national-level requirements.

5. How to Prepare: Reverse Timeline by Key Action

Working backwards from the deadline is the most reliable way to ensure your application is genuinely ready — not just submitted. The timelines below are minimum preparation windows. Starting later than these points does not make a good application impossible, but it makes a competitive one significantly harder.

For KA152/KA153/KA154 Youth actions (12 February 2026 deadline — Round 1 already passed): Focus on Round 2 (1 October 2026). Start your preparation by early July at the latest — that gives you approximately 12 weeks. Weeks 1–3: confirm partners and OIDs. Weeks 4–6: develop the programme concept and learning objectives. Weeks 7–10: complete the application form. Weeks 11–12: final review, partner confirmations and submission.

For KA210/KA220 (5 March 2026 deadline — now passed for 2026): The next KA210/KA220 round will open with the 2027 Call for Proposals, expected around November–December 2026. Start building your consortium and project concept from September 2026 onwards to be ready for an early 2027 deadline. Use the intervening months for partner outreach, project idea development and needs analysis.

For Erasmus Accreditation (29 September 2026 deadline): Start no later than June 2026 — that gives you approximately 16 weeks. The Erasmus Plan is the most demanding element and requires internal consultation, strategic planning and multiple drafts. Weeks 1–4: understand accreditation requirements and draft the organisational development strategy. Weeks 5–10: write the Erasmus Plan. Weeks 11–14: complete the application form. Weeks 15–16: final review and submission.

6. Most Common Deadline Mistakes

Confusing the EC reference deadline with the NA deadline. The European Commission sets the outer deadline. Your National Agency may require submission earlier — on the same day but at noon rather than midnight, or even a few days before. Submitting at 11:58pm on the EC deadline date when your NA closed at noon is a missed deadline. Always check your NA’s specific submission requirements, not just the EC date.

Leaving platform registration to the last week. The Beneficiary Module requires an EU Login account, organisation OID registration and — for KA220 — partner mandate letter uploads. None of these can be done in the final minutes before submission. OID processing takes 1–5 working days. Allow at least two weeks for all platform-related tasks.

Treating the deadline as the target rather than the limit. Submitting on the deadline day means submitting a finished application under time pressure with no buffer for technical problems, last-minute partner issues or form errors. Aim to submit 48–72 hours before the deadline. The platform does not reward last-minute submissions, and a technical failure at 11:55pm is not an accepted excuse.

Starting the application after the deadline is announced. For KA220 and KA210, the deadline is announced months in advance. Organisations that start preparing when the call opens — rather than when the deadline is announced — have 3–4 months of preparation time. Those that start when the deadline is announced have 6–8 weeks. The difference in application quality is consistently visible in evaluation scores.

Missing the accreditation deadline and waiting another year. Erasmus Accreditation has only one deadline per year — 29 September 2026. Missing it means waiting until September 2027. For organisations planning a sustained KA1 mobility programme, this is a full year of lost simplified access to funding. Treat the accreditation deadline as a strategic priority, not an administrative task to get to eventually.

7. Deadline Preparation Checklist

• ✅ Correct deadline identified for your Key Action and sector — verified against EC Call for Proposals
• ✅ National Agency deadline confirmed — checked directly on the NA website for your country
• ✅ Internal submission target set 48–72 hours before the official deadline
• ✅ EU Login accounts active for all team members who will work on the application
• ✅ OID registered for all partner organisations — at least 2 weeks before deadline
• ✅ Mandate letters requested from all partners (KA220) — internal deadline at least 2 weeks before submission
• ✅ Project concept and objectives finalised before form-filling begins
• ✅ Partner confirmations received in writing — not assumed
• ✅ Budget calculated using current 2026 Programme Guide unit cost rates
• ✅ Application reviewed by a second person before submission — not submitted directly from the drafter
• ✅ Submission confirmation email saved — proof of submission retained
• ✅ For accreditation (29 Sep 2026): Erasmus Plan drafted, reviewed and finalised at least 2 weeks before deadline