Erasmus+ for schools in Greece: a practical guide for 2026

Thousands of Greek schools participate in Erasmus+ every year — sending teachers abroad for professional development, hosting colleagues from partner schools, organising pupil exchanges and developing cooperation projects with schools across Europe. Yet many Greek school coordinators still find the programme confusing, particularly when it comes to choosing the right action, understanding what they can fund and navigating the application process through IKY.

This guide covers everything a Greek school needs to know about Erasmus+ in 2026 — from the actions available and the funding on offer, to the deadlines, the application steps and the practical tips that give your application the best chance of success.

Which Greek schools are eligible for Erasmus+?

Erasmus+ school education actions are open to a wide range of organisations in the school sector. Eligible organisations include:

• Schools providing general education at pre-primary, primary and secondary level — including nursery schools, primary schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, EPAL and EPAS vocational schools at secondary level
• Local and regional public authorities and coordination bodies with a role in school education (such as Regional Directorates of Education and School Advisors’ Offices)
• Other organisations supporting school education — teacher training institutes, parent associations, educational NGOs

There is no minimum size requirement — a small primary school in a rural area of Greece is just as eligible as a large urban lyceum. What matters is that your school is legally established in Greece (or another programme country) and that your organisation has an active OID number registered on the EU Organisation Registration System.

Greek schools that do not yet have an OID should register immediately — processing takes up to 10 working days and without it you cannot submit any Erasmus+ application. Registration is free and done through the EU Academy portal.

The two pathways for Greek schools: short-term projects or Erasmus Accreditation

Greek schools can access Erasmus+ KA1 mobility funding through two distinct pathways, and choosing the right one is the first decision you need to make.

Pathway 1 — Short-term Mobility Projects (KA122-SCH)

KA122-SCH is the entry-level mobility action for schools that are applying to Erasmus+ for the first time or want to organise a one-off project. It is the recommended starting point for the vast majority of Greek schools.

KA122-SCH is ideal for a Greek school that wants to send 5–10 teachers to a professional development course in another European country, or host a job shadowing placement for a colleague from a partner school. It is a straightforward, well-defined action with a clear grant structure and no requirement for prior Erasmus+ project experience.

The 30-participant cap means that KA122-SCH suits smaller projects — if your school wants to develop a larger-scale, multi-year mobility programme, the Erasmus Accreditation is the better long-term route.

Pathway 2 — Erasmus Accreditation (KA121-SCH)

The Erasmus Accreditation is a long-term quality label that gives schools simplified annual access to mobility funding. Instead of applying for a new project grant every year, an accredited school submits a streamlined annual funding request based on its approved Erasmus Plan.

The Erasmus Plan is the heart of the accreditation application. It is a strategic document (typically 3–4 pages) that describes your school’s European development goals, why international mobility matters for your staff and pupils, and what kind of activities you plan to organise over the coming years. You do not need a specific partner lined up when you apply — the plan is about your school’s strategy, not about a single project.

The accreditation is better suited to schools that are serious about building a long-term European dimension into their work. If your school has already done one or two KA122-SCH projects and wants to make Erasmus+ a regular part of its programme, applying for the accreditation is the logical next step.

What activities can Greek schools fund through Erasmus+?

Both KA122-SCH and KA121-SCH cover the same range of activity types. The key distinction is that with KA122-SCH you plan specific activities in the application, while with the accreditation you plan activities annually through a simplified funding request process.

Staff mobility activities

Job shadowing — a teacher or school staff member spends 2–60 days at a partner school or organisation abroad, observing and learning from their everyday professional practice. This is one of the most popular and straightforward KA1 activities for Greek schools. Important 2026 rule: maximum 2 participants from the same sending school can shadow the same mentor at the same time.

Teaching and training assignments — a teacher delivers lessons or training at a partner school abroad for a period of 2–365 days. This is particularly valuable for language teachers and subject specialists who want to teach in an international context.

Courses and training — a teacher or staff member attends a structured professional development course abroad. The course must have a clear transnational component and active learning format — entirely passive activities like conferences or lecture series are not eligible. The course fee budget category covers up to €80 per day per participant, capped at €800 per participant per project. Important 2026 rule: courses and training cannot exceed 50% of your total project grant.

Invited experts — a specialist from abroad comes to your school to deliver professional development for your staff. This is funded differently from outbound mobility — the expert receives organisational support but no separate individual support.

Pupil mobility activities

Group mobility of pupils (KA123-SCH) — groups of pupils travel to a partner school abroad for a structured educational programme. The activity must have a clear learning programme — it is not a cultural visit or excursion. Participants receive Europass Mobility documentation recognising their learning outcomes.

Virtual exchanges (KA124-SCH) — structured online intercultural learning activities between partner schools. No physical travel is involved. eTwinning is the recommended platform for virtual exchanges and gives your school access to thousands of potential partner schools across Europe.

Who counts as an eligible participant?

For staff mobility activities (job shadowing, teaching assignments, courses and training), eligible participants include:

• Teachers at all levels (pre-primary, primary and secondary)
• School leaders and deputy heads
• Non-teaching staff working in schools — teacher assistants, pedagogical advisors, psychologists, Erasmus+ coordinators
• Staff of other school education organisations — school inspectors, counsellors, policy coordinators

Participants must be employed by or regularly working with the sending school at the time of the activity. Retired teachers and freelance educators not regularly associated with the school are not eligible.

The 2026 priorities for school education

The 2026 Programme Guide places particular emphasis on the following priorities for school education projects. Your application should demonstrate how your project addresses at least two or three of these areas genuinely — not just by mentioning them, but by designing activities and expected outcomes around them.

KA210 for schools: cooperation beyond mobility

Beyond KA1 mobility actions, Greek schools can also apply for KA210 Small-Scale Partnerships — the cooperation action designed for smaller and first-time organisations. KA210 is a different type of project: instead of sending staff abroad for professional development, you develop a joint project with one or more partner schools on a shared topic of interest.

A KA210 school project might involve two or three partner schools developing shared teaching materials on a topic like climate change, digital citizenship or cultural heritage — working together through online meetings and physical transnational meetings, producing outputs that both schools can use in their everyday teaching. The lump sum model means you receive the full grant if you deliver the activities as approved, without tracking individual expense receipts.

KA210 and KA122-SCH can be applied for in the same call — there is no rule preventing a Greek school from submitting both a KA122-SCH mobility project and a KA210 cooperation project in the same year.

2026 Erasmus+ deadlines for Greek schools

All deadlines at 12:00 Brussels time. Always verify with IKY at erasmus.iky.gr before submitting — IKY may publish national adjustments after the Programme Guide is released.

How much funding can a Greek school receive?

For KA122-SCH and KA121-SCH the grant is calculated from unit costs — it depends on how many participants you send, where they go and for how long. Here is a realistic example for a typical Greek primary or secondary school:

How to apply: step by step for Greek schools

Step 1 — Get your OID. Register your school on the EU Organisation Registration System and obtain your Organisation ID (OID). This is mandatory for all Erasmus+ applications. Registration is free and takes up to 10 working days — do not leave this until the week before the deadline.

Step 2 — Decide which action to apply for. First-time applicants should consider KA122-SCH. Schools with prior mobility experience and a long-term European strategy should consider the Erasmus Accreditation. Schools interested in developing joint projects with partner schools should look at KA210.

Step 3 — Find your partner school (for KA122-SCH and KA210). Use the European School Education Platform (ESEP) partner search tool, eTwinning, or your existing international contacts to identify a suitable partner school. For KA122-SCH you need a receiving organisation — a school, training provider or other organisation that will host your staff for their activity.

Step 4 — Develop your project concept. Before you start the application form, write a clear project concept: what problem does this project address for your school, what activities will you carry out, what outcomes do you expect for your staff and pupils, and how does it connect to the 2026 programme priorities.

Step 5 — Complete and submit the application through IKY. KA122-SCH and KA121-SCH applications are submitted through the Erasmus+ application system managed by IKY. The form asks you to describe your school’s background, your project design, participant profiles and expected outcomes. Applications are evaluated by IKY assessors based on the official evaluation criteria.

Step 6 — Sign your grant agreement and start your project. If selected, you sign a grant agreement with IKY. For KA122-SCH, you typically receive 80% of the total grant as pre-financing at the start. The remaining 20% is released after IKY approves your final report.

Common mistakes Greek schools make when applying

Not updating the Erasmus Plan regularly. For accredited schools, IKY expects the Erasmus Plan to be kept current and to reflect the school’s actual activities and evolving priorities. Schools that submit an ambitious plan and then implement something much more modest risk having their accreditation terminated.

Exceeding the 50% courses and training cap. Your budget for courses and training cannot exceed 50% of your total project grant. Many first-time Greek school applicants fill their project with commercial training courses and accidentally exceed this limit. Always check your budget split before submitting.

Choosing activities that are not genuinely transnational. The courses and training you include must have a clear transnational component — interaction between participants from different countries, or a curriculum that specifically addresses cross-border or European dimensions. A nationally delivered course attended only by Greek teachers does not qualify.

Describing participants who are not eligible. Only staff currently employed by or regularly working with your school are eligible. Retired teachers, supply teachers with no regular association with the school, or staff of other organisations are not eligible participants for your KA122-SCH project.

Leaving the OID registration too late. Many Greek schools miss the February deadline because they start the OID registration in January and it takes longer than expected. Start the registration process as soon as you decide to apply.

Useful tools and resources for Greek schools

• IKY Erasmus+ section — the Greek National Agency — your primary contact for all KA1 school education applications
• European School Education Platform (ESEP) — partner search, eTwinning community, SELFIE digital competence tool and training opportunities
• eTwinning — the best starting point for finding partner schools and building European connections before applying for funding
• GrowthProjects.eu Travel Budget Planner — free tool to calculate your full KA1 travel and subsistence budget with 2026 unit costs
• Erasmus+ Action Explorer — interactive reference covering all 34 Erasmus+ actions with deadlines, grants and eligibility

Frequently asked questions

Can a Greek school apply for both KA122-SCH and KA210 in the same year?

Yes. There is no rule preventing a school from applying for a KA1 mobility project and a KA210 cooperation project in the same application round. The two actions are separate and do not affect each other’s eligibility or evaluation.

Does our school need to have previous Erasmus+ experience to apply?

No — for KA122-SCH and the Erasmus Accreditation, no prior programme experience is required. The application is assessed on the quality of your project concept and the strength of your Erasmus Plan, not on your track record. Many Greek schools receive their first Erasmus+ grant with a well-written first application.

Can a Greek school coordinate a KA210 project?

Yes. Any Greek school can act as the coordinator of a KA210 Small-Scale Partnership. The coordinator is responsible for submitting the application, managing the project and reporting to IKY. There is no minimum experience requirement for the coordinator in KA210.

How long does it take to receive results after the February deadline?

IKY typically notifies applicants of results 3–4 months after the submission deadline. For a 19 February deadline, results are usually communicated in May or June 2026.

Can a Greek school from an island or remote area apply?

Yes — location within Greece does not affect eligibility. However, for schools on islands or in remote areas where travel to the mainland involves a ferry crossing, it is worth noting that ferry costs may qualify for exceptional travel cost reimbursement if the standard unit cost covers less than 70% of actual travel costs. Discuss this with IKY or a consultant before building your budget.

What is eTwinning and should our school join before applying?

eTwinning is a free online community for schools across Europe, hosted on the European School Education Platform. It is an excellent starting point for finding partner schools and testing collaboration before applying for Erasmus+ funding. Joining eTwinning before submitting a KA122-SCH or KA210 application is not required but is strongly recommended — it gives your school instant access to a network of potential partners and demonstrates your European engagement in the application.

All programme information is based on the official Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026 (Version 1, published 12 November 2025). Deadlines and conditions are subject to confirmation by IKY — always verify current information at erasmus.iky.gr before submitting. GrowthProjects.eu is an independent consultancy and is not affiliated with IKY, the European Commission or EACEA.