Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Guide 2026

What is Erasmus+ Staff Mobility?

Imagine spending a week in Barcelona learning innovative teaching methods from educators across 15 different countries, or shadowing a school administrator in Finland to understand how they've built one of the world's most successful education systems. This is the reality for thousands of European educators every year through Erasmus+ Staff Mobility.

Erasmus+ Staff Mobility, formally known as Key Action 1 (KA1), is the European Union's flagship programme for professional development in education. It enables teachers, trainers, school leaders, and administrative staff to participate in learning activities abroad, fully funded by the European Commission. Since its inception, over 4 million educators have participated in mobility activities, transforming not just their own careers but the education systems they return to.

The programme operates on a simple but powerful premise: when educators experience different teaching approaches, school cultures, and educational philosophies firsthand, they bring back fresh perspectives that benefit their students, colleagues, and entire communities. According to the European Commission's impact studies, 95% of participating teachers report significant improvements in their professional competencies after mobility experiences.

The post-pandemic educational landscape has made staff mobility more relevant than ever. Schools across Europe faced unprecedented challenges—rapid digitalization, learning loss, student mental health crises, and the need to reimagine what education means in an increasingly uncertain world. The educators who navigated these challenges best were often those with international experience and connections—teachers who could reach out to colleagues in other countries and ask, "How are you handling this?"

Erasmus+ staff mobility isn't just about individual professional development anymore. It's about building a resilient, connected European education community that can respond collectively to future challenges. When you participate in staff mobility, you become part of this network—a network that has proven invaluable in times of crisis and continues to drive educational innovation in times of stability.

Structured Courses: Intensive Learning Experiences

Structured courses are the most popular form of staff mobility, and for good reason. These are professionally designed training programmes that bring together educators from multiple countries for focused, intensive learning. A typical course runs for one to two weeks and combines theoretical input with hands-on workshops, school visits, and collaborative projects.

What makes structured courses particularly valuable is the combination of expert instruction and peer learning. You might spend mornings learning about project-based learning methodologies from a renowned expert, then spend afternoons working with colleagues from Denmark, Italy, and Romania to design projects you can implement in your own classrooms. By the end of the week, you've not only gained new knowledge but also developed materials you can use immediately and built relationships with educators who become long-term professional contacts.

Job Shadowing: Learning Through Observation

Job shadowing offers something no course can provide: an immersive view of how another educational institution actually operates. When you spend two weeks shadowing a school principal in the Netherlands, you don't just learn about their practices—you see them in action. You observe how they handle a difficult parent meeting, how they run staff briefings, how they balance competing demands on their time.

This type of mobility is particularly valuable for administrative staff and school leaders. Many administrative challenges are similar across countries—budget constraints, staff management, communication with parents—but the solutions vary dramatically. Seeing how a school secretary in Germany has streamlined enrolment processes, or how a Finnish school has created efficient communication systems, provides practical inspiration you can adapt to your own context.

A mobility experience is only as valuable as what you do with it. The most impactful participants approach their time abroad with intention and follow through with commitment after returning. Here's how to maximize your investment:

Before You Go

Prepare yourself mentally and professionally. Research your destination—not just the tourist highlights, but the education system, current challenges, and recent reforms. Come with specific questions. If you're attending a course on digital tools, try out the tools beforehand so you can engage at a deeper level. If you're job shadowing, study the host institution's website and come prepared with thoughtful questions.

Importantly, think about dissemination from the start. Who at your institution would benefit from what you're learning? How will you share your experience? Having a plan before you leave helps you gather the right materials and take the right notes.

During Your Mobility

Engage fully. This sounds obvious, but many participants hold back, particularly in international settings. Push yourself to contribute to discussions, volunteer for activities, and initiate conversations with colleagues from other countries. The relationships you build are often as valuable as the formal content.

Document everything. Take photos (with permission), collect resources, and keep a daily reflection journal. What surprised you? What challenged your assumptions? What could you implement tomorrow? These real-time reflections are far more valuable than trying to reconstruct your thoughts weeks later.

After You Return

The real work begins when you get home. Within the first two weeks, while your experience is fresh, present to your colleagues. Even a 15-minute presentation at a staff meeting makes a difference. Share not just what you learned, but how you plan to apply it.

Then, actually implement something. Start small—one new technique, one new tool, one new approach. Document the results. This isn't just good practice; it's essential for demonstrating the value of mobility to your institution and ensuring continued participation opportunities for your colleagues.