Erasmus Mundus vs Erasmus+: What's the Difference?

Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus+ are not two rival scholarships. Erasmus+ is the European Union's whole education programme, and Erasmus Mundus is one part of it. For a Pakistani student the practical difference is simple: an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's is a full one- or two-year master's degree in Europe that you apply for yourself, while an Erasmus+ exchange (called International Credit Mobility) is a semester or two in Europe that you can only get through your own Pakistani university, and the degree stays with your home university.

We checked the rules below on the European Commission's Erasmus+ website and its 2026 International Credit Mobility handbook on 20 October 2026.

The short answer in a table

	Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's	Erasmus+ exchange (International Credit Mobility)
What you get	A full master's degree, usually from two or more European universities	A semester or two abroad, counted towards your degree in Pakistan
Who applies	You, directly to the programme's consortium	Your university's partner in Europe wins funding; you apply to your own university
Levels	Master's	Bachelor's, master's and PhD students
When to apply	Mostly October to January for the next year's intake	Whenever your university runs its internal call
Money	Full scholarship for top-ranked applicants: participation costs, plus a living allowance (EUR 1,400 a month on programme sites we checked)	EUR 800 to 900 a month depending on the country, plus a travel grant
Length	Set by each programme (the ones we checked run two years)	2 to 12 months for long stays, or 5 to 30 days for short blended stays
How competitive	Very: each programme has a limited number of scholarships (MULTIPHASE averages about 22 per edition)	Depends on how many funded places your university has

Erasmus Mundus: a full master's you apply for yourself

The European Commission's Erasmus Mundus page explains the basics:

Each programme is run by a group of universities in different countries, and you study at several of them.
Students from anywhere in the world can apply. You need a bachelor's degree, or be in the last year of one and graduate before the master's begins.
You apply directly to the programme, not to the European Commission and not through HEC. Each programme sets its own deadline, usually between October and January.
Full scholarships go to the best-ranked applicants. They cover participation costs and contribute to travel, visa and living costs.

The living allowance on the programme sites we checked today, such as MULTIPHASE and CNE, is EUR 1,400 a month. Each programme's own page gives its exact package.

Programmes for the 2027 intake are opening now. Many open on 1 November 2026 and close in January or February 2027. Our Erasmus Mundus page lists every programme we track with its dates, and you can filter them by subject. The general Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarship page explains what a typical package includes.

Who it suits: final-year students and graduates with a good CGPA, a clear subject focus and an English test, who want a full degree in Europe.

Erasmus+ exchange: a semester abroad through your university

International Credit Mobility works differently. The 2026 handbook says:

A European university applies to its national agency for funding to exchange students with a partner university outside Europe. Pakistan is an eligible partner country in the Asia region.
Students cannot apply on their own. Your Pakistani university, as the sending university, selects students in a fair and transparent way and nominates them; the European university then accepts them.
Bachelor's, master's and doctoral students can all take part.
Long stays last from 60 days to 12 months. Short blended stays of 5 to 30 days include an online part.
The credits you earn abroad are recognised by your home university, so they replace part of your degree in Pakistan.
Universities may not charge you fees for organising the exchange.

Money for students coming to Europe (2026 call rates):

Host country group	Monthly support
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden	EUR 900
Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain	EUR 850
Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye	EUR 800

There is also a travel grant based on the distance between your university and the host. Students with fewer opportunities can receive an extra EUR 250 a month on long stays.

Who it suits: students already enrolled at a Pakistani university that has an Erasmus+ partnership, who want a taste of Europe without leaving their degree.

How to find out whether your university has Erasmus+ places

Ask your university's international office or ORIC which European partners it has under Erasmus+, and watch its notice board and website for the internal call. Some European universities also post their partnerships on their own sites. Our Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility page summarises the scheme, and the exchange programmes page lists other short programmes open to Pakistani students.

Can you do both?

Often, yes, at different stages: an Erasmus+ semester during your bachelor's, then an Erasmus Mundus master's later. Each programme sets its own rules on earlier EU funding, so read its eligibility page. For example, MULTIPHASE says you cannot have held an Erasmus Mundus scholarship before.

Common mistakes Pakistani students make

Searching for "the Erasmus+ scholarship application form". There isn't one for exchanges. Anyone selling an "Erasmus+ form" or charging a fee to "register" you is not genuine.
Writing to the European Commission to apply for Erasmus Mundus. You apply to each programme's own site.
Waiting for HEC to announce Erasmus Mundus. HEC is not part of the process; each programme sets its own dates.
Applying to many Erasmus Mundus programmes with the same letter. Each programme looks for fit with its subject. Our guide to writing a motivation letter and our master's motivation letter sample help you tailor it.

For exchanges, the handbook says universities may not charge you for organising the mobility. For Erasmus Mundus, pay only a fee that the programme's own site lists, if any, and never pay an agent to get you "selected". Our guide to avoiding scholarship scams explains the warning signs.

Your next step

If you want a full master's, open our Erasmus Mundus page, shortlist three to five programmes that fit your degree, and note their deadlines in our deadlines calendar. If you are still studying, ask your international office this week whether it has Erasmus+ partners. In both cases, the programme's or university's official page is the final word on dates and rules.