Brexit and Young People: What Changed for Study, Work and Travel in Europe?

BREXIT AND YOUNG PEOPLE - What Changed for Study, Work & Travel? — BREXIT AND YOUNG PEOPLE – What Changed for Study, Work & Travel?

Last reviewed: 21 October 2026

Brexit and young people is ultimately a story about opportunity.

Before Brexit, British citizens had EU free movement rights. A young person from the UK could move to an EU country to live, work or study under EU rules without first needing a work visa simply because they were British. UK students could also take part in Erasmus+, the European exchange programme that connected universities, colleges, schools, apprentices, youth organisations and staff across Europe.

Those rights changed when the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020.

British citizens can still travel throughout Europe, study at European universities and build careers in EU countries. But many opportunities that were once automatic rights of EU citizenship now depend on visas, permits, national immigration rules, or specific exchange programmes.

That distinction matters.

It does not mean Europe became closed to young Britons. It means the terms on which they can participate changed.

And in 2026, that story is changing again.

The UK and EU have formally agreed that the UK will return to Erasmus+ in 2027, while negotiations continue over a separate UK-EU youth experience scheme that could give young people new temporary opportunities to work, study and travel.

So what exactly did Brexit change — and what is now being rebuilt?

Brexit and Young People: What Changed After 2020?

The biggest legal change was the end of free movement.

Before the end of the Brexit transition period, British citizens were EU citizens. Under EU free movement rules, they could move to another EU member state to work, study, look for work, or live there.

From 1 January 2021, British citizens no longer had that automatic EU-wide right.

For most young people who had not already established protected residence rights before the end of the transition period, moving to an EU country became subject to that country’s immigration system.

That means the rules now vary depending on where someone wants to go and what they want to do.

A British graduate hoping to work in France may face different requirements from someone taking a job in Germany, Spain or the Netherlands.

A student enrolling on a full university degree may need a long-stay visa or residence permit.

A young person simply going on holiday normally does not.

Brexit therefore did not create one single new rule for young people.

It replaced a broad EU-wide right with a collection of national rules and permissions.

What Changed for Travel?

For ordinary holidays and short visits, travel to most of Europe remains relatively straightforward.

British citizens can generally visit countries in the Schengen area without obtaining a visa in advance for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Those 90 days apply across the Schengen area as a whole, not separately to each country.

A British traveller could therefore spend time in France, Spain, Italy and Germany during the same period, but the combined stay must normally remain within the 90-day limit.

Short visits can include tourism, visiting family and friends, some short courses and certain business activities.

But the rules are different from the days of EU free movement.

British travellers are now treated as third-country nationals at the external Schengen border. The EU’s Entry/Exit System records the entry and exit of many non-EU visitors and helps monitor compliance with the 90-day limit.

Ireland is an important exception.

The Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland predates EU membership and continues after Brexit. British and Irish citizens retain reciprocal rights to travel, live, work and study in each other’s countries under those arrangements.

So Brexit did not end easy travel across Europe.

But it did replace unrestricted EU free movement with time limits and border rules for most of the EU.

What Changed for Working in Europe?

This is where the difference is much larger.

Before Brexit, a British citizen could generally take employment in another EU country under free movement rules without applying for a work permit simply because of their nationality.

That automatic right ended.

The UK Government now advises British citizens that they will need a work permit to work in most EU countries, and in many cases they will need a job offer before they can obtain the necessary visa or permission.

Exactly what is required depends on the country.

Some EU countries provide routes for skilled workers, graduates, seasonal workers or jobseekers. Others may require employer sponsorship or impose salary and qualification requirements.

There are also limited exemptions for certain short business activities under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

But these are not the same as free movement.

For a young British person considering Europe as part of their career, Brexit therefore introduced an extra question that did not previously exist:

“Am I allowed to take this job, and what permission do I need?”

That does not make a European career impossible.

It does make it more conditional.

What Changed for Studying in Europe?

Study is more complicated because there are two different questions:

Can a British student legally study in the country?
What will the course cost?

For short study visits, British citizens may be able to use the normal visa-free visitor arrangements, depending on the country and the activity.

For longer courses, students may need a national student visa or residence permit.

Tuition-fee rules also vary by country and institution.

Before Brexit, UK students studying in EU countries often benefited from treatment linked to EU membership. After Brexit, British students beginning new courses may be treated differently depending on the national rules of the country concerned.

Some countries and universities offer favourable terms to British students. Others may charge different fees to students from outside the EU.

So there is no single post-Brexit European tuition fee.

Students need to check the rules for the particular country, university and course they are considering.

What Happened to Erasmus+?

Erasmus was one of the most visible opportunities associated with European integration.

The programme began in 1987 and developed into Erasmus+, covering far more than university semesters abroad.

It includes education and training exchanges, apprenticeships, school activities, youth projects, staff development and partnerships between organisations.

The UK participated for decades.

Leaving the European Union did not automatically require the UK to leave Erasmus+. Non-EU countries can participate in the programme under agreed arrangements.

However, when the UK negotiated its post-Brexit relationship, the UK Government chose not to associate with the 2021–2027 Erasmus+ programme.

Instead, it created the Turing Scheme.

What Did the Turing Scheme Offer?

The Turing Scheme funded UK schools, colleges and universities to send students and apprentices on study and work placements overseas.

Unlike Erasmus+, it focused globally rather than primarily on Europe.

That was a genuine advantage.

British students could use funded placements to gain experience in destinations worldwide, and the scheme placed particular emphasis on widening participation and supporting disadvantaged students.

But Turing was not a like-for-like replacement for Erasmus+.

Erasmus+ funds both outward and inward mobility and supports a wider range of activities, including staff exchanges, youth projects, organisational partnerships and sport.

Turing primarily funded outward placements from the UK.

The House of Commons Library also noted differences in areas such as project duration, funding structures and the treatment of incoming participants.

So the fairest description is that Turing created valuable new international opportunities while replacing only part of what UK participation in Erasmus+ had provided.

For the 2026–27 academic year, the Turing Scheme continues to operate, with funding available for international study and work placements.

But it will be its final year.

The UK Is Rejoining Erasmus+ in 2027

This is one of the most important developments in the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with Europe.

In April 2026, the UK and EU signed the legal text formally enabling UK participation in Erasmus+ from 2027.

The UK Government says more than 100,000 people are expected to benefit in the first year, including students, apprentices, school groups and participants in wider educational and youth programmes.

UK organisations will again be able to participate in the programme alongside institutions across Europe.

The agreement also allows the UK to welcome Erasmus+ participants from EU countries once again.

The Turing Scheme will therefore not operate in the 2027–28 academic year, when Erasmus+ placements begin.

This does not restore EU free movement.

Erasmus+ participants will still operate within the immigration rules that apply to their activities.

Indeed, the UK Government has already published guidance explaining which immigration permissions incoming Erasmus+ participants may need depending on whether they are studying, training, working or visiting.

But the return of Erasmus+ does rebuild an important organised route for educational and cultural exchange that disappeared after Brexit.

What About a UK-EU Youth Experience Scheme?

A second potentially significant change is still under negotiation.

At the 2025 UK-EU Summit, the UK and EU agreed to work towards a youth experience scheme.

The idea is to create a dedicated temporary route allowing young people from the UK and EU to spend time in each other’s countries for activities that could include travel, work and study.

It is important not to confuse this with a return to freedom of movement.

The UK Government has said that any scheme would be:

Time limited
Subject to visas
Capped so that participant numbers are controlled
Negotiated separately from the old EU free movement system

As of October 2026, the exact terms had not been finalised.

Important details — such as age limits, length of stay, participant numbers, fees and precise rights — remained matters for negotiation.

If an agreement is reached, however, it could restore something that young Britons largely lost after Brexit: a relatively simple route to spend a meaningful period living and working in Europe without needing to qualify for a conventional skilled-work visa.

That would not recreate the rights British citizens had as EU citizens.

But it could narrow the practical gap.

Did Brexit Stop Young People Going Abroad?

No.

That would be an exaggeration.

Young people from Britain have continued to travel, study and work overseas.

The Turing Scheme funded international placements, universities maintained bilateral exchanges, and individual EU countries continued to offer visas and residence routes.

Europe did not become inaccessible.

But Brexit changed the default position.

Before Brexit, many opportunities in the EU flowed from a legal right attached to British citizenship as EU citizenship.

After Brexit, many of the same activities remained possible, but access became dependent on a visa, permit, host institution, employer, exchange programme or the immigration rules of an individual country.

That is a meaningful change even when the eventual answer to an application is “yes”.

Why Does This Matter Beyond Holidays?

The debate about youth mobility can easily sound like a discussion about cheap travel or gap years.

It is much broader than that.

Living, studying or working abroad can help people develop language skills, professional networks, independence and experience of different cultures and workplaces.

UK university research has found that international mobility is associated with positive graduate outcomes, while also highlighting barriers that can prevent students from less advantaged backgrounds from participating.

That is why the design of programmes such as Erasmus+, Turing and any future youth experience scheme matters.

If international experience is available only to young people who can navigate complex visa systems or afford the costs themselves, opportunity becomes less equal.

A well-designed mobility programme can lower those barriers.

A Generation That Did Not Vote for the Decision

This part of Brexit also has an unusual democratic dimension.

Many of the young adults now deciding where to study, work and build their lives were children at the time of the 2016 referendum and were too young to vote.

Yet they are among the people most directly affected by the long-term rules governing education, employment and movement across Europe.

That does not make their interests more important than anyone else’s.

But it does make youth opportunity a legitimate part of any assessment of what Brexit changed and what future UK-EU cooperation should seek to improve.

The Brexit Files Verdict

What did Brexit change for young people?

It did not close Europe.

British citizens can still visit European countries, study at European universities and build careers there.

But Brexit changed the basis on which they can do those things.

Free movement ended.

Long-term study and employment became subject to immigration rules that vary from country to country.

Short trips became subject to the Schengen 90-days-in-180 rule.

The UK left Erasmus+ and replaced it with the globally focused Turing Scheme.

Here is a short description of Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is a European Union (EU) program that gives people opportunities to study, train, gain work experience, and volunteer abroad.

I will be creating a post on exactly what Erasmus+ is at a later date for thoses who need a clearer explanation.

And opportunities that had once been available through EU citizenship increasingly depended on specific programmes and permissions.

But the story did not end in 2021.

The UK will return to Erasmus+ in 2027, reopening structured exchanges across education, apprenticeships and youth activities.

A separate UK-EU youth experience scheme is also being negotiated, although its final terms remain unresolved.

So the direction of travel is changing again.

The clearest conclusion is this:

Brexit turned many European opportunities for young Britons from automatic rights into conditional permissions. The current UK-EU reset is beginning to rebuild some of those opportunities — but it is not restoring the free movement rights that existed before Brexit.

That distinction is essential.

It tells us both what was lost and what closer cooperation can realistically recover.