ERASMUS is open to all types of higher education institutions (for which the term "universities" is generally used), all academic disciplines and all levels of higher education study up to and including the doctorate.

In order to be able to participate in Erasmus activities, a university has to fulfill two conditions. Firstly, it has to be recognized by the national authorities as eligible for ERASMUS activities. Secondly, it has to have obtained an ERASMUS University Charter from the European Commission. The Charter is a certificate, signed by the European Commission, which sets out the fundamental principles underlying all ERASMUS activities to be respected by the university. Once a university has obtained the Charter, it is entitled to apply to the Commission for centralized ERASMUS funds and to their National Agency for decentralized mobility funds. ERASMUS University Charter has replaced the old “Institutional Contracts” since the academic year 2003/2004.

Applications for an ERASMUS University Charter can be handed in once a year. The next application deadline for universities which are not at the moment participating in ERASMUS is 1 November 2004 (for activities starting during the academic year 2005/2006). Once awarded, the Charter remains valid for the remainder of the SOCRATES programme period (until 2006/2007).

The most popular activity within ERASMUS is the student mobility. It constituted the main thrust of the Phase I of the ERASMUS programme, and currently it is put in a larger framework. Even today student mobility retains a position of central importance within the programme. However, stronger incentives are now available to encourage universities to add a European perspective to the courses followed by students who do not participate directly in mobility.

More emphasis is consequently placed on teaching staff exchanges, transnational curriculum development, international intensive programmes and Pan-European thematic networks. Wider dissemination of and participation in the results of this work are sought through specific support. ERASMUS also encourages universities to associate other public and private bodies from their surrounding regions with their transnational cooperation activities, thereby enhancing opportunities for inter-regional cooperation between the participating countries.

Currently more than 2000 European higher education institutions are participating in ERASMUS (see list of these institutions).

During the academic year 2003/2004 the Commission finances 63 Curriculum Development projects, 202 Intensive programmes (see list of CD new projects, renewal projects and dissemination projects and list of on-going IPs as well as project Compendium) and 37 Thematic Networks (see list of on-going TN projects). Previously financed projects can be found in the ISOC database.

To find details on how to apply to different activities, please see a complete description of each activity and also application forms for centralized actions.