
Table of contents
Approximate read time: 15 minutes
On 30 January 2025 the House of Lords is scheduled to consider the following motion:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans to move that this House takes note of the case for a new youth mobility scheme with European countries.
This briefing sets out the European Commission’s recent proposals on a UK-EU youth mobility scheme, discusses the UK government’s position on youth mobility and provides wider commentary.
1. European Commission proposal for a youth mobility scheme
On 18 April 2024, the European Commission made a proposal to the European Council to open negotiations with the UK on an agreement to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK.[1] The commission argued that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU had led to reduced mobility, which it said, “has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges”.[2]
The commission proposed to allow both UK and EU citizens aged between 18 and 30 years old to be able to stay for up to four years in the destination country. The commission argued that this would not be “purpose-bound”, in other words people benefitting from the agreement would be able to undertake different activities during the four years. For example, studying, training, working or travelling.[3] The commission also proposed that any agreement would provide equal treatment of UK and EU students in terms of higher education tuition fees. For example, that EU students studying in the UK would pay UK domestic fees. The proposed scheme would not be subject to a quota system.
The commission stated that its proposal would not be a return to free movement because it would be time-limited and require people to meet certain conditions before and during their stay:
The envisaged agreement would provide for limited-in-time mobility, subject to the fulfilment of conditions to be checked before the mobility can take place. The conditions should also be met during the stay. It is not about conferring to young UK nationals the benefits of the fundamental freedom of movement enjoyed by EU citizens.
At the time when the UK was a member state, UK nationals had the right to move and reside freely within the EU. This is not reinstated.[4]
Examples of the conditions that would need to be met before taking advantage of the scheme—and which would have to continue to be met during the stay—included a valid travel document, valid comprehensive sickness insurance, and proof of sufficient means of subsistence. The commission’s proposal argued that the UK’s ‘healthcare surcharge’ should not apply. The healthcare surcharge is a fee that people pay as part of their online immigration application.[5] Applicants for youth mobility schemes the UK has with other countries must pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £776 per year under the youth mobility schemes.[6] The UK has a youth mobility scheme visa which is open to people from 12 different countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Iceland, Uruguay, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The commission’s proposed agreement would not grant “intra-EU” movement rights:
The admission of a UK national by a member state under the envisaged agreement would only be valid for that member state. Travelling for up to 90 days within the rest of the EU would be subject to the conditions in the Schengen acquis or national legislation.[7]
In the context of the new UK government wanting to revisit parts of its relationship with the EU, a future youth mobility scheme between the UK and the EU is reportedly seen by the EU as a key element of any new agreements. On 4 September 2024, the Financial Times cited internal EU briefing documents which reportedly said that the EU saw a future youth mobility scheme as an “indispensable element” of any new agreements with the UK.[8] This was also reflected in recent comments made by Miguel Berger, Germany’s ambassador to the UK. When asked whether he would consider the UK showing a willingness to agree a youth mobility scheme with the EU as a successful reset in relations, he said:
I think it is an important element. Another one is the Erasmus scheme. All of that, at least for us, is really, really important.[9]
Mr Berger also expressed concern that there had been attempts to portray a youth mobility scheme as a return to freedom of movement. He told the Guardian newspaper:
The most important thing is [that] people who come here will go home after that. So the idea is really to have the experience, but then go home […] It should be quite simple. But there are visible attempts to portray this as migration, or to portray it as freedom of movement.[10]
The European Commission argued that it was better to pursue an agreement with the UK at the EU level, rather than bilaterally between member states and the UK:
Only an EU-level approach will ensure that all member states are treated equally in respect of mobility of young people to the UK. This is one of the key considerations of the 2018 European Council guidelines on relations with the UK.
Parallel negotiations by member states neither guarantee that the UK would be interested in reaching an agreement with each member state nor would they guarantee that each Member State would be treated equally.[11]
It has been reported that the European Commission is working on revised proposals, which could include the removal of its request that EU young people studying in the UK would pay home fees under the scheme.[12]
2. UK government’s position on youth mobility
In answer to a written question on 27 December 2024, the government said it had not been formally approached with a proposal, but it was “clear” that there would be no return to free movement:
Regarding a youth mobility arrangement with the EU, the EU has not approached the UK with a formal proposal. The government routinely discusses a range of issues with European counterparts, but we are clear that there will be no return to free movement, and that we must reduce the UK’s levels of net migration after the record highs reached under the last government.[13]
The government has said that it had set out “clear priorities” for a ‘reset’ with the EU in its 2024 general election manifesto but that it has no plans for a youth mobility scheme with the EU.[14] The party’s manifesto said Labour would seek to reset the UK-EU relationship, without the UK returning to the single market or the customs union. It stated that a Labour government would instead strive to improve the UK-EU trade and investment relationship, for example by negotiating a veterinary agreement, helping touring artists, and seeking mutual recognition agreements for professional qualifications. The manifesto also included pledges to pursue an “ambitious new UK-EU security pact”, increased security cooperation with allies France and Germany, and “new bilateral agreements and closer working with Joint Expeditionary Force partners”.[15] The UK government reiterated these commitments following the general election.[16]
In the House of Lords on 20 January 2025, minister of state at the Department for Education, Baroness Smith of Malvern, said the government was “already” discussing its relationship with the EU:
We are already resetting our relationship with our European friends, to strengthen ties, to secure a broad-based security pact and to tackle barriers to trade. The president of the European Council has invited the prime minister to meet EU leaders in Brussels on 3 February, where the prime minister is looking forward to discussing enhanced strategic cooperation with the EU. We are also resetting our bilateral relationships alongside our ambition for our wider reset with the EU, as demonstrated by the prime minister’s recent visits to France, Germany, Ireland and Italy.[17]
Whilst the current UK government has said it has no plans for a youth mobility scheme with the EU, the possibility of a bilateral agreement between the UK and Spain was reportedly raised by the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last year.[18]
The previous Conservative government had said it was open to negotiating youth mobility schemes bilaterally with member states within the EU.[19] In its proposal to the European Council on opening negotiations with the UK on a youth mobility scheme, published before the UK general election, the European Commission said that “the UK has shown interest in the issue by reaching out to a number of member states on youth mobility”.[20]
The Conservative government under Theresa May had originally proposed a UK-EU youth mobility scheme during negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU:
The UK proposes a UK-EU youth mobility scheme to ensure that young people can continue to enjoy the social, cultural and educational benefits of living in each other’s countries. The UK already operates a number of youth mobility schemes with other global partners, for example with Australia and Canada, on which this could be modelled.[21]
However, a youth mobility scheme was not included in the agreement which was finally agreed under Boris Johnson.
2.1 Existing UK youth mobility schemes
The UK already has a youth mobility visa which is open to people from 12 different countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Iceland, Uruguay, Hong Kong and Taiwan.[22] The government has stated that the schemes provide valuable cultural experiences but are not intended to be routes to economic growth:
The youth mobility scheme (YMS) provides valuable cultural exchange opportunities for young people aged 18–30 (or 18–35 for some nationalities) to experience life in another country for up to two or three years, and to make lifelong ties and friendships overseas.
Each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal arrangement designed to offer cultural exchange. It is therefore not designed, nor intended, to be a route for economic growth or to address any specific labour shortages, although individuals participating in the scheme are able to work if they wish to do so.[23]
The exact requirements to be eligible for the scheme varies depending upon the country. Applicants can apply if they:
- want to live and work in the UK for up to two years
- are aged 18 to 30 or 18 to 35, depending on where you are from
- have £2,530 in savings
- have certain types of British nationality or are from certain countries or territories listed in the eligibility requirements[24]
Applicants from Hong Kong and Taiwan need to enter a ballot to apply for the youth mobility visa.[25] There is an application fee of £298 and people need to pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £776 per year.[26] Young people from Australia, Canada or New Zealand can apply to extend their visa by one year after the initial two-year period ends. There is a quota system in place which caps the number of places by country.[27]
Successful applicants who come to the UK can:
- study—for some courses you’ll need an ‘Academic technology approval scheme’ certificate
- work in most jobs
- be self-employed and set up a company—as long as your premises are rented, your equipment is not worth more than £5,000 and you do not have any employees[28]
Applicants cannot:
- work as a professional sportsperson (for example as a coach)
- extend your stay unless you are from Australia, Canada or New Zealand
- get public funds
- bring in family members on your application—they must apply separately[29]
A similar but separate scheme exists for Indian citizens called the India young professionals scheme visa.[30] This requires applicants to have a bachelor’s degree level or above qualification.
A recent report by the Guardian said that 23,000 people came to the UK in 2023 under the UK’s existing schemes.[31]
3. What has been said about a youth mobility scheme between the UK and the EU?
Speaking during the Conservative Party’s 2024 leadership contest, Priti Patel, now shadow secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, was quoted by the Express as describing a youth mobility scheme as “relaxing freedom of movement rules” with the EU. She said that the UK withdrew from the EU to get control over its borders.[32] The Express quoted a government spokesperson as saying, “we are not considering an EU-wide youth mobility scheme and there will be no return to freedom of movement”. Whilst the previous Conservative government had said it was open to negotiating youth mobility schemes with individual EU member states,[33] its 2024 manifesto said it would “not allow any form of free movement to return”.[34] Following the publication of the European Commission’s proposal in April 2024, BBC News reported that Rishi Sunak’s government rejected the proposal and quoted a spokesperson as stating that “we are not introducing an EU-wide youth mobility scheme—free movement within the EU was ended and there are no plans to introduce it”.[35]
Writing for UK in a Changing Europe in May 2024 following the commission’s proposal but before the general election was called, Catherine Barnard, professor in European Union law and employment law at the University of Cambridge, argued the proposal was not an example of free movement:
The proposal falls far short of free movement because it only allows individuals to come for a limited period and does not allow them to settle in the UK or EU member state. It builds on national youth mobility schemes (YMS) (eg France has agreements with 16 countries). The UK has 13 YMSs, including with Australia, New Zealand, Andorra and Uruguay (with an application fee of £298 and the annual health care surcharge of £776). It has been looking to negotiate similar bilateral arrangements with some EU states (eg France, Spain, Sweden) but not others (Bulgaria, Romania).[36]
Professor Barnard asked why the European Commission might have made the proposal. She suggested that this was about promoting a multilateral, EU-level, approach to Europe’s relationship with the UK. She described it as a “defensive strategy” by the EU against any approaches the UK may have made directly to individual countries, and to avoid differential treatment of EU citizens. Professor Barnard argued “by putting this deal on the table, [the commission] signalled that it was in charge and that it was multilateralism or nothing”.
Professor Barnard described the commission requesting EU students pay domestic UK fees as the “most striking” part of its proposal and said “this has long been a bugbear for the EU”. She said that EU students being treated as ‘overseas’ students for the purposes of fees had led to a halving of the number of EU students coming to the UK.
Also writing for UK in a Changing Europe, Ed Turner and Dr Monika Brusenbauch Meislová argued that “de-escalation is badly needed on this topic and in wider UK-EU relations”.[37] They suggested that setting a quota or reducing the length of time to two years, rather than the commission’s four, could provide a way through the “youth mobility conundrum”.
The current government has described youth mobility schemes as valuable cultural exchange opportunities for young people and are designed for this purpose. It has said whilst people on the schemes are able to work, they are “not designed, nor intended, to be a route for economic growth or to address any specific labour shortages”.[38]
Several organisations and bodies have argued youth mobility schemes could also help address business and employment challenges in the UK. For example, in its review of the shortage occupation list in October 2023, the Migration Advisory Committee argued that expanding the UK’s youth mobility schemes to more countries could help particular sectors such as hospitality. It said that “such schemes also have the advantage of not linking the visa to the employer and so reduce the risks of exploitation which tend to be more prevalent in low-wage employment”.[39] This has been echoed by UK Hospitality, a membership organisation representing organisations in the hospitality sector.[40]
The British Chambers of Commerce has described the lack of a youth mobility scheme in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU as a “serious omission”. It argued that this “affects everything from school trips to summer jobs in either labour market”. The British Chambers of Commerce said an analysis of different youth mobility schemes should inform any negotiations between the UK and the EU. It said it believed that “balanced arrangements” would benefit economic growth in the UK and in the EU.[41]
Writing before the 2024 general election, ABTA, a trade association for UK travel agents, said a youth mobility agreement with the EU should be a priority for the incoming government.[42] It argued that being able to work overseas in tourism support roles, for example as travel representatives or chalet hosts provided important experience for future career development. It argued “without access to those roles, the future talent pipeline for the industry is set to be turned off”.
Writing for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s people management website, Andreia Ghimis and Harry Goldstraw argued that the greater flexibility and lower costs of UK youth mobility visas were beneficial in the wider UK work visa landscape because it did not have minimum salary requirements like UK skilled worker visas.[43] They argued that youth mobility schemes could “provide larger pools of candidates for employers on both sides of the Channel to recruit from and reduce the red tape and lead times they face to bring young workers where they are needed”.
4. Read more
- House of Commons Library, ‘Potential merits of a youth mobility scheme between the EU and the UK’, 23 January 2025
Cover image by Dušan Cvetanović from Pixabay.
References
- European Commission, ‘Commission proposes to open negotiations to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK’, 18 April 2024. See also: European Commission, ‘Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations for an agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on youth mobility’, 18 April 2024. Return to text
- European Commission, ‘Commission proposes to open negotiations to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK’, 18 April 2024. Return to text
- European Commission, ‘Questions and answers on the commission’s proposal to open negotiations on EU-UK youth mobility’, 18 April 2024. Return to text
- As above. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application’, accessed 20 January 2025. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘Youth mobility scheme visa’, accessed 20 January 2025. Return to text
- European Commission, ‘Questions and answers on the commission’s proposal to open negotiations on EU-UK youth mobility’, 18 April 2024. Return to text
- Peter Foster and Andy Bounds, ‘EU rules out loosening post-Brexit curbs on UK touring musicians’, Financial Times (£), 3 September 2024. Return to text
- Aletha Adu, ‘UK-EU youth mobility scheme key to better EU relations, says top diplomat’, Guardian, 5 January 2025. Return to text
- As above. Return to text
- European Commission, ‘Questions and answers on the commission’s proposal to open negotiations on EU-UK youth mobility’, 18 April 2024. Return to text
- Kiran Stacey and Lisa O’Carroll, ‘EU to offer new youth mobility scheme in test of Labour ‘reset’ with Brussels’, Guardian, 20 September 2024. Return to text
- House of Lords, ‘Written question: Youth mobility scheme: EU countries (HL3355)’, 27 December 2024. Return to text
- House of Commons, ‘Written question: Youth mobility scheme: EU countries (23402)’, 21 January 2025. Return to text
- Labour Party, ‘Labour Party manifesto 2024’, 13 June 2024, p 118. Return to text
- HL Hansard, 25 July 2024, col 629. Return to text
- HL Hansard, 20 January 2025, cols 1477–8. Return to text
- Christy Cooney, ‘Keir Starmer and Spanish PM reportedly discussed youth mobility scheme’, Guardian, 28 July 2024. Return to text
- House of Lords, ‘Written question: Youth mobility scheme: EU countries (HL130)’, 22 November 2023. Return to text
- European Commission, ‘Questions and answers on the commission’s proposal to open negotiations on EU-UK youth mobility’, 18 April 2024. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union’, July 2018, Cm 9593, p 34. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘Youth mobility scheme visa—eligibility’, accessed 21 January 2025. Return to text
- House of Commons, ‘Written question: Youth mobility scheme: Economic growth (14163)’, 22 November 2024. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘Youth mobility scheme visa—overview’, accessed 21 January 2025. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘Youth mobility scheme visa: Ballot system’, 13 January 2025. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘Youth mobility scheme visa—overview’, accessed 21 January 2025. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘Immigration rules appendix youth mobility scheme: Eligible nationals’, 2 January 2025. Return to text
- As above. Return to text
- As above. Return to text
- HM Government, ‘India young professionals scheme visa’, accessed 21 January 2025. Return to text
- Lisa O’Carroll, ‘Just 23,000 people came to UK last year on youth mobility visas’, Guardian, 25 September 2024. Return to text
- Katie Harris, ‘Keir Starmer blasted as UK could relax freedom of movement rules with EU: Tories hit out at Labour over reports of a UK-EU youth mobility scheme as part of post-Brexit reset’, Express, 22 August 2024. Return to text
- House of Commons, ‘Written question: Youth mobility scheme: EU countries (22938)’, 25 April 2024. Return to text
- Conservative Party, ‘Conservative Party manifesto 2024’, July 2024, p 37. Return to text
- BBC News, ‘UK rejects EU free movement for young people offer’, 19 April 2024. Return to text
- Professor Catherine Barnard, ‘It ain’t free movement: An EU-UK youth mobility scheme?’, UK in a Changing Europe, 7 May 2024. Return to text
- Ed Turner and Dr Monika Brusenbauch Meislová, ‘The saga of youth mobility between the UK and the EU’, UK in a Changing Europe, 28 June 2024. Ed Turner is a reader in politics at Aston University. Dr Monika Brusenbauch Meislová is an associate professor at the department of international relations and European studies at Masaryk University, and a visiting professor at Aston University. Return to text
- House of Commons, ‘Written question: Youth mobility scheme: Economic growth (14163)’, 22 November 2024. Return to text
- Migration Advisory Committee, ‘Review of the shortage occupation list’, October 2023, p 14. Return to text
- UK Hospitality, ‘Calls to expand youth mobility scheme as chefs blocked from shortage list’, accessed 24 January 2025. Return to text
- British Chambers of Commerce, ‘The Trade and Cooperation Agreement four years on: A manifesto to reset UK-EU trade’, December 2024. Return to text
- ABTA, 'We’ve moved the dial on youth mobility', 23 April 2024. Return to text
- Andreia Ghimis and Harry Goldstraw, ‘What next for UK youth mobility?’, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 5 June 2024. Andreia Ghimis is an immigration manager and Harry Goldstraw a manager and solicitor at the law firm Fragomen. Return to text