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1. Policy framework

2. Main cross-border mobility programmes for students in formal education

3. Promoting mobility in the context of non-formal learning, and of youth work

4. Quality assurance

Policy framework

The government agency overseeing international education exchanges is the National Agency for European Educational Programmes and Mobility (NAEEPM), established in 2007 by law. The founding law (amended most recently in 2018) tasks the Agency with implementing EU-funded education and mobility programs in North Macedonia. It highlights their benefits: building a knowledge-based society, better jobs and social cohesion, enhanced lifelong learning, innovation and language skills, and broader cultural understanding. Program beneficiaries include learners and educators at all levels (students, teachers, professors, VET trainers, adult learners, etc.), as well as partner organizations (schools, universities, companies, research centers and NGOs).

The 2007 law also noted the then-active EU Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) 2007–2013, which comprised Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig, Jean Monnet and transversal actions. After the LLP ended in 2013, North Macedonia’s Ministry of Education focused on updating its national education strategies. With international support, the country developed its first National Strategy for Lifelong Learning (2018–2022). In 2025 this strategy was succeeded by a new Adult Education Strategy 2025–2030 to continue modernizing vocational and adult education. This strategy sets goals such as increasing adult participation in lifelong learning, expanding access via digital and geographic means, strengthening employability and entrepreneurial training, and building systems to validate non‑formal skills. In short, North Macedonia now has a policy framework that embeds EU education goals while actively promoting lifelong learning through both formal and non-formal channels.

Main cross-border mobility programmes for students in formal education

.North Macedonia is associated with the Erasmus+ programme, meaning its institutions and citizens can take part in all Erasmus+ activities. (The country was formally an Erasmus+ programme country since 2014, and this continues under the 2021–2027 Erasmus+ cycle.) The NAEEPM manages Erasmus+ at home. Key Action 1 of Erasmus+ funds exchange projects for learners and staff, with the following main categories:

• Higher education – mobility projects for university students and academics (study or training abroad).
• Vocational education and training (VET) – exchanges for vocational learners and trainers.
• School education – exchanges for school pupils and teachers.
• Adult education – mobility for adult learners and educators.
   

In addition to Erasmus+, North Macedonia participates in other higher-education exchange schemes. Notably, it is a member of CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies), which supports networks of partner universities. Through CEEPUS, undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty can apply for short-term exchange grants within CEEPUS networks. The country also makes use of bilateral scholarship programs. For example, the U.S. government’s Fulbright Commission and the Republic’s government jointly fund Fulbright awards for Macedonian students, educators and professionals; similarly, the UK’s Chevening program offers fully funded one-year master’s scholarships to North Macedonian graduates.

Finally, prospective applicants should note that national scholarship information (formerly posted on the now-defunct stipendii.mon.gov.mk portal) is now available through the Ministry of Education and Science’s official website. The Ministry publishes all current competition announcements and application details online.

Promoting mobility in the context of non-formal learning, and of youth work

Beyond formal education, Erasmus+ and related EU programmes actively support youth mobility and non-formal learning. Under Erasmus+ Key Action 1 for youth, Youth Exchanges allow groups of young people from North Macedonia and other countries to live and work together (typically for up to 21 days) on a jointly planned thematic project. Organizations can also send youth workers abroad for professional development via seminars, training courses, networking events, study visits and job-shadowing placements. These activities help youth workers exchange best practices and build international networks.

The European Solidarity Corps (ESC), launched in 2021, provides another avenue for young people (18–30) to volunteer on social projects domestically or abroad. ESC (formerly called the European Voluntary Service) funds both individual and team volunteering stints in the EU or in communities at home. North Macedonian youth organizations and NGOs are typically the main coordinators of these non-formal exchange opportunities. Civil society groups often organize short-term trainings, seminars or summer camps that take learners abroad; even formal institutions increasingly recognize non-formal learning by running programs like summer schools or cultural exchanges alongside Erasmus+ offerings.

In summary, Erasmus+ (for education and youth) and the European Solidarity Corps together provide a comprehensive set of mobility options. They cover formal student and staff exchanges as well as non-formal youth projects and volunteering. Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a key role in implementing many of these exchanges, working in parallel with schools and universities.

Quality assurance

The NAEEPM maintains international quality standards in managing these programs. The Agency has implemented an ISO 9001 quality management system and issued an agency-wide Quality Assurance Policy (adopted in 2017). This ensures that project selection, monitoring and support processes are consistent and transparent. In practice, this means Erasmus+ and other EU-funded activities in North Macedonia are delivered according to EU guidelines and subject to regular evaluation, providing participants with reliable and well-supervised mobility experiences.