EWP

The Erasmus Without Paper initiative is part of the effort to modernise European Higher Education by digitalising processes to gain efficiency gains and improve existing procedures, while also allowing for new and exciting possibilities by interconnected IT systems.

The European Student Card Initiative (ESCI) team will take part in the EAIE Conference in Toulouse from 17–20 September, the largest annual gathering for higher education professionals in Europe. With more than 6,500 participants and over 240 sessions, the event offers extensive opportunities to explore developments in digitalisation, sustainability and innovation in international education. As in previous years, ESCI features prominently throughout the programme, giving attendees the chance to meet the team and learn about ongoing digital transformation efforts within Erasmus+.

The EWP-admin role is there for higher education institutions to be able to authenticate staff accessing the Erasmus+ mobility management tools.

The number of digital Learning Agreements processed each year continues to grow, reflecting strong progress toward the European Student Card Initiative’s goal of achieving 95% digitalisation by 2025. Digital Learning Agreements (DLAs) are essential for simplifying Erasmus+ mobility and enhancing the overall student experience, and their widespread adoption depends on all ECHE‑holding institutions exchanging DLAs through the Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) Network.

Erasmus Without Paper allows your higher education institution to digitalise Erasmus+ mobility management processes.

This page explains how higher education institutions that hold an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education can join the Erasmus Without Paper network.

The release of the “EWP Back to the Future” White Paper is packed with ambitious yet realistic recommendations for the years ahead.

New business requirements for digital nominations and transcripts of records mark an important step toward broader adoption of these processes in digital form via Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) Network. These two processes—nominating students for mobility and issuing the transcript of records at the end of a study period—are core elements of Erasmus+ administration and digitalising them will help streamline exchanges between institutions.

The first quarter of 2021 has seen significant work on the EWP APIs, which was carried out under the aegis of the EDSSI project.

The latest Erasmus+ App update introduces several new features designed to better support mobile students and help institutions promote the tool more effectively. As the central platform for Erasmus+ information, the App guides students through each stage of their mobility and provides access to local events, offers, and student‑generated tips.

Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) relationship managers support higher education institutions and software developers in implementing EWP protocols within their systems and workflows. The team consists of three experts with hands‑on experience in digital Erasmus+ administration who assist both technical teams and international relations offices to ensure clear understanding and effective adoption of EWP processes.

On 2 April, mobility software systems connected to the Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) Network will transition to version 7 of the inter‑institutional agreement (IIA) API. This update will allow institutions to modify and terminate agreements across systems and introduces several technical improvements. Software providers may begin preparing their systems from 25 March, and institutions are advised to avoid exchanging IIAs during the transition week. Once the update is complete, exchanges can resume normally.

Digital Officers play an important role in supporting the European Student Card Initiative (ESCI) and the digitalisation of Erasmus+ mobility administration. Working within Erasmus+ National Agencies, they act as a bridge between EWP users, the European Commission and the EWP+ project team. Their responsibilities include sharing updates on national progress, offering guidance to institutions, and disseminating information to their higher education institutions.

In 2023, the European Student Card Initiative (ESCI) recorded major progress, with around 200,000 additional digital Learning Agreements (LAs) and inter‑institutional agreements (IIAs) completed through the Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) network. As 2024 begins, the focus is on consolidating last year’s achievements and addressing the remaining challenges to ensure that all institutions can use EWP effectively.

MyAcademicID enables students to authenticate online for Erasmus+ services using their home university account or national eID, creating a European Student eID valid across borders.