Culture Moves Europe: €85/day for artist mobility, deadline 30 April 2027

On 1 October 2026, the European Commission and the Goethe-Institut opened the new Culture Moves Europe individual mobility call, funded by the Creative Europe programme. Artists and cultural professionals legally resident in Romania can receive a daily allowance of €85 and a travel allowance of €400 or €800 for a 7–60 day project in another country participating in Creative Europe. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with evaluations at the end of each month, until 30 April 2027, 23:59 CET.

In brief

• Programme: Culture Moves Europe – individual mobility 2026–2027 (Creative Europe, Culture strand)
• Authority: European Commission (DG EAC); implemented by the Goethe-Institut
• Beneficiaries: artists and cultural professionals aged 18 or over, legally resident in a country participating in Creative Europe, applying individually or in groups of up to 5 people
• Sectors: architecture, cultural heritage, design and fashion, literature, music, performing arts, visual arts
• Total budget: €25 million for 2025–2028, for around 7,000 artists, professionals and host organisations
• Value per project: €85/project day + €400 travel (under 5,000 km) or €800 (5,000 km or more), plus supplements for green travel, children, visa, outermost regions and accessibility
• Submission period: 1 October 2026 – 30 April 2027, with monthly deadlines: 31 October, 30 November 2026, 31 January, 28 February, 31 March and 30 April 2027
• Status: call open

Who can apply?

The call is aimed at individuals, not companies or institutions. The eligibility conditions published by the European Commission are simple: the applicant is at least 18 years old, lives legally in one of the countries participating in Creative Europe (including overseas countries and territories and outermost regions) and is active in one of the seven eligible sectors. No particular level of experience is required, so both emerging artists and established professionals can apply.

You can apply individually or as a group of up to 5 people. Each group member receives their own daily allowance and their own travel allowance. The project must be carried out in a participating country other than your country of residence, together with an international partner, who can be an individual or an organisation.

What kinds of projects are funded?

The grant covers a single artistic or cultural project carried out abroad. The project must pursue two of the scheme's four objectives: to learn (training, research), to create (artistic production, co-production), to explore (documentation, inspiration) or to connect (professional networks, partnerships).

The project must last at least 7 days and at most 60 days for one person, or between 7 and 21 days for a group, according to the call presentation published by the Creative Europe desk in the Netherlands. According to the Creative Europe Romania desk, the project must be implemented within 6 months of signing the funding agreement.

How much will you actually receive?

Funding is calculated using lump sums, with no reimbursement of invoices:

• Daily allowance: €85 for each day of project implementation, per person.
• Travel: €400 per person, round trip, for distances under 5,000 km; €800 for distances of 5,000 km or more.
• Green travel supplement: €400 if the straight-line distance between your place of residence and the destination is at least 600 km and you travel by any means of transport other than plane (for example train or coach).
• Family supplement: €200 for each child under 18 accompanying the applicant.
• Visa supplement: €120.
• Outermost regions / overseas territories supplement: €175.
• Accessibility: €30 per project day for people with disabilities, plus actual costs or a fixed sum for personal assistance or sign language interpretation.

Calculation example: an artist from Romania who goes on a 30-day residency in Portugal receives €2,550 in daily allowance (30 × €85) plus €400 travel, i.e. €2,950. If they choose the train, the €400 green supplement is added, making €3,350 in total. A group of 5 musicians on a 21-day tour in Germany receives €8,925 in daily allowances (5 × 21 × €85) plus €2,000 travel (5 × €400), i.e. €10,925.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is completed online, in English, on the Goethe-Application Portal, where you need an account. The call operates on a rolling basis: all applications submitted by the end of a month enter the same evaluation round. The monthly deadlines are 31 October and 30 November 2026, then 31 January, 28 February, 31 March and 30 April 2027. There is no deadline in December. Results are communicated through the portal within 8 weeks of each monthly deadline at most.

The first deadline available to applicants from Romania is 31 October 2026. If you apply by then, you could have an answer at the end of December and travel in the first part of 2027.

What this means for your business

Culture Moves Europe does not fund SRLs or NGOs directly, but it is relevant for entrepreneurs in the creative industries: designers, architects, musicians or visual artists who work as PFAs or have their own company can apply as individuals and use the mobility to prepare their next project with larger funding, for example a European cooperation project or a regional investment.

Our recommendations, based on our experience with Creative Europe applications:

• The international partner is key. The most common weakness in applications is a vague invitation letter. Ask your partner for a concrete description of what you will do together, with a timetable.
• Choose two objectives and demonstrate them. Evaluators check whether the project clearly addresses two of the four directions (learning, creation, exploration, connection), rather than superficially covering all four.
• Calculate the duration realistically. The daily allowance is paid for project days, and the project must be completed within 6 months of signing. Do not propose 60 days if you cannot be away that long.
• Do not wait for the last deadline. The budget is fixed for 2025–2028, and the monthly rounds in 2027 will be busier.

If you are not sure that your profile fits, you can take the eligibility check or write to us for a review of your application before submission.

Frequently asked questions

Can a company or cultural association from Romania apply?

Not for this call. Culture Moves Europe individual mobility is aimed exclusively at individuals, applying alone or in groups of up to 5 people. Organisations can take part in the separate action for residency hosts or act as the international partner of an applicant from another country.

Do I need specialist qualifications or a certain number of years of experience?

No. The European Commission states that no specific level of experience is required. However, you do need to show that you are professionally active in one of the seven eligible sectors and have a genuine partner in the destination country.

Do I have to justify expenses with invoices?

The grant consists of lump sums: €85 per project day, €400 or €800 for travel and the applicable supplements. Actual expenses are not reimbursed, except for assistance or interpretation costs for people with disabilities, which are covered at actual cost or through a fixed sum.

When will I find out whether I have received funding?

All applications submitted by a monthly deadline are evaluated together, and the result is communicated through the Goethe-Application Portal within 8 weeks of that deadline at most. For an application submitted by 31 October 2026, the answer arrives by the end of December 2026 at the latest.

Can I travel to the Republic of Moldova or Ukraine?

The project must take place in a country participating in Creative Europe, other than your country of residence. The list of participating countries is published by the European Commission and includes EU Member States and third countries associated with the programme. Check the updated list before submitting, because the participation of some third countries depends on the agreements in force.

Official sources

• European Commission – announcement of the opening of the 2026–2027 individual mobility call (1 October 2026)
• European Commission – individual mobility call page: conditions, amounts, monthly deadlines
• European Commission – 2026–2027 individual mobility call document (PDF): conditions for supplements, durations, implementation period
• Creative Europe Romania desk – New Culture Moves Europe call for artistic mobility
• Creative Europe Netherlands desk – presentation of the individual mobility action (durations and amounts)

Information checked on 19 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.