Publication - Factsheet

Youth mobility agreement with the EU: position paper

Published: 24 April 2025
Directorate: External Affairs Directorate
Topic: Brexit, Economy, Education, +1 more … International

Sets out our approach to youth mobility arrangements between the UK and EU.

Introduction

This note sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to youth mobility that we wish to see reflected in forthcoming talks between the UK Government and the EU.

We are clear that the best outcome for Scotland, the UK and the EU would be to conclude a youth mobility agreement providing young people renewed opportunities to live, work and study across the EU and UK, including Scotland.

We are also clear that such an agreement will never fully replace the benefits that have been lost to young people or the wider population through the ending of freedom of movement as a consequence of Brexit.

Such an agreement should also be supplemented by a wider review of the immigration system to ensure that the system is aligned with the needs of our communities, our economy and our public services.

What Scotland has lost

Freedom of movement brought significant benefits to Scotland and to the wider UK. Scotland was a nation of emigration for most of its history and it was only from 2001 onwards that, for the first time since records began, Scotland became a country of sustained net inward migration. This change was driven by the free movement of EU nationals coming to Scotland to live, work and study.

Scottish employers were more reliant on EU workers than in many other parts of the UK. The ending of freedom of movement has had a negative impact on sectors across the Scottish economy and public services. For example, research by the Nuffield Trust has highlighted the negative impact on the UK health and social care sector, and a report by the Creative Industries Policies and Evidence Centre has highlighted the negative impact on the creative industries.

The ending of freedom of movement means that the Scottish economy is much more vulnerable to changes in the immigration system. All of Scotland’s population growth comes from migration either from the rest of the UK or internationally. Regrettably, net migration from the EU to the UK is now negative, with more people leaving the UK to move to the EU than vice versa.

Mobility agreements are an important part of the immigration system but they should not be viewed as a substitute for freedom of movement.

Youth mobility

The Scottish Government strongly supports measures that encourage young people to live and work across Europe. Youth mobility visa agreements are a recognised visa route in the UK immigration system. The UK currently has reciprocal youth mobility agreements with 13 countries and territories. While there is some variation, the core elements are consistent across the different agreements. The visa routes generally provide a two-year visa, although some agreements include the option of a one year extension, and there is significant flexibility in relation to what individuals can do once in country. Each of the existing youth mobility agreements includes age controls and quotas, and individuals are required to pay a fee as well as the immigration health surcharge and to prove that they have a defined level of savings.

The stated aim of the youth mobility visa agreements are cultural exchange programmes which allow young people to experience life in another country. Youth mobility agreements offer a flexible route for young people as they do not require a sponsor and there is a high degree of flexibility in relation to what activities an individual can participate in on the visa route. The Scottish Government supports this flexibility and sees it as a vital element of this visa route: it will be important to preserve that in any UK/EU agreement.

Quota caps

There are concerns about the quota and financial requirements in relation to the current youth mobility visa route. The Scottish Government is not opposed in principle to a capped route but considers that it is important that any quota cap is set at a level that does not unduly constrain the number of individuals able to benefit from the route.

There is significant variation in the caps currently in place on the various reciprocal arrangements ranging from a cap of 100 for Andorra to 45,000 for Australia. It is clear that the level of the cap should be linked to the potential level of demand for the route with higher caps in place for larger populations. It is also the case that for most nationalities the number of applications for the current youth mobility visa routes are below the quota cap level.

Costs

There are costs associated with the youth mobility visa with individuals being required to pay an application fee (currently £319), pay the immigration health surcharge (usually £776 per year) and provide evidence that they have a sufficient level of personal savings (£2,530). The migration system should be easy to access and understand and focused on what a prospective migrant can contribute, not on their ability to pay. The Scottish Government therefore considers that any fees and charges should be proportionate and reflect the actual costs associated with the immigration route.

Migration

Migration is important for economic growth, for our communities and for the funding and delivery of our public services. A tailored, responsive and humane migration policy can help improve productivity, innovation and knowledge transfer, as well as contributing to economic growth and the sustainability of public finances. Additionally, it can enhance diversity and connections within communities.

The UK immigration system is very complex, bureaucratic and expensive for individuals and employers to navigate. The Scottish Government has set out our concerns that the current immigration system is not meeting Scotland’s needs or the needs of those who want to come to Scotland to make a positive contribution. It is important that immigration is controlled to deter and prevent abuse, fraud and criminal activity. However, that control needs to be balanced to ensure that the system is flexible enough to meet the needs of those using it. Unfortunately, the current system is too focused on an individual’s ability to pay rather than the contribution that they can make.

The Scottish Government considers that there are a number of necessary changes to the UK immigration system to make it easier for individuals to come to Scotland to live, work and study.

We have set out detailed proposals for changes to the immigration system:

Migration - Meeting Scotland's Needs (published January 2025)
Putting families at the heart of family visa policy - consultation: SG response (published February 2025)

Scottish Government priorities

Mobility is important.

This paper should be read alongside the evidence we have presented and arguments we have made for change to the wider immigration system, as well as the papers we have published setting out our priorities on Erasmus+ reassociation and Creative Europe reassociation.

Youth mobility is not a replacement for freedom of movement but it is important in its own right.

Concluding a UK-EU youth mobility agreement will help young people to experience life in other countries increasing mutual understanding and creating lifelong links. It is important that any agreement retains the flexibilities of the current youth mobility visa routes. Any constraints that are put in place in relation to a cap on numbers or cost should be designed to minimise the impact on the ability of young people to benefit from these routes.

Securing a youth mobility agreement also does not remove the need for a wider review of the immigration system to ensure that it meets Scotland’s needs.

We note that the EU’s previous proposals on this area have touched on the question of the fee-paying status of EU students who would come to the UK under such an agreement. In regard to student funding it will be vital if this is part of any agreement that proper consideration is given to the differential approach to funding, the views of higher education institutions, and that no ‘funding gap’ is created which could be to the detriment of universities in Scotland.

Conclusion

The current attempts to refresh the UK-EU relationship present an opportunity to improve conditions for transnational cooperation, to the benefit of the people of Scotland, the UK and the EU, including our young people.

We stand ready to work collaboratively with the UK Government and wider partners to rebuild a closer relationship with the rest of Europe.