Italian product-design graduate completed a 6-month paid internship at a London fintech scale-up
Result: Designed the onboarding flow rolled out to 200,000+ users; converted to a permanent product designer role
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Erasmus+ Internships and Mobility Programs in London
Piktalent organises Erasmus+ internships and mobility programs in London, United Kingdom for higher-education institutions, VET providers and individual students. Each placement includes a vetted host company, accommodation, insurance and on-site coordination. London is Europe's largest English-speaking professional internship market — a global capital for finance, fintech, media, fashion and tech where Piktalent places interns across the City, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch and the King's Cross knowledge quarter, alongside US partner placements for non-Erasmus participants.
In short
- Location
- London, United Kingdom
- Programmes
- Erasmus+ KA131, KA171, VET, HEI, BIP, job shadowing
- Duration
- 2 weeks – 12 months
- Includes
- Placement, accommodation, insurance, 24/7 support
Cost of living for interns in London
Premium costTypical monthly intern budget in London based on Piktalent-arranged shared accommodation. Figures are indicative and updated against current placements; Final pricing is confirmed with your proposal.
- Room
- €900–1,400/mo
- Daily expenses
- €550–800/mo
- Total monthly
- €1,450–2,200/mo
- Erasmus+ grant
- Turing / Erasmus+ grant covers most monthly cost of living outside London; top-up usual in the capital.
What Piktalent delivers in London
Every mobility programme in London is fully managed end-to-end — so coordinators at sending institutions can focus on academic outcomes while we handle logistics, compliance and on-the-ground support.
Accommodation
Vetted, safe housing in London within commuting distance of the workplace — typically shared apartments or student residences.
Insurance
Travel and liability insurance covering the full mobility period, aligned with Erasmus+ requirements.
24/7 support
Local coordination team in London plus a 24/7 emergency line throughout the placement.
Host company matching
Placement matched to the participant's field of study and learning objectives across our London host network.
Mentoring & orientation
Airport transfer, city orientation and weekly check-ins with the on-site coordinator in London.
Documentation
Learning agreements, mid-term and final reports, Europass certificates and all paperwork required by the sending institution.
Mobility programmes
Erasmus+ mobility programmes we run in London
London placements are managed via Piktalent's UK partner network. Erasmus+ access changed after Brexit — most placements now run as paid traineeships under the Charity Worker, Government Authorised Exchange or Skilled Worker visa routes. Piktalent confirms the visa route before any application proceeds.
Also available to individual students
À la carte support services in London
Accommodation
Vetted housing close to the host company in London — apartments, residences or host families.
Insurance
Health, accident and liability cover compliant with Erasmus+ and host-country requirements.
Visa & documentation
Guidance on visas, residence permits and host-country paperwork for non-EU participants.
Language courses
Pre-departure and on-site language training to speed up workplace integration in London.
TEFL — Teach English Abroad
Accredited TEFL certification — open enrolment, no internship required.
Internship job portal
Browse and apply directly to open internship positions in London and across Europe & the USA.
Why London for internships and mobility programs
London's professional culture is fast-paced, formal and outcome-driven. Investment banking and consulting placements often run 50–60 hours/week with strong bonuses and structured rotations; tech and creative placements run more like Berlin or Amsterdam — flatter, more flexible and project-oriented. Interns are expected to network actively at industry events from week one.
Economy
London is a key economic hub in United Kingdom, attracting international companies and offering an internship market that spans early-stage startups, established SMEs and multinational employers.
Key sectors
Active host-company sectors in London: finance, marketing, tech, law, media. Each Erasmus+ internship is matched to the participant's field of study.
International environment
English is the working language in most international placements in London. Teams are typically multinational, and incoming Erasmus+ participants integrate alongside an established alumni network.
Global capital of finance and fintech — City of London + Canary Wharf host nearly every major investment bank and fintech
Europe's leading creative-industries hub: media, advertising, fashion and design HQ for the UK and beyond
Tech super-cluster around Shoreditch / Old Street ('Silicon Roundabout') and King's Cross
Native English-speaking environment with the largest professional intern market in Europe
Best transport network in Europe: Tube, Overground, Elizabeth Line, plus 5 international airports
Note: post-Brexit visa requirements apply — Piktalent advises on the appropriate route case-by-case
Available internship fields in London
Piktalent offers Erasmus+ internships in London across the fields below. Each link opens a dedicated page with host-company examples, durations and learning outcomes.
How an Erasmus+ internship in London works
Four steps from first brief to final report. Plan twelve weeks of lead time for a quality mobility programme in London.
- 1
Brief & matching
Share participant profiles, dates and target field. Piktalent matches each intern to a vetted host company in London.
- 2
Learning Agreement & paperwork
We co-sign the Erasmus+ Learning Agreement, issue insurance and confirm the mobility programme details with the sending institution.
- 3
Pre-arrival & accommodation
Vetted accommodation in London is booked before arrival; pre-departure briefing covers culture, transport and emergency contacts.
- 4
On-site support & reporting
Local team in London runs check-ins, monitors the internship and delivers final reports plus Europass Mobility documents.
Internship examples in London
Recent placements managed by Piktalent in London.
Who is London best for?
London works particularly well for the participant profiles below. If your sending institution matches one of these, we typically have host capacity within 2–4 weeks.
- 1HEI graduates and self-funded participants targeting finance, fintech or consulting
- 2Creative-industries students in media, fashion, design or advertising
- 3Native or near-native English speakers comfortable with a fast-paced, formal culture
- 4Participants able to commit to UK visa documentation and a higher cost of living
Frequently asked questions about internships in London
Other cities in United Kingdom
Compare London with other Piktalent destinations in United Kingdom.
Related cities by sector
Other Piktalent destinations with overlapping host-company sectors to London — useful when comparing cost, language and lead time across the same field.
From the blog — London & United Kingdom
Plan your internship program in London
Tell us your sector, dates and group size — we'll send a tailored proposal for London within 48 hours.