Inter-Institutional Agreements, nominations, Learning Agreements and other mobility-related information are exchanged electronically between higher education institutions through Erasmus Without Paper (EWP).

However, EWP offers more than system connectivity.

The real opportunity lies in using digital data exchange to enable efficient, integrated mobility management — reducing administrative workload, improving data quality and creating more transparent processes for International Offices, academic staff and mobility participants.

EWP is more than a technical connection

Being connected to the EWP network is an important step, but technical interoperability alone does not automatically create an efficient mobility process.

In practice, mobility management involves many steps before and after an individual data exchange. Institutions need to manage agreements, applications, nominations, approvals, Learning Agreements, documents, deadlines, communication and reporting, often involving several groups of users.

EWP delivers the greatest value when data exchange is embedded into an institution’s wider mobility management processes. Rather than creating another isolated system or task, EWP should become part of the workflows that International Offices already use to manage mobility.

Some of the administrative burden remains if EWP data still has to be exported, manually checked and entered into another system, and tracked separately.

Effective digital mobility management therefore connects EWP data exchange with the processes surrounding it.

From interoperability to user experience

The experience of institutions implementing EWP shows that interoperability is only one part of the picture. Institutions use different systems and providers and may have different internal approval structures, workflows and responsibilities. As a result, processes such as IIA management and Learning Agreement exchange can still require coordination and manual attention.

This makes user experience increasingly important.

For International Office staff, clear visibility of what has happened, what requires action and where a process may have stopped can reduce manual tracking and follow-up. Automated workflows, notifications, status information and centralised data can support this.

For academic and other institutional staff, approval and coordination processes should be straightforward, with information available to the right people at the appropriate stage and without unnecessary administration.

Mobility participants — whether students, academic staff or other staff — should experience a clear and consistent process rather than having to understand the technical infrastructure behind EWP. Their mobility information should be shared between relevant parties without requiring them to repeatedly provide the same information.

The success of digital mobility management should therefore not only be measured by the amount of data exchanged, but also by the administrative effort saved and the quality of the experience provided to those using the process.

The practical challenges of EWP

While EWP has significantly improved the digital exchange of mobility data, implementation can still present practical challenges. Institutions use different mobility management systems and providers, and partners are not always at the same level of EWP readiness. Differences in technical implementation can therefore lead to additional checks, exceptions or parallel processes.

Mobility teams also need to integrate exchanged data into their existing processes, maintain accurate information, monitor statuses and handle exceptions.

Interoperability therefore needs to be considered together with process design, system integration and user experience. A reliable mobility management system can help reduce manual work, accommodate changes in EWP requirements and provide consistent processes for staff and mobility participants.

What should institutions consider when evaluating an EWP solution?

EWP should not be evaluated as a standalone technical connection. Institutions should consider how well it fits into their wider mobility management processes.

Key questions include:

• Integration: Does EWP data flow directly into existing mobility workflows and systems? 
• Automation: Which manual tasks can be reduced through automated data exchange, notifications and workflows? 
• Coverage: Does the solution support the EWP interfaces and mobility processes the institution needs? 
• Flexibility: Can workflows be adapted to the institution’s processes and responsibilities? 
• Security: How is personal data protected, and does the solution meet applicable data protection regulations? 
• Reliability: How are technical changes, partner connectivity issues and exceptions handled? 
• User experience: Is the process clear and manageable for International Offices, academic staff, students and other mobility participants? 

Ultimately, the goal is not simply to be connected to EWP, but to turn that connection into a reliable, secure and efficient mobility management process.

Mobility-Online and Erasmus Without Paper

Mobility-Online integrates EWP data exchange into the wider management of international mobility. With EWP API coverage included in the standard version, institutions can manage EWP-related processes alongside applications, agreements, nominations, Learning Agreements and other mobility workflows in one system.

Nearly 500 academic institutions worldwide use Mobility-Online to manage their international activities, and the platform has supported the digital management of mobility processes throughout the development of EWP.

As of August 2026, Mobility-Online is actively managing:

• 88,394 Inter-Institutional Agreements 
• 126,230 outgoing Learning Agreements 
• 126,251 incoming Learning Agreements 

These figures illustrate the scale of EWP-based data exchange currently managed through the platform. Current figures can also be viewed in the official EWP Stats Portal.

Discover Mobility-Online

Would you like to see how EWP can be integrated into your institution’s mobility management processes?

Book a personal demo to explore Mobility-Online and discuss your institution’s requirements.