Young people from all over the world are invited to take part in the International Youth Meeting in Dachau. This unique opportunity brings together participants to share experiences, build friendships, and engage in meaningful cultural exchange. Apply now and be part of this unforgettable experience!

International Youth Meeting Dachau 2026

What: 44th International Youth Meeting Dachau
When: July 25th – August 7th, 2026
Where: Max Mannheimer Haus, Roßwachtstraße 15, 85221 Dachau
Early bird option: 240,- € (until April 15th)
Regular fee: 290,- €
Late registration fee: 320,- € (starting July 1st)
Age: 16 – 26 years
Language: English

For locals only: People living in or near Dachau have the opportunity to participate without accommodation and/or for only one of the two weeks.

Please note, that places are limited. If you need a visa, application is possible until May 30th, otherwise until July 15th, 2026.

APPLY NOW

In the past decades, participants and teamers from about 60 countries joined IYM Dachau: Albania / Algeria / Argentina / Armenia / Austria / Azerbaijan / Belarus / Bulgaria / Canada / China / Columbia / Costa Rica / Croatia / Cypris / Czech Republic / Denmark / El Salvador / Estland / Finland / France / Georgia / Germany / Great Britain / Greece / Hungary / Iceland / India / Indonesia / Iran / Ireland / Israel / Italy / Japan / Kosovo / Latvia / Mexico / Netherlands / Palestine / Peru / Philippines / Poland / Rumania / Russia / Serbia / Sierra Leone / South Korea / Spain / Switzerland / Taiwan / Turkey / Uganda / Ukraine / United States of America / Venezuela / Vietnam / Zimbabwe

Erasmus accreditation

We have an Erasmus accreditation. Under certain circumstances we can refund the travel expenses for participants from the EU. If you are part of an organization or an informal group which is certified by Erasmus, please contact anja.schuller-mueller@kjr-dachau.de.

Who can be supported?

We can support participants who are sent as a group from an organization that is registered by Erasmus and informal groups.

Who counts as a group according to Erasmusplus?

An organization which is registered by Erasmusplus can send a group of at least five people, four as participants and one (over 18 years old) as accompanying person.

Four individuals from one country can register themselves as informal group. Then they receive the same status as an official organization.

What can be supported via Erasmusplus?

If you come as participant from a registered organization or as part of an informal group, we can refund travel expenses according to the rules of Erasmusplus.

How much does Erasmusplus pay for travel expanses?

Contribution to the travel costs of participants, including their accompanying persons, facilitators, and decision makers, from their place of origin to the venue of the project activity or the physical event and return, regardless of whether the travel is national or transnational.

Travel

distance

 Standard travel

Green

travel
10 – 99 km 23 EUR –
100 – 499 km 180 EUR 210 EUR
500 – 1999 km 275 EUR 320 EUR
2000 – 2999 km 360 EUR 410 EUR
3000 – 3999 km 530 EUR 610 EUR
4000 – 4999 km 820 EUR –
8000 km or more 1500 EUR –

How do I measure the distance between my home and IYM Dachau?

For measuring the distance, you must use the official distance calculator supported by the European Commission: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/distance-calculator. The address of the Max Mannheimer House is Roßwachtstraße 15, 85221 Dachau.

Glossary Erasmusplus

Accompanying person A person who accompanies participants (learners, staff, young people or youth workers) in a mobility activity in order to ensure their safety, provide support and assistance, as well as assist with the participant’s effective learning during the mobility experience. In individual activities, an accompanying person may accompany participants with fewer opportunities or minors and youngsters with little experience outside their own country. In case of group activities in the field of education and training, qualified education staff must accompany the group to facilitate the learning process.
Group leader

In youth mobility projects, a group leader is an adult of at least 18 years old who joins the young people participating in a Youth Exchange or DiscoverEU Inclusion Action in order to ensure their effective learning (Youthpass), protection and safety.

 
Informal group of young people Group of at least four young people which does not have legal personality under the applicable national law, provided that their representatives have the legal capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf. These groups of young people can be applicants and partners in some Actions of Erasmus+. For the purpose of simplification, they are assimilated to legal persons (organisations, institutions, etc.) in this Guide and fit within the notion of Erasmus+ participating organisations for the Key Action 1 actions in which they can take part. The group must be composed of at least four young persons and their age should be according with the overall age of the young people in the programme (13-30). In exceptional cases and if all young people are minors, the group could be represented by an adult. This would allow a group of young people (where all are minors) with a help of a youth worker/coach to submit an application.
Receiving organization A participating organisation receiving participants and organising activities of an Erasmus+ project.
Sending organization A participating organisation sending one or more participants to an activity of an Erasmus+ project.
For full glossary visit https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms (14.02.2024)

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

Find answers to the most common questions about the International Youth Meeting in Dachau. From application details to daily schedules, this section provides all the information you need to prepare for the IYM Dachau. If your question isn’t covered here, feel free to reach out to us directly!

What happens after I apply online?

After sending your application form you’ll get an automatic response. Within a few days you get your confirmation of application or in some cases follow-up questions concerning your motivational letter. After you paid your fee, you’ll receive your official confirmation of participation and if needed the visa letters for your embassy.

When do I have to pay the participation fee?

You are required to transfer their fee prior to IYM Dachau within 30 days after you got the confirmation of application, where you can find all the payment details. Please always remember to write you full name under ‚subject‘. If the transaction fee is exceptionally high, please contact our office.

Is there an option to pay a reduced participation fee?

Every year, we offer an early bird option, you’ll find the exact prices and conditions here: https://www.iym-dachau.com/participate. In general, we can’t grant individual participants a reduction because it wouldn’t be fair on the others. However, we have financial sponsors who support travel expenses of participants from some non-European countries. If you are interested in that, please contact anja.schuller-mueller@kjr-dachau.de.

Additionally, we have the Max Mannheimer Scholarship which includes travel expenses and the participation fee, but we can only offer it to one or two people each year. For more information read https://www.iym-dachau.com/scholarship.

Which payment methods can I use?

You can only pay the participation fee via bank transfer. Due to data privacy regulations, we can’t offer other options like PayPal. It is not possible to pay the fee in cash after your arrival in Dachau. In the past, too many participants didn’t bring enough money or no money at all, which is why we cancelled that option.

What do I need to do if I need a visa?

First, you must send all necessary information asked in the application form. After we receive the payment of your participation fee, we’ll send you a visa letter to you and the embassy. With these letters you must register at the embassy to make an appointment. Please make sure to get an appointment as soon as possible, because the whole process sometimes takes longer than expected.

When can I take part in IYM Dachau?

If you are between 16 and 26 years, you can apply. Unfortunately, interested teenagers who only turn 16 during the IJB won’t be able to take part for legal reasons.

Language skills

Adequate language skills in English (Minimum B1) are essential for partaking in IYM Dachau in order to fluently communicate with each other. Please note, that the whole program takes place in English!

I am interested in the topics of IYM Dachau, but don't know much about the history of National Socialism. Can I still take part?

Previous knowledge is not necessarily required, but we do encourage you to read up a little on the subject. That way you’ll be able to engage more actively in the program and especially the discussions.

What do I have to be aware of if I'm under 18?

Participants under 18 are under the supervision of the team of IYM Dachau. They also have to abide to German Youth law. In order for you to take part we need your legal guardian’s signature. You can download the form within the application form. Please print it out, have it completed and signed by your parents. After you have scanned it in PDF format, please upload it during the online application. You find further information in our Handout German Youth Law here: https://www.iym-dachau.com/#downloads.

How can I withdraw my registration?

You have to notify the IYM office by email that you want to declare your withdrawal. Conditions on refunds of your participation fee are stated on your application form. For 2025 it is free of charge to cancel before June 30th, after July 1st, the fees will be retained in case of cancellation.

I can't get hold of anyone at the IYM office!

The most promising way to get hold of us is by sending us an e-mail. We are working part time. Therefore, the IYM office is neither occupied all day long nor every day of the week. Usually, our project manager Anja Schuller-Müller works from Monday to Wednesday. So don’t worry, should it take some days to get a reply to your email.

Anja: anja.schuller-mueller@kjr-dachau.de
Karla: karla.steeb@kjr-dachau.de