Visa Information

Last updated: 19/09/2024

Do I need a visa to enter the UK?

You can quickly and easily check whether you need a visa to enter the UK here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Select your nationality as shown on your passport document, the purpose of your visit (Study), and the length of your study (6 months or less, or, longer than 6 months)

What will I need to enter the UK?

All nationalities

• You need a valid passport or travel document. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.
• You may also be asked to prove that:
  • you’ve been accepted on to a course by an accredited institution, for example a letter of acceptance on official headed paper stating the course name, duration and cost
  • you’re able to support yourself and your dependents during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you)
  • you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else)
  • you’ve arranged accommodation for your stay
  • you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit

If you’re under 18 and travelling alone

You may need to provide a letter from your parent or guardian giving:

• their contact details and consent for you to travel to the UK
• the name, date of birth, address and relationship to you of the person you’re staying with
• their consent for you to stay with the person named in the letter

If you’re not staying with a close relative

Your parent, guardian or school must tell the relevant local authority about your visit if you’re both of the following:

• under 16 (or under 18 if you have a disability)
• going to be looked after for more than 28 days by someone who is not a close relative (called ‘private foster care’)

Non visa nationals (You will not need a visa to come to the UK)

• You do not need to apply for a visa
• There will be no fees to enter the UK
• You can stay in the UK as a student for up to 6 months without a visa
• On arrival, you may use the eGates for faster entry if you:
  • have a biometric symbol on the cover of your passport
  • are aged 10+ (10 to 17 year olds must be accompanied by an adult)
  • are either:
    • a British citizen
    • a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA (If you’re travelling on or after 2 April 2025, you’ll need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). You’ll be able to apply from 5 March 2025.)
    • a member of the Registered Traveller Service

Those travelling with ID cards cannot use the eGates.

Visa nationals (You’ll need a visa to come to the UK)

• Depending on your nationality, you will need to apply for either an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) or a Standard Visitor visa.
• There will be a fee to enter the UK
• The following nationalities can apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA):
  • Bahrain
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Arab Emirates

From 27 November 2024, eligible non-Europeans can apply for an ETA and will need an ETA to travel from 8 January 2025. ETAs will then extend to eligible Europeans from 5 March 2025, who will need an ETA to travel from 2 April 2025.

Check when your country can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-get-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

You must be a national of one of these countries and travel using a national passport. You cannot use other types of passports or travel documents

• Other nationalities will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa. This will allow you or your student to study on a course for up to 6 months.
• The earliest you can apply for your visa is 3 months before you travel.

All nationalities

• You will need to apply for a Short Term Study visa. This visa is for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months.
• You must be 16 or older to apply.
• There is a fee to apply for a Short Term Study Visa.
• To apply for this visa, you must prove that:
  • you’ve been accepted onto an English language course that lasts longer than 6 months and up to 11 months and includes no other subjects
  • your course is with an accredited institution
  • you have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds, or that relatives and friends can support and house you
  • you can pay for your return or onward journey

• If you’re under 18 you must also:
  • have made arrangements for your travel and stay in the UK
  • have the consent of your parent or guardian to study in the UK
• This visa allows you to stay in the UK for the length of your course plus an extra 30 days as long as your stay is no longer than 11 months.

You cannot:

• study on any other course or change your course while in the UK
• study at a state-funded school
• work or carry out any business (this includes paid or unpaid work, work experience or work placements)
• extend this visa
• bring family members (‘dependants’) with you on this visa
• apply for most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension

When you apply you must provide:

• a current passport (with a blank page for your visa) or other valid travel document
• evidence that you can support yourself during your trip, for example bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months
• details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans – you should not pay for accommodation or travel until you get your visa
• evidence that you’ve paid your course fees or have enough money to pay them

You also need to provide:

• your tuberculosis (TB) test results, if you’re from a country where you have to take the TB test
• contact details for at least one parent or guardian in your home country, if you’re under 18 years old
• a certified translation if any documents are not in English or Welsh

Documents about your course

You must provide written proof of the course you’re studying. For example, a letter of acceptance from the educational institution stating the course’s name, duration and cost (including accommodation).

You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances, such as evidence of your:

• permission to be in the country you’re applying from (if you’re not a national)
• financial sponsor’s occupation, income, savings or funds that will support your studies

If you’re under 18

If you’re under 18 you need to provide additional documents if:

• you’re travelling on your own
• you’re travelling with someone who is not your parent or guardian

Travelling on your own

You can travel to the UK without an adult (someone 18 or older).

You must have written consent from both parents (or one parent if they have sole responsibility) or your legal guardian. This must confirm they consent to:

• your visa application
• your living arrangements and care in the UK
• your travel to the UK

They also need to provide proof that you have somewhere suitable to live during your stay in the UK, including:

• the name and date of birth of the person that you will be staying with
• an address where you will be living
• details of your relationship to the person who’ll be looking after you
• consent in writing so they can look after you during your stay in the UK

Your parent, guardian or school must tell the relevant local authority about your visit if either of the following are true:

• you’re under 18 and have a disability
• you’re going to be looked after for more than 28 days by someone who is not a close relative (called ‘private foster care’)

Their name will appear on your visa, and you’ll be refused entry to the UK if you arrive in the UK without them.

You can identify up to 2 adults in your visa application, and your visa will only be valid if you travel with at least one of them.

The adult can apply for a visa at the same time, but you must each complete separate applications.

If you need more assistance with the visa application process, please Contact Us!