Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Important notice for ATAS applicants

• FCDO are currently experiencing technical issues with Gmail addresses. This is preventing some users from receiving ATAS confirmation emails
• use an alternative email address when applying for your ATAS certificate

Who needs an ATAS?

The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is used by the UK Government to stop the spread of knowledge and skills that could be used in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

You may need to apply for an ATAS certificate if you intend to study a taught postgraduate course or PhD in science, engineering, or technology subjects. Some nationalities are exempt from the ATAS requirement. You can check if you need an ATAS certificate on the UK government website by entering your course details and nationality.

Check if you need an ATAS certificate

When is an ATAS required?

If your course requires an ATAS you will need to apply for one before you are able to apply for:

• Your Student visa to come to the UK
• A Student visa extension from inside the UK

You will also need to apply for an ATAS certificate if:

• There are changes to the course content or research proposal, or your primary PhD supervisor changes
• You wish to start a new course that requires ATAS clearance
• You move to another institution

When to apply for an ATAS?

You must apply for your ATAS certificate before you can begin your course. If you need to extend your Student visa you should apply for your ATAS certificate first.

You should not apply for your Student visa without your ATAS Certificate. If you do apply without providing your ATAS Certificate, your visa application is likely to be refused. 

It is your responsibility to secure your new ATAS certificate before your visa expires, if one is required. If you are unsure please contact the Immigration Compliance team – [email protected].

ATAS applications take at least 30 working days (6 weeks) to process, and some complex ones can take longer. There is no ‘fast track’ service’. You should apply for your ATAS certificate as soon as you receive your ATAS statement from the University.

• If you are a new student you can apply for an ATAS certificate after you accept an Unconditional Offer of study. Your offer letter will state that you need to apply for an ATAS certificate and you will be sent an ATAS statement. You must use the details provided in your ATAS statement to complete your ATAS application.
• If your course end date is extended by more than 3 months, you will need to apply for a new ATAS certificate. You must apply within 28 days of your end date changing. You should contact the Immigration Compliance team on [email protected] to request an ATAS statement as soon as you are informed of the extension.

How to apply for an ATAS

You can apply for ATAS using the online application process on the Home Office website. There is no cost for an application.

You should follow the instructions carefully before you make the application. You will need the following information available for the ATAS application process:

• Your contact details
• Your passport details
• The name and nationality of your spouse/partner (if applicable)
• Full details of all previous studies
• Your official ATAS statement from the University of Dundee which includes:
  • Your course CAH3 code
  • For taught courses - a list of modules you will be undertaking
  • For research courses - a brief research proposal of your intended study. This needs to be at least 5 sentences long and explain exactly what you will be learning from your course
• Full details of any previous or current employment
• Full details of published papers
• The full name and contact details of two referees
  • You must have known both your referees for at least three years
  • At least one of these must be an academic from your country of origin.
• Details of how you will be funding your studies

How long is an ATAS certificate valid for?

You must use your ATAS certificate within six months of the date of issue. If you do not, you will need to apply for a new one.

If your visa application is successful, the ATAS certificate you used will be valid for the course dates listed on your CAS plus 3 extra months of study.

What to do if your ATAS application is refused

If your ATAS application is refused you can appeal the decision. The ATAS team will not explain to you or the University why your ATAS certificate is refused, for national security reasons. This means we are unable to advise on how to draft your appeal or make an improved application. 

What you can do:

• Check your original application to ensure you have not left out any information and that you have applied correctly. You can check the UKVI guidance to applying for ATAS to help with this.
• Your refusal may be related to your funding or area of research. Speak to your supervisor or scholarship provider to see if they can provide any advice.
• Appeal your decision by emailing [email protected]. You should submit supporting letters and anything that you may have omitted from your original application. The appeal process can take some time, so you should contact [email protected] to discuss the next steps

You will not be able to re-apply for ATAS for the same programme for 90 days after the date of refusal.