Apply for entry to the UK as a visitor – students

You can apply to enter the UK as a visitor for a short period of time for a specific activity. Depending on your nationality you will either need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa or apply for an ETA. You can check if you need a visa before you apply. An ETA and a Standard Visitor visa both allow you to enter the UK as a visitor, with the same limitations on what you can do whilst in the UK. 

You may apply for entry as a visitor for short courses (under 6 months), to attend your viva, or to resit/repeat a module. You should also apply for this type of visa if your Student visa has expired before your Graduation ceremony and you plan to attend. You must apply from outside the UK.

You cannot remain in the UK as a visitor for more than 6 months. You cannot switch to another visa category in the UK and cannot work

Visiting to study

You can visit the UK for up to six months to:

• Take part in an exchange programme (for one semester)
• Retake an exam or course module
• Attend your viva (you cannot work on any corrections in the UK as a visitor)
• Do a short piece of research that’s relevant to your overseas course
• Do an ‘elective’ - an optional placement if you are studying medicine, nursing, or dentistry. You must not treat patients

Distance learning courses

If you’re doing a distance learning course, you may wish to visit the UK for short periods. You can visit the UK to do certain activities as part of your course, for example:

• Attend induction weeks
• Do face-to-face intensive learning
• Have progress checks
• Sit exams or assessments

Visiting to attend Graduation

If your Student visa expires before you graduate, you can choose to apply for entry as a visitor. When your course finishes, you should travel outside the UK to make your application. You must not overstay your leave in the UK at any time.

Email and eVision access

All students who graduate keep access to eVision and their university email for 365 days from their course end date. You will be contacted via your university email address so please check it regularly.

If you experiencing problems accessing your university accounts contact Digital and Technology Services.

If you wish to graduate early, you must inform your School office who will confirm if this is possible. If it is they will make arrangements so you can be awarded and register to graduate at the next ceremony. If you think you should be able to register for graduation and have not received an invitation contact [email protected].

Graduation Registration

1. Graduation registration - It is your responsibility to complete the registration process. You must register by logging into eVision complete the graduation registration task. If you or your guests need disability access please check the Graduation webpages for the assistance request form
2. Request a student status letter from our Graduation team. Please email [email protected] to receive this

Standard Visitor Visa - When and how to apply

If you need a Standard Visitor visa, you must apply online before you travel to the UK and attend an appointment at a visa application centre.

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.

You must meet the eligibility requirements and only do permitted activities.

Once you are ready to apply you can apply online via the gov.uk website. 

Supporting documents you will need

You must provide certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh. You’ll be told what other documents and information to provide when you apply online.

You’ll need to provide the following information:

• Your passport or travel document. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay in the UK and contain a blank page for your visa
• The dates you’re planning to travel to the UK
• Details of where you’ll be staying during your visit
• How much you think your trip will cost
• Your current home address and how long you’ve lived there
• Your parents’ names and dates of birth (if known)
• How much you earn in a year (if you have an income)
• Details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences you may have committed

If you are visiting to study:

• If you are visiting to do a short piece of research – you will need to provide documentation from your international course provider, This will need to confirm that the research is part of, or relevant to, your overseas course
• If you are visiting to do an elective- you need written confirmation from the University that you will not treat patients or be paid

You can request a student status letter which confirms your course details by using the online form.

For further details please see UKVI Guide to supporting documents.

Electronic travel authorisation - when and how to apply

An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) lets you travel to the UK for up to 6 months.

An ETA costs £16 and you make the application through the UK ETA app.

You’ll need:

• the passport you’ll travel with
• an email address
• a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay

You’ll get a decision by email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), usually within a day. You should contact UKVI if you haven’t had a decision after 3 working days.

An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. You can travel to the UK multiple times while you have an ETA but cannot stay in the UK for longer than 6 months at a time.