Can I come to the United Kingdom to study?
This page explains how you can come to the United Kingdom to study. You can come as a:
- student; or
- student visitor if you are undertaking a short course of study upto six months' long within the period of your permission to stay. See student visitors for more information.
Student
If you are coming to the United Kingdom as a student, before you come here you will need to have been accepted onto a course of study by an organisation that is on the register of education and training providers.
The course should be at one of the following:
- a publicly funded institution of further or higher education (a university) with maintained records of enrolment and attendance which are readily available to us;
- a genuine private education institution; or
- an independent fee-paying school;
and you need to be undertaking one of these:
- a recognised full-time degree course;
- a course run during the week that involves at least 15 hours of organised daytime study a week; or
- a full-time course of study at an independent fee paying school.
You must also:
- be registered with the United Kingdom awarding body if you are studying externally for a degree at a private education institution; and
- be able to pay for your course and support and accommodate yourself and any dependants without working or help from public funds; and
- plan to leave the United Kingdom when you complete your studies.
Student visitor
If you are coming to the United Kingdom as a visitor to study you must:
- genuinely be seeking entry as a student visitor for the limited period you tell us you require that does not exceed six months;
- have been accepted on a course of study that will be provided by an organisation included on the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills' register of education and training providers;
- leave the United Kingdom at the end of the visit you told us about;
- support and pay for accommodation for yourself and any dependants without help from public funds; or
- ensure that you and your dependants will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends and not take employment; and
- be able to meet the cost of the return or onward journey.
You must not:
- take employment in the United Kingdom;
- engage in business, produce goods or provide services within the United Kingdom, including selling goods or services direct to members of the public;
- study at a government-funded school;
- be a child under the age of 18;
- undertake part-time (up to 20 hours), or full-time vacation employment;
- undertake a work placement or internship (paid or unpaid) as part of your course of study; or
- extend your stay in the United Kingdom.
For further information see general visitors.
See also
News & updates
Terms explained
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Degree
Academic qualification given to someone who has successfully completed a course of study at a university. The first level of degree is a bachelor's degree, and this is normally the minimum qualification you will need for us to recognise you as holding a degree. A master's degree and a PhD (or doctorate) are higher levels of degree, known as postgraduate degrees (because they are normally obtained following further study taken after graduating with a bachelor's degree).