Applying for a visa

If you are a national resident of a country within the European Economic Area [EEA] (you can find a list of those countries here) or Switzerland, you can enter the UK to study for up to 6 months as a student without a visa. However, if you are from a country that is not in the EEA region you will need to obtain a visa.

If you're unsure about whether you need a visa or not, please check here.

What type of Visa do I need?

If you do need a visa to study in the UK, there are different types of student study visas to choose from. The one you will need depends on your age and how long you plan to study for in the UK. Please read the profiles below to find out which one you will need.

Standard Visitor Visa 

This is the visa for you if:

• You are 16 years old or over
• You intend to come to the UK to study for a maximum of 6 months

Student Visa

This is the visa for you if:

• you’re 16 or over and you:
• have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
• have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course - the amount will vary depending on your circumstances
• can speak, read, write and understand English
• have consent from your parents if you’re 16 or 17 - you’ll need evidence of this when you apply

How much will my visa cost?

The cost of a visa depends on how long you would like to study in the UK for.

Currently the cost of a study visa to the UK is:

• £115 for a 6 month visa
• £200 for an 11 month visa
• £490 to apply for a Student visa from outside the UK
• £490 to extend or switch to a Student via from inside the UK

You can find up to date details about visa fees and further information on the Gov.uk website.

NHS Health surcharge

In order to access healthcare under the National Health Service (NHS) during your time studying in the UK,  students applying to study for longer than 6 months will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

The amount you’ll pay depends on how long you’re studying for; you can calculate how much the charge will be by visiting the website.

If you’re applying for your visa online, you can pay the surcharge as part of your application, but if you’re applying by post you need to pay the surcharge and obtain an HIS number before you send your visa application off!