Check if you need a UK visa: Information based on your answers

You will not need a visa to come to the UK

If you’re travelling on or after 8 January 2025, you’ll need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).

You can stay in the UK as a student for up to 6 months without a visa, but you must meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements.

You may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you have a criminal record or you’ve previously been refused entry into the UK.

What you can and cannot do

You can visit the UK to study at an accredited institution for up to 6 months, this includes English language courses.

You can also do:

a short piece of research that’s relevant to your course overseas, if you have been accepted by a UK higher education institution
an ‘elective’ (an optional additional placement) at a UK higher education institution, if you’re studying medicine, nursing, midwifery, dentistry or veterinary medicine and science
an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post, if you’re an overseas graduate from a medical, dental or nursing school
a recreational course of up to 30 days, for example a dance course

You can do other permitted activities as a Standard Visitor.

You cannot:

study at a state funded school or academy
do a course that lasts longer than 6 months (except if you’re doing a distance learning course)
do paid or unpaid work (this includes work experience or work placements, unless it is an eligible medical, nursing, midwifery, dentistry or veterinary medicine and science placement)
live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits
get public funds (benefits)

To study or research certain subjects at postgraduate level or above, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. If you do need one, you’ll need to get your ATAS certificate before starting your study or research.

What you need at the UK border

You need a valid passport or travel document. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.

You must provide written confirmation from a higher education provider if you’re visiting to do research or an elective.

If you’re visiting to do an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post you must:

provide written confirmation of your offer
confirm you’ve not done a clinical attachment or dental observer post in the UK before

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

Find out more about visiting the UK to study.

The rules on what you’ll need to enter the UK may be different if you’re travelling from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

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’)

You should bring a reply from the local authority if you have one.