Guidance

Study in the European Union

What you need to do if you're planning to start higher education in the EU.

From:
Department for Education
Published
31 January 2020
Last updated
22 March 2022 — See all updates

Applies to England

Make sure that you:

  • review all visa requirements when you are considering studying in the EU
  • meet all visa and residency conditions for your destination or you may not be allowed to stay

Doing part of your course in the EU

Talk to your UK higher education provider or visit the UCAS website if you’re thinking about studying part of your course in the EU. Your higher education provider will be able to talk you through your options.

Before starting your course you should take out comprehensive travel insurance while in the UK. It’s important to make sure all your health needs are covered. Talk to your provider if you have any queries.

You can also check:

Financial support

You may be eligible for financial support from Student Finance England if you’re enrolled on a course in England and want to do part of your course in the EU.

Contact your relevant student funding body if you’re from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

International placements

You should enquire about international placements through your home institution which will be able to talk you through what options are available and any schemes you might be eligible for.

If you have a placement already organised, you should make sure both your home provider and your host agree that it is safe to proceed as planned during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

You may need to make changes to your plans or start your placement at a later date if the situation changes.

The UK will not be taking part in the future Erasmus+ programme. We have launched the Turing Scheme to support thousands of students to study and work abroad.

Some Erasmus+ projects from the 2014 to 2020 programme are still ongoing and placements will take place under both the Turing Scheme and Erasmus+ during the 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 academic years.

Doing your whole course at a higher education provider in the EU

The student support you may be eligible for, and the fees you need to pay, will depend on where in the EU you’re planning to study and when you move there.

If you were already living in the EU by 31 December 2020

You have the same right to access education as citizens from the EU member state where you are studying as long as you were living there and lawfully resident before 1 January 2021. Read more specific information on living in your EU country.

The fees you are charged should be the same as fees charged to citizens of your host country. You may not be entitled to maintenance grants or loans from the host country unless you have permanent residency or are a worker in that country.

Talk to your HE provider in the relevant EU member state to check the details of your entitlements.

British citizens planning to study in the Republic of Ireland will continue to be covered by the Common Travel Area arrangements.

You should also:

You will not be eligible for financial support from Student Finance England if you’re enrolled on a course substantially provided abroad.

Contact your relevant funding body if you’re from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Moving to the EU to start a course from 1 January 2021

You may need to pay different fee rates as a non-EU third-country national if you’re planning to study your whole degree course at a university in an EU member state.

You should contact the relevant HE provider in the EU member state you are going to, so that you can check:

  • what fees you may have to pay
  • if there is any financial support available for students from the UK
  • if there are any funding schemes, bursaries or scholarships you can apply for

British citizens studying in the Republic of Ireland will continue to be covered by the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements.

You should also:

You will not be eligible for financial support from Student Finance England if you’re enrolled on a course substantially provided abroad.

Contact your relevant funding body if you’re from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Travelling abroad

You should follow the guidance for travelling abroad during the coronavirus pandemic.

Support when you’re abroad

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic you:

  • should be ready to comply with the host nation’s travel requirements including having documents that you will need to present at border controls
  • should be ready to comply with local isolation, testing or quarantine requirements
  • will need to rely on the local healthcare system

Read guidance on what you can do if you need financial help when abroad and who you can contact for support when abroad.

You can contact the nearest British embassy, consulate or high commission or the FCDO in London on 020 7008 1500 for help or advice if you need emergency help from the UK government while overseas because:

  • the country you are in will not allow you to travel back to the UK
  • there are no commercial travel options available

Updates to this page

Published 31 January 2020
Last updated 22 March 2022 + show all updates

  1. Updated to reflect the changes to guidance on travel to the UK and removal of the red list.

  2. Updated with further information about returning to the UK and links to guidance on travel, testing and quarantine (the red, amber, green list).

  3. Updated with additional information about healthcare, access to student support and travel advice.

  4. Updated to provide further details that you should consider if you're planning to study in the EU.

  5. Updated information on international exchanges and added information about the Turing scheme to support students to study and work abroad.

  6. Added information about travel insurance, making changes to Erasmus+ placements and support when you're abroad.

  7. First published.

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