Visitor and short-term student visas

Students wanting to complete a short course or study for a short period of time in the UK may be able to use a Visit visa or Short-Term Student visa.

On

Visit visas and permitted study

A Visit visa is only valid for six months. You can only study on a Visit visa if one of the following specific circumstances apply to you:

  • A short course, or courses, that will be completed within six months
  • To conduct research (PhD), or be taught research - such as a Masters degree:
    • you must be aged 16 years or over; and
    • enrolled on a course of study overseas equivalent to at least degree level in the UK; and
    • your overseas course provider must confirm that the research or research tuition is relevant to your course overseas, and that you will not be employed at the University of 91̽»¨.
  • Elective(s) linked to your medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing, midwifery or dentistry course overseas
    • you must be aged 16 years or over; and
    • electives must be unpaid and involve no treatment of patients; and
    • your course overseas is equivalent to at least degree level study in the UK
  • Study-abroad programme of less than six months (as part of an overseas course)
  • Sit an entrance exam
  • Re-sit an examination or retake a module
  • Viva as part of a PhD qualification
  • Distance learning

For distance learning courses

You must be studying outside of the UK for a University of 91̽»¨ qualification by distance learning.

You can come to the UK for short periods of time for activities such as induction weeks, intensive face-to-face learning, one-to-one progress checks or to sit exams or assessments.

You must not use frequent or repeat visits to pursue a longer course.

A course can be both distance learning and part-time. However a part-time course of more than six months in length cannot be studied using the visitor route unless it’s distance learning (ie any periods making the course more than six months are completed overseas).

Studying part of a course that is more than six months

Distance learning courses, re-sitting exams, retaking modules and taking a viva are the only instances where you can use the Visitor visa for a period of study that is part of a course at the University that is longer than six months overall.

Otherwise, if your course is more than six months, you will need to apply for, and obtain a Student Visa in your home country before coming to the UK.

Apply for a student visa 

Changing or extending a course

Unlike students with a Student visa, Visitors are not tied to a certain course. Therefore, if you are in the UK as a Visitor it should be possible for you to change your course, but the study that you change to must still be one of the types of courses that Visitors are permitted to study (listed above).

If you are extending your study so that your course becomes more than six months in length (eg where you are studying a single semester Study Abroad course in 91̽»¨, and you wish to add an extra semester), you will not be able to do this when you are in the UK as a Visitor. You will be advised to obtain a Student visa in your home country before returning to the UK for the rest of your course.

Entering the UK as a Visitor

If you’re a non-visa national (your nationality is not on the ) you do not need to apply for a Visit visa before travelling. You can travel to the UK and request to enter for free as a Visitor. You may need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travel to the UK - refer to the 'Electronic Travel Authorisation' section below.

If you use an electronic passport gate (e-Gate) upon entry you will automatically receive Visitor status and will be considered in the UK under Visit visa rules.

When travelling to the UK you should carry all relevant supporting documents in your hand luggage. You may need to show these to a Border Officer. See the documents section below.

Applying for a Visit visa

If you’re a visa national (your nationality is on the ) you must apply for a Visit visa before travelling. You must submit and pay for a Visit visa application and receive this in order to obtain entry to the UK. 

You should check that you have all the relevant supporting documents before applying. You must then submit a Visit visa application online. Use the link below to make your application.

Electronic Travel Authorisation

If you do not currently need a visa to travel to the UK (ie you are a non-visa national), you will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) which gives you permission to travel to the UK. 

  • If you’re a national of: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or United Arab Emirates, you can apply now for an ETA using your national passport to enter the UK.
  • If you are from a non-European country and your nationality is listed , you can apply in advance from 27 November 2024 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 8 January 2025.
  • If you are from a European country and your nationality is listed , you can apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.

An ETA costs £10 and permits multiple visits to the UK of up to six months at a time over two years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.

This has more information on who can get an ETA and how to apply before coming to the UK. 

Supporting documents

Evidence of course

  • If you’re a new student studying a short course at the University, eg study abroad, you can use the unconditional offer letter that you have received from the University.
  • If you’re a continuing student at the University, eg re-sitting exams or attending your viva, contact International Student Support to request a visa letter: contact International Student Support
  • If you’re studying a distance learning course and making your first visit to the UK for this course, contact Admissions to request a visa letter.
  • If you’re studying a distance learning course, and making a second or subsequent visit to the UK for this course, request a visa letter from International Student Support
  • If you are visiting the UK for research or research tuition, you should provide a Visit visa letter from the University of 91̽»¨ in addition to a separate letter from your overseas institution which confirms that you are enrolled on a course overseas equivalent to degree level in the UK; and that the research or research tuition is relevant to your course overseas.
  • Where you wish to apply for more than one course, this must be outlined in your visa letter.

Evidence of finances

  • Evidence of finances to show that you can support yourself during the course and afford the cost of your return or onward journey from the UK

ATAS clearance (if applicable)

  • Where your course requires Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance you should apply for this as early as possible, as you should try and have this before you travel to the UK.
  • According to  you do not need to have your ATAS certificate when you apply for your Visit visa, so you do not need to have received this or include this in your visa application.
  • However you must have received your ATAS certificate before you can register on, and start your studies at 91̽»¨. If you have not received your ATAS certificate by the time you should  study at the University you must not do so, and should contact your department and ISSAC as soon as possible.
  • If you require ATAS, you will not be able to add another course after receiving your Visit visa.
  • Your offer letter or visit visa letter should confirm if you require ATAS clearance for your studies or not. If you are not sure about this, contact Admissions (new students) or ISSAC (continuing students).
  • See here for more information about Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Responsibilities

Where you are on a Visitor visa you can’t:

  • extend your stay in the UK
  • work in the UK (including paid/unpaid internships or work placements)
  • apply with dependants (dependants must apply separately as Visitors)
  • claim most benefits, tax credits or housing assistance provided by the government

As long as you leave the UK before any Visitor Visa you have expires, there is no specified maximum period that you can spend in the UK with a Visitor visa, such as ‘six months in 12 months’. 

However, UKVI will check whether you’re making frequent or successive visits to the UK and can refuse a Visitor Visa application if they assess that you’re seeking to remain in the UK for extended periods or making the UK your home.

Travelling outside the UK

  • Where you applied for entry clearance as a Visitor, your visa will outline whether it is a single or multi-entry visa.
  • Where your visa can be used for multiple-entry, you can travel within and outside the Common Travel Area (UK, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland) and return to the UK on an unlimited number of occasions during the validity of the visa.
  • Where you are a non-visa national and applied for your visa at the UK port of entry, your visa will no longer be valid if you leave the Common Travel Area.
  • To re-enter the UK you will need to apply for a visa either when you arrive at the UK port of entry or beforehand.

Medical insurance

Where you are coming to the UK with a Visitor Visa (including non-visa nationals who seek entry to the UK as a visitor at the port of entry to the UK), you cannot pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. 

This means that you will not have access to free healthcare under the NHS. You should ensure that you have private medical insurance in place from the beginning of your stay in the UK.

Where you have a Short-Term Student visa to study English for six to eleven months you will pay Immigration Health Surcharge on your visa application which gives you access to the NHS.

This does not cover any dependants you may have with you in the UK.

Immigration Health Surcharge

Short-term student visa (for English courses of 6-11 months only)

If you are studying an English course that is six to eleven months in length, you can find information on how to apply for a Short-term Student Visa below:

If you are on a Short-term Student visa you can’t:

  • study a different course to the one your visa was granted for
  • extend your stay in the UK
  • work in the UK (including paid/unpaid internships or work placements)
  • apply with dependants (dependants must apply separately as Visitors)
  • claim most benefits, tax credits or housing assistance provided by the government

You should leave the UK within 30 days of the end of your original course of study or at the end of your 11-month visa, whichever is the earliest. This should be in line with the course details and dates you included in your original visa application.

You will pay the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of the Short-Term Student visa application, which will allow you to use the NHS.

UKVI will check whether you’re making frequent or successive visits to the UK and can refuse a Short-Term Student application if they assess that you’re seeking to remain in the UK for extended periods to study a longer course or making the UK your home. For example, if you apply for another Short-term Student visa less than two months after you last left the UK, or applying for multiple Short-term Student visas within a five year period may indicate this.

See also

Contact International Student Support