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 up to six months' long within the period of your permission to stay.

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 Children, Schools and Families' 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.