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ShorttermstudyvisaGOV.UK

GOV.UK

Shorttermstudyvisa

NOTES

1.Overview
YoucanapplyforaShorttermstudyvisaif:
youredoingashortcourseofstudyintheUK
yourefromoutsidetheEuropeanEconomicArea(EEA)(https://www.gov.uk/eueea)andSwitzerland
youmeettheothereligibilityrequirements(https://www.gov.uk/studyvisitvisa/eligibility)

YouneedaStandardVisitorvisa(https://www.gov.uk/standardvisitorvisa)ifyoureanacademic
visitor.

YoucantapplyifyouqualifyforBritishcitizenship(https://www.gov.uk/checkbritishcitizen)
includingifyoucanhavedualnationality(https://www.gov.uk/dualcitizenship).Youmustapplyfor
Britishcitizenship(https://www.gov.uk/becomingabritishcitizen/howtoapply)instead.

Whatyoucanandcantdo
Youcan:
doashortcourseofstudyintheUK,suchasanEnglishlanguagecourseoratrainingcourse
doashortperiodofresearchaspartofadegreecourseifyouarestudyingabroad
Youcant:
studyatastateschool(https://www.gov.uk/typesofschool/overview)
work(includingonaworkplacementorworkexperience)orcarryoutanybusiness
extendthisvisa
bringfamilymembers(dependants)withyoutheymustapplyseparately
getpublicfunds(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/publicfunds2)

Howlongyoucanstay
YoucanstayintheUKfor:
6monthsforanyshortcourse(includingEnglishlanguagecourses),orshortperiodofresearchif
youre18orover
11monthsifyoure18oroverandtakinganEnglishlanguagecourse

Fees
Itcosts:
89fora6monthvisa
170foran11monthvisa

Howlongittakes
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Youcanapplyforavisaupto3monthsbeforeyourdateoftraveltotheUK.
Youshouldgetadecisiononyourvisawithin3weeks.
Checktheguideprocessingtimes(https://www.gov.uk/visaprocessingtimes)tofindouthowlonggettinga
visamighttakeinthecountryyoureapplyingfrom.

2.Eligibility
Youmustprovethatyou:
havebeenofferedaplaceonacourseintheUKatanacceptedplaceofstudy
haveenoughmoneytosupportyourselfwithoutworkingorhelpfrompublicfunds,orthatrelativesand
friendscansupportandhouseyou
canpayforyourreturnoronwardjourney
Ifyoureunder18youmustalso:
havemadearrangementsforyourtravelandstayintheUK
havepermissionfromyourparentorguardiantostudyintheUK

Whereyoucanstudy
YoumustbeacceptedonacoursewithaneducationproviderthatholdsaTier4sponsorlicence
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/registeroflicensedsponsorsstudents).
Otherwiseyourcoursewillneedtobeheldataneducationalinstitutionlistedbyoneofthefollowing:
AccreditationBodyforLanguageServices
AccreditationServiceforInternationalColleges
AccreditationUK
BridgeSchoolsInspectorate
BritishAccreditationCouncil
EducationandTrainingInspectorate(inNorthernIreland)
Estyn(inWales)
HMInspectorateofEducation(inScotland)
IndependentSchoolsInspectorate
OfficeforStandardsinEducation(Ofsted)
QualityAssuranceAgencyforHigherEducation
SchoolsInspectionService

LearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage
Youmustbeatleast18yearsoldandacceptedonacoursetolearnEnglishasaforeignlanguageif
youreapplyingforan11monthShorttermstudyvisa.
Amixedcourse,someofwhichisspentstudyingEnglish,doesntcount.

VisitingtheUKaspartofanoverseascourse
YoucanapplyforaShorttermstudyvisaifyoureatleast18yearsoldandstudyingatanoverseashigher
educationinstitutionandpartofyourcourseisintheUK.
Yourinstitutionmust:
holditsownnationalaccreditation
offeronlypartofitseducationalprogrammeintheUK
offerprogrammesthatareequivalenttoaUKdegree
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ResearchingintheUKforashorttime
YoucancometotheUKforashortperiodofresearchifalreadyenrolledonanoverseasdegreecourse.
Tobeeligible:
yourcoursemustbeequivalenttoaUKdegree
youmustbecarryingouttheresearchataUKrecognisedbody(https://www.gov.uk/checkauniversity
isofficiallyrecognised/overview),orabodythatreceivespublicfundingasahighereducation
institution
youmustbeatleast18yearsold

3.Documentsyoumustprovide
Whenyouapplyyouneedtoprovide:
acurrentpassportorothervalidtravelidentification
evidencethatyoucansupportyourselfduringyourtrip,egbankstatementsorpayslipsforthelast6
months
detailsofwhereyouintendtostayandyourtravelplansyoushouldntpayforaccommodationortravel
untilyougetyourvisa
yourtuberculosis(TB)testresults(https://www.gov.uk/tbtestvisa)ifyourefromacountrywhereyou
havetotakethetest
contactdetailsforatleastoneparentorguardianinyourhomecountry(ifyoureunder18yearsold)
Youneedtoprovidetheoriginaldocuments.
Youalsoneedtoprovideacertifiedtranslation(https://www.gov.uk/certifyingadocument)ofany
documentsthatarentinEnglishorWelsh.
Youneedapageinyourpassportthatsblankonbothsidesforyourvisa.

Documentsaboutyourcourse
Youmustprovideproofofthecourseyourestudying,egaletterofacceptancefromtheeducational
institutiononofficialheadedpaper,statingthecoursesname,durationandcost(including
accommodation).
Youmayneedtoprovideadditionaldocumentsdependingonyourcircumstances,egevidenceofyour:
previousstudy,egacademiccertificates,referencesortranscripts
Englishlanguagequalifications,egcertificatesorawards
accommodationandtravelplans
permissiontobeinthecountryyoureapplyingfrom(ifyourenotanational)
financialsponsorsoccupation,income,savingsorfundsthatwillsupportyourstudies

Ifyoureunder18
Ifyoureunder18youneedtoprovideadditionaldocumentsif:
youretravellingonyourown
youretravellingwithsomeonewhoisntyourparentorguardian

Travellingonyourown
YoucantraveltotheUKwithoutanadult(someone18orover).
Yourparentorguardianneedstoprovidetheir:
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writtenconsentforyoutotraveltotheUK
fullcontactdetails
TheyalsoneedtoprovideproofthatyouhavesomewheresuitabletoliveduringyourstayintheUK,
including:
thenameanddateofbirthofthepersonthatyouwillbestayingwith
anaddresswhereyouwillbeliving
detailsofyourrelationshiptothepersonwhollbelookingafteryou
consentinwritingsotheycanlookafteryouduringyourstayintheUK
Youmustprovidealetterfromtheschoolconfirmingithasnotifiedthelocalauthorityofyourvisitandyour
carearrangementsif:
youllbestudyingintheUKduringyourstay
youreunder16
Youmustincludethereplyfromthelocalauthorityiftheschoolhasreceivedone.

Travellingwithanadult
WhentravellingtotheUKwithanadult(someone18orover),youneedtoidentifytheminyourvisa
application.
Theirnamewillappearonyourvisa,andyoullberefusedentrytotheUKifyouarriveintheUKwithout
them.
Youcanidentifyupto2adultsinyourvisaapplication,andyourvisawillonlybevalidifyoutravelwithat
leastoneofthem.
Theadultcanapplyforavisaatthesametime,butyoumusteachcompleteseparateapplications.

4.Apply
Youmustapplyonline(https://www.gov.uk/applyukvisa)foraShorttermstudyvisa.
Youneedtohaveyourfingerprintsandphotograph(knownasbiometricinformation)takenatavisa
applicationcentre(https://www.gov.uk/findavisaapplicationcentre)aspartofyourapplication.
Youmaybeabletogetyourvisafasterorotherservicesdependingonwhatcountryyoureincheckwith
yourvisaapplicationcentre.

NorthKorea
YoucantapplyonlineifyourelivinginNorthKorea.
ToapplyfromNorthKoreayoumust:
downloadtheapplicationform(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applicationforukvisaas
astudentvisitorformvaf1d)
readtheinstructionsforNorthKorea(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/democraticpeoples
republicofkoreaapplyforaukvisa)onhowtoapply

Lastupdated:29March2016

https://www.gov.uk/studyvisitvisa/print

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