You can find out information on the requirements for Visitor visa for study purposes on the UK government website as well as information on how to apply for a visitor visa.
If you are a visa national, then you must apply for entry clearance as a Visitor before you travel to the UK. Find out if you are a visa national.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
The UK government is currently rolling out a new travel permission scheme for those who wish to enter the UK and are not listed as a visa national.
You must now apply for an ETA to enter the UK, as a visitor, if you are a national of:
- Bahrain
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
You must be a national of one of these countries and travel using a national passport. You cannot use other types of passports or travel documents.
If you’re a national of another country, you do not currently need an ETA and can apply to enter the UK at the border in the usual way.
The next phase of the ETA roll-out will happen on 8 January 2025, when more nationalities will also need an ETA to enter the UK as a visitor. The final roll-out will be from 2 April 2025, which will include all other non-visa national nationals. You can view the timeframes for the requirement to hold an ETA to travel to the UK as a visitor.
Find out more about the ETA scheme, including the fee and how to apply on the government's website.
Using E-gates
If you are a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA you will usually be able to use the E-gates when you enter the UK. This means you will not receive a stamp in your passport to show when you entered the UK and if travelling as a visitor, you will be automatically given six months permission to enter the UK. It is important you keep evidence of the date you entered the UK, as the university will need this as proof of when your permission to enter expires.
Current information from UKVI indicates that you will no longer be able to use the E-gates if you are required to hold an ETA to travel to the UK.