'Before you begin your UK education, you may need to apply for a visa. The type of study visa will depend on your age, the length of the course and the level of the course that you want to study.'
Do I need a visa?
You can find out if you need a visa on the UK Border Agency website. Applying can take some time, so it is important to apply well in advance of when you intend to travel. You can find out about visa processing times in your country on UKBA's visa service pages.
What kind of visa do I need?
There are a number of different types of visa available:
- Tier 4 (Child) student: You can apply as a child student under Tier 4 of the points-based system if you are between 4 and 17 years old. If you are between 4 and 15 years old, you must be coming to the UK to be educated at an independent fee-paying school.
- Child visitor: You can apply as a child visitor if you are 17 years old or under and you want to come and study in the UK for up to 6 months. You cannot switch and apply for a Tier 4 (Child) student visa while you are in the UK as a child visitor. If you want to apply for a Tier 4 (Child) student visa, you must apply from the country you live in.
- Tier 4 (General) student: You can apply as an adult student under Tier 4 (General) of the points-based system if you are coming to the UK for your post-16 education.
- Student visitor: You can apply as a student visitor if you are 18 years old or over, you want to come and study in the UK for up to 6 months, and you do not want to work while you are here. You cannot switch and apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa while you are in the UK as a student visitor. If you want to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa, you must apply from the country you live in. English language students wishing to attend exclusively English language courses can apply for a student visitor visa allowing them to stay for up to 11 months. You can only apply for the extended student visitor visa from outside the UK.
- Prospective student: You can apply as a prospective student if you want to come to the UK to help you decide which course to study, or if you plan to start a course of study within 6 months. You will be able to switch and apply for a Tier 4 (General) or Tier 4 (Child) student visa while you are in the UK.
You can find out more in the UKBA's Studying in the UK pages.
Tier 4
In July 2011 the UK Government announced some changes to Tier 4 student visas. You can find the latest information on the UK Border Agency website.
For adult Tier 4 (General) and child students coming on Tier 4 (Child) student visas, the UK has a points-based visa system which is designed to be objective and transparent. To apply, you need to gain 40 points. This includes 30 points for a “confirmation of acceptance for studies” from the university, college or school where you want to study.
Your chosen place of study must be on the UKBA's official Register of Tier 4 Sponsors (approved education providers). This register is designed to give you peace of mind that you are applying to join a genuine institution.
The remaining 10 points comes from demonstrating that you can afford to cover all or part of your fees and living costs to study in the UK. This has been put in place to help you avoid any financial difficulties that might affect your ability to complete your studies.
Student visitor
This visa is for people who want to undertake a short course of study while visiting the UK – for example, a beginner’s English language course or a work-related training course.
A student visitor may stay for up to six months, or up to 11 months if you wish to attend exclusively English language courses.
It's important to note that, as a student visitor you will not be allowed to:
- extend your stay either into full-time study or to do a new course while you are in the UK
- work (part-time or full-time)
- undertake work experience or a work placement.
If you intend to undertake a course that lasts longer than six months or you want to have full student visa entitlements in the UK (including the ability to work part-time or extend your visa), you will need to apply under Tier 4 (General) of the points-based system.
As a student visitor you will need to show that you meet the main requirements of the general visitor rules. You must also be able to show that you have been accepted on a course of study at an educational establishment recognised by the UK Border Agency.
For further details, check UK Visas Student visitor information.
