Arriving to study in the UK

You can take international flights to airports in many UK regions. A lot of international students travel to Heathrow or Gatwick in London, but your journey will be much easier if you fly to the nearest airport to your place of study. So if you’re studying in north-west England, look for flights to Manchester Airport; or if Scotland is your final destination, try the airports in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

If you can’t find a direct flight to an airport near your place of study, you could fly to Europe and make a connection to one of the other UK regional airports. If you do, check with your airline whether you need a transit visa. This normally gives you a fixed amount of time after arrival to complete your onward journey.
 
If there are any connecting flights when you travel to the UK, we’d suggest that you check yourself and your luggage in for the entire journey, if this is possible. This makes airport transit much easier.

Arriving by boat for UK study

If you are getting to the UK by sea, you will probably arrive in one of these major ports:
• Dover
• Folkestone
• Harwich
• Hull
• Portsmouth
• Southampton

You will also find many onward coach and rail connections to get you to your final destination.

Arriving by train for UK study

Train travel to the UK is also possible using the Channel Tunnel. Rail services throughout Europe connect through Paris or Brussels with the Eurostar service to London. From there, you can make connections to stations throughout the UK regions to your place of study.

Onward travel to your UK study destination

Your place of study may have arranged onward travel in the UK, and they may even meet you at the airport or station. If not, it’s easy to sort it out for yourself – the general information desk will advise you on the best way to get to your destination. You will also find commercial information desks with offers and deals on onward UK travel.