Visas
This page provides visa guidance for students wishing to learn English in the United Kingdom. Please note this information is for guidance only and is subject to regular change. For up-to-date information, please refer to the UK Visas and Immigration website.
Do I need a visa?
Many international students can study in the UK for up to six months without needing a visa.
EEA, Swiss nationals and other nationalities on the non-visa national list below will not need a visa if their course is six months or less.
Non-visa national list
| Any EEA country Argentina Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Botswana Brazil Brunei Canada Chile Costa Rica Dominica East Timor El Salvador Grenada Guatemala | Honduras Hong Kong Israel Japan Kiribati Macau Malaysia Maldives Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Monaco Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nicaragua Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay | Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Seychelles Singapore Solomon Islands South Korea Taiwan Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu United States of America Uruguay Vanuatu Vatican City |
This list sometimes changes. You can check by using the UK government tool – enter the nationality and course length to find out if a visa is required.
Studying in the UK for six months or less
EEA nationals, Swiss nationals and other nationalities on the non-visa national list do not need a visa to study in the UK for up to six months.
Students of other nationalities need to apply for a visa. International students who want to study English in the UK for six months or less should apply for a Standard Visitor visa.
Standard Visitor visa
You will need a Standard Visitor visa if you plan to study in the UK for less than six months.
Key facts about Standard Visitor visas:
- From December 2020, visitors can study as much as they like on this visa. It is possible to take different courses with different providers, as long as the courses have an approved accreditation.
- Application cost: £115
- When to apply: up to three months in advance
- Financial requirements: the applicant will need to show that they have enough money to pay for their trip, including accommodation and living costs
- For students who are under 18, there are additional requirements
Short-term study visa – for English language courses between six and eleven months
If you want to study English in the UK for between six and eleven months you should apply for a Short-term study visa before you travel. This also applies to EU/EEA and Swiss nationals.
Key facts about Short-term study visas:
- minimum age is 16 years old
- Visa length: 11 months maximum
- English language study only allowed on this visa.
- Suitable for beginners – there is no minimum level of English required
- Before applying, applicants must choose a course and have a letter of confirmation from an institution with an approved accreditation
- Applicants need to show they have enough money to pay for course fees, accommodation and living costs
- Students with this visa cannot work in the UK
- Application cost: £186
- When to apply: up to three months in advance
- Apply online for a Short term study visa
Please note that if you are coming to the UK for longer than 6 months on Short-Term Study Visa, you must collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) in your first 10 days in the UK. If you don’t collect it in time, you may have to pay a fine (financial penalty) or go home earlier than you expected with no refund, so please come and speak to us about your BRP on your first day at school.
Electronic visa waiver
Passport holders of Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates qualify for an electronic visa waiver (EVW), which will allow them to study for a period of up to 6 months. An EVW form can be completed online; it is free of charge and quicker than applying for a visa. Students do not need to provide biometric information (photo and fingerprints), attend a visa application centre or hand in passport in advance of travel. You must apply for an EVW online at least 48 hours before you travel.
What if I already have a visa?
Some other UK visas allow study, so if you already hold a valid UK visa but are unsure whether you can study on it, please contact us so we can check.
