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?
Everyone is allowed to study in the UK for up to six months as a visitor. This means many students can study without a visa and some nationalities need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa.
For courses longer than six months, all international students need to apply for a visa before travel.
Study in the UK for up to six months
International students can study in the UK for six months or less as visitors. Students do not need a visa if they are from an EU or EEA country, or any other country on the ‘non visa national’ list below.
All students will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) if they do not need a visa. This will be electronically linked to your passport. An ETA costs 10 GBP and allows multiple visits to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years.
Other students need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travel.
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.
Key facts: Standard Visitor visa
Visitors with a Standard Visitor visa are allowed to study in the UK flexibly during the validity of the visa, which is usually six months.
- Students can study at any UK institution with a government-approved accreditation. All British Council accredited language centres are suitable
- Students can change course or change provider
- No minimum level of English required
- Students cannot work with this visa, but they can volunteer
- The application cost is 115 GBP
Study in the UK for six to eleven months
Short-term study visa – for English language courses between six and eleven months
The short-term study visa is for anyone over 16 years old who wants to study English in the UK for between six and 11 months. This includes students from EU and EEA countries. All international students need to choose an accredited course provider before making a visa application. All centres with the British Council accreditation are suitable.
Key facts: Short-term study visa
- No minimum level of English is required
- Students must be 16 years old or above when they arrive in the UK
- Students must have a plan to study at a UK institution with a government-approved accreditation. All British Council accredited language centres are suitable
- The visa is only valid for study at the institution that is named on the application form
- Students cannot work with this visa, but they can volunteer
- The application costs 200 GBP, plus 776 GBP fee for the immigration health surcharge
- Extensions: students can extend their original course booking up to the end of their visa validity period (maximum of 11 months)
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.
