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Advice and Counselling Service
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  2. Visas and international advice
  3. Travelling to and from the UK
  4. Arriving in the UK

Arriving in the UK

This page explains what you will need to when you arrive at the UK Border and the tasks you need to do soon after arriving in the UK.

If you have been granted Student immigration permission, you should carry the following documents in your hand luggage when you arrive in the UK. 

  • A valid passport, with a visa or UK visa vignette (if applicable) 
  • Your UKVI decision letter which confirms your leave granted  
  • Your travel ticket 
  • Vaccination certificates, if required 
  • An X-ray certificate, if required 
  • A paper copy of your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) 
  • Documentary evidence that you have enough money to pay your tuition fees and accommodate yourself while you’re in the UK (recent bank statements, proof of scholarship or sponsor’s letter) 

Border Force Officers may ask you simple questions about your stay in the UK when you arrive at passport control. See 10 top tips from the UK Border Force [PDF 39KB] 

EU,EEA or Swiss nationals with Student permission 

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and you applied using the UK Immigration: ID Check app, you will receive your permission in the form of an online digital status, you will not receive a physical document. When you enter the UK, information will be checked digitally, and those with a UKVI account will not routinely need to prove their status. To prevent unnecessary delays at the border, it is important to ensure the document you travel on is registered to your account, which you can do by updating your details if you intend to travel on a different document (for example a new passport). We advise that you carry a printout of your decision email, just in case of any issues at the Border.  

Checklist on arrival

  • Check your decision letter if you will need to collect their biometric residence permit (BRP) after entering the UK. You will need to collect this from the Post Office you have chosen on your visa application form within 10 days of arriving in the UK.
  • Your physical document (BRP or visa vignette) will not be valid beyond 31.12.2024. You will need to create an online UKVI account to be able to show an eVisa by 31.12.2024 to prove your immigration status and rights in the UK starting from 2025. On how to create an UKVI account - Online immigration status (eVisa) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). 
  • Once you have collected your BRP card  keep it somewhere safe at home. You do not normally need to carry it with you in the UK and if you lose it, it takes a long time to replace and it is expensive. You can buy a Totem card as evidence of your age to buy alcohol or cigarettes or enter pubs and clubs.  
  • Attend all induction activities arranged by your School and support services, to understand how you can get the best out of your studies. 
  • We recommend that you register with a doctor (GP) as soon as you can after you arrive in the UK. You can find instructions on how and where to register on the Student Health web pages.  
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