Visa Information

Please note that the following information is for your guidance only. Visa requirements change on regular basis and you are advised to contact your local Embassy or visit the UKVI website here for up-to-date information.

Students from the EU, EEA or Switzerland do not need a visa to enter the UK and do not need to read any of the information below about visas.

If you are coming to study in the UK and are a visa national, you will need to apply for a student visa.

There are two main types of student visa:

Short Term Study Visa (STSV)
Tier 4 General Student Visa (GSV)

Short Term Study Visa (STSV) - 6 Months

for studying in the UK for up to 6 months
for students aged 18 or over
this visa can not be extended and does not allow student to work in the UK
there is no minimum English level requirement

If you are a visa-national, you must apply for this visa in your country. This is known as pre-entry clearance. Current fee: £85

If you are a non-visa national ( Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea), you can get your passport stamped as a Short Term Study Visitor free on arrival.

Please check whether you need to apply for a visa in your country here.

Please note: If you are a non-visa national, you can get your passport stamped as a Short Term Study Visitor on arrival in the UK. However, we do recommend that you apply for a 6-month Short Term Study Visa from your country in order to reduce the risk of visa refusal.

Short Term Study Visa (STSV) - 11 Months

for studying in the UK for 6 to 11 months
for students aged 18 or over
this visa can not be extended and students are not allowed to work in the UK
there is no minimum English level requirement

Both non-visa nationals and visa-nationals need to apply for this type of visa in their country. This type of visa can not be obtained on the arrival in the UK.

Current fee: £162.

Tier 4 General Student Visa (GSV)

generally only available to students who want to study for longer than 11 moths
for students aged 18 or over
students are not allowed to work in the UK
there is no minimum English level requirement there is a minimum English level of B1 on CEFR required. Students will be required to submit evidence of their English level, which must be in the form of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) certificate (click here for full list of approved tests and providers)
course must lead to a recognised exam qualification (eg IELTS)
course must be minimum 15 hours per week

Both non-visa nationals and visa-nationals must apply for this visa in their country. You cannot apply for this visa on arrival in the UK.

You will also need to submit a Declaration of Intent with your enrolment form to LITE Regal. This form can be downloaded here. Current fee: £322.

VISA INFORMATION