Applying for a Standard Visitor visa or Electronic Visa Waiver
Find out what you need to do to get a Standard Visitor visa or Electronic Visa Waiver.
Documents you need to prepare
You will need:
- your passport
You will also need documentation showing:
- the purpose of your visit
- your invitation letter from the University of Edinburgh with details of your programme
- how you intend to support yourself financially during your stay
- for example, bank statements, a scholarship letter, educational loan documents
- your accommodation
- for example, accommodation contract or evidence of temporary accommodation where you will stay while you look for somewhere to live
- your intention to leave the UK before the end of the 6-months' period
- for example, return flight tickets or evidence that you are expected to return to your home country to complete your studies
- your ATAS certificate, if required
You can find full details for the Standard Visitor visa including the visa fees and more information about the required documents on the UKVI website.
UKVI information for Standard Visitor visas
How to apply for your immigration permission
If you are a national of one of the countries on the visa national list, you will need to make your application online and submit your fingerprints and a digital photo at your nearest visa application centre.
You can find detailed information on how to answer the questions in the online visa application form in our application guide:
If you are a national of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates you can get an EVW by providing the required personal details and travel information on the UK Government's website.
You should keep a copy of your EVW, and of your boarding pass(es) or flight itinerary to prove when you entered the UK.
Next steps
If you are a visa national or can get an Electronic Visa Waiver, you need to wait on your immigration permission before you can travel to the UK. You cannot arrive in the UK before the start date of your permission.
What to do if your application has been refused
Contact us immediately if your visa application has been refused.
Email us at studentimmigration@ed.ac.uk
In your email, provide the following:
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your name
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your date of birth
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your nationality
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your student number
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where you made your application
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an attachment with your refusal notice (include all pages)
We prioritise visa refusals, so you can get advice as quickly as possible.