Travelling to the UK
Things you should keep in mind when travelling to the UK with a Student visa or standard visitor visa.
Do not travel to the UK before you get your visa
If you need to get a Student visa for your programme, you must receive the visa before you travel and you cannot arrive in the UK before the start date of your visa. A valid Student visa is essential for completing your University of Edinburgh registration and starting your studies with us.
If you enter the UK without getting a Student visa, you will not be able to make your application in the UK.
Arriving in the UK
Arriving in the UK with a vignette (visa sticker)
When you arrive at a UK port or airport, you may meet with an immigration officer, who will check your passport and UK immigration permission.
Immigration officers may also ask you to present documents relating to:
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your studies (a screenshot of your Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your MyEd account, or your unconditional offer letter)
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your finances (for example, bank statements)
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your accommodation
If you are coming to the UK on a Standard Visitor visa to study for less than 6 months, you will also need to provide documentation for your plans for leaving the UK (for example, details of your return flight).
We recommend that you carry all these documents in your hand luggage.
The immigration officer will place a date stamp on your vignette.
Using an eGate when you arrive (EU, EEA, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and United States nationals)
UK airports are now operating eGates for nationals of:
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the European Economic Area (this includes EU countries)
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Switzerland
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Australia
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Canada
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Japan
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New Zealand
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Singapore
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South Korea
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the United States
If you use an eGate, you will not meet with an immigration officer and will not receive a stamp in your passport.
You should keep your boarding pass(es) or travel itinerary in a safe place, as you will need to show on which date you arrived in the UK.
Arriving in the UK as a non-visa national for a study of 6 months or less and you cannot use an eGate
When you arrive at a UK port or airport, you will meet with an immigration officer, who will check your passport and will decide whether to grant you permission to enter as a Standard Visitor.
Immigration officers may also ask you to present documents relating to:
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your studies (unconditional offer letter or invitation letter)
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your finances (for example, bank statements)
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your accommodation
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your travel plans to leave the UK at the end of your visit (for example, return flight ticket or evidence of returning to your main course in your home institution)
We recommend that you carry this evidence in your hand luggage.
The immigration officer will place a Standard Visitor stamp in your passport.
Find out more
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) - permission to travel to the UK
What is an ETA?
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is new and has replaced the former Electronic visa waiver. An ETA is an advance travel permission required by specified non-visa nationals when coming to the UK as a visitor or transiting the UK.
Certain nationalities will need to get an ETA if:
- Coming to the UK as a Standard Visitor upon arrival, for up to 6 months only for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study reasons.
If you will be a Visitor to the UK, you can apply for an ETA now if you’re a national of:
- Bahrain
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
The ETA requirement will be rolled out to other non-visa nationalities by the end of 2024.
- An ETA is required by specified non-visa nationals in advance of travel to the UK. However, permission to enter as a Standard Visitor upon arrival is up to 6 months maximum only.
- Visitors must still ensure they meet the Standard Visitor visa requirements at the point of arrival to the UK and throughout their visit duration. Visitors must ensure they do not overstay their permission in the UK.
- You will not need an ETA, if you have either a visa or already hold valid permission to live, work or study in the UK.
If coming to the UK to study on a programme of longer than 6 months, you will need a Student visa.
Check if you need to make a UK visa application
How to apply for an ETA
- Each traveller must get their own ETA, including children and babies. It costs £10 to apply online (no refunds available). An ETA decision may take up to 3 working days.
- You’ll receive an email confirming you’ve been issued an ETA - linked to your passport. An ETA is given for 2 years or until your passport expiry date - whichever is earlier.
- An ETA holder must meet visa requirements as a Visitor to the UK, which may be checked by a Border Force immigration officer upon entry into the UK. An ETA is only 'permission to travel' to the UK and does not act in itself as immigration permission to enter the UK.
- You should keep a copy of your approved ETA to show upon entry to the UK with a border immigration officer.
- Keep a copy of your ETA entry, boarding pass(es) or flight itinerary to prove how and what date you have entered the UK (this evidence is for international check-in purposes)
ETA Refusal
If you receive an ETA refusal, first read the UKVI decision email carefully for your options. However, there is no right to administrative review or appeal against a decision made on an ETA application. Please send us an online enquiry, if you need further advice about the ETA.
If you are travelling via the Republic of Ireland
The UK and the Republic of Ireland are part of a Common Travel Area (CTA). This means that if you arrive in the UK from the Republic of Ireland, you will not pass through any UK immigration control.
You can travel to the UK via the Republic of Ireland, but be aware that:
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you need to apply for a visa from your home country before travelling to the UK, if you are applying under the Student route or if you are a visa national applying under the Standard Visitor route. Once you have a visa, you can travel via the Republic of Ireland.
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if you are a non-visa national and enter the UK via the Republic of Ireland to study a programme of up to 6 months without having secured a visa, you will be given permission to be in the UK for 6 months from the date you enter the UK. You will be able to study but employment (paid or unpaid) will not be permitted.
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you should keep your boarding pass(es) or travel itinerary in a safe place, as you will need to show on which date you arrived in the UK. Your date of arrival must not be before the start date of your visa.
Find out more
UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA): Entering via the Republic of Ireland