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Learn English in England UK

Learn English in England UK - Student Visa for UK

EU Nationals are free to study or work in the UK as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland by special agreement.

Some countries are now termed ‘phase one’ countries, These are South Africa, Canada, USA, South Korea, Hong Kong SAR, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Japan. If you are from one of these countries and intend to stay for more than six months, then you will require entry clearance, similar to a visa.

Other countries are Visa National countries, residents of which always need entry clearance before traveling to the UK.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Palestinian Authority, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia & Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus', Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vatican City (service and emergency passports only), Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Visa nationals who wish to study part-time or less than six months may do so on a visitor visa, but full time study, or study for longer than six months, requires a student visa. Visa nationals wanting to study in the UK for more than six months must apply for a student visa before entering the country. Visitor visas are only valid for six months and cannot be extended or changed to student visas while in the UK.

Students from non-visa national countries do not have to apply for a visa in their home country, but are required to provide evidence to immigration officers that they meet the immigration rules for students on arriving in the UK. As they can be refused entry at this point, students are advised to apply for an entry certificate – similar to a visa – in their home countries. The procedure for applying for an entry certificate and a student visa are the same.

To apply for a student visa or entry certificate, students must prove that they have been accepted on to a full-time course of study at a publicly-funded institution of further or higher education, a private education institution or an independent fee-paying school. They must also show evidence that they can financially support themselves during their course of study and intend to leave the UK on completion of their course. Visitor visa holders are not allowed to work in the UK.

Find the latest visa information at the UK Visas website