Standard visitor visa for study & ETA scheme

The Standard visitor visa can be used for those coming to the UK for short periods of study (up to 6 months) at a Higher Education institution. 

Information about the Standard visitor visa for study purposes

On this page you can find further information about: 

Can I study on a Standard Visitor visa?

Students who wish to study for less than 6 months can study on a Standard Visitor visa.

You may apply for a Standard Visitor visa to study at UCL if the following circumstances apply to you:

  • Your programme of study is 6 months or less in duration and you do not need a Student visa
  • You are required to take re-sits and you need to be in the UK for 6 months or less
  • You are a PhD student who needs to re-enter the UK only to attend your viva
  • You are a UCL Summer School student
  • You will undertake a medical elective at UCL. 

The only situation in which a student may use a Standard Visitor visa to study a programme that will not be completed within their 6 month stay, (other than for an English language course) is where a student is undertaking distance learning.

If you wish to use the Standard Visitor visa to undertake distance learning in the UK, you must:

  • be studying for the majority of your programme outside the UK;
  • be on a programme that is longer than 6 months;
  • secure a Standard Visitor visa for every visit to UCL for the duration of your programme. 

Students must not intend to use the Standard Visitor visa to undertake frequent and successive periods of study.  

Please see UK Visas and Immigration guidance on the Standard visitor visa rules. 

A Standard visitor visa is generally easier to obtain than a Student visa but does have some limitations. These are as follows:

  • You cannot switch into another visa category once you are in the UK. This means you must leave the UK on or before the visa expiry date.
  • UK immigration rules change frequently and as such we are not able to guarantee that the current rules will be in place for the duration of your programme
  • You are not allowed to work in the UK
  • You are not covered under the NHS (National Health Service). This means you will need to make sure you have adequate medical insurance to cover your stay in the UK
  • You cannot bring dependants with you

Applying for a Standard Visitor visa

Depending on your nationality you may not have to apply for this Standard Visitor visa in advance of entering the UK.  UKVI separates countries into two categories for visitor visas: non-visa nationals and visa nationals.  A list of nationalities classed as visa nationals can be found here.

Visa Nationals

If you are a visa national then you must apply for the Standard Visitor visa before entering the UK. You can make your application from any overseas post.  You must apply online before you travel to the UK.  Once you’ve started your application you can save your form and complete it later.  As part of your online application, you need to book an appointment at a visa application centre. You’ll have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken at your appointment.  Allow time to attend your appointment, as the visa application centre could be in another country. The visa application centre may keep your passport and documents while processing your application. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.

Check what documents you’ll need to apply. 

If you obtain a Standard Visitor visa in advance, you will not be required to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). 

Non-visa Nationals

Non-visa nationals do not need to apply for the Standard visitor visa before entering the UK and can simply use the eGates at border control. However, by April 2025 all visitors who do not need a visa will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK.  If you choose not obtain a Standard Visitor visa before you travel, you will need to produce your offer letter from the UCL that confirms the details of your programme (keep it in your hand luggage) to the Border Force Officer at the border.

It is important that you retain some form of evidence of your date of arrival in the UK (e.g. your boarding pass or flight itinery) if you use the eGates as you will be requried to produce this to UCL in order to enrol.

Immigration Health Surcharge

There is no IHS fee to pay when applying for a Standard visitor visa. This means you will need to pay to use non-emergency NHS services in the UK so you should obtain appropriate health care cover before your arrival.

For further information and guidance please contact the Student Immigration Advice Team via askUCL. 

ATAS

If your programme requires ATAS approval, you are required to provide your ATAS certificate as part of the Standard Visitor visa application process.  This is because all visa types now require ATAS, not just a Student visa. 

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) 

An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is an advance travel permission required by specified non-visa nationals when coming to the UK as a visitor.  There is a charge to apply and it permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to 6 months at a time, over 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. 

An ETA provides an individual with permission to travel to the UK. It is not permission to enter the UK and the holder of an ETA still will need to obtain permission to enter as a Visitor on arrival in the UK.

Please check if your nationality is required to get an ETA at the time you plan to travel. This will apply to all non-visa nationals, including EU nationals, from April 2025.

Travelling to UCL via Ireland

If you are a visa national planning on arriving in the UK via the Common Travel Area (e.g. Republic of Ireland), you should apply for UK entry clearance as a Standard visitor before travelling. 

If you are a non-visa national planning on arriving in the UK via the Common Travel Area, you will find that there is no immigration control at UK ports of entry.  You could therefore either apply for the UK entry clearance as a visitor in your home country before travelling or you will automatically have permission to be in the UK for six months when you arrive in the UK from the Common Travel Area. 

More information can be found on the UKCISA webpages.