EU citizens and other non-visa nationals do not need to apply for a visitor visa, but they do need to secure Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before their journey.
If you are unsure what clearance you need before travelling to UK, please check the Home Office website.
If you have a dual citizenship (British plus another) please read the guidance here.
A Standard Visitor visa lets you do a short course of study that lasts no longer than six months, provided you meet eligibility requirements.
In terms of study, a Standard Visitor can come to the UK to:
Please be aware there is another category called Family Visitor visa. The Family Visitor visa is only applicable if the student is inviting their guests for graduation and is:
In most cases you will need to refer to a Standard Visitor visa.
Check your decision letter or email for full details of the conditions of your visa.
You cannot:
When do I need to apply for standard visitor visa? This will depend if you are a visa national or not. You can find a list of visa nationals in the Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list.
If you are a visa national, you must apply for a visa before you travel to the UK. You can check if you need to apply for a UK visa.
Please note: Even if you are arriving on ETA, you are still subject to the Standard Visitor visa conditions once you enter the UK. We advise you to have a physical copy of your confirmation of study letter (for example your unconditional offer) and bank statement in your hand luggage.
Sometimes visas granted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) contain mistakes. It is important to check your visa carefully and report any errors so they can be corrected before travelling to UK.
Complete this free form to report an error in your eVisa.
You will typically need your course acceptance letter, your graduation ceremony confirmation letter, or your exam/enrolment confirmation letter (if coming to sit an exam).
You will also need to generate a share code before you head to the airport/train station. Your travel provider will need to check you have a valid immigration status using the View and Prove service.
You can find full information about the other documents you must provide on the UK Government Standard Visitor visa page on their website.
If you are starting a new course, you will need to provide evidence of your Visitor visa at enrolment. You will need to provide a copy of your Visitor visa share code and/or entry stamp in your passport. If you were permitted to use the eGates, you will also need to provide evidence of your date of arrival in the UK, such as a boarding pass/flight ticket. If you are continuing on your current course of study, please email your visitor visa share code or boarding pass/flight ticket (if using an eGate) to the UKVI Compliance Team at internationalsupport@solent.ac.uk.
You will need a letter from admissions or student records to confirm the date of the exam.
If you are a maritime student and you are coming to sit an exam with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), you will need a letter from them to confirm the date of the exam.
If you are repeating a module and you have been advised to come to the UK on a Visitor visa, you can request a letter from the Records team to confirm the start and end date of the module to support your visa application.
You can only access emergency services in UK under a Standard Visitor visa. We recommend obtaining a private medical insurance during your stay here.