If you're a student in the UK on a Student Visa, it's important to be aware of certain information before travelling abroad as there may be limitations or additional visas that you need to obtain.
Important:
From 2025 the UK government is replacing physical visa and immigration documents (including BRPs) with digital immigration status (or e-visas).
Students who have not already registered for and been able to access their e-visa should do so as soon as possible, before 31 December 2024.
Once you have registered for, and been able to view your e-visa, you must ensure that your e-visa is linked to your current, valid passport.
For travel to the UK up to and including, 31 December 2024, students who have a visa or BRP must travel with the physical document.
From 1 January 2025, students with an e-visa must ensure that the e-visa is linked to their current, valid passport in order to be able to re-enter the UK.
Please see our E-visas pages for more information on registering for an e-visa and for updating your information (including checking and updating your passport details).
Travelling during your course
You should not miss any classes because of travel. Your attendance is monitored, and absences may affect your Student Visa. The CAS you were given to apply for a Student Visa will describe to the Home Office (UKVI) your course start date and end date. During this time you are expected to be in the UK and attending this course with the exception of short trips during the weekends and travel outside term time (during vacations).
Term time is described on our Term dates page.
The University will monitor attendance during term time. Term time is different for different groups.
Undergraduate students will have a vacation during Christmas, Easter and Summer.
Master’s students will normally have a vacation during Christmas and Easter, but not during the Summer. Dissertation write up periods are an important part of a course and students with a student visa that covers the dissertation write up period are still in term time. A Student Visa is issued to cover the initial dissertation period. If you want to travel outside the UK for extended periods during your dissertation period then you may want to consider completing remotely and without a student visa. The University can report that you have left the UK and this will lead to a cancellation of your student visa (you would not be eligible for the Graduate Route Visa if your student visa is cancelled). You should always check you are able to complete your course remotely with your Registry via the Student Centre before deciding that you do not want to continue your course with a student visa.
PhD students will have a vacation during Christmas and Easter as well as a period of 35 days when on a formally agreed vacation as described in the Graduate handbook.
If you want to retain your student visa, you should not leave the UK for extended periods during term time which includes the dissertation write up period. You should also be aware that absences from the UK may affect eligibility for the Graduate Route visa which has a ‘Study in the UK’ requirement.
If you need to travel urgently during term time, please speak to your personal tutor, and the Visa Compliance team at [email protected], about the absence. The Visa Compliance Team can approve an absence from your course where this absence is unavoidable. You will be expected to explain the reasons for this absence. Each absence request will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Where an absence will impact your progression on your course you may need to consider formally interrupting your studies.
If you are taking a work placement or a Study Abroad period outside the UK which is an assessed part of your course, then the rules are different, and the University will report your period outside the UK to the UKVI. This type of absence from the UK is organised via the GoAbroad Department or Work placement Team.
The UKVI require that students attending their course are in the UK with a student visa and there is not an option to take a course online from outside the UK.
Travelling in and out of the UK
You may need a Schengen visa to visit other countries in Europe. Read more about Schengen visas. You can also obtain a Schengen visa letter to support your application for this visa through ‘My Self-Service’.
Please take very great care of your passport and Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) while you are travelling. Each year many students are pick-pocketed or lose their BRP when travelling. You will not be able to travel back to the UK until you have a replacement passport and then apply for a ‘replacement BRP’ visa to allow you to re-enter the UK. The new visa takes time and costs £154. Meanwhile you will be stuck outside the UK and this may affect your course attendance. Once you get back to the UK you will need to apply for a new BRP card within 1 month of your return and have to pay a fee for this application. This also takes time.
Read about what to do if you lose your BRP.
If you have applied for a Student Visa in the UK and are waiting for a decision, you cannot travel outside the UK or your Student Visa application will be cancelled.
Travelling after the end of your course
If you will be travelling out of the UK after your course has ended you will be travelling in the period at the end of your Student Visa known as your post-study period.
Most students on a degree course that lasts longer than 12 months will have a student visa which expires 4 months after their course end date.
Your official course end date will have been given in your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) when you applied for your Student Visa.
It was previously confirmed in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance that once your sponsor has confirmed your studies are complete you enter the post-study period and can ‘enter and leave the UK’ during this time. Although this guidance has not been added to the new Student Policy Guidance the Home Office has confirmed that the advice remains the same.
However, you must be aware that if you do travel during your post-study period, on your return to the UK Border Force Officials may ask you questions about what you will be doing in the UK and how long you will remain in the UK.
If you are questioned, you must be clear that you have returned to the UK to complete one of the following activities as detailed in the policy guidance.
- Work full-time in the UK, if your conditions of leave permit you to work and your course has ended
- Study in the UK
- Study-related activities including graduation
- Visit areas in the UK
- Apply to remain in the UK under an appropriate alternative route (eg Graduate Immigration Route, or Skilled Worker route)
You should be prepared to show evidence that you will be completing one of the above activities and that you intend to leave the UK before your Student Visa expires or apply for another relevant type of visa in the UK. If you will be applying for another visa you may be asked to provide appropriate documentation which demonstrates that you are able to apply for this visa.
If not applying for another visa, you should also carry evidence that you will be leaving the UK before your Student Visa expires eg a plane ticket, if you have it.
The Border Force officer should allow you to return to the UK whilst you have a valid Student Visa but can refuse entry if they feel you are not returning for a reason listed above.
If you intend to apply for the Graduate route visa you should be aware of the ‘Study in the UK’ rules. Periods outside the UK can affect eligibility for the Graduate Route visa. Learn more about Eligibility for the Graduate Route visa and the Study in the UK rules on our Graduate route page.