UK visa requirements

A visa is a certificate (sometimes referred to as ‘Entry Clearance’) which gives you permission to enter the UK.

The visa is put into your passport or travel document by an Entry Clearance Officer at a British mission overseas.
If you are travelling to the UK to be a student, you may need to apply for a visa to enter the UK.

Check your category

Immigration requirements for the UK are determined by your nationality and whether you are:

1. an EU/EEA/Swiss national or
2. a Non EU/EEA/Swiss national

• EU and EEA country list on the UK CISA website

Advice for EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals

If your passport is issued by a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can enter the UK freely - you do not need a visa. This includes dual nationals (people with two or more nationalities) who use their EEA/Swiss passport to enter the UK.
Your EEA/Swiss family members can also join you. Further information is available on the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website:

• UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)

Advice for Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals

Any other nationality will have to consider what visa type they will need and how to apply for it.
There are two categories of nationalities for UK immigration purposes: visa nationals and non-visa nationals.
What visa options are available to you and how you apply, depends on which one of these you are, what course you are studying and how long your course is for.
Firstly, find out whether you are a visa national or non-visa national, by checking the “visa national” list for the UK: Visa national list on the UKBA website

• Visa national list on the UKBA website

Next, refer to the information below which explains your options:

My country is on the list

You are a visa national: You must obtain your visa before you leave your home country. If you intend to travel to the UK to enrol on a course which lasts 6 months or more, you must get a Tier 4 (General) student visa before travelling to the UK. If your course of studies is less than 6 months, you must either get a student visitor or Tier 4 (General) student visa. If your course contains a work based learning (paid or unpaid), regardless of the length of the course, you must get a Tier 4 General student visa.

My country is not on the list

You are a non-visa national: If you intend to travel to the UK to enrol on a course which lasts 6 months or more, you must get a Tier 4 (General) student visa before you leave your home country. If your course is less than 6 months, you can apply on entry to the UK as a student visitor. If your course contains a work based learning (paid or unpaid), regardless of the length of the course, you must get a Tier 4 General student visa.