Applying from outside the UK

When

You can apply up to six months before the start date of your programme of study in the UK.

You should allow plenty of time for your visa application to be processed. You can find information about visa processing times on the UKVI website.

If you are a continuing student and you must apply outside the UK for your Student Visa, you can find out when to apply by contacting the University VISAS team .

Where

You must apply for your visa in your country of residence or your country of nationality. If there is not a Visa Application Centre which offers the visa type you require in your country of residence or nationality, you will be asked during the online application to confirm you can attend an appointment at a Visa Application Centre in an alternative location.

If you are already in the UK, you must check that you are eligible to switch to a Student Visa or extend your Student Visa before you apply. You can find more information about who is eligible to apply for a Student Visa inside the UK on the UKVI extend your Student Visa webpage. If you are unsure if you are eligible to extend your visa in the UK, contact us . You can find more information about applying for a visa inside the UK on our webpage.

To apply for a Student Visa you will need:

• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
• Documents
• Money to pay the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), if applicable

CAS

Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement is information about you and your programme of study which is shared between the University and UKVI. Your CAS number appears in your CAS statement and is a reference you must enter in your online visa application form. You must have a CAS before you apply for your Student Visa.

If you are starting a new programme of study at the University of Southampton or you are coming to the UK for the first time during your studies, you will be sent a CAS questionnaire when you have been unconditionally accepted for your programme. You will not receive a CAS until you complete and return the CAS questionnaire. You can find more information on the University webpage: CAS guidance for students .

If you are a continuing student, you must complete a continuing student CAS request form and return this to your Faculty Office. You can find a continuing student CAS request form in Useful Downloads at the bottom of this webpage.

You are a continuing student if you are:

• returning to your studies after suspension
• continuing your studies after repeating
• applying for a new Student Visa to change your programme before you have completed your current programme of study
• continuing your PhD programme

Documents

• Current and previous passport(s) or travel document(s)
• If you are under 18 years old, your parent(s)/guardian(s)'s consent to travel to and study in the UK
• Tuberculosis test certificate, if you are from a country where the test is required
• ATAS certificate , if you are studying a programme where this is required
• Academic qualifications which are listed on your CAS if you are applying for a course that is below degree level. If the course that you are applying to do at the University of Southampton is at degree level or above, you do not need to provide evidence of your academic qualifications. This is because the University of Southampton is a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance.
• Financial evidence that you have money to pay tuition fees and living costs. You can find more information about financial evidence on our maintenance webpage
• Consent of current or previous financial sponsor to continue your studies, if you have received financial sponsorship from a government or international scholarship agency which ended less than 12 months ago

If any of your documents are not in English, you must provide an original certified translation. Certified translations must include:

• confirmation from the translator/translation company that it is an "accurate translation of the original document"
• the date of the translation
• the translator's full name
• the translator's signature
• the translator/translation company's credentials (qualification or registration as a translator)
• the translator/translation company's contact details

Read the UKCISA guide to evidence for further information about documents to prepare for your Student Visa application.

Money for visa application fee and IHS

The visa application fee will depends on which application service you select. Each applicant must pay an application fee.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a payment to use National Health Services while you are in the UK. You can find out who needs to pay and how much you should expect to pay on the UKVI pay for healthcare website.

1. Prepare your CAS, documents and money for fees . You can find more information in the previous section, "What do I need to prepare?"

2. Complete the online visa application form: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/apply

3. Visit the Visa Application Centre . You can find more information in the next section: "What happens after I submit my application"

4. Wait for your visa application decision. Enter the UK within the validity of the Student Visa entry vignette in your passport.

Collect your BRP from University of Southampton

Enter the Alternative Collection Location code: 2HE382

At the Visa Application Centre

At the Visa Application Centre, you will:

• Provide your documents
• Give your fingerprints and have a photo taken of your face (biometrics)
• Give your signature

You may also have an interview.

After your application has been decided

When your application has been decided, you will collect your documents from the Visa Application Centre.

If your application was successful, when you collect your passport from the visa application centre in your home country, your Student Visa will be a vignette (sticker) in your passport.

If your application was refused, contact us .

Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

If your programme is longer than six months, your Student Visa vignette will only be valid for 30 days to allow you to enter the UK. You will collect your visa for the full length of your stay when you arrive in the UK. The visa you collect when you arrive is called a BRP (Biometric Residence Permit). BRPs are credit card sized and contain your biometric information embedded within them. Click here for further information on BRP cards.

You will be asked to select the location where you would like to collect your BRP during the online visa application process. You can collect your BRP from the University of Southampton by entering the Alternative Collection Location code: 2HE382

If you choose to collect your BRP from the University, you will receive your visa when you enrol. You will either enrol at the International Registration event or at the Student Services Centre, depending on when your programme of study begins.

If you choose to collect your BRP from another location, you must collect it before you can enrol at the University. If you applied for your Student Visa outside the UK, you cannot enrol without your BRP.

Please note that students on a programme of study more than 6 months in length who are from certain countries need to register with the police. Please see here for more information.

Arriving in the UK

We hope your experience in the UK is happy and rewarding. You can find helpful information for international students on the following University webpage.