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Before you arrive

There are a number of things that you will need to think about before you arrive in the UK to study, including visas, funding your course and where you will live.

Careers and Employability Advice

International students at the University of Southampton have access to our wide range of Careers & Employability resources. These range anywhere from our drop-in careers advice service, to our Career Mentoring Programme and Year in Employment schemes.

Find out more here

Support before and during the application process

International Office abroad

Our International Office team travels to meet potential students in their home countries.

We can give you advice and information about the application process, English language requirements, academic entry requirements, finding somewhere to live and life as a student. See our schedule of overseas visits to find out if we will be visiting your country.

You can also get in touch using our online enquiry form .

In addition, we work with a number of carefully selected professional representatives all over the world. They are fully trained to provide advice about studying with us, our courses and living in the UK. They can also help you with your application and pre-arrival preparations. Find out about professional representatives in your country .

Visas and immigration

Our VISAS Team offer information and guidance on visas and immigration
Our VISAS Team offer information and guidance on visas and immigration

If you need a visa to study in the UK, our Visa and Immigration Student Advice Service (VISAS Team) is here to help. Our experienced staff can support you through the student visa application process and give you advice on UK immigration issues.

Before you come to study in the UK it is important to find out whether you need a visa and how UK immigration procedures may affect you. Make sure you find out well in advance as it can take a long time to get a visa. If you need a Tier 4 student visa, you can apply up to three months before you start your studies.

Learn more about visa and immigration

Funding and scholarships

You may be eligible for a scholarship  from the University or through an external funder to help you finance your degree at Southampton. There are number of opportunities available depending on your chosen subject area or country.

Explore funding opportunities

Accommodation

International students are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence
International students are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence

We guarantee a place in our halls of residence to international students from countries outside of the EU. For undergraduates, this guaranteed accommodation is for the full duration of studies and for postgraduates we guarantee it for the first year of study.

We have a number of halls of residences available, some close to campus and some further towards the city centre. There are also a number of different room types available, varying in size and facilities such as shared or private bathrooms.

You will need to apply for this accommodation before you arrive. You will get to choose which accommodation you would prefer, and we will do our best to allocate you one of your preferences, depending on availability.

If you would like to find out about private rented accommodation in Southampton then advice can be found on our accommodation web pages .

Find out more about accommodation

Arriving in the UK

Meet and Greet airport service

The service is available at:

How it works

Meet and Greet signposting service:

University coach transfer for those staying in University accommodation

The coach will take you and your luggage to your University hall in Southampton or Winchester.

You can't take anyone else with you on the coach, unless you're a PhD student arriving with your spouse or children.

Book Meet and Greet for Pre-sessional English courses 2024

You can book for the following dates:

Book your seat on the coach by following these links below on the correct day or your arrival:

There are a limited number of places available to book for each day.
If you're arriving on another date, or you don’t book in time, you’ll have to make your own way to your accommodation.
Luggage
The amount of luggage you can bring is limited to:

There is no room for additional luggage on the Meet and Greet coach.

Spaces are limited and once we are full, we will close the booking slot.

There are a limited number of places available to book for each day.

Our Welcome Programme

The Welcome Programme in September is organised for Students arriving in Semester 1.

Before term starts in September you will be able to take part in a range of welcome events and activities, including some especially for EU and international students.

The talks and events will give you the chance to learn more about life in the UK and in Southampton and Winchester . You will also find out about the support services we provide, plus important information about visas. There will be lots of opportunities to meet people and make new friends.

The Welcome Programme in September includes events such as:

There will also be induction activities organised by your school. These might include:

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