Travelling to the UK

You should only travel to the UK within the validity of your transit visa. Once you arrive in the UK, if your student route visa is for more than six months, you will be able to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card.

This guide is to provide you with information that you may find useful prior to travelling to the UK, ensuring a smooth transition to life and study here. For a more thorough guide about coming to the UK please read the Moving to the UK guide from the British Council.

Before you travel

Documents to keep in your hand luggage

Useful contact details
A copy of the address where you will be staying in the UK
A valid passport, with a visa or UK entry clearance (if applicable)
Your Biometric Identity Document (BID) decision letter, and your transit visa vignette
Your travel (plane, train, ferry) ticket
Vaccination and X-ray certificates where required
Your offer letter and CAS from the University
Evidence that you have sufficient funds to pay your tuition fees and accommodation
Originals, or certified copies, of any evidence mentioned on your CAS
British money or travellers cheques. Ensure you have enough to cover immediate expenses, such as customs charges, train fares, and food

Immigration information and enrolment

In order to fully enrol at the University, you will need to pre enrol online and then have your immigration status verified once you arrive in the UK.

In order to have your immigration status verified you will need to supply us with various documents, details of which can be found in the Enrolment section.

One of the documents you need will be your stamped transit visa, where applicable. If your transit visa is not stamped upon entry you will need to let us have a copy of your boarding pass as well: please ensure that you retain a copy.

Arrival in the UK

The University offers a meet and greet service that will take you from the airport, bus or train station in Newcastle to your University accommodation. You should book this in advance via the University’s Meet and Greet webpage.

The University also runs an Induction and Welcome week, which is a great opportunity to make new friends and learn about the services offered by the University. You will be given access to our new student hub nearer to the start of your course and this will contain all the information on enrolling, induction and other important information for your first few weeks at Northumbria.