After the US, the UK is the second most popular destination for foreign students. With so many historical educational institutions, as well as modern facilities and the great lifestyle opportunities in the UK, it is easy to understand why so many foreign students want to study in this part of the world.

If you are not a British citizen and you are looking to apply for a course of study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa, depending on your nationality and the type of course you are applying for. If you hold a passport issued by a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, then you do not currently require a study visa to study in the UK. 

As a result of Brexit, there are a few small changes in terms of practical details but even after January 1 2021, nationals of the EEA and Switzerland will still not require a visa for studying in the UK but students from outside those countries will.

There are three main types of study visa for international students studying in the UK:

Short-term study visa

If you are from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland and doing a short course of study, you can apply for a Short-term study visa. The types of courses you can take under this visa include training courses or an English language course, not an academic course.

General student visa 

This visa is available for international students from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland who have been offered a place on a course in the UK. There are certain eligibility requirements including the level and hours of your course and you must be able to financially support yourself whilst studying in the UK, as well as cover the course fees.

There is an application fee for this type of visa that is currently £348 and there is also a healthcare surcharge you would need to pay as part of the application.

Child student visa 

The child student visa is for school-aged children aged between 4 and 17, applying for studying at an independent school in the UK. This type of visa is required if the student is from a country that is not in the European Economic Area or Switzerland. There is an application fee of £348 plus a healthcare surcharge included in the application.

When applying for any of these visas, documents will be required as proof of identity as well as other types of evidence such as proof of funds to support yourself living in the UK and pay for courses fees. You should have been accepted onto a course before applying for the visa as well. If you need any help applying for UK study visas, Emerald Law has many years of experience in helping international students obtain study visas and we would be happy to help you with your application.