Visitor visas for short courses or periods of study

This guidance is for the sole use of University of Brighton applicants and students. It is a guide only and must be used in conjunction with the information referenced on the gov.uk website. The information in this guidance is given in good faith and has been carefully checked. However, the University of Brighton accepts no legal responsibility for its accuracy.

The information on this page was last updated in October 2024.

Ask us a question about visas

Do I need a visitor visa?

Visitor visas for study purposes are primarily for short courses of less than six months duration.

The most common reasons are:

  • For a short English language course
  • Study as part of a study abroad or exchange programme
  • A short period of research as part of your overseas degree
  • If you are studying a degree course at the university via distance learning, but need to come to the university for a short period.

If you are coming to the UK to study a full-time degree course at the University of Brighton then you normally will need to apply for a Student visa, unless we have advised you otherwise.

If you are unsure if you need a Student visa or a Visitor visa, please contact us using our visa enquiry form.

Conditions of visitor visas

There are some restrictions on what you can do if you enter the UK as a visitor. These include:

  • Visitors are not permitted to work while they are in the UK. This includes unpaid work that is part of your course. If your course includes a work placement, you will need to contact us to check your eligibility for a Student Visa.
  • Visitors cannot extend their visas or switch into another immigration category from within the UK.
  • Visitors don’t have full access to all NHS services for free and you should therefore hold comprehensive travel insurance when coming to the UK as a visitor. See our healthcare guidance for more information.

How to apply for a visitor visa

You can find out information on the requirements for Visitor visa for study purposes on the UK government website as well as information on how to apply for a visitor visa.

If you are a visa national, then you must apply for entry clearance as a Visitor before you travel to the UK. Find out if you are a visa national.

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

The UK government is currently rolling out a new travel permission scheme for those who wish to enter the UK and are not listed as a visa national.

You must now apply for an ETA to enter the UK, as a visitor, if you are a national of:

  • Bahrain
  • Kuwait
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Arab Emirates

You must be a national of one of these countries and travel using a national passport. You cannot use other types of passports or travel documents.

If you’re a national of another country, you do not currently need an ETA and can apply to enter the UK at the border in the usual way. 

The next phase of the ETA roll-out will happen on 8 January 2025, when more nationalities will also need an ETA to enter the UK as a visitor. The final roll-out will be from 2 April 2025, which will include all other non-visa national nationals. You can view the timeframes for the requirement to hold an ETA to travel to the UK as a visitor.

Find out more about the ETA scheme, including the fee and how to apply on the government's website.

Using E-gates

If you are a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA you will usually be able to use the E-gates when you enter the UK. This means you will not receive a stamp in your passport to show when you entered the UK and if travelling as a visitor, you will be automatically given six months permission to enter the UK. It is important you keep evidence of the date you entered the UK, as the university will need this as proof of when your permission to enter expires.

Current information from UKVI indicates that you will no longer be able to use the E-gates if you are required to hold an ETA to travel to the UK.

Requirements and evidence

The university will provide you with a Study visit visa letter. To request this letter please email us at Non-T4@brighton.ac.uk.

If you are coming to study at postgraduate level or undertake research in certain sensitive subject areas you will may need an ATAS Certificate in order to be able to start your course or period of research. You do not need to submit this with your visa application, but you will need to provide it to the university in order to enrol and attend the university.

You also need to provide evidence that you can afford to pay for your tuition fees, accommodation and other living costs while you are in the UK. There is no fixed amount of money you need to show, although as a guide, the requirements for a Student visa are that you have £1,136 (from January 2025) for each month of your course plus your tuition fees.

Find out more information on the requirements and documents needed on the UK government's website. You can also see the visitor information on the UKCISA website.