Pre-departure information

Unless you are from a member country of the European Union, you will have to obtain entry clearance from the British authorities in your own country and you are advised to begin making arrangements well in advance. Applications should be made to your nearest British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission, who will advise you whether you need either a visa or entry certificate. To obtain such clearance you will need to provide:

• proof of your acceptance onto a full time course of study at the University of Exeter
• all relevant previous qualifications (originals of certificates)
• evidence that you can meet the cost of your tuition fees and living expenses, and those of any family you may bring with you, without working in the UK or claiming welfare benefits
• a current passport and two recent passport sized photographs of yourself
• your intention to leave the UK at the end of your course

You should ensure you obtain entry as a student. Do not enter the country as a visitor and try to change status later. The charge for single entry clearance is £33. This is payable in local currency. However, if you are sponsored by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Overseas Development Administration or the British Council, payment is not required.

Students on short courses
If your study period in Exeter is six months or less, and you would like to travel to Europe during your time here, it is important that you obtain multiple entry clearance, the charge for which is £45.00. If you do not, there is no guarantee you will be able to get permission to enter a European country or allowed to return to the UK.

Visa Nationals
Nationals of certain countries, including some countries of the Commonwealth, must obtain entry clearance, known as a visa, before they arrive in the UK. You should contact the British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission to find out whether you are a 'visa national' and you will need the documents listed above. Visa nationals should not travel to the UK without a visa under any circumstances.

Married Students
As a student you can bring your wife or husband and any children under the age of 18 providing they have obtained a dependant's visa. It must also be shown that there is sufficient money for all accommodation and living expenses without help from state welfare benefits in the UK.

Insurance
You are advised to insure your luggage before your journey and to label it with your full name, your department of study and the name and address of the University.

Arrival Information

If you travel to the UK by air, you will probably arrive at one of the main international airports, Heathrow or Gatwick, or one of the big regional airports - Manchester or Glasgow. Some airports are large and have several terminals, you will need to follow signs to find your way out.

If you travel by sea you will probably arrive at one of the Channel Ports - Dover, Folkestone or Harwich are the most likely. It is also possible to arrive in London on the Eurostar train from Paris or Brussels, which travels through the Channel Tunnel, or to bring a car through the Tunnel on a shuttle train.

When you arrive at the port or airport, you will first have to show your passport to an Immigration Officer. If you travel by Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel your passport and documents may be checked on the train and further questioning may be carried out when the train arrives in London. If you drive to the Tunnel you will pass through UK Immigration Control at the terminal in France before taking your car on to the shuttle train. You will find that there are two queues at passport control. One is for European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and the other is for non-EEA nationals.

The EEA consists of:

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and The United Kingdom.

If you are not an EEA national, when you present your passport you will be asked why you are coming to the UK, and whether you have enough money to cover the cost of your stay. You will probably be asked to prove this with a bank statement or sponsor's letter. You will also be asked to prove that you have a definite place at an educational institution. Be prepared to answer a number of other questions about yourself and your intentions during your stay in the UK.

When the Immigration Officer has checked your documents, and is satisfied that you are a genuine student, you will get a stamp in your passport showing the length of time you are allowed to stay and other immigration conditions. This may be for one year or for the length of your course. If you are only given one year and your course is longer than this, you can extend your stay later, if you continue to be a full-time student.

If you are not yet accepted on to a course but have arranged interviews with institutions, you should ask for permission to enter the UK as a 'Prospective Student' which will allow you to enter the UK for up to six months while you make your study arrangements. After you have enrolled at a college you should apply to extend your stay as a full-time student.

If you do not meet the Immigration Rules for students, the Immigration Officer may refuse you entry. If this happens you should seek help immediately, either from your institution or from the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS), which has offices at most major ports of entry, and will advise you on your appeal rights in case of refusal.

Try to arrive during daytime on a weekday, in case you need to phone your institution for help.

If you arrive at an airport, after passing through immigration control you will be able to collect your baggage.

At most airports baggage is unloaded on to one of a number of carousels in the baggage collection area. Look for your flight number and the place where you departed from above one of the carousels and wait for each item of your baggage to appear. If any item does not come through, find a representative of the airline you travelled on and fill in a lost baggage form.

When you have found all your luggage you must pass through customs control. You will have to join queues for either the green channel if you have nothing to declare, the red channel if you have goods to declare, or the blue channel if you have arrived from an airport within the European Economic Area where you have already cleared all your luggage through customs control.

If you are carrying more than the permitted duty or tax-free allowances, or any prohibited goods (eg drugs, offensive weapons, etc) you must pass through the red channel.

If you are unsure about what you can bring into the UK you should check with your local British Embassy or High Commission, before you begin your journey.

Even if you pass through the green channel the customs officer may ask you to open your luggage for checking.

If you arrive at one of the channel ports you will also have to pass through customs control. If you use the Tunnel, customs control will be carried out either in France or on the train.

Travelling to your destination

You may need to travel to Central London in order to catch a train or coach to your final destination.

From Heathrow

One of the easiest ways to get from Heathrow to Central London is by an Underground train (tube). Trains run every five minutes from around 5.30am to 12pm. The journey takes about 45 minutes.

In the airport you will see signs showing you the way to the Underground.

Before you buy your ticket, look at one of the large Underground maps to check your route, or ask for a free map at the ticket office. There are many different lines. Each line has a name and a colour. Heathrow is at the western end of the 'Piccadilly' line which is dark blue on the map. You may have to change lines during your journey.

You can buy a ticket from a machine or from the ticket office. Then you have to pass through an automatic barrier by putting your ticket into a slot and collecting it as the barrier opens and you pass through. You may find it easier, if you have baggage, to ask an attendant to open a gate for you. Remember to keep your ticket as you will need it again at the end of your journey to leave the Underground system. Find out more about the London Underground system and its fares at www.thetube.com

There is also a new Heathrow Express rail service to Paddington station (central London) which takes approximately 15 minutes from Terminal 3 and 20 minutes from Terminal 4.

If you prefer, you can catch a bus to Central London. The A2 Airbus from outside the airport terminal will take you to King's Cross. There is also a Bus and Coach Station at Heathrow with direct services to most other large cities in Britain. The national coach company is called National Express. You can plan your route and find out the cost at www.gobycoach.com

From Gatwick

A railway train will take you from Gatwick to Victoria station in Central London. The journey takes about 30 minutes.
In the airport look for signs which lead to the railway station. There are direct trains and buses (coaches) to other parts of the country as well.

Taxis

When there are so many other options you are not recommended to take a taxi to travel into London from Heathrow or Gatwick, since it is expensive and can be very time-consuming.

From Channel Ports

There are direct trains and coaches to London and some other cities from all the Channel Ports. You should buy a ticket for the whole of your journey if you can, even if you will be routed via London, as this will be cheaper than buying separate tickets.

From the Channel Tunnel

The Eurostar train will take you directly to Waterloo Station in London. If you are driving a car, the M20 road will take you to London.

Travelling from Central London

If your destination is not London, or if you are not planning to stay overnight in London, you will probably want to travel on to your final destination by train from one of London's railway stations.

Your institution should have sent you instructions on how to get there. Make sure that you have these instructions with you when you leave home. If you have any problems, go to an Information Centre at Heathrow or at one of the railway stations.

There are several railway stations in London serving different parts of the country, so you should make sure your institution gives you instructions about which station you need, whether you will have to change trains, how much the fare costs and the times and frequency of the trains. You can check all this information yourself from our time table page.

On many trains it is advisable to book a seat, especially if you want to travel on a Friday. You will be given the option of travelling in a First, Business or Standard Class seat. First and Business Class seats are far more expensive than Standard Class seats, which most people find perfectly comfortable.

Transit accommodation

If you wish to stay overnight in London you should try to arrange accommodation before you leave your home country. You can book accommodation using a credit card before you come to the UK by ringing The London Tourist Board.


If you arrive in London without accommodation there are hotel booking agencies that can help you find accommodation at all the major train stations. Alternatively, you may go to one of the London Tourist Board offices at Liverpool Street Station, Victoria Station or Heathrow Airport if you arrive there.

Money

There is no limit to the amount of money, British or foreign, you may bring into the country.

British coins come in the following denominations: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 (100p) and £2 (200p). Banknotes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20, £50.

Normal banking hours are from 09.30 to 16.30 Monday to Friday. Some branches are open on Saturday mornings. You can change currency and cash travellers' cheques at 'Bureaux de Change' offices, which are open for longer. Try to avoid changing very small amounts of money as there is often a minimum commission charge which makes it expensive. The vast majority of shops and services in the UK will accept payment in UK currency only. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted. You may be able to withdraw money from ATM ('cash') machines as long as you have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for that card.

When you arrive in the UK, you should have about £200 in cash for your immediate needs (meals, train fares, etc.). Avoid carrying any more cash in case it gets lost or stolen.

Telephones

You will find public telephones at all airports, sea ports, railway stations, bus stations and on many streets. Instructions on how to use them are displayed next to the telephone. They accept coins from 10p upwards and may also accept BT phonecards, which can be bought in shops where the green phonecard sign is displayed. There are also a variety of other companies' phonecards you can buy that offer cheap rates for international calls.

A call made from a British Telecom public telephone to a destination that is under 35 miles away costs approximately 10p per minute. A call from a British Telecom public telephone to a UK destination more than 35 miles away costs 15p per minute.

Calls made from private telephones are much cheaper than those made from public telephones. Calls from private telephones are cheaper between 6pm and 8am and all weekend.

International calls can be very expensive, you might wish to check the charges with the international operator on 155 before you call. It is generally cheaper to call after 8pm but it depends on the country you are calling.

Useful Numbers

Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) Offices:
Helpline 020 7378 9191
Detention Freephone (free to call) 0800 435 427
London Transport 020 7222 1234
National Rail Enquiries 0345 484 950 for fares and timetable information
National Express 0990 808 080
London Tourist Board 020 7604 2890 for credit card bookings 9.00am-7.00pm everyday
UKCOSA 020 7354 5210
(Monday-Friday 1.00pm-4.00pm)

© UKCOSA 2000 This information has been supplied by UKCOSA, The Council for International Education, 9-17 St Albans Place, London N1 0NX. Neither UniAdmission nor UKCOSA accept any legal responsibility for its accuracy.