Visiting Students

This information is for visitors coming in a visiting student capacity. The academic/research group that are inviting you should be able to help you establish whether you are coming as a visiting student or a visiting member of staff. If you are likely to be coming to the University in a visiting staff capacity, please visit the Human Resources webpage for information as visa options will be different.

If it has been established that you will be coming as a visiting student, we recommend that you at least start the visiting student application process with the relevant Faculty or School Office before seeking advice on the visa options. This is because you would need to meet a number of requirements (besides visa) in order to get an offer as a visiting student, and the visa options may be determined by which requirements you can meet. Please use the Schools and Faculties Directory to find the contact details of the relevant Faculty Office. 

Visa options for Visiting Students

Visiting students are ordinarily students registered on a degree-level programme at another institution who are coming to the University of Bristol for a short period of time to complete a period of research that or learn about research. The research must form part of, or be relevant to, the course at their main institution; the applicant should provide confirmation of this from their overseas education provider with their visiting student admission application. This confirmation may also be required for a Visitor visa application. 

Visiting students must apply to come to the University via their Faculty or School Admissions team. Visa options for visiting students will depend on the length of their period of study at the University of Bristol, and are listed below.  

  • For full list of requirements please see our Student visa webpages
  • Suitable for visits longer than 6 months and is generally offered only to those students coming for longer than 6 months
  • Students would need leave the UK to apply for a new Student visa should their study be extended past their visa expiry date
  • Application will need to be made and processed in advance of travel for all nationalities and will attract an application fee - please refer to the government website for a list of current costs and requirements
  • There may also be an Immigration Health Surcharge fee to pay in addition. This applies if the visa will be longer than 6 months in duration. Current rates are at detailed on this website. If the health surcharge is applicable and paid, students can use the National Health Service in the UK
  • Students are allowed to do some work (with restrictions) in the UK. Please visit our website for further information
  • Students on longer courses are allowed to bring dependants with them to the UK. Please contact a Student Visa Adviser for further guidance if you have dependants
  • Please visit this webpage for the overview of requirements
  • If you need to obtain a visa before travelling, please make sure you apply for the Standard Visitor visa (for study purposes) as opposed to the Short-term study visa which is only for English language courses
  • Limited to stays for up to 6 months and cannot be extended. Students can however leave the UK to apply for a Student visa from their country of residence should their study dates be extended
  • Some nationalities will need to obtain a Standard Visitor visa in advance of travelling (visa nationals) whilst others will be able to obtain permission to enter the UK as a Standard Visitor on arrival at the border free of charge without having to apply for the visa in advance (non-visa nationals). To check whether or not you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa in advance, please use this online tool.
  • Some non-visa nationals will be eligible to use eGates and the permission to enter is granted digitally verbally with no stamp. Those students must retain proof of travel
  • Non-visa nationals must obtain Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) prior to travel, please visit this webpage for instructions
  • Visa national students who need to apply in advance will need to allow time for their application and pay a visa fee. Please visit this website for more information about current fees. Applications can take several weeks to be processed. 
  • Students cannot use the National Health Service, except for to receive treatment that is free for everyone. For more information, please visit the UKCISA website
  • Full list of prohibited and permitted activities that can be undertaken on a Visitor visa can be found in the Visit visa guidance.
  • Work (paid or unpaid) is not permitted on a Visitor visa. If you are getting paid a salary for your academic activities in the UK and will be employed, you should be registered as a member of staff
  • Students cannot bring dependants unless dependants apply as Visitors in their own right. Please contact a Student Visa Adviser for further guidance if you have dependants

Visits for research internships

If you come to the University for a period of research or an 'internship', you will need to be clear about the nature of your activities at the University when contacting us or your School/Faculty Office. If you are coming to 'complete a period of research' or 'learning about research', and this period of research is part of/is relevant to your studies at your home institution, you can usually be registered as a visiting student and access the visa options described above. 
Work (paid or unpaid) is not permitted on a Visitor visa. If you are getting paid a salary for your academic activities in the UK and will be employed, you should be registered as a member of staff as this implies a work activity rather than study, and is not permitted on a Visit visa. 
 
If it is unclear whether you should be visiting the University as staff or student, your supervisor will need to read this information sheet and complete the form under 'ACTION'. The Human Resources team will then make an assessment of which visa route, if any, is suitable for the visit. 

ATAS

Some subject areas will require ATAS clearance as part of the Student visa application and registration at the University of Bristol. Your offer letter, Visit Visa Support letter or Student visa CAS issued by the Faculty Office should state if ATAS is required for you. Not all nationalities will need to obtain ATAS - please see this page for the list of exempt nationalities. 
Please visit our website for more information and make sure you allow enough time to apply for ATAS (if applicable) before submitting your Student visa application or coming to the UK as Visitor.
If ATAS applies to you, it will be one of the required documents for a Student visa application and you will not be able to get a CAS before you obtain it. Although ATAS is not a requirement of a Visit visa application, it will still be a requirement of registration at the University. We therefore strongly advise you obtain ATAS before you apply for the Visit visa and come to the UK.