6-week pre-sessional course visa information 

Students taking the 6-week pre-sessional course will have a choice between taking it on campus and online. Please visit pre-sessional course information webpages for further information about that.

For on-campus study you will need to obtain a Student visa before coming to the UK. You will be issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) that will allow you to apply for a Student visa. Please read about the requirements of a Student visa here. Please allow sufficient time for this as you must be in the UK by the time the course starts. 

The requirements for the visa application will depend on whether you have a combined CAS or a CAS just for the pre-sessional course. 

If you are applying for a visa with a CAS that covers just the pre-sessional course, you will need to be able to show £2,342* (to cover the living expenses) held for 28 days by the date of application and will not need a TB test result. 

With combined CAS you will need to be able to show the whole tuition fee for the 2026/27 academic year (as stated on CAS) plus £10,539* for living expenses. All funds must be held for 28 days minimum by the date of application. Please visit our Money Required webpage for further information. You will also need a Tuberculosis test result if you are from a country where TB testing is required - please see this government webpage.

Those students who are taking the pre-sessional course on campus and do not not have a combined CAS will receive a CAS for their undergraduate or postgraduate programme once they have satisfied all the conditions of their offer. They should then be able to make that visa application from the UK and they will not need to wait until the visa is granted to start the new course. Please see our Visa application after the pre-sessional course webpage for further guidance. 

If you are taking the course online, you will not have a visa for the pre-sessional course. A CAS for the undergraduate or postgraduate programme will be issued around 17 August 2026. We recommend that you use Priority service to apply for this visa as Standard service applications tend to take longer in August and September. 

If you are already in the UK, please contact Student Visa Advisers for guidance on your specific situation. 

*Figures are correct as of January 2026 but can change.