Travel during your stay
Information to help students who wish to travel outside the UK during their studies.
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Internal travel in the UK
If you are visiting England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which are part of the UK common travel area you are still within the UK.
If you hold a visa, you will need to have your visa with you if you are travelling within the UK common travel area.
Travelling in and out of the UK on your Student visa
Once you have your student visa you will be able to travel freely in and out of the UK from the time that your visa is issued until the end of your programme of study.
Every time that you re-enter the UK you may be asked to confirm that you are still a student. We recommend that you keep an enrolment letter with the dates of your course with you when you travel.
If you travel outside the UK around your visa expiry date or after your programme has finished, and plan to return to the UK for a period before your visa expires, we recommend that you contact the Immigration Advisory Service to request a letter to support your re-entry to the UK.
If you are leaving the UK during term time, you will need to seek approval from your department if you will miss any of your classes, tutorials or other scheduled contacts.
Visa and passport requirements for entering other countries
You will need to make sure that you have the necessary visas for any travel that you plan outside of the UK and should ensure that you obtain your visa where necessary in advance of travelling. Details of how to apply for a visa can be found on the Embassy website for the country that you wish to travel to.
You should also make sure that your passport is valid. For certain countries, your passport must be valid for 6 months after the date you travel. Check the entry requirements before you go.
If you intend to travel inside Europe then you may wish to apply for a Schengen visa.