International students

If you require a visa to study in the UK, you must allow plenty of time to find out what you need to do, apply for the correct visa or make any changes needed (for example, if you need to extend your visa or your circumstances change).

If you’re a new student, read our visas and immigration information.

If you currently have a student visa and need to extend or make a change to it, visit the visa information page.

It’s also important that you’re aware of your student visa responsibilities, which you must comply with to maintain your permission to study in the UK.

Our Admissions team will email your CAS to you after you have accepted your unconditional offer. If you’re a Masters student, you’ll also need to have paid your tuition fee deposit or provided your exemption evidence (for sponsored students).​​​​​

You don’t need to contact us to request a CAS. If we have all the information we need, we'll issue your CAS as soon as we can. If we require any further details from you, we’ll contact you by email.

Make sure you follow the right steps when you apply for your visa by reading our visas and immigration information:

• Applying for a student visa
• Visas for study abroad and exchange

If you have a Student visa or a Short-term study visa and are attending a course for six months or longer, you’ll need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) in Leeds. Your BRP is the visa that covers the full duration of your course.

Plan to be in Leeds in the recommended arrival week. Arriving in good time will give you the opportunity to explore the city, settle into your accommodation, and attend International Orientation and welcome sessions hosted by your school.

We know how tiring travelling can be, so we offer arrival support services to help you have a smooth arrival in Leeds.

Our arrival support services include:

• a free airport pick-up service from Leeds Bradford Airport and Manchester Airport for new students arriving in Leeds for the first time
• a free welcome box with some essential items, including food and a UK SIM card, to help you settle in on your first day in Leeds.

You must be a new student who’s coming to Leeds for the first time to be able to book our arrival support services.

To avoid financial difficulties and make sure you have enough money to support yourself (and any family with you) throughout your studies, you’ll need to know what costs to expect.

• Learn about living costs and budgeting.
• Visit our Cost of living hub for tips on how to budget and save money, and discover the financial support that’s available.

Find out how to pay your fees safely with an online card payment or by using Flywire to pay by bank transfer. Don’t use third party agents to transfer payments to the University as this significantly increases your risk of being exposed to financial crime.

Each year some international students are tricked by criminals pretending to be from an official authority in the UK or their home country, and they lose significant amounts of money. Check our guidance on fraud and scams.

It may take some time to open a UK bank account, so make sure you arrange money for when you arrive.

Opening a bank account in the UK is not compulsory. However, there are benefits to opening a UK bank account, such as not paying transaction fees for cash withdrawals or bank transfers. Read more about how to open a bank account in the UK, and find out about digital and high street banking options and the different bank accounts available for international students.

Registering with a doctor and a dentist can take some time, so it’s important that you do this as soon as possible when you arrive in Leeds. Our medical services pages will give you information about the UK health system, what healthcare will be free and what you’ll need to pay for depending on your visa status.

All international students are recommended to take out health insurance, but this is essential if you have a visa for less than six months.

Depending on how much time you need to dedicate to your studies, you might be able to work while in the UK. However, this might not always be possible. Whether you can work in the UK will also depend on your visa status. Make sure to check whether your visa allows you to work during your studies. Find out more about work and your visa.

Our Careers Service has useful information about finding a job and work experience. With a team of career experts and student peer support assistants, the Careers team can help you find out more about work, placements and graduate work opportunities.

You can also use Joblink to find work. It’s an employment agency, run by Leeds University Union, which provides staff for businesses across Leeds.

You can access student visa and immigration advice to support you when you’re preparing to come to Leeds and throughout your degree.

Talk to our current students to help you prepare for your studies at Leeds through Link to Leeds. Our ambassadors have written blogs on a range of topics, so you can read about their experiences studying with us. You also can contact them via email, attend live events or chat to them via the website.

Take part in a range of global or regional offer holder events and activities, online and in person, including pre-departure briefings, Q&As and offer holder groups. You’ll have opportunities to hear from staff in our international teams, alumni and current students.

We have teams based in Leeds and overseas that can offer you general support and advice in your country or region.

We provide free English language workshops and consultations that you can fit around your studies to help you develop your academic language skills during your degree. Our Language Zone also has resources and activities for practising and developing English for everyday life as well as academic situations.