Pre arrrival Information
Greetings to all our international students!
The information below is intended to help you prepare for your trip. You’ll also find basic information about traveling to the country and what to expect upon arrival, along with details about some of the welcome services available to all new international students.
Our student welfare office is committed to providing assistance and support to international students, as well as accurate information and guidance. We strive to provide you with the best possible service from the moment you register with the College until your departure. The following information can help you prepare for departure.
Before you leave home, please let us know when you will arrive at the airport. If necessary, we can arrange for you to be picked up from the airport. Please note that this service costs approximately an additional amount and must be paid to your driver upon arrival at your destination.
Start making appointments as soon as you have been accepted into your program. This is especially important if you plan to bring your family. Please contact our Student Wellbeing Office. They have lists of local accommodation you can rent and can help arrange accommodation for you. They inspect the accommodation and can help you if you encounter any problems.
When you arrive in Great Britain, your first stop will be passport control, for which you will see two different signs. One queue is for passport holders and one for holders of all other passports. You may need to show the immigration officer all your documents and answer any questions about your stay in Britain. The immigration officer will usually place a date stamp in your passport to reflect the date you entered Britain. You will be allowed to stay until your visa or entry permit expires. Our Student Welfare officer can arrange for you to be picked up from the airport if necessary.
You will need to have the following documents on hand when you arrive at the port of entry so that you can pass through immigration control. Remember not to pack them, but keep them with you:
- A valid passport, provided with the necessary entry permit or visa Your official college acceptance letter.
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover your fees and living expenses for the academic year
- Any health certificates required
If the immigration officer denies you entry and you have an entry permit, you may be removed immediately or given a very short period of entry. If you are refused entry and have been issued an entry permit, you cannot be removed until your appeal has been heard.
By international standards it is a safe country, with little violence and street crime. The Home Office and the police are working together to make all students less vulnerable to crime during their studies and have produced a guide for international students coming to university, with useful advice and information on personal safety.
You cannot open a bank account until you are in the UK and enrolled in a full-time study programme. Opening a bank account can take up to 2 weeks. UK law requires banks to carry out detailed checks on customers to produce proof of identity, proof of address in the home country and proof of a new address. Our student welfare officer will now help you open a bank account.
If your course is longer or longer, you can receive free treatment from the National Health Service from the start of your stay. This also applies to your partner and children. We will help you with your registration.
If you wear glasses or contact lenses, bring a spare pair of glasses and a copy of your prescription. If you depend on a specific brand of contact lens solution, take enough with you.
You will not normally be expected to report to the College on the first day of arrival unless you are specifically instructed to do so. You will normally be taken directly to your accommodation where you will find a map and instructions on where to go on your first day at the College. Once at your accommodation you will need to contact the College to inform us of your arrival. If you arrive outside these times, please contact us only in an emergency.
You will then have to go through customs. Before you arrive, review the list of goods that you are not allowed to take with you or for which you must pay duty. These are called declared goods. If you need to declare goods, follow the red goods declaration signs in the customs hall and speak to a customs officer. If you have no goods to declare, follow the green ‘Nothing to declare’ signs. Even if you have nothing to declare, you can be stopped by a customs officer. If you request it, you must have a customs officer examine your luggage. If you come from a country, go through the blue customs channel.