Students from abroad

If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status, you may be eligible for home fees, subject to meeting the residency requirements - you will need to have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for 3 years prior to the start of your course. Otherwise, International fees will apply.

FOR COURSES OVER 6 MONTHS

EU/EEA NATIONALS WITH PRE-SETTLED/SETTLED STATUS

You do not need a visa to study in the UK. The deadline for most people to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme was 30 June 2021. You also will have access to NHS healthcare. 

More details on eligibility for this scheme and whether you can still now apply can be found on the government's website. 

EU/EEA NATIONALS WITHOUT SETTLEMENT STATUS / ALL OTHER STUDENTS FROM ABROAD

You will need to hold a valid Student Visa to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months. Please refer to the Student Visa section on this page.

We will need to see the confirmation either that you have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme or that you have a student visa before you can enrol on your course.

The EU member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

SHORT COURSES OF UNDER 6 MONTHS

Where the duration of your course is less than six months, you should apply for a Standard Visitor Visa. This visa allows non-EEA nationals to come to the UK to undertake a short period of study.

You cannot apply for this visa if you qualify for British citizenship - including if you can have dual nationality. You must apply for British citizenship instead.

For more information, please visit the government's website.

As an international/EU applicant, you will, in nearly all cases, need to obtain a Student Visa before coming to the UK to start your course. You can confirm whether you need a visa (as there are a few exceptions) at this government webpage. 

After you have accepted an offer of a place at the school, the NFTS Registry will prepare to issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), which you will need in order to apply for a visa. 

The CAS is a virtual electronic document that is assigned by the licenced sponsor and sent digitally to the Home Office. Your CAS number, which you need to start your visa application, will be emailed to you. It lists the NFTS Licensed Student Sponsor number, name, address and the offer details.

The NFTS Registry team will contact you about your CAS requirements and advise you through the entire process. Your CAS will be valid to use for six months and you can apply up to six months before the start of your course. We will require the following:

• A copy of your valid passport
• A copy of your degree certificate (if you have obtained a degree)

You may also need to provide the following:

• Your knowledge of English by passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider and you must obtain a minimum of CERF level B2. You can only take a SELT with one of the following providers on the Government information webpage:
  • PSI Services (UK) Ltd
  • IELTS SELT Consortium
  • LanguageCert
  • Pearson
• A Tuberculosis certificate, if you are coming to the UK for more than six months immediately prior to your application and have been present in one of the countries listed on the following Government website.
• Proof of financial support*
  (*In order to receive your CAS, you will need to show us and UK Visa and Immigration that you have enough money to pay the tuition fees and cover your living expenses. Along with the payment of your first-year tuition fees, you will need to demonstrate that you have a minimum of £10,000 held in your or your parents’ bank account for 28 consecutive days.)

All documents must be officially translated into English where necessary.

Once you are offered a place on one of our MA or Postgraduate Diploma courses, we will ask you to begin preparing the above listed documents. We should have received these from you shortly after you have accepted the offer on the course so that we can issue your CAS and you can begin the visa application process yourself. Please prepare for this as early as possible so that there are no delays to your visa being issued or arrival into the UK.

You will also need to pay a fee called a UK Healthcare Surcharge. This gives you access to the UK’s National Health Service.

There is a maximum five-year time limit for UK study on courses at degree level (Undergraduate and Master’s) on a Student Visa.

PLEASE NOTE: You will need to allow sufficient time to book your appointment as some countries have lengthy waiting periods. For information, check the website belonging to the country from where you are applying for a visa.

To find out how to apply for a visa in your home country, please visit the Student visa website.

If you are unsure about the requirements for getting a student visa, or need any other advice, please contact the NFTS Registry: registry@nfts.co.uk

You will also find useful information on the UKCISA website.

Permission to stay under the Graduate route will enable international students who have completed an MA degree to work or look for work after their studies for 2 years. The work can be in any sector and at any level without any minimum salary requirements or the need for visa sponsorship. At the moment this does not apply to graduates of Postgraduate Diploma courses. 

Students studying on a Student visa will need to make an application in the UK to be granted permission under the route after successful completion of their degree. This means after you have received your final results. Applications must be made online.

It is possible to work full-time on your Student visa after you have completed your course and whilst it remains valid, but with some restrictions on the type of work you can do.

You will need to apply in the UK whilst your current Student visa is still valid and cannot travel overseas until you have received the outcome of your application, and your new BRP if applicable.

If your visa expires after you have applied to the Graduate route, you will be permitted to remain in the UK whilst your application is being considered under the conditions of your Student permission until you have received the outcome of your Graduate visa application.

Further information is available from the UKVI webpages and their Graduate immigration route guide. If you are a Postgraduate Diploma student, you can find out more information about working in the UK here: Work in the UK

The National Health Service (NHS) is the UK’s state healthcare system providing a wide range of health care services including appointments with a doctor, hospital treatment and dental care. You should register with a doctor as soon as possible after your arrival in the UK. You can ask the school about local GP surgeries in Beaconsfield.

STUDENT VISA HOLDERS

If you are applying for a Student Visa and coming to the UK from overseas for 6 months or longer, you will be required to pay an immigration health surcharge as part of their visa application fee. Student Visa dependants will also be required to pay the surcharge. The immigration health charge is in addition to the visa application fee.

The immigration health surcharge will entitle Student Visa holders to access NHS care in the UK at no additional cost in the same way as a permanent UK resident. This includes at the Doctor's surgery (known as General Practitioner or GP), a Healthcare Centre or in a hospital. You may need to pay for dental and optical treatment as well as medicine prescribed by the doctor and collected from a pharmacy. There are also exceptions for particularly expensive discretionary treatments. If your visa application is not successful, you will automatically be refunded the immigration health surcharge (but not the visa application fee). The surcharge will not be partially refunded if you depart the UK earlier than the expiry of your visa. The surcharge is also not refunded if you do not use the NHS during your time in the UK.

EEA and SWISS NATIONALS

The UK's Department of Health has produced a leaflet on Health Care Information for students from the European Economic Area. Non-UK European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals, and their family, are currently advised to obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before coming to the UK. 

EU PRE-SETTLED/SETTLED STATUS

A status granted under the EU Settlement Scheme, designed to protect the rights of EU citizens and their families living in the UK after the Brexit transition period, will enable EEA nationals to continue studying in the UK and use National Health Services. 

DO I NEED A HEALTHCARE PLAN IF I AM ON A SHORT COURSE?

If your course is less than six months or you are required to make a number of occasional visits to the UK for short study periods and you are from a non-EEA country, you are advised to take out medical insurance as you will be liable for NHS charges for the treatment you receive in the UK except for in a medical emergency and this is limited. Some countries have a reciprocal agreement with the UK which may entitle you to some free healthcare on the NHS but you should seek advice from the health authorities in your home country about what treatment will be covered. EEA nationals should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

DOES PRIVATE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE REPLACE THE NEED TO PAY FOR THE HEALTH SURCHARGE?

No. You cannot take out private healthcare insurance as an alternative to paying the health immigration surcharge as this is a mandatory fee included as part of your visa application. It is a personal decision whether you also have private healthcare insurance. You may wish to consider this to cover the following potential health-related costs:

• Loss of fees if you are unable to complete your course
• Costs incurred returning to your home country for treatment
• Private medical treatment: if you already have medical insurance in your home country, you may wish to check whether this can be extended to cover your stay in the UK.