UK visa requirements for students are dependant on three factors: the student’s nationality, how long they want to study for and which course they want to take.
Everyone is allowed to study in the UK for up to six months as a visitor. This means many students can study without a visa and some nationalities need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa.
For courses longer than six months, all international students need to apply for a visa before travel. There are two visas available to students: the Short-term study visa, and the Student visa. The Short-term study visa allows students to study a English language course for between six and eleven months. If the study programme includes other subjects or if the student plans to study for longer than 11 months, a Student visa is required.
