If you are a non-visa national, you do not need to apply for a short-term study visa before you travel.
If you are a non-visa national, you do not need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa before you travel. Instead, you can make your application to the UK Border Force Officers on arrival at a UK airport and have the visa stamped into your passport which will be valid for 6 months.
Nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States of America and EU National passport holders will be able to use the eGates for fast automated arrival. However, you will in this case not receive any passport stamp and should keep a copy of your flight ticket or boarding pass as proof of your date of arrival and may be asked to provide this to the university as proof of arrival and the start of your 6-month permission to enter the UK.
Students from European Economic Area and Switzerland, who are not eligible for EU Settlement Scheme can also use eGates entrance as Visitors.
You should carry with you the following in your hand luggage:
- Your passport
- A supporting letter from City confirming your short course/resits
- Recent formal evidence that you can support yourself financially for the duration of your course (eg: bank statement/loan letter)
- If you have it, evidence you intend to leave at the end of your stay, for example a flight booking (if you are a Study Abroad student you may also take with you a letter from your home institution confirming you will be returning to a course there)
- Students studying on certain science-based courses at Masters level and above will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. You can find out more about applying for ATAS and which courses require it, on our Student Visa pages. You must obtain this before you travel to the UK, as you cannot start study without it. You may also be asked to show this to border officials when you enter the UK, so should have this in your hand luggage. Further guidance can be found on the ATAS website.