Once you have decided to study at the University of Reading and have been accepted onto your course, there are a number of steps you need to take before you can begin your studies at the University of Reading.
The checklist below provides an overview of some of the important things you need to do both before and after you arrive in the UK:
Before you arrive
You will need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) before you apply for a Student visa.
Your CAS is an electronic document that the University creates and storeson a UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) online database, once you have received- and accepted- an unconditional offer to study at the University of Reading and paid any deposits required. The CAS issued by the University of Reading can only be used to support one Student visa application to study at the location and the course stated.
If applying from overseas, you must apply for your Student visa within 6 months of receiving your CAS. You should prepare and be ready to apply for your Student visa as soon as possible after your CAS is issued (and once you meet all the eligibility requirements) to allow sufficient time for your visa application to be processed to enable you to enrol on your course on time. The latest date that you can be permitted to enrol on your course can be found on your CAS.
Student visa applications can be made from outside the UK by all eligible applicants. You may be able to apply for your new Student visa from within the UK if you meet the relevant requirements which permit you to do so. If you are in the UK and want advice on whether you can make your Student visa application from within the UK, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team.
You must ensure all the documents you may be required to submit with your Student visa application meet UKVI’s specific requirements. You will find all the information you need on the University’s VISA and immigration webpages. The GOV.UK website also has a helpful checklist for applying for a Student visa, and what to do when you arrive in the UK.
Please read both the University’s and the GOV.UK information pages carefully and if you have any questions either before or after you have made your Student visa application, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team. .
We suggest you use our Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code given on your CAS so your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) is delivered directly to the University, if you are issued one
The processing time for a standard Student visa application made outside the UK is 15 working days (3 weeks) though it can take longer during busier periods or if UKVI need to undertake additional checks. We also advise you to allow a little extra time to allow for the return of your passport/documents from the Visa Application Centre if you were required to attend an appointment.
Depending on your circumstances, you will either be issued your Student visa as a vignette (visa sticker in your passport) or as an e-Visa (a digital record of your immigration status).
Once your Student visa has been issued, please check the validity dates on the vignette in your passport or your digital status letter and familiarise yourself with the start date of your Student visa. You must only travel on or after the start date of your Student visa- it is very important that you do not travel to the UK before your Student visa becomes valid. If you do, you will not be permitted to enrol on your course.
If you notice an error on your vignette or e-Visa, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team.
When you apply for a Student visa online, you will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of the application process, unless exempt in very limited circumstances.
The amount you will be required to pay will depend on the length of the visa you are applying for. You can use the GOV.UK online tool to calculate how much you will be required to pay.
You can start using the National Health Service (NHS) when you have paid the IHS (or are exempt from paying it) and your visa is granted. Most healthcare is covered by the IHS, however, you will still need to pay for certain types of services (e.g. prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests).
You can find out more about the IHS and how to pay online on the GOV.UK website.
Before you can enrol on your course, you will need to complete all stages of your enrolment. To complete the online stage of your enrolment, you will need to pay your first tuition fee payment (which is usually 50% of your first year’s course fees) if you have not already done so. Alternatively, you must let the University know how you intend to pay.
We advise that tuition fee payment is made before you travel to the UK to help avoid delays to your enrolment. If you have problems or concerns about paying your fees before travelling, please contact Student Credit Control for advice.
International payments can take several days to be received by the University, so you should ensure you allow sufficient time for payments to be received and processed by the University. You will not be able to enrol until the fee payment has been received by the University and matched to your student record.
Depending on your circumstances, you may have a BRP to collect once you arrive in the UK.
A BRP is a plastic, credit-card-sized visa issued by UKVI as evidence of your Student visa status, and must be collected once you arrive in the UK.
A BRP can be used to confirm your:
- Identity
- Right to study
When you arrive in September, if you have a BRP to collect this will either need to be collected from the International Student Advisory Team in the Carrington Building during enrolment (if you use the Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code provided in your CAS letter in your Student visa application) or from the nearest BRP Post Office. You can find out more about your BRP on our BRP information page.
You will need to have your passport with you to be able to collect your BRP (and the passports of any dependents) for whom you are collecting a BRP).
You will find that your BRP will be issued with an expiry date of 31/12/2024, irrespective of your course end date. This is not an error, and it is because UKVI are phasing out BRPs at the end of 2024. You should have received information from UKVI about how to access your e-Visa when your Student visa was issued. Your e-Visa will show your actual Student visa expiry date. Some students may not receive a physical visa/BRP and will only be issued with an e-Visa. An e-Visa is an online record of your immigration status and allows organisations such as employers, landlords and universities to check and verify your immigration status online to assess your right to access those services. To prove your e-Visa to access these services, including the university. You will need to generate a share code and provide this to the relevant organisation. For information on how to generate a share code, please visit the GOV.UK website.
When you attend in-person enrolment (ID check) on campus, you will need to bring with you your passport, your BRP (if issued with one) and a share code so the University can verify your e-Visa online. The University will also need to confirm the date you entered the UK, so please also ensure you have access to your travel booking/boarding pass.
Please contact the International Student Advisory Team for further information or advice if you are unsure about how to access your e-Visa or generate a share code.
You will need to secure your accommodation (university and private accommodation) before you arrive in the UK.
Visit our web pages for further information on how to apply for University Accommodation. For information on finding private accommodation in the UK, please contact the Reading Students’ Union.
After you have secured University or private accommodation, update your address in the University’s Student Records System (the RISIS web portal). This may take up to 24 hours for your new contact information to be updated in RISIS.
If you are living in private accommodation, you may have to pay council tax from the period you arrive in the UK until you start your course. Whilst you are a full-time student at Reading, you will be exempt from paying council tax.
We strongly advise that you find suitable accommodation before you travel to the UK. The University has limited accommodation for families on campus. You can check the availability of family accommodation by contacting the accommodation office.
If you do not have a place to stay before travel, we advise you to travel ahead to find and secure suitable accommodation. Do this before your family joins you if needed.
Not all students are allowed by UKVI to bring dependants with them to the UK, to check who can bring dependants visit our web page on Dependant visas.
For more information visit our webpage on International Students with Dependents.
It is important to complete as many online enrolment tasks as possible before you travel.
For some new students who haven't yet declared whether or not they have a criminal conviction, you may be asked to declare this prior to online enrolment. To check if this applies to you on a PC/laptop you can hover your mouse over the greyed out 'Online Enrolment' box and a pop-up message will appear telling you what you need to do. On a mobile device, you can see the same message if you click on the grey 'Online Enrolment' box.
It is best to check with your department to see whether there are any additional tasks you need to complete which are specific to your school.
After you arrive
Enrolment is the process where you are confirmed as a student at the University. Enrolment needs to be completed in full so you can take part in Welcome activities and begin your studies.
There are two stages to enrolment: online via the RISIS portal, and in-person. Find detailed information on completing your online and in-person enrolment on the Welcome website.
When enrolling on campus you will need to undertake an ID and visa check. Please bring your visa documents (including your visa decision letter), CAS, passport, BRP, flight confirmation/boarding pass and any other immigration permission documents you may have.
You must complete your in-person enrolment on campus by the latest date to enrol, as specified on your CAS.
It is a good idea to open a UK bank account when you arrive in the UK. It is usually best to have a physical bank.
You can find all the information you will need on our Opening a Bank Account webpage.
Once you have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your Student visa application, you can access the National Health Service (NHS) and you can register as a patient at a local health centre. During enrolment, staff from the University of Reading Medical Group will be on-site to support you in registering and answer any questions you may have. If you miss this opportunity, you can register online.
Be sure to check the information for international students about accessing health care in the UK.
You will need to have your BRP/digital immigration status share code with you when registering with a local health centre.