Short Term Study Visa
You can apply for a Short-term study visa if:
- you’re doing a short course of study in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
You need a STANDARD VISITOR VISA if you’re an academic visitor.
You can’t apply if you qualify for British citizenship – including if you can have dual nationality. You must apply for British citizenship instead.
What you can and can’t do
You can:
- do a short course of study in the UK, such as an English language course or a training course
- do a short period of research as part of a degree course if you are studying abroad
You can’t:
- study at a state school
- work (including on a work placement or work experience) or carry out any business
- extend this visa
- bring family members (‘dependants’) with you – they must apply separately
- get public funds
How long you can stay
You can stay in the UK for:
- 6 months – for any short course (including English language courses), or short period of research if you’re 18 or over
- 11 months – if you’re 18 or over and taking an English language course
It costs:
- £85 for a 6 month visa
- £162 for an 11 month visa
How long it takes
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK. You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. Check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in the country you’re applying from.
Eligibility
You must prove that you:
- have been offered a place on a course in the UK at an accepted place of study
- have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds, or that relatives and friends can support and house you
- can pay for your return or onward journey
If you’re under 18 you must also:
- have made arrangements for your travel and stay in the UK
- have permission from your parent or guardian to study in the UK
Where you can study
You must be accepted on a course with an education provider that holds a Tier 4 sponsor licence. Otherwise your course will need to be held at an educational institution listed by one of the following:
- Accreditation Body for Language Services
- Accreditation Service for International Colleges
- Accreditation UK
- Bridge Schools Inspectorate
- British Accreditation Council
- Education and Training Inspectorate (in Northern Ireland)
- Estyn (in Wales)
- HM Inspectorate of Education (in Scotland)
- Independent Schools Inspectorate
- Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
- Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
- Schools Inspection Service
Learning English as a foreign language
You must be at least 18 years old and accepted on a course to learn English as a foreign language if you’re applying for an 11 month Short-term study visa. A mixed course, some of which is spent studying English, doesn’t count.
Visiting the UK as part of an overseas course
You can apply for a Short-term study visa if you’re at least 18 years old and studying at an overseas higher education institution and part of your course is in the UK.
– Your institution must:
- hold its own national accreditation
- offer only part of its educational programme in the UK
- offer programmes that are equivalent to a UK degree
Researching in the UK for a short time
You can come to the UK for a short period of research if already enrolled on an overseas degree course.
– To be eligible:
- your course must be equivalent to a UK degree
- you must be carrying out the research at a UK recognised body, or a body that receives public funding as a higher education institution
- you must be at least 18 years old