All prospective international students coming to study in the UK for a course lasting more than 6 months, including those from the EU, EEA (except Ireland) and Switzerland who have not secured other immigration status, need to obtain a Student visa before they arrive in the UK to study.

If you are studying for a full-time degree you will most likely need a Student visa, to study at the University of Bath.

Types of Student visa

There are different categories of Student visa, including full-time and part-time options.

Please do not apply for a Child Student visa even if you are under the age of 18 and you are studying at the University of Bath. You cannot study at the University of Bath with a Child Student visa.

Full-time Student visa

Most students doing full-time degree level study or above will need to apply for a standard Student visa. To apply for the Student visa you will need to have been offered an unconditional place to study in the UK, and have met the other eligibility requirements.

Please see the links at the bottom of the page for full details of how to apply for the Student visa from within or outside of the UK.

Part-time Student visa

If you have an offer to study a part-time postgraduate master's degree or doctoral programme you may be eligible to apply for a part-time Student visa. This may be useful if you are working overseas and want to study for a part-time degree in the UK. It may also be useful if you need to repeat a year or semester of study on a part-time basis.

To be eligible, your studies must be longer than six months and not distance learning. A full-time student can switch to a part-time visa in the UK (and vice versa). You must still meet all the UKVI requirements (including academic progression, for example, applying for a higher level course). You will need to get your Student part-time visa before switching to part-time study.

The part-time Student visa has the following restrictions:

• no work permitted (including placements)
• you cannot bring dependants with you
• you must meet all visa requirements, including financial and English language requirements
• you must apply for ATAS clearance if required
• you must pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for the full length of your course when you make your visa application
• the University is still required to track your engagement with your studies and report significant changes to UKVI. Academic engagement contact points will be tailored to your course for part-time study

Before you apply

Before applying, you must make sure that you have all the required documents, enough money in your account to pay the fees, and understand your responsibilities while studying here on your full time or part-time Student visa.

Please also read the following information carefully.

UKVI visa interviews

After you have submitted your visa application, UKVI may invite you to a ‘credibility interview’ conducted in English, so they can confirm that you are a genuine student and that you meet English language requirements. Some of the information will be used to make a decision on your visa application.

Interviews last approximately ten minutes and are usually conducted with video conferencing, although they may take place in person or on the phone. You may need to travel to another city to attend your interview.

Your visa may be refused if you fail to attend or change your appointment time repeatedly.

Preparing for your interview

We advise you to:

• read the genuine student rule requirements in the Student and Child Student guidance
• be prepared to give detailed answers about your personal circumstances in English
• be honest if you have ever broken the law
• request a copy of your interview transcript for your records
• let the interviewer know if you cannot hear them clearly because of technical issues

The interviewer will likely ask questions about:

• your reasons for wanting to study in the UK
• your plans whilst you are in the UK
• why you chose the University of Bath and the particular course you will study
• any gaps in your study history
• how you will fund your studies
• your careers aspirations and how your studies will help you achieve these

Where to apply

Applications for the Student visa can be made from both outside and inside the UK. However, only some students are able to apply from inside the UK.

If you are not sure about where to apply, we strongly advise you to contact us to seek advice.