Preparing to travel
This section will give you some information about travelling to Reading including:
Before you travel - flight details
If you have any special requirements (for example a disability) and need assistance at the airport, please send in advance by fax or email the details of your flight number, date and time of arrival at London Heathrow or Gatwick airports to Reading International Office, fax: 0044 (0)118 975 2252 or e-mail: c.l.ballard@reading.ac.uk.
What to take
Make sure you carry the following items in your hand luggage:
-
Passport
-
Student visa - You should not enter with a Student Visitor visa as this will cause problems later (You will not be able to stay in the UK any longer than six months on a Student Visitor Visa and cannot make an application in the UK to stay longer as a student).
It is essential to check with the British Embassy or High Commission in the country of your nationality or the country in which you are living whether you need a visa to enter the UK.
Find further information on immigration and the Points Based System (PBS) -
Letter from the University confirming your admission
-
Evidence of financial support, e.g. bank statement or details of scholarship/award
-
Address of your accommodation in Reading, if you know it
-
Money - we suggest you bring £250 (UK sterling) in a mixture of cash and travellers' cheques for your immediate needs (meals, bus and taxi fares, etc). Avoid carrying any more cash in case it gets lost or stolen. Most shops and hotels will accept credit cards.
When you obtain your British currency, ask if you can have some small denomination notes and coins. Remember to buy something when you arrive (for example a newspaper) to break one of your notes into smaller change. This will make things easier if you need to use buses, trains or taxis.
British coins come in the following denominations: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 (100p), £2 (200p). Banknotes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100. Note: £50 and £100 notes are not widely used.
Normal banking hours are from 09.30 to 16.30 Monday to Friday. Some banks are open on Saturday mornings. You can also change currency and cash travellers' cheques at 'Bureaux de Change' offices, which are open for longer, and are often located in stations and airports. Try to avoid changing very small amounts of money as there is often a minimum commission charge which makes it expensive. Shops and services in the UK will accept payment in UK currency only. Credit and debit cards are also widely accepted.
Important - EU Cash Declaration Rules
If you are travelling to the UK from a country outside the European Union and are carrying €10,000 or more in cash, bankers draft or cheque of any kind (or the equivalent in other currencies), you will be required to declare this at customs.
Forms on which to make the declaration will be available when you arrive and you will be given a copy of the completed form, which you should keep safely as evidence that you have made a declaration.
Travellers could face a penalty of up to £5,000 if they fail to comply with the obligation to declare, or provide incorrect or incomplete information.
If you are unsure about what you can bring into the UK, you should check with your local British Embassy or High Commission, before you begin your journey.
Find further information about bringing cash to the UK -
Your Luggage - It is illegal to import many food items (especially meat or dairy products) into the UK. Many of the foods you usually eat at home can easily be found in UK shops. Most large supermarkets now have international food sections and there are many region specific shops including a large Asian food supermarket in Reading. Further information about bringing food products into the UK.
Do not bring too many winter clothes as these can be purchased cheaply once in the UK.
You will also be able to purchase kitchen items and bedding when you arrive.
Check if you need to bring an adaptor and/or voltage converter for electrical equipment. These are also available in the Students' Union shop or in the shops in Reading town centre.
Tuberculosis Screening
Applicants for UK visas valid for longer than six months in certain countries now require a certificate to show that they are free from infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).
The Government has implemented a programme to screen people applying to enter the UK for more than six months for tuberculosis. Testing has begun in the following countries:
- Bangladesh,
- Ghana (which also takes applications from Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and Niger ),
- Kenya (which also takes applications from residents of Eritrea, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda (visitor applications) and Tanzania),
- Pakistan,
- Sudan, and
- Thailand (which also takes applications from Cambodia and Laos).
Other nations of TB-endemic countries are not required to be screened prior to arrival in the UK, but some students will be required to undergo a TB screening on arrival in the UK. This can be a lengthy process but you may be able to bypass this procedure if you already have a chest x-ray with you in your hand luggage.
For further information on the above please contact your British Embassy or British High Commission.
More information about TB screening
Telephones
You will find public telephones at all airports, sea ports, railway stations, bus stations and on some streets. Instructions on how to use them are displayed next to the telephone. Most red phone boxes have been replaced by newer 'modern' clear glass ones, and there are different companies operating phone services.
They accept coins from 20 pence upwards and many phone boxes also accept credit cards, or phone cards (these can be purchased from most convenience stores and newsagents, and come in many denominations from £2 to £20).
For making telephone calls overseas, it can be cheaper to use an international calling card. You can buy phone cards online or from some newsagents or kiosks in the UK. You can send emails from internet cafes and public access computers in public libraries.