International Student Checklist

Before you arrive in the UK

You need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) before you apply for a Student visa.  

The CAS is an electronic record that the University produces for UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) once you have received- and you have accepted- an unconditional offer to study at the University and paid any deposits required. The CAS is required for your Student visa application. The CAS issued by the University of Reading is only valid to study the course stated at the University of Reading. 

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 in order for you to be able to enrol onto your course on time.  

The processing time for a standard Student visa application 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 allow a little extra time to allow for the return of your passport/documents from the Visa Application Centre.

Before you arrive in the UK

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 are able to make your Student visa application from within the UK, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team. 

It is very important you 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. 

Once your Student visa has been issued, please check the validity dates on the visa in your passport or in the Digital Status letter. 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 notice an error on your visa or Digital Status letter, please contact the University’s International Student Advisory Team for advice.

Before you arrive in the UK

You may need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your Student visa application.  

When you apply for a Student visa online, you will need to pay the IHS as part of the application process.  

The amount you will be required to pay will depend on the length of visa you are applying for and where you apply from.  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’ve 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 arrive in the UK

Before you can begin your studies, you’ll need to complete all aspects of your enrolment as a student at the University (See enrolment section for more information).  

In order to complete the online stage of your enrolment, you will need to pay your fees, or let the University know how you intend to pay.  

You can find out more about tuition fees and schedules and pay your fees. 

International payments can take a number of days to be received by the University, so please ensure you allow sufficient time for payments to be received and processed by the University, as enrolment cannot be completed until the fee payment has been received by the University. 

We advise that tuition fee payment is made before you travel to the UK. If you have problems or concerns about paying your fees before travelling, please contact the University's International Student Advisory Team for advice.

Before you arrive in the UK

It’s important to plan and secure your accommodation before you arrive in the UK.  

There are two main accommodation options for you as a student: university accommodation or private or rented accommodation. 

You can find everything you need to know about applying for your accommodation in the UK on the accommodation webpages. For further information on finding private accommodation in the UK please see the Reading Student Union housing advice pages.

If you're planning on moving to the UK with your family, the University also offers some accommodation that is suitable for couples and families. Check out 'International Students bringing partners and/or family' section below for more information about accommodation and the steps you need to complete before your partners and/or family arrives in the UK.

For both university and private accommodation, you need to have this secured before you arrive in the UK. To apply for University accommodation, visit the how to apply section of the accommodation website. 

Once you have successfully registered in University accommodation or, sourced private accommodation, you’ll need to update your address details on the University’s Student Records System (the RISIS web portal).  

Please be aware that once you have registered in University accommodation, it can 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. Council Tax is a tax paid to your local council to pay for local services. The amount you pay is based on the estimated value of the property you are living in, and the number of people living it. Once you begin your studies you will be exempt from paying council tax, as full-time students at university do not pay council tax.  

Before you arrive in the UK

For Students who are bringing family with them to Reading, we strongly advise that suitable accommodation is arranged before travel to the UK. Please be aware that the University have extremely limited family accommodation on campus and this is booked up in advance. You can check availability by contacting the accommodation office. The majority of families are accommodated in private accommodation off campus which they acquire themselves. To secure private accommodation you may be asked for a deposit, advance rent payment (which could be equivalent to 6 months rent in advance) or to provide a UK guarantor. The University does not have any ability to assist students in securing private accommodation. For further information on finding private accommodation in the UK please see the Reading Student Union housing advice pages.

In previous years we have had students arrive with partners and children who have not secured accommodation in advance of their arrival. This results in costly stays in hotels, delays in opening bank accounts and applying for school places for children. The additional stress to students also results in missing important academic inductions at the start of the academic year and commencing their studies, which can cause a real challenge to academic success, particularly for students who are only studying a one year Masters programme.

If you do not have accommodation secured before travel, to avoid the above consequence, we would advise you the student to travel ahead to source and secure suitable accommodation before your family join you.

Once you have secured accommodation, if you have children of school age, you will then be able to apply for a school place. Where you live will depend on which council you need to apply through. Please be aware that you are not guaranteed a place in your nearest school and you may find you need to travel to get your children to school. For more information on applying for school places and additional relevant information for students with dependants, please see the International Student Advisory website.

For students with children below school age, there is a children’s nursery & pre-school on campus. For more information on this, costs and how to apply, check out the Little Learners Nursery website.

When you arrive on campus

A Biometric Residence Permit (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, your BRP will either need to be collected from the University’s Whiteknights campus 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 where we advise you to have your BRP delivered to on the ‘Your Biometric Residence Permit’ page on Essentials.  

When collecting your BRP,  please bring your passport (and the passports of any dependents where we have received their BRP).

You can also visit Essentials for more important information about your BRP, how to collect your BRP from the University and how to check your BRP for errors. 

Some students may not receive a physical visa/BRP and will instead be issued with a Digital Immigration Status. A digital immigration status is online proof of your Student visa 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. In most cases, a digital immigration status will be the only evidence you have of your immigration permission to be in the UK. Students with a digital immigration status will need to generate a share code to enable the University to verify their Student visa status online at in-person enrolment.

Criminal Convictions pre-enrolment task for new students

For some new students who haven't yet declared whether or not they have a criminal conviction, you may be asked to declare this now before online enrolment opens to you. 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 'long press' on the greyed out 'Online Enrolment' box. 

Pharmacy pre-enrolment task for new and returning Pharmacy students

Many students on our Pharmacy course will need to complete a Pharmacy pre-enrolment task before online enrolment opens to you.  Find out where to find this information on RISIS.

When you arrive on campus

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. Check out the guidance on completing your online and in-person enrolment on the Welcome website, for detailed information on how to enrol as a student at the University, and where to go for in-person enrolment.

When enrolling on campus you will need to undertake an ID check, and a permission to study in the UK check. Please bring your visa documents (including your visa decision letter), CAS, passport, BRP, 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.  

When you arrive on campus

It can sometimes take up to two weeks to open a UK bank account, so make sure to allow enough time, and that you have access to sufficient funds in case there is a delay.  

Before you can open a bank account in the UK you will need to have: 

- Completed your enrolment and paid at least 50% of the year's tuition fee 
- Checked that your correct home address (in your home country) is stored on the University's Student Records System (RISIS) 
- Registered in University accommodation or, if you live in private accommodation, have updated your address details on the RISIS web portal. 

Please be aware that once you have registered in University accommodation it can take up to 24 hours for your new contact information to be updated in RISIS. 

When you open a UK bank account you will need to take your passport, BRP/digital immigration status share code, proof of address, and a letter of introduction for UK banking facilities from the University. You can print this letter off from your self-service RISIS portal.  

When printing the letter, you will need to select the bank you want to open the account with. This is important because the bank will only accept the letter if it is addressed to them. If a bank is not on the list, please visit the Student Service Reception in Carrington Building where they can write you a letter for your chosen bank. 

In most instances, you’ll need to book an in-person appointment at your chosen bank to open an account. There are lots of banks located within Reading town centre.  

Check out the Living and Studying in the UK pages on Essentials for further information on opening a bank account, the different banks you can choose from, and some top tips on banking in the UK.

Once you've opened your bank account, we'd recommend familiarising yourself with the financial support and advice that is available to you to help support your financial wellbeing at University: 

- The Money Matters pages on Essentials are the place to go to find out about fees and how to pay online, funding, advice and insurance.

- The Student Financial Support Team are also available for in-person and online appointments to provide advice and support on any money related matters. 

-  Blackbullion is a free financial planning tool with lots of educational resources to help you get confident with your finances. 

When you arrive on campus

Once you have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your Student visa application, you are eligible to use the National Health Service (NHS) and can register as a patient at a local health centre.  

The nearest health centre to the University’s Whiteknights campus is the University of Reading Medical Practice, you can register as a patient in-person with their reception team.  

The NHS website also has an online tool to help you find the nearest GP to your accommodation.   

Make sure to check out the health information to international students on Essentials for more information 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.