If you are coming to City, St Georges for a short period of study, you need to enter the UK under the Standard Visitor route. Whether you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel depends upon your nationality.
The Standard Visitor route allows students to come to the UK for a period of up to 6 months (per calendar year) in order to undertake a short course of study, or complete certain academic requirements of their course after their Student visa has expired. The Standard Visitor Route is the required route for the following City St George's students:
- Visiting / Occasional students on courses of 6 months or less
- Undergraduate / Masters students who need to return to resit exams
- Some PhD students who need to re-enter the UK only to attend their viva
- Undertaking distance-learning programmes who need to come to the UK to attend a short induction or face-to-face module.
From 25 February 2026, most visa nationals applying for a Visitor Visa will receive an eVisa only, replacing physical visa vignette stickers.
These changes streamline the process for visa applicants who now only need to visit the Visa Application Centre (VAC) once to confirm your identity and receive your passport back at the same appointment. Decisions will be communicated by email, and for those granted a visa, you will need to set up a UKVI account to access your eVisa.
The following resources are available:
eVisa guidance: GOV.UK
Set up a UKVI account: GOV.UK
Not all nationalities are required to have been granted a visa before travelling to the UK. You can check if you need a visa and what type you need using the GOV.UK self checker. Depending on your nationality, you might not need to apply for a visa before you travel.
Visa nationals
- Anyone whose nationality is listed on the Government's Visa national list is classed as a ‘visa national’.
- Visa nationals must always have been granted a visa before coming to the UK. This is known as ‘entry clearance’.
- An application must be made online.
- Applications should not be submitted more than three months before the intended date of travel.
- An application can be submitted in any country where the applicant is legally present, and does not have to be made from the individual’s country of residence (source: UKVI guidance)
From 25 February 2026, most visa nationals applying for a Visitor Visa will receive an eVisa only, replacing physical visa vignette stickers.
These changes streamline the process for visa applicants who now only need to visit the Visa Application Centre (VAC) once to confirm your identity and receive your passport back at the same appointment. Decisions will be communicated by email, and for those granted a visa, you will need to set up a UKVI account to access your eVisa.
The following resources are available:
eVisa guidance: GOV.UK
Set up a UKVI account: GOV.UK
Non-Visa nationals
Citizens of certain countries are non-visa nationals (scroll to Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list - if your country is NOT on the list, then you are a non-visa national) are able to come to the UK as a Standard Visitor without first applying for Entry Clearance (a visa issued as a sticker in your passport).
Instead, these citizens can be stamped in on arrival as at the UK border, or enter the UK through eGates. If you enter the UK as a Standard Visitor you can remain for a maximum period of 6 months per calendar year.
What is an ETA?
An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a digital permission to travel that is part of the plans to transform and digitise the UK border.
An ETA will soon be a requirement for people who are entering the UK for less than 6 months. This will include international (and EU) students entering the UK as a Visitor to study and undertake research at UK universities. British and Irish nationals will not require an ETA.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) strictly enforced:
From 25 February 2026, carriers will prevent eligible travellers from boarding if they do not have an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
People who do not need a visa for short stays and who do not hold valid UK immigration status must obtain an ETA before travelling. An ETA is required for visitors and those taking connecting flights where they go through passport control.
Travellers must apply using the passport they intend to travel with. The ETA links digitally to that document. Most applications are processed quickly, although some may take longer. We recommend applying at least three working days before travel.
Guidance and how to apply: GOV.UK