We know that EU, EEA and Swiss students who want to study in the UK in future may be concerned about issues such as fees and immigration.
This page contains the latest information and we will continue to update it regularly.
Following the UK's decision to withdraw from the European Union, the UK Government has confirmed that EU students, will no longer have automatic access to financial support such as student loans from Student Finance England. As a result of this EU students starting a course from the academic year 2021/22 onwards will be charged fees at the international tuition fee rate.
If you are required to pay the international fees we are pleased to offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to help support you and reward our most talented applicants.
This tuition fee change doesn’t affect EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from UK citizens’ rights under the respective withdrawal agreements e.g. those that have EU settled status. It also does not apply to Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, whose right to study and to access benefits and services will remain. The deadline to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status) was 30 June 2021.
Studying in the UK for longer than six months
If you were not resident in the UK before the 1st of January 2021, you will need to apply and be granted a Student Visa before travelling to the UK. On arrival in the UK you can enter using the electronic gates (eGates), without needing to show a visa. However, you will only be allowed to study at the University if you have been granted a student visa before you arrived.
Our video tutorial will guide you through the student visa application process.
After completing the online visa application form, you will need to verify your identity. Most people will be able to do this using a smartphone, through the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app, as part of the online application. To do this, you will need a biometric passport and a compatible smartphone.
How to use UK Immigration: ID Check app
If you do not have a biometric passport or experience difficulties with the app, you will need to attend a Visa Application Centre.
The UKVI (Immigration authorities) will send the visa application decision to you by email. This will include details of how to sign in to the View and Prove service on GOV.UK, where you can check your immigration status and its conditions at any time. You will also be able to share your immigration status with other agencies anytime you need to.
This information doesn't apply to Irish citizens: you will have the right to enter and live in the UK under Common Travel Area Arrangements.
The British Council has also provided guidance regarding visas for EU students from 1 January 2021.
If you're already a student at ARU, the International Student Advice Service pages on My ARU have detailed information for you.
If you arrived in the UK before 1 January 2021, you will be able to apply for pre-settled or settled status. It's free, and you have until 30 June 2021 to apply. This allows you to stay in the UK.
The UK is also introducing a new Graduate Route. This will let all international students (including EU students who need a student visa) stay in the UK for two years after finishing a degree course (three years after completing a PhD) to work or look for work.
The Graduate Route will be available from summer 2021.
The European Commission has published guidance on professional qualifications.
Some professional qualifications are automatically recognised across the EU and EEA, while others have to be recognised by a Member State.
The professions that are currently covered by automatic recognition are doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, veterinary surgeons and architects.
UK degrees are recognised in many countries around the world and most academic qualifications should still be recognised after the UK leaves the EU.
If you're already studying at ARU and want to talk, our International Student Advice Service can help. Email us: internationaladvice@aru.ac.uk