Travel during your stay
Schengen visa
If you are not a European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss national and want to travel to Europe during your stay in the UK, you may be required to apply for a Schengen visa before you travel. The Schengen visa allows visitors to obtain only one visa to visit a number of designated countries within the EEA. You should visit the website of the UK branch of the Embassy of the country wish to enter to find out if you require a Schengen visa.
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The UK is not a Schengen territory and the visa cannot be used to enter this country.
There are three types of Schengen visa:
1. The Airport transit visa which allows the traveller to transit through the international transit zone/area of an airport of a Schengen member state, but not to exit this zone/area before they fly to their next destination.
2. The transit visa which enables a traveller to pass through the territory of one or more Schengen member states on their way to another country outside the Schengen space.
3. The short stay or travel visa which allows a visit of up to three months in any 6 month period. This is the visa that most students wanting to travel within the Schengen Space as tourists or conference attendees will require.
Applications can also be submitted for multiple entry visas. This allows the student to travel more than once into the Schengen space during a three-month period.
There is a charge for obtaining a Schengen Visa which will vary depending on which of the Schengen countries is issuing the visa. You should apply either to the Embassy of the country you plan to spend most time in or the country you will go to first. Each embassy produces its own application form for the visa and you will need to contact the appropriate authority by telephoning their enquiry number to ask them to send a form out to you. Some Embassies' forms are available from the Embassy website.
Each embassy has its own policy on how much leave (i.e. permission) to enter or remain in the UK applicants need to have beyond the term of their proposed trip. Applicants may be required to have a passport which is valid for at least 3 months longer than the proposed visa, and applicants may need to spend time waiting for the national authorities to process your passport renewal, it is therefore advisable to apply early. Embassies may require applicants of particular nationalities to make their application to the Embassy in person.
Re-entering the UK after your trip
International students taking trips abroad should check that their student visa permits them to re-enter the UK after their travels. It is best to avoid making trips abroad when your student leave is near to its expiry and you should always seek advice before travelling.
When re-entering the UK you should carry the following in your hand luggage:
- Passport
- Letter from your college proving that you are a full-time student
- Bank statements, or other documents, proving that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay in the UK
Healthcare abroad
It is generally advisable to purchase comprehensive medical cover and insurance before you travel. You should also check if there are any health care arrangements between your home country and the country you wish to visit.