Here in the UK, a warm welcome is waiting for you.
The UK education sector is one of the most international in the world. Students and staff from the EU and beyond are extremely welcome. They make an enormous contribution to the UK and the success of its education institutions.
Does the UK leaving the European Union affect students from the EU?
If you’re from the EU, EEC or Switzerland, and you’re thinking of coming to study in the UK, there are a few practical things that might change as a result of the UK leaving the EU. These depend on when you arrive in the UK.
If you are an Irish national, these changes will not apply to you.
If you arrived in the UK before 31 December 2020, there’s very little that will change as long as you register for the EU Settlement Scheme. If you’re an EU citizen and you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you and your family can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme and continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.
If you have a family member with pre-settled or settled status and you have lived in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA or Switzerland in the three years immediately before the start of your course, you may also be eligible to apply for pre-settled status on coming to the UK.
If you arrive from 1 January 2021 onwards, there will be some changes. Many of these are still subject to negotiations, but the UK government, the British Council and universities in the UK are working hard to make any new arrangements as simple as possible.
The main changes are:
| Arrive in the UK before 1 January 2021 | No changes; apply for EU Settlement Scheme to stay longer than 30 June 2021 (if you want to remain in the UK beyond 30 June 2021 and keep ‘home fee status’ beyond this date) |
| Arrive in the UK after 1 January 2021 and start your course before 31 July 2021 | Changes to immigration status, no changes to fee status |
| Arrive in the UK after 1 January 2021 and start your course after 1 August 2021 | Changes to immigration status and fee status (for studies in England or Scotland) |
More details on these changes are below.
Will EU students have to pay the same university fees as international students to study in the UK?
EU students who have started or are due to start at a university or further education institution by 31 July 2021 have ‘home fee status’ in the UK. This means they pay the same tuition fees as students from the part of the UK where their university is located (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales). If they study in Scotland as an undergraduate, their tuition fees are paid by Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). EU students who have started or will start studies in the rest of the UK as an undergraduate by 31 July 2021 can apply for a student loan from the relevant student funding body to cover any tuition fees.
This won’t change for those students who start a course at a university or further education institution in the UK before July 2021. If this applies to you, you will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee status’ – in other words, you will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students, and you can still apply for a student loan in England, Northern Ireland or Wales, or have your fees paid by SAAS if you are studying as an undergraduate in Scotland.
You are also guaranteed this status for the duration of your studies.
These guarantees apply for the full duration of your course, even if it finishes after July 2021.
EU students and students from the EEA-EFTA or Switzerland who start a new course in England, Scotland or Wales after August 2021 will no longer be eligible for home fee status. Instead, each UK university will set its own fees for EU students. Northern Ireland will announce arrangements in due course. If you’re thinking of starting a course in the UK from August 2021 onwards, you will need check with the university you are applying to for more information about fees they will charge.
Students from the EU, EEA-EFTA or Switzerland who start new courses in England, Scotland or Wales after August 2021 will also no longer be eligible for student loans (Northern Ireland will announce arrangements in due course). However, there may be other forms of financial support you can apply for. Find out more in the 'Scholarships and funding' section of our Study UK website.
Will EU students need a visa to study in the UK?
If you arrived in the UK before 1 January 2021, you will not need a visa. If you plan to stay in the UK longer than 1 January 2021 (for example, to complete your full course), you’ll need to apply online for the EU Settlement Scheme . The scheme is free of charge. You should apply as soon as possible after you’ve arrived in the UK, and by 30 June 2021.
If you plan to arrive in the UK from 1 January 2021 onwards, you will need to apply for a student visa if you are studying a course which is longer than six months in length.
You will need to complete an application and have it accepted before you arrive in the UK.
You will need to pay an application fee (£348 for students) and have a current passport or other valid travel document.
Most people will be able to complete their application, including identity verification, using a smartphone app. If you can’t access the smartphone app or you don’t have a biometric passport, you may need to go to a Visa Application Centre in your country.
You will also need to pay a fee called an Immigration Health Surcharge. This gives you access to the UK’s National Health Service. Students receive a 25 per cent discount on the usual cost of this surcharge - so the rate for student visa holders is £470 per year.
You can apply for a student visa up to six months before your course starts.
Please visit the GOV.UK student visa page to apply for a visa, or for more information.
If you're between four and 17 years old, visit the GOV.UK Child Study visa page .
Can EU students still come to the UK on the Erasmus+ exchange programme?
The UK will continue to participate fully in the current (2014-2020) Erasmus+ and ESC programmes. This means that the projects successfully bid for during the current programmes will continue to receive EU funding for the full duration of the project, including those where funding runs beyond 2020 and the end of the transition period. Participants who study, train, volunteer or spend time abroad through Erasmus+ exchanges that were confirmed during the current programme (2014-2020) can participate fully and for the full duration of their exchange. This covers UK participants going abroad and international participants coming to the UK.
The UK government has published a statement regarding The Turing scheme , a new programme to replace the UK’s participation in Erasmus+ from 2021. We will provide more information about the new Turing scheme as soon as it is available.
For the most up-to-date information on Erasmus+, go to the UK National Agency website .
Do these changes apply to UK nationals living in EU countries?
UK nationals who live in EU countries, countries in the EEA-EFTA, or Switzerland will be eligible for home fees status if they start their studies in the UK before 1 January 2028.
If you are a UK national and you’re thinking of studying in the UK, please contact the British Embassy in your country for more information about this announcement.
Where can I find more detailed information?
For more information about studying in the UK in the 2020-21 academic year, including information about changes to study, support for international students, travel and more, visit our dedicated page .
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