- The length of our Student Visa will depend on the course you will be studying. Your visa will cover the full length of your course plus an additional period after completion which is commonly known as the “wrap-up period”. During this wrap-up period, you can remain in the UK.
- For Student visa applications made outside the UK, if you are undertaking a course of study that is 6 months or longer, your visa will be valid up to 1 month before the start date of your course, or, 7 days before your “intended travel date” (this is the date you put on your visa application form), whichever is later. If your visa is granted very close to your course start date, it will be valid from the date the decision is made on your application.
If you are undertaking a course that is less than 6 months, your visa will be valid from up to 7 days before the start date of your course.
For Student visa applications made within the UK, it will be valid from the date a decision is made on your visa application.
UK Visas and Immigration phased out Entry Clearance Vignettes for main applicants applying for Study visas and will now receive a digital immigration status known as an eVisa. Dependants may still receive vignettes.
Length of visa granted
The table below explains how much time a student can come to the UK for:
| Type of course |
Length of course |
Length of stay allowed |
| Main course of Study (including Sabbatical Officers) |
12 months or more |
The full length of the course plus four months after the end of the course |
| Six months or more, but less than 12 months |
The full length of the course plus two months after the end of the course |
| Less than six months |
The full length of the course plus seven days after the end of the course |
| Pre-sessional courses |
12 months or more |
The full length of the course plus four months after the end of the course |
| Six months or more, but less than 12 months |
The full length of the course plus two months after the end of the course |
| Less than six months |
The full length of the course plus one month after the end of the course |
| Postgraduate doctors and dentists on a recognised Foundation programme |
The full length of the course (up to a maximum of three years) plus one month after the end of the course |
Reporting and error with your eVisa?
When you receive your visa, you should check that everything is correct (for example, your name and date of birth, it states Student visa, duration of leave etc).
eVisas: access and use your online immigration status: Report an error with your eVisa - GOV.UK
If any of your details are incorrect, ask for it to be changed immediately, preferably before you travel to the UK. However, if there is no time for the error to be corrected before you travel please contact International Support who should be able to provide you with information on how to correct this on arrival to the UK.