Pre-departure Guidance

Key dates 

Term starts on Monday 9 September 2024, with this week featuring important course and wider-School induction and welcome activities and we strongly recommend you arrive in the UK in time to participate in these activities. 

Teaching on your course starts on Monday 16 September. Please arrive in the UK by this date so that you are on campus for the start of teaching to avoid missing any information that is key to your studies. This is very important and will provide you with the best chance of success at UWS. You are allowed to arrive up to one month before the start date of your course.

Your latest arrival date will be stated on your CAS, and you must arrive in the UK by this date. Please note that you must not travel after this date.

Pre-departure Guidance

To help ensure your journey and arrival are as seamless as possible, it is important to keep in mind the guidance below, both ahead of your departure, and when you arrive in the country.

Book your accommodation before you travel

You may be asked about your accommodation plans upon arrival at your port of entry in the UK - and make sure you prepare for the financial requirements associated with residential accommodation - for example, deposit and advance payments. Please read our helpful accommodation guide. 

Remember your documents

For immigration purposes, please make sure you travel with the following documents in your hand luggage:

• A valid passport, with a visa or UK entry clearance (if applicable)
• Your visa decision letter which sets out the leave granted and explains the Biometric Identity Document (BID) or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) collection process in the UK, and your short-term visa vignette in your passport. This visa will have a validity of only 30 days from the expected date of travel to enable you to travel to the UK and to collect your BRP.
• Your plane ticket (or ticket for your ferry or train)
• Vaccination/X-ray certificates, if required
• Your offer letter from UWS. Keep information about the course you’re studying in paper copy . This includes your university Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number.
• Documentary evidence that you have enough money to pay for your tuition fees and accommodate yourself while you’re in the UK (recent bank statements, proof of scholarship or sponsor’s letter)

For a useful packing list of what to bring, check out the Great British Mag: The ultimate UK packing list.

Please do not bring food in your luggage – this is one of the most common reasons that UK Border Force officials stop people on arrival in the UK.

For those arriving at Glasgow Airport

For those arriving at Glasgow Airport, to help you move through the building as quickly as possible, ambassadors from Border Force and the airport may be on hand to guide you to the correct desks. You can help speed up this process by ensuring you keep all of your necessary documentation to hand, in an easily accessible place.

Your digital device

You will need a digital device such as a laptop for your academic studies in the UK. It is expected that you will have this accessible from the first day of teaching. A mobile phone is not suitable to work from. 

Personal contact information

Please ensure that the University has an up-to-date personal email address for you as your personalised enrolment information must be sent to you directly and you will not be able to enrol without this. 

If you applied to UWS with the support of one of our representative agencies, we may not have your up-to-date personal email address. It is essential that we are able to communicate with you directly at this important stage of your journey to UWS. 

Enrolment

You will be able to enrol after you have received your successful Student Visa decision. You will receive an email to your personal email address to tell you when you should begin enrolment. Please check your personal email regularly as it is very important you complete this process as soon as possible, to ensure a smooth start to your studies. If you have any queries regarding enrolment after it opens, please contact enrol@uws.ac.uk - once only - and keep a note of your call reference. We will get back to you as soon as we can so please do not duplicate your call.

New student enrolment 

You must provide UWS Registry with your ‘right to study’ documents, when asked, as this is part of your and our obligations to UKVI. You will receive an email from UKVI.Checkpoints@uws.ac.uk requesting copies of your documents after enrolment. 

These documents include:

• your visa, stamped with port and date of entry (if your visa is not stamped, then you will also need to include your boarding pass or e-ticket)
• a copy of the front and back of your BRP card

Please respond promptly to this request. You have 10 days upon arrival in the UK to collect your BRP. You can find out more here: International Students - Required Documents

What's next?

As a new student, there’s a lot of information to take on board. To help you settle in and learn about UWS support services and what to do on arrival, join one of our friendly New Arrival Support sessions during induction. More information can be found here:

Once you have enrolled, you will be able to access your timetable via the UWS Student App and please visit our international student pages for more information including how to enrol, complete online security and registering with a GP.

Once you are enrolled, keep an eye on the Student Services events calendar for all induction and welcome sessions.

Watch our pre-departure guidance video where our Student Buddies explain how to prepare for your studies in the UK including when to travel and what to bring.

Watch our pre-departure video