1. Make sure you can travel
If you want to travel during term time you will need to seek permission from your tutor before you make any plans.
2. Find out if you need a visa
Contact the embassy of the country that you are visiting to find out if you need a visa. Some countries require students to have between 2 & 6 months remaining on their student visa.
Request a status letter to support your visa application
If you do require a visa, request a Student Status Letter to confirm that you are student.
Travelling to multiple countries in Europe
You may be eligible for a Schengen visa.
3. Prepare to re-enter the UK
Request a Student Status Letter to confirm that you are a student - you will need to present this letter to the immigration official when you re-enter the UK.
When you re-enter the UK, you may also need to show:
- That you still have enough money to pay your tuition fees and living expenses
- That your tutor has given you permission to travel
If you are a national from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the USA and have a Visitor Visa stamp in your passport DO NOT USE THE E-GATE when you return to the UK. You will need to see an immigration official to get a new Visitor Visa stamp in your passport.
What to do if you lose your documents overseas
Applying for a replacement passport outside of the UK
If you either lose, or have your passport stolen, you will need to report this to the police in the country where the loss or theft occurred and make an application for a replacement passport. You should contact your country's embassy, consulate, or high commission or passport office in the country where the loss or theft occurred for information on how to obtain a replacement passport. It is possible that there may be a considerable wait to obtain a replacement passport or travel document.
Applying for a replacement BRP outside the UK
You should report the loss or theft of the BRP to the police and obtain a police report, then report your lost or stolen BRP to: https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/lost-stolen-damaged
You will not be able to use your BRP if you find it after you report it lost or stolen.
You should then apply for a replacement BRP visa single entry costing £154 to re-enter the UK by applying online at: https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/country-selection
Once you have returned to the UK you should apply for a replacement BRP card within 1 month: https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/lost-stolen-damaged
UKVI Visa Application Centres
UKVI Visa Application Centres offer a variety of chargeable value added services in addition to ordinary application services. You should check the availability of any such services at the Visa Application Centre you intend to apply at as this may enable quicker processing of their application.
For an alphabetical list of the Visa Application Centres outside the UK and their contact details, click on the link: https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre