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Types of visas

Mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.

To Study at Cardiff University as an international student, you must hold a valid visa which entitles you to study at this university.

Most international students will need to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa. Please read the information below to help determine which visa is most appropriate. If you are a national of an EEA country or Switzerland, you do NOT need prior entry clearance to enter the UK and this section will NOT apply to you.

If you require any further guidance on what visa to apply for or have any questions about your visa application, please do contact our International Student Support team on iss@cardiff.ac.uk.

Tier 4 Student Visa

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you must apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa and not a Tier 4 (Child) student.

If you apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa you'll receive a visa for the full length of your course and you will be allowed to extend your visa (this may not be the case if you apply under the child route).

If you are currently in the UK on a Tier 4 (General) Student visa for another University or College then you must make an application for a new Tier 4 visa before you enrol at Cardiff University. You can only do so in the UK, if you have successfully completed your previous course.

Short Term Study Visa

If you're coming to study an English language course that is a maximum of 11 months, or a degree course for a maximum of six months, you may hear that you can come to the UK on a Short Term Study Visa instead of a Tier 4 student visa.

If you choose to come using a Short Term Study Visa, you will be much more restricted than if you come on a Tier 4 student visa.

You won't be allowed to do any paid or voluntary work (even if it is part of a course) and you cannot extend your stay in the UK or bring your family with you. For these reasons, it is not usually appropriate to come to the UK using a Short Term Study Visa and we recommend that you apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa.

Eligible applicants

The exceptions to this are:

  • Students studying on distance learning courses who need to come to the University for an examination or to attend a short course of less than six months and do not want to work in the UK.
  • International Exchange students studying in Cardiff for one semester (less than 6 months), who do not wish to work or volunteer whilst in Cardiff. Further details for International Exchange students.
  • Students studying on the English for University Study Programme and who do not want to work in the UK.

e-Passport gates

Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and USA are eligible to use the eGates at UK ports of entry when visiting the UK.

However students seeking entry to the UK under the short term study visa route should not use the e-Passport gates as you will not be able to obtain the correct entry stamp. Please pass through the manned immigration desk at UK Border Control, even if you are directed otherwise by immigration staff at the airport.

To help students needing to enter the UK as a short term student, the Home Office have provided information for students to show to UK Border Officers on arrival into the UK to help ensure that they receive the correct short term student stamp in their passports.

Tier 5 Visa

If you are not from the EEA or Switzerland and you are coming through the Erasmus+ Programme to complete a research placement at Cardiff University (Erasmus+ Traineeship placement), you will require a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange) visa. To apply for this visa, you will first need to apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the British Council. Further details on how to apply for the CoS.

International students who will be joining Cardiff University for a course of over 6 months will need to apply for the Student Route visa. This is the most appropriate immigration route for most undergraduate and postgraduate courses delivered by Cardiff University.

If you apply for a Student visa, you'll receive a visa for the full length of your course plus an additional wrap-up period dependent on the length of your course. You will be able to reside, study, and in most cases, work part-time in the UK (with restrictions).

If you are currently in the UK on a Student Route visa issued for study at another university, college, or school, then you must make an application for a new Student Route visa before you enrol at Cardiff University.

You must meet strict requirements set by the Home Office if you wish to extend your visa in the UK. For more information, visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

For students aged 16 -17, you must apply for a Student Route Visa and not a Child Student visa to study with Cardiff University.

Access our downloadable guide for detailed guidance on applications under the Student Route.

The Short-Term Study visa is for English language study only.

This visa is for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months.

You can find information about the requirements and application process for this route here:

A Short-Term Study Visa has more restrictions than a Student Route visa. You will not be allowed to do any paid or voluntary work and you cannot extend your stay in the UK or bring your family with you.

A letter detailing your programme of study will be provided to you by the university’s Student Visa Compliance team. This is required in order to apply for your visa.

For Information about English language programmes at Cardiff University, contact our English language programme team.

The Standard Visitor Visa permits study for up to 6 months in the following categories:

  • Students studying on distance learning courses who need to come to the university for an examination or to attend a short course of fewer than six months and do not want to work in the UK.
  • International Exchange students studying in Cardiff University for one semester (less than 6 months), who do not wish to work or volunteer whilst in Cardiff. Find out more about what studying abroad in Cardiff is like for International Exchange students.
  • Students studying on the English for University Study Programme for 6 months and who do not want to work in the UK.
  • Students conducting a short piece of research that's relevant to your course overseas.
  • Students sitting an entrance exam, retaking an exam or course module, or doing a PhD oral exam (a viva).

Further detail on permitted study can be found online at Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor: Visit to study - GOV.UK

If you are a non-visa national, including EU, EEA, or Swiss nationals without permission under the EU Settlement Scheme, you do not need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa in advance, though you can do so if you wish if you wish. However, depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)  prior to travel. IMPORTANT: Please read the section below regarding Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). This requirement is now extended to nationalites who have previously  not required any clearance prior to travel,

Visa nationals must apply for a Standard Visitor Visa prior to travel. The exception is a limited number of nationals able to apply for an ETA. Please see the following section for further details.

A letter detailing your programme of study will be provided to you by the University’s Student Visa Compliance team. This is required in order to apply for your visa.

e-Passport gates

Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and USA and those from the EU/EEA are eligible to use the e-Gates at UK ports of entry when visiting the UK. Please check if you need an ETA in the section below as this is still needed if using the eGates. If you enter in this way, your passport will not be stamped on entry. You must retain evidence of entry, for instance, your boarding pass, in order to enrol on your course and receive your student ID card.

An Electronic Travel Authorisation or ETA gives you permission to travel to the UK. An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK and you still need to either see a Border Force officer or use an ePassport gate (check your eligibility on the Government website). When entered at the border, your permission will be that of a Standard Visitor. Please see our section above for details of this route.

Unless a visa has been obtained in advance, nationals of the following countries MUST apply for an ETA prior to travel:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • The Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Costa Rica
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Kiribati
  • Kuwait
  • Macao Special Administrative Region
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Nauru
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Oman
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Qatar
  • Samoa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Korea
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tuvalu
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States
  • Uruguay

The following nationalities can apply now for an ETA where travel will take place from 2 April 2025. An ETA must be held for travel from 2 April 2025:

  • Andorra
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Monaco
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • San Marino
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Vatican City

If successful, an ETA document is issued electronically. The current price for an EVW is £10. Applications should take 3 working days to process but can take longer. We advise allowing a minimum of 2 weeks to avoid disappointment.

Once issued, your ETA lasts for 2 years. You can travel to the UK as many times as you want during that time. You will need to see a Border Force officer or pass through an eGate each time you enter. You may be asked about your reasons for entry each time. Permission to enter each time will be granted for a period of up to 6 months from the date of entry. Please see the information about the Standard Visitor Visa for conditions of leave.

Further nationalities will be added to the ETA requirement for travel from 2 April 2025. The application will open for those nationals from 5 March 2025.

Information about how to apply for the ETA can be found online on the relevant Home Office pages.

Contact us

If you require further guidance on what visa to apply for or have any questions about your visa application, contact our Student Visa Support team

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