As an international student, you may be looking for reassurance about your study plans this autumn. Perhaps you, or your family, are concerned about your safety, or may be confused about what to do and who to talk to for advice.
We hope this information will reassure you that our students are staying well informed and safe as they study. And please contact our international team if you would like more support, we're here for you every step of the way.
Adapting the University for the future
Throughout the pandemic we have been flexible and accommodating to the needs and changing circumstances of our students around the world, and we will continue to be as flexible as we possibly can.
Students share their experiences.
All videos on this page were filmed with social distancing measures in place.
In line with UK government guidance, and with full social distancing measures in place:
- our campuses are all open and students have access to all facilities and services;
- our support services are open, including our libraries, IT facilities, study spaces, student support centres, health centres, Global Lounges and cafes;
- we offer regular on-campus lateral flow Covid testing for students and staff who are studying and working on campus, to keep our community safe and help to stop the spread of Covid-19.
To help you plan for your studies, and to keep our staff, students, and families safe and well informed, we keep our website updated and send information regularly by email and through social media.
My university experience has been amazing. From teaching to safety, it’s been wonderful. My course tutor and the course team are very helpful in all aspects. My studies have been in-person teaching which was a wonderful experience as I got to meet new people, socialize more and work in a team with course mates.
Shweta Sompura, NTU student
POV: Ekta Pareek, NTU student
"I’m super happy and it feels nice and safe to be back on campus. The global lounge is open for all students to carry out social activities, learn new languages, also to refill the coffee mug and have a chit chat with friends."
Ekta Pareek
Ekta Pareek, international student, films student life at NTU today.
Teaching and learning
We had to make some changes to our teaching and learning methods last year, including blended (a mix of online and in-person teaching) and online learning. Our teaching is now in-person, where government guidelines allow.
We are preparing for in-person teaching from the start of the Autumn term and will adapt our teaching to keep students as safe as possible.
Art & Design students talk about their learning experiences.
Our students and staff have been overwhelmingly positive and creative in meeting these study challenges and have engaged in new activities with energy and enthusiasm. A great example of this is our online pre-sessional English course, the perfect NTU preparation course if you need to meet our language requirements.
We give our students as much support as possible no matter how they are studying, including:
- each course has a subject administrator to keep students informed and each student has a personal tutor;
- access to a room availability checker app to help students find study spaces;
- course inductions and support on how to use the online teaching tools;
- access to a personalised timetable;
- new undergraduate students are given a student mentor who is either a second, final year or postgraduate student.
Staying safe – testing and tracking
Before you travel to the UK, there are things you must do to comply with the latest travel restrictions, including quarantine or self-isolation and proof of a negative Covid-19 test.
Advice varies according to whether you are travelling from a red, amber or green list country.
Students talk about lateral flow Covid testing on campus.
There is step-by-step advice on our website:
- What you must do before you travel to the UK.
- Please also visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website which features the latest guidance from the Department for Education.
When you're on campus, we’re encouraging all students and staff to take regular (two times each week) lateral flow Covid tests to protect themselves and the wider local community.
The tests are free, easy to use, and take less than 10 minutes to self-administer at our on-campus test stations.
It’s become a normal part of student life!
In the case of positive results, we ask students complete our tracker form so we can provide the right support to you while self-isolating – we’ll even drive you back to your accommodation to minimise contact with others.
Safety on campus
Our campuses are Covid-secure. This means that social distancing measures are in place for all students on every course and every campus.
Campuses are Covid-secure.
Here are some examples of actions we have taken so that students and staff can study and work safely:
- mandatory face coverings in all buildings and on all public transport;
- re-designed classrooms, laboratories and specialist facilities to support active, collaborative learning;
- changes to timetabling so that there are fewer students in rooms than usual and, where possible, students remain in consistent groups;
- flexibility over start and finish so that students do not all finish class at the same time;
- ventilation systems changed to fresh air and windows open when possible;
- signs installed around campuses to mark which direction people should walk in;
- hand sanitisers stations installed in every building;
- standard taps replaced with sensor control taps;
- enhanced regular cleaning of commonly used areas, including teaching rooms and toilets;
- screens installed to facilitate meetings;
- contactless payments and no cash policy in cafes;
- ‘being on campus helpline’ for students to call with any queries.
Health and wellbeing
Settling in to a new country involves going through many changes – environment, climate, food, and culture. It's important to take care of your health and wellbeing and we are here to support you every step of the way.
Enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air.
As an international student, you will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your visa application to access free healthcare through the National Health Service (NHS).
Free healthcare includes:
- consulting a doctor (also known as a general practitioner or ‘GP’); and
- treatment in a hospital, including emergency treatment.
We have medical centres on our City and Clifton campuses, and students studying at Brackenhurst register with the local medical centre.
We strongly encourage you to register with a GP doctor soon after you arrive in Nottingham – you can do this online, by phone, video chat or email.
We ask students to get tested as soon as possible if Covid-19 symptoms develop – and to let us know on our Covid-19 tracker form so that we can provide support while self-isolating.
Covid vaccinations
Anybody aged 18 or over in the UK is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination for free, regardless of the nationality or immigration status.
Nobody in England has to pay for the COVID-19 vaccination, it is free of charge and does not count as the kind of care that requires payment.
We recommend that you register with a GP when you arrive at the University in order to receive an NHS number which you'll need to receive the vaccine. You can register with a local medical practice when you join us. There are medical practices based at both the City and Clifton campuses (students based at Brackenhurst usually register with the Southwell Medical Practice).
If you've already had one vaccine please bring your information with you, you'll be able to arrange to have your second dose here.
There are drop-in vaccination centres near our campuses.
For full information and advice, please read NHS Covid-19 vaccine FAQs.
Support – welcome to the NTU family
We have specialist international teams to advise you before you arrive at the University, and throughout your time with us in Nottingham.
Our International Development Office staff are with you every step of your application journey and can answer any questions you or your family may have about studying here. You can email the international team on international@ntu.ac.uk.
When you’re on campus our dedicated international student support team can advise you on any problems you may have, no matter how big or small. You can email the support team on int.support@ntu.ac.uk.
Meet your Country Advisor
We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch with your country team for the latest advice and meet us at virtual and in-person events.
Support for international students
Our dedicated international student support team offer excellent services. View advice on visa application, health and wellbeing, faith matters, careers guidance and academic and language support.
International and European Applicants FAQs
Information for international and European applicants about applications, visas and receiving your CAS, travel, arrival and enrolment.