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International and european applicants FAQs

If you're an international student, or you are supporting an international student with their study plans (for example a family member, or an education counsellor) you'll find answers to the most frequently asked questions on this page.

We’re here to support you with your application – if you do not find an answer to your query here please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Page updated 14 February 2024.

FAQs about applications

Applying for January 2024 (postgraduate) and September 2024

  • If you're interested in starting a postgraduate course in January 2024 please visit our Postgraduate courses starting in January 2024 web page where courses are published when they are open for applications.
  • In any academic year, for undergraduate courses you need to apply online through UCAS (unless you are applying to NTU only where you can apply through the NTU Applicant Portal).
  • In any academic year, for postgraduate courses you’ll need to apply online through the NTU Applicant Portal.

Do I need to provide all my documents when I apply?

  • Please provide any that you have at the time of applying. If there is something missing (an English language certificate, for example, or a copy of your passport) you can provide these at a later stage. Your offer will include ‘conditions’ which can be removed when you’ve sent us your documents to meet those conditions.

How long will it take to find out if I'm successful?

  • It can take up to one month to hear the outcome of your application. This is due to the high volume of applications we receive and the September and January (postgraduate) intakes which require us to prioritise at key times throughout the year.

If you don't meet our academic entry requirements you can apply for one of our university preparation courses.

You can apply to do a Foundation or Pre-Masters course with our partner Nottingham Trent International College which is based on our City campus.

If you don't meet our English language requirements see the next question in this list.

To meet the English language condition of your offer you can do one of the following:

Undergraduate courses

The UCAS deadline for international students is usually the end of June. However, we recommend that you apply as early as you can, and if you have an offer to study an undergraduate degree with us, we recommend that you meet each condition as soon as you can.

Postgraduate courses

There are no official application deadlines, however some of our postgraduate courses have a fixed number of places available. This is to ensure you have the best standard of teaching and support, fair access to facilities for your course and a quality student experience. If a course reaches full capacity, it will close without prior notice. Therefore, we encourage you to apply as early as you can, and if you have an offer to study a postgraduate degree with us, we recommend that you meet your conditions as soon as possible.

The offer deadline for postgraduate courses starting in January 2024 is Monday 11 December 2023. This deadline will also be communicated by email.

Yes. We offer some online postgraduate degrees, including MBA and LLM.

You can find out more about these courses here:

Applicants who require a student visa can only apply for Full-time or Sandwich routes. We cannot sponsor a part-time course for Student visas.

Some visas may allow part-time study, you can check with our International Student Support Team on what your visa allows.

Please visit the ATAS website for up-to-date information on how to apply for an ATAS certificate.

Please check your email as our Admissions team will send the required information for ATAS to relevant applicants by email.

ATAS applications typically take around a month to be processed.

ATAS certificates are valid for six months only so please make sure to keep this in mind when you apply in relation to your course start date.

Yes. We offer a wide range of study abroad and exchange programmes at the University.

If you have any questions, please contact your NTU School Exchange Coordinator.

Yes – please visit our web page on alternative language tests which includes any online tests accepted by NTU.

Undergraduate courses

If you have an offer to study an undergraduate degree with us, we recommend that you meet each condition as soon as you can.

Postgraduate courses

Due to the popularity of our postgraduate courses, there are deadlines in place to meet your conditions and pay your £3,000 advanced payment.

Please note that some of our most popular courses may close before these dates, without prior notice. If you make your payment by the deadline or before a course closes (whichever is earliest), you'll have the opportunity to meet your remaining conditions to confirm your place. Therefore, we encourage you to pay the advanced payment and meet conditions earlier where possible.

Deadlines for postgraduate courses starting in January 2024 is Monday 11 December 2023. Deadlines for Confetti courses starting in January 2024 is Tuesday 2 January 2024. These deadlines will also be communicated by email.

We have a well-established process in place to consider candidates who have not met the academic conditions of their offer when results are released.

Applicants who have missed the terms of their offer will not automatically be unsuccessful. We will look closely at the results, and consider any extenuating circumstances, before deciding.

This applies to both UCAS and international results, after a decision has been made by NTU a review of the application will not be possible.

This process refers to academic qualifications, not English language test results.

You'll find advice for international students about NTU accommodation and private accommodation on our website. We always advise to start researching your options early, as popular residences book up quickly. Our accommodation booking system goes live on Friday 2 February 2024.

Please note that all our NTU accommodation is single occupancy. NTU does not currently provide university accommodation for families or couples. Students choosing to bring a spouse or family would need to find private housing arranged through local letting agents. There is very limited family housing available to rent in Nottingham. Please read our advice and information about bringing spouse/family and our International Student Support Team can also provide guidance.

While you're studying

If you have a Student visa, you're usually eligible to work a limited number of hours (20) per week during term time.

There is more information about working in the UK while you study on the Student Hub.

After you graduate

The UK government has a post-study work visa called the Graduate visa.

This route is for students completing their degree or other eligible qualification. Through this route, students will be able to stay in the UK to work for:

  • two years, or
  • three years if they are a PhD student.

Applicants must have passed their academic degree with good attendance in order to be successful in securing a Graduate visa.

Applicants don't need to have an employer to be able to apply. They can do most types of work once the visa is granted, they can even be self-employed.

There is more information about working in the UK after you graduate with Graduate route visa on our Student Hub.

You can also read more on the UKCISA website Graduate route visa.

If applying and registering with a student account, make sure your schools aren't blocking any NTU emails. You might be able to request they allow NTU email, if not:  the best  advice is to just use your personal email address.

If you need to change your email address please contact us.

CAS and visa issues

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You will need to ensure you have the correct immigration permission/visa in place before you start your journey.

Our award-winning student support team provide excellent advice and information on immigration matters and advice on how to make a successful visa application.

If you still need help you can email the team at int.support@ntu.ac.uk.

FAQs about CAS and Student visas

Undergraduate courses

If you have an offer to study an undergraduate degree with us, we recommend that you meet each condition as soon as you can.

Postgraduate courses

Many of our courses have a fixed number of places available. This is to ensure you have the best standard of teaching and support, fair access to facilities for your course and a quality student experience. If a course reaches full capacity, it will close without prior notice. Therefore, we encourage you to meet your conditions as soon as possible.

Deadlines for postgraduate courses starting in January 2024 is Monday 11 December 2023. Deadlines for Confetti courses starting in January 2024 is Tuesday 2 January 2024. These deadlines will also be communicated by email.

When you've met all your conditions, your place at NTU will be confirmed and we can issue your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

We encourage you to prepare in advance for your visa application and apply as soon as you receive your CAS.

You can apply for your Student visa up to six months before the start of your academic degree course.

Please note that your CAS may still state three months because this is a recent change, but you can still use your CAS to apply up to six months before the start of your course.

You can enter the UK only once your visa has been issued. You can arrive up to 1 month prior to course start date (for courses more than six months in length). You must not travel to the UK before the start date given on your visa, no matter when your course starts.

For us to send you a CAS:

  • your offer must have been accepted
  • you must have met all of the conditions of your offer, including the £3,000 initial payment.

We can then send your CAS, but this will be no sooner than 16 weeks before your course start date in line with UKVI regulations.

We only issue CAS Statements via email. To submit a visa application you will need to use the CAS number stated in the email - you do not need to submit a hard copy or PDF version of the CAS as part of the visa application.

We only issue CAS Statements by email.

If you get an invalid CAS message it may be that you have input an incorrect number or letter. We know that the 1 (number) and I (letter) look very similar. This can be a problem because they look the same in the CAS letter format.

Please try inputting again replacing the 1 with an I, or the I with a 1.

If this remains a problem you can contact us.

As an international student you will be sent a copy of your offer letter by email.

The start date for your course is stated on your CAS email and offer letter email from NTU. You can also check your course induction timetable online.

On your CAS, the 'Start Date' is the date your course will begin and you should be on campus ready to attend classes on this date. It is important that you are ready to attend on this date because there will be induction sessions which are vital to your success on your course.

On your CAS, you will also see a 'Latest Start Date'. This date is for exceptional circumstances only and refers to the latest date a student would be allowed to start.

You should always plan to arrive for your course 'Start Date'. You may only arrive after your 'Start Date' if you have applied for your visa application in good time, but are experiencing delays outside your control. Please ensure you read all emails from NTU carefully about start dates.

We encourage you to arrive in time to attend Welcome Week. It's a great opportunity to get settled into student life before your academic degree starts.

Unfortunately, if you are unable to arrive for the start of your course there is no online start available.

Your advanced payment is only refundable in the event that your UK Student visa application is rejected, or that the University subsequently withdraws the offer of a place because you do not meet  the University's academic entry criteria.

If your Student visa is refused, and you plan to claim a refund of your advanced payment, you must email us the visa refusal stamp in your passport and a letter from the Entry Clearance Officer explaining their decision.

If you would like more information please read terms and conditions for NTU fee payments.

If you have applied to us directly you can defer your place by one academic year.  If you choose to do this please contact us on the Ask NTU online form.

Travel

We are offering free transfers from Heathrow airport to Nottingham with National Express coaches from 3 January 2024. Please read our guidance for planning your journey to NTU.

There are no restrictions for international arrivals to the UK at this time

UK Government advice on travel to England.

If you are travelling through an airport in the Schengen area en route to the UK, you may need to obtain an Airport Transit Schengen Visa.

What to do when you arrive

You’ll find all the information and advice you need on our website and information will also be emailed to you:

Answers to questions you may have about arriving here may be in the section below.

FAQs about enrolment and arriving at NTU

When making your visa application we recommend that you select to collect your BRP from Nottingham Trent University. By doing this you will be able to collect it at the International Enrolment Event that will take place in January 2024.  At this event, there will also be an opportunity to pay or discuss your fees, meet our student support team and collect your student ID card to complete your enrolment.

Alternatively, you will collect from a specified Post Office. If you’ve selected this option, we recommend that you collect this prior to attending the International Enrolment Event. We'll need to see your BRP in order for you to fully enrol.

If the expiry date on your BRP is 31 December 2024 but your permission to stay ends later than this date, you do not need to report this as an error. This is linked to UKVI moving to a digital immigration system from 2024.

Your immigration status, entitlement to work, access to services, benefits and travel are unaffected. You can also prove your right to work or right to rent using the online checking services referred to at the top of your BRP letter. These services will display the correct date of your leave.

As of 5 August 2022, students are no longer required to register with the police upon arrival to the UK. This change affects those who have already registered and new students who are due to register. Even if your immigration documentation say you must register, you can ignore this, as it is no longer a requirement.

All international students have access to NHS healthcare after paying the NHS healthcare surcharge.

You’re advised to register with a local medical practice on the City and Clifton campuses or Southwell Medical Practice (if you’re based at Brackenhurst). Currently, the student health centres are consulting patients by telephone, video chat or email.

You can find full details on staying healthy on our student hub:

Yes. Anybody aged 18 or over in the UK is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination for free, regardless of the nationality or immigration status.

You do not have 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).

For full information and advice, please read NHS Covid-19 vaccine FAQs.

Enrolment for new international students is a two-step process. You'll start your enrolment online. This involves checking the information we have about you, paying your tuition fees or setting up an instalment plan, and uploading a photo for your NTU Student Card.

Then, when you arrive in the UK you should attend our International Enrolment Event to complete enrolment in-person. This is where you'll collect your BRP, show visa documentation, meet our support staff and collect your NTU Student Card. Follow the step-by-step instructions on how to enrol at NTU as an international student.

If you have been awarded a scholarship and this is not showing against your tuition fees, contact international@ntu.ac.uk

If you've made additional payments towards your tuition fees and these are not showing, please complete the instalment plan set up. No money will be taken from your account until the first instalment date. After you have set up the instalment plan, contact the Finance team and they will check and adjust the payment amount.

View more information on how to set up an instalment plan.

NTU Enquiries Team at City Campus

International Enquiries Team

More advice and support

We're confident that the answers to many of the questions you may have are on this page so please read this section carefully.

If you would like some personal advice on your study plans please contact our specialist regional teams.

If you have a query that is not answered on this page please email our international enquiries team and we'll be happy to advise.