Arriving in the UK

When you arrive at the port of entry, you will go through immigration control first before collecting your luggage. Don't worry – this is just routine, but it's helpful to be prepared and have the correct documents at hand.

Documents to keep in your hand luggage

• passport (containing your student visa) and ID card if applicable
• your offer letter from UWE Bristol
• UWE Bristol Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies documents
• evidence of your funding – your sponsor letter or bank statement used to obtain your visa
• details of where you are going to stay.

These must be paper documents (not on an electronic tablet or mobile phone).

Nationals of the EEA and Switzerland are permitted to enter using ID cards in only limited circumstances and, if entering on Student Visas or as Standard Visitors, must do so using a passport.

The immigration control process

On arrival, follow the signs to either the eGates, or to speak to a Border Force Officer.

Who can use eGates?

UK Border Force recommend you use the eGates if you are aged over 10 and you are:

• an EEA or Swiss national travelling on a biometric passport; or
• a national of the EU/EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America, travelling on a biometric passport and entering the UK to study for more than six months (typically on a Student visa) or you have an entry clearance (a sticker in your passport) for some other purpose which permits study; or
• a subscriber to the Registered Traveller service.

User of eGates aged 10 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

If you use an eGate, please keep evidence of your date of arrival in the UK, such as your ticket and boarding pass. UWE Bristol staff may ask for it at registration in order to demonstrate right to study.

Who will be interviewed by a Border Force officer?

You must speak to a Border Force officer if you are:

• a national of any country not listed under eGates above; or
• travelling on a non-biometric passport; or
• travelling on a national ID card; or
• travelling with a child under 10 years old; or
• a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, or the United States of America and you are entering the UK for short term study of up to six months without an entry clearance (a sticker in your passport); or
• the family member of an EEA national and you are seeking to join them permanently in the UK.

When you enter (or re-enter) the UK on a student visa, the Border Force Officer must check that you speak English at the required level, without needing an interpreter. They may ask questions about your arrival routing, your course, where your plan to stay, people you know in the UK, your funding, etc. There is no test involved.

Before you leave Immigration Control, you should check that your documents have been stamped correctly.

• If you have a visa or other entry clearance (as sticker in your passport), the Border Force Officer should put a date stamp in your passport (unless you use an eGate).
• If you are a non-visa national coming for a course lasting less than six months without entry clearance and you have spoken to a Border Force Officer, you will be stamped in as a Visitor.
• If your student visa has been granted electronically, for instance as you have an eVisa, your passport will not be stamped. Please keep evidence of your date of arrival in the UK, such as your ticket and boarding pass. UWE Bristol staff may ask for it at registration in order to demonstrate right to study.

After immigration control, you can collect your luggage.

Customs

After you have collected your luggage you must go through customs control and join the appropriate queue:

• green channel – if you have nothing to declare
• red channel – if you have items to declare

If you are carrying the equivalent of £10,000 or more in any currency (in cash, banker's draft or cheque of any kind) when you enter the UK, you must declare this at Customs Control. You will find the appropriate forms when you arrive.

You must keep a copy of the completed form as evidence that you have made a declaration. You may receive a very large fine if you do not make this declaration, or if you provide incorrect or incomplete information.

If you are carrying more than the permitted duty/tax-free allowances, or any prohibited items (such as drugs, offensive weapons, food, plants or medicines made from endangered species) you must pass through the red channel.

What items you must declare

Read the UK government advice about travelling to the UK: what you can bring, what you can't, what you must declare.

Normally, you should not bring food into the UK. Many of the foods you usually eat at home can easily be found in UK shops.

Even if you pass through the green channel a Customs Officer can ask you to open your baggage for checking.

If you arrive at one of the channel ports you will also have to pass through customs control. If you use the Channel Tunnel, customs control will be carried out either in France or on the train.

Follow the instructions to attend a right to study check, we will email you these in your registration correspondence. Make sure you log in to your UKVI account and prepare a share code in advance, and remember to bring your passport with you.

If you choose to rent private accommodation in England you must prove to your landlord that you have the right to rent.

If you have a student visa, this means setting up a share code so that your landlord can use the UK government's online checking service.

Share codes can be used only for one purpose. All status share codes begin with a letter which indicates the purpose of the share code. If a share code begins with the letter ‘R’, this will indicate that the share code has been generated by a tenant to evidence their right to rent. Landlords will not be able to accept or use share codes which begin with the letter ‘W’ or ‘S’ as these are designed for other services.

If you cannot produce a share code but you have a stamp or other endorsement in your passport, landlords can accept this as an alternative. 

Acceptable evidence of entry to the UK may include a boarding card, ticket or booking confirmation for travel to the UK within the last six months. Any other documentary evidence which establishes your date of arrival is also acceptable. A photocopy, photograph, screenshot or scanned copy of the evidence that includes the traveller’s name and/or passport number can be used.

Find out more about rights to rent (PDF).