Before you travel to the UK
You must wait until your Student visa has been issued before you can travel to the UK, otherwise you will not be able to complete your enrolment at King’s. Do not travel to the UK before receiving your Student visa, or before its start date.
The Student visa application process must be completed before traveling to the UK; it cannot be finalised once you are inside the country.
If you travel before the start date of your Student visa or before your Student visa is granted, you will enter the UK as a Standard Visitor and you will not be able to enrol at King’s.
After your Student visa application is approved, you will be issued with a digital Student visa status, which allows you to enter the UK. You can view your immigration status and check the details of your Student visa online, including your visa start date.
Check your Student visa for any mistakes as soon as you receive it. For more details, read our article Checking your Student visa for errors.
As you get ready to arrive in the UK, make sure to read our article I need to travel to the UK.
Entering the UK and using the eGates
You must enter the UK during the validity of your digital visa to be eligible to enrol at King’s.
As a national eligible to use the eGates (electronic gates), you must retain evidence of the date you arrived in the UK, such as your flight ticket or boarding pass.
You will need to provide this evidence to successfully complete the Right to Study check as part of enrolment.
If exceptional circumstances mean you are not able to be in London and ready to attend your in-person classes by the start of teaching, you need to let your faculty know as soon as possible. See our article What should I do if I am arriving late? for further information.
Best wishes,
King's Visa Compliance Team
