Updated 25 August 2021.
Leeds is an international university, and we continue to attract, welcome and support students and staff from across Europe and around the world.
EU nationals employed at the University are encouraged to read the For Staff website which has a dedicated section on Brexit.
The UK Government's website provides information for EU and UK citizens on Brexit.
EU/ EEA/ Swiss students and postgraduate researchers applying to, or already studying at, Leeds
Applications to the EU Settlement Scheme closed on 30 June 2021. You may be able to make a late application if you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for not applying by 30 June 2021. Please read the UKVI website to see if you are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Here are EU/EEA/Swiss travel documents that can be used to enter the UK from 1 October 2021
EU/EEA/Swiss students who plan to arrive in the UK for the first time to start your studies on or after 1 January 2021 on a programme of more than six months will require a Student visa to enter the UK.
The UK Government website provides a useful online tool to check if you need a UK visa and what you need at the UK border.
If you already have EU Settled or Pre-Settled status, to enter the UK and to register for study, you can evidence your status using this immigration status link.
Courses of more than 6 months – Student route
If you intend to arrive in the UK after 1 January 2021 to study a course which is longer than 6 months, you must apply under the new Student route.
You must wait until you have received confirmation that your visa has been granted before entering to the UK. If you enter the UK before being granted your visa, you will need to leave and re-enter the UK with your Student visa.
View more detailed information on applying for a Student route visa (formerly known as Tier 4). The UK Government has produced this useful guidance for EU students on the UK’s points-based immigration system (PDF). You can also contact the University’s Student Visa Advice team at studentvisaadvice@leeds.ac.uk if you have questions.
The Student visa application process is different to non-EEA students, in that you are not likely to need to attend a visa appointment but can self-enrol biometric data, and that you will receive a ‘secure digital status’ when your visa is granted, not a vignette or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Keep your boarding pass/flight/travel details as evidence of your date of entry into the UK.
To apply for a visa, you must:
- be sponsored by the University of Leeds (issued with a CAS)
- demonstrate English language ability
- have the financial ability to support yourself in the UK during your studies
You will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge at £470 a year for the length of your visa; this entitles you to access NHS services in the UK.
On a Student route visa, students can work up to a maximum of 20 hours a week. See the UK Council for International Student Affairs’ (UKCISA) full guidance on student work entitlements.
Courses of less than 6 months – standard visitor route
Students who wish to come to the UK after 1 January 2021 for courses of less than six months can now do so under the standard visitor route.
See our visas for study abroad, exchange and summer school page to find out how to enter the UK with standard visitor visa immigration permission.
The standard visitor visa does not permit work or access to healthcare services and you cannot switch or extend this visa in the UK.
You are advised to apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or arrange comprehensive travel insurance before arriving.
Keep your boarding pass/flight/travel details as evidence of your date of entry into the UK.
See UKCISA’s immigration advice for EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens currently studying in the UK and those who plan to study in the UK.
If you have further questions, you can contact the University's Student Visa Advice team.
Healthcare in the UK
Information about healthcare for EU nationals, now that the UK has left the EU, is available on the UK Government’s healthcare for EU citizens page and on our healthcare for students page.
UKCISA has more detailed information on how healthcare works in the UK on their health and healthcare page.
Fees and finance for taught students
EU students who started their course in the 2019/2020 or 2020/2021 academic years will continue to have home fee status and be eligible for UK Government student loans for the duration of their course. This includes taught postgraduate courses starting in January 2021.
EU students who currently receive student loans and/or grants from Student Finance England (SFE), and EU nationals starting courses in England in the 2019/20 academic year can find information about this on Student Finance England ’s information for EU students page and on UKCISA’s immigration information for EU students page.
The UK Government has announced changes to funding from the 2021-22 academic year onwards. You can find out more about this on their guidance for EU students page. EU students starting their course in the 2021/2022 academic year or later will not be eligible for home or UK fees status or UK Government loans. You will need to pay International student tuition fees. EU students who have EU settled or pre-settled status will be eligible. View information from UKCISA on fees and student support.
Current EU postgraduate researchers
EU postgraduate researchers who started in 2019 or earlier will continue to be classified as ‘home/EU’ and qualify for this level of fee and financial support for the duration of their course at Leeds.
Postgraduate researchers already studying at Leeds will also receive confirmation direct from their funders.
Potential EU postgraduate researchers
We expect financial arrangements for future non-UK EU postgraduate researchers to be confirmed by each funding organisation when financial packages are publicised.
We will continue to provide updates through these pages and the student and Doctoral College newsletters.
UK citizens planning to or already working or studying in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland
Travel documents and immigration
Valid passports can still be used. You do not need to have six months left on your passport to travel to the EU. Your passport does, however, need to be valid for the whole of your trip.
If you are planning travel after 1 January 2021, the passport service’s page on visiting the EU has more information.
Healthcare in the EU
The Government has issued guidance on healthcare access for UK residents after the UK leaves the EU on the NHS’ applying for healthcare cover abroad page.
The Government is advising UK nationals who ordinarily reside in the UK and have been studying in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland from before 31 December 2020 and will still be studying in that country from 1 January 2021 to apply for a new UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Read information and guidance on the EHIC application process on the NHS’ get healthcare cover for travelling abroad page.
You should ensure you have comprehensive foreign travel insurance. It is important to make sure all your health and personal needs are covered.
Find out more about insurance for study abroad students. Read the University’s travel insurance policy.
Erasmus+ funding for students planning to study or work in the EU in 2020/21
Erasmus+ funding will be granted to eligible students who start or are due to start their placement in the 2020/21 academic year.
If you plan to work or are already working in the EU, terms and conditions of employment may vary depending on the country in which the work placement takes place. For more information please check the UK Government’s country-specific guidance on foreign travel.
Find out more information about Erasmus+ funding for Leeds students.
Read updates and advice from the British Council on Erasmus+.
View the latest information on the University's travel policy.
European study exchanges and work placements from 2021/22
The UK Government has announced that the UK's participation in the Erasmus+ scheme is being replaced by the Turing Scheme from September 2021. The details of the scheme and the opportunities for Leeds students is still to be confirmed by the UK Government. For more information, please see the Government’s page on the Turing scheme. We will provide more information about the Turing scheme when we receive it.
The University of Leeds is committed to continuing exchange agreements with our European Higher Education partner institutions following the end of the UK participation in the Erasmus+ programme. Grants for European study abroad and work placements will be dependent upon the new Turing Scheme.
We can’t guarantee that all our existing European partners will continue to host Leeds students and it’s expected that some partnerships will change.
We are working to secure places for our students at partner universities, with extra consideration for degrees that have a compulsory study abroad requirement.