If you are coming to study on a full-time degree programme or course which is over 6 months duration you will be expected to apply for a Student visa.  If you already hold a Student visa for a different institution, you will have to apply for a new Student visa for Manchester before you can start studying with us.

You can only apply for your Student visa once your offer becomes unconditional and you have received your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies) from the University. Please read our guidance on the Student visa on how to apply for this visa.

If you will be studying a full-time course which is a maximum 6 months duration then you can apply for either a Student visa or a Standard Visitor visa.

Please note that if your course will include any work or clinical placements then you must apply for a Student visa as the Standard Visitor visa does not permit work of any kind.

If you will be studying an English language course at the University Centre for Academic English, your course duration will determine which visa type is appropriate for you.

If your course duration is less than 6 months, you can either apply for a Standard Visitor visa or a Student visa.

If your course duration is 6-11 months' duration, you can either apply for a Short-term Study visa or a Student visa.

If your course duration is more than 11 months' duration, you will need a Student visa.

What visa you should apply for will depend on your current level of English, the length of your course, whether you will need to extend your visa in the UK, and whether you wish to bring any dependants (family members).

Please read this visa guide for English language students before making a decision. You must inform the University Centre for Academic English of which visa you wish to apply for. For more information about the different visa applications please see the guidance on the Standard Visitor route, the Short-term study route and the Student route.

Applicants who are studying a course outside the UK that is equivalent to degree level in the UK in the subject of medicine or dentistry are now permitted to enter the UK on a Standard Visitor visa to take up a clinical elective placement. The elective must be relevant to your overseas degree and you must provide evidence of this from your home institution. The elective must be unpaid and involve no treatment of patients. You should also check with your School to confirm if ATAS clearance is required. Please read the guidance on the UKCISA website for more information.

You may be able to enter the UK as a non-visa national with the equivalent of Standard Visitor status but this will depend on your nationality. Please refer to the information on our Standard Visitor visa page to check whether you will need to obtain your visa before travelling to the UK.

If you are registered at a non-UK University and you are visiting the University of Manchester for a study abroad programme of less than 6 months that froms part of studies at your home institution then you can either apply for a Student visa or a Standard Visitor visa.

A Standard Visitor visa is usually the best option for study lasting less than 6 months as it is a cheaper and easier visa to obtain, although it does not permit work. To apply for a Standard Visitor visa you must obtain a letter from your admissions team at Manchester (e.g. International Programmes Office) that confirms the details of your course.

You should check with your admissions team whether ATAS clearance is required for your course. 

Please note that if your visit will include any work experience (paid or unpaid) or clinical placements then you must apply for a Student route visa as the Standard visit visa does not permit work of any kind. Additionally, if your study abroad or exchange programme at Manchester is longer than 6 months then you must apply for a Student visa.

Further information on the Standard Visitor route can be found on UKCISA's website.

To be considered a visiting research student you should be registered on a postgraduate research course (e.g. PhD) at a non-UK University and be visiting the University of Manchester for research that directly relates to your studies overseas. You must be admitted to the University of Manchester as a visiting student and register as a student which will require the payment of tuition fees. If you are visiting for more than 6 months' duration then you must apply for a Student visa. If you are visiting for up to 6 months' duration then you can choose to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead. 

Please note that if your visit will include any work or clinical placements then you must apply for a Student visa as the Standard Visitor visa does not permit work of any kind.

You should check with the Admissions Team in your Doctoral Academy to see if ATAS clearance is required. Please read the guidance on the UKCISA website for more information.

If you are on a distance learning course at the University of Manchester you may need to visit the University for short periods of time e.g. to attend inductions, face-to-face learning or assessments. In this case you should apply for a Standard Visitor visa to come to the UK. You should only enter the UK for limited periods, and you may need to apply for more than one standard visit visa during your course. You should be studying the majority of the time outside the UK on a distance learning course. You can find further information about the Standard Visitor visa on our website, the UKCISA website and in the UKVI visitor guidance.

If your visit to the UK includes any work or clinical placements you must contact us before you apply for your visa and we will advise you on an individual basis.