Welcome International Students!
The University’s International Student Office offers all visa advice and the webpages are invaluable for information to do with arriving in the UK and to Cambridge.
NEW! Cambridge Student Union for International Students
Access their International Freshers' Week Timetable and Freshers' Guide. Remember that College events are priority over the events hosted by other organisations in the first week.
They offer an international family system which pairs current international students with freshers, similar to college families. The deadline to sign up is 10 September. Below are the sign up links: For international freshers; For current international students
You can also access them on their Social media sites: an Instagram page dedicated to incoming international freshers (@isc_cambridgefreshers2024) and a link for freshers to submit their profiles to be posted on CSU's Instagram.
They also have a Wechat group for which you can contact the Cambridge ISC Chair for an updated QR code for Wechat on isc-chair@cambridgesu.co.uk.
Studying on a Student Visa
If you are studying on a visa in the UK, you must abide by the conditions of your visa. You will be asked to present your immigration documents (passport, travel vignette (stamp in your passport) and/or proof of travel (e.g. boarding pass) to the College Student Services Office staff. The boarding pass is needed if you entered via eGates at the airport. You will also need to present your BRP once you receive it (if not from the College) or submit a Share Code to the Postgrad Office if your visa is a digital one. Instructions on how to do this will be sent to you prior to starting your studies. The International Office have provided a very helpful flowchart to help you discern what documents you need to present to us.
Throughout your time at the University, as a Student Visa holder, you are required to keep your contact details up to date in your CamSIS Self-service.
If you are not living in College accommodation, please be in contact as soon as you arrive in Cambridge to make passport scanning arrangements. Please read the section in the Accommodation tile about Living out of College accommodation.
Police registration is no longer required. View more information here.
Bank Accounts
You will want to open a bank account in Cambridge after you’ve arrived. We can’t offer you confirmation of study letters for bank account opening until you’ve arrived in Cambridge. All letters will state that you began your studies on 1 October.
Email postgraduate.office@girton.cam.ac.uk to request a letter, telling us which bank you would like to use. We do not recommend specific banks.