Depending on where you are going, and how long for, you may need a visa to enter and study in your host country. A visa shows that you do not intend to take up permanent residence in that country and that your stay is for temporary study.

The exact name and type of visa you require will vary from country to country. It is important you are familiar with the requirements in both applying for and abiding by your visa or condition of entry for the country.

It is your responsibility to arrange your visa for your study abroad. You may need to apply many months in advance, so it is important you do your research early. 

Try to see this as an opportunity to develop and demonstrate a high level of research and planning skills, and the ability to navigate complex processes and information. It can make a great example in a competency-based interview question in the future!

Disclaimer: The Global Opportunities team are not able to give immigration or visa advice. To find out the type of visa you need and the appropriate application form, consult the embassy or consulate of your intended study destination in your home country (this must be where you legally live or where you are a national). We aim to provide some advice around preparing to apply for a visa. The information we provide on this website is copied from various sources for your convenience and is not intended to replace your own research. The University does not endorse or approve the information and is in no way responsible for the accuracy, legality or content.

Important things to think about

• When, where and how do I apply? How long will the visa application take?
• Do I need to apply for a Student GHIC, ACRO (Police Check) or medical certificate? How long does this take?
• Do my documents need to be legalised or translated?
• Are there any fees? If so, have I considered this in my budget?
• Am I required to show any evidence? For example, of my funding, of my studies etc. If yes, do I need to request stamped bank statements for proof of funds?
• What are the requirements once I arrive to my placement country?

Your passport

It is vital that you check your passport is in valid before you apply for your visa and before you travel. Your passport should be valid for the duration of your time abroad and at least 6 months after your planned return date.

Please review the UK government's passport renewal information. It may take some time to renew your passport so you must factor this into your preparation and leave yourself plenty of time.

The British Council states that to enter the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland from the United Kingdom, your passport must:

• Be valid for at least a further six months
• Be less than ten years old (even if it has less than six months validity left)

This rule does not apply to travel to the Republic of Ireland, where you can use your passport for entry as long as it is valid for the duration of your stay.

Travelling for less than 90 days in the Schengen Area

The Schengen Area rule allows you to travel to more than one country for 90 days in a 180-day period within the Schengen Area.

The following countries are in the Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

It is important to understand the Schengen 90/180 rule. You are allocated 90 visa-free days to use within the Schengen Zone, however you must remember these are rolling days and are added onto a cumulative total of days in the Schengen region. Leaving and entering does not reset your calculator – only leaving for a period of 90 days in a non-Schengen country will reset your visa-free 90-day allowance. You find more information on the Schengen rules online.

You can also use the short-stay visa calculator provided by the European Commission to check.

You should make sure your passports is signed and stamped when entering and exiting Border Controls. These stamps will prove the duration of your visit and more importantly prove to the visa official that you have not overstayed your 90-day visit.

You must consider any holidays that you are taking whilst you are on your placement as this will count towards your 90-day allowance. Be wary that you will likely need to give up your passport to obtain your visa too.

Student Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)

The NHS website provides the following information about the UK's student Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC):

The GHIC allows you to access state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free for trips of up to 90 days. Most placements are longer than 90 days, therefore you will require a Student GHIC. Please note these can take weeks to be processed so please apply as soon as you are able to.

If you started your course after 1 January 2021, or you're planning to study in an EU country, you'll need to apply for a Student GHIC. You can use this in the EU, Switzerland and your country of study, but not in Norway Iceland or Liechtenstein.

To apply you'll need a letter from your university or college showing:

• the name and address of Newcastle University
• the address of where you're studying in the EU or Switzerland
• details of the qualification you're studying for
• the dates your study period in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland started and is due to finish
• your permanent residential address in the UK

If the letter from your university or college does not include your permanent residential address in the UK, you will be asked to provide further evidence to confirm this. This can take a while to obtain, so ensure you do this well in advance! You can apply for this on the NHS website.

Visa appointments

Once your year abroad/placement is confirmed from Newcastle University and your host university, you should check if you need to book a visa appointment and do this as soon as possible.

You will most likely need your acceptance letter from your host university or signed contract (for work placements) for your appointment so make sure you receive this in plenty of time.

Proof of funds are needed for most, if not all, visas. Some authorities will accept loan agreements/letters, others need full funds in a bank account for the destination country.

Preparing your application

Make sure to check your passport is valid for your entire trip plus 6 months after and that you check the estimated processing time for your visa application before booking flights.

Some documents may need to be legalised (also referred to as Hague Apostille) and translated. You can find out more about getting your document legalised on the UK government's website. Documents usually must be translated via a sworn translator registered in the destination country. To obtain a translated document, please email [email protected] and advise which language you need for your certificate. Please allow at least 3 working days for this.

Most visas require health or medical insurance. The travel insurance provided by Newcastle University should be sufficient together with your student GHIC, but you will need a personalised and translated certificate. You can obtain a personalised English certificate in the AIG Travel. To download the app, follow these steps:

• go to the Apple App Store or Android Play Store from your smartphone and search for AIG and tap on AIG Travel. This app is only available for smartphone – not tablets. 
• Click on “Register”.  For the app tap on “Country where coverage was purchased” and select “Global Watch”
• Provide your name, email address and the University AIG policy number (0010628132). If you receive a “duplicate email” error, click on “Forgot Your Password” to reset your password.
• You will receive an automated email (check spam/junk folder) containing instructions to complete secure travel assessment website access. After you have successfully logged in and accessed the secure travel assistance website, follow the instructions for mobile access. You will receive an automated email (check spam/junk folder and allow email from [email protected] and [email protected]) containing instructions to complete secure travel assistance website/app access.
• You have the option to set up Touch ID to log in using your fingerprint or Face ID to log in using facial recognition (available only for phones equipped with Touch ID or Face ID)
• Once you have completed the registration, you may use the same login credentials to access the app and the AIG website. 

Country-specific information

We have provided a list of some of our most popular destinations, with links to the relevant Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and visa pages which you can use as a starting point for checking visa requirements. This information only applies to travellers with a full ‘British Citizen’ passport) 

Our exchange partner universities often have visa teams who can offer advice, just as we do for incoming students. You'll find hyperlinks to their websites on our Where and When You Can Go Abroad webpage.

It's important that you are aware of the in-country processes that follow the visa process before your trip. For example, it is a requirement in some countries to obtain authorisation from the local authorities once you arrive in your country of placement. We have highlighted this for some of the most visited countries in our guidance, but this is a guide only; you must do your own research.

Most, if not all, passports will be retained until the visa is processed, so international travel may not be possible between the date of the visa appointment and receipt of the visa. Again, please check this directly with the relevant consulate/embassy.