Internationals
Each year we are delighted to have several International students. There are some added complexities to coming from another country which we can help with, including information on Visas and Immigration, Travelling from the European Union, Travelling from outside the European Union, Travelling with spouses or families, Documents to bring, What to pack, Shipping items, Banking basics, Health care, Driving, and Returning home.
Travelling from the European Union
If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country* or Switzerland you do not require a visa to study in the UK. You should apply to the college using the Application Form from this website.
Students from the EEA/EU or Switzerland are able to enrol for the 10 month Certificate course, or any of our Part Time or Partner Courses (‘Home and Away’).
You may be required to complete an English language test to demonstrate that you have the necessary language skills to complete the course. We use IELTS for this – see www.IELTS.org for your nearest test centre.
You should also provide a ‘UK Naric’ statement of comparability, providing information on the comparable level of your qualifications to UK standards – see www.naric.org.uk
*You are a national of the EEA, if you are a national of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
Travelling from outside the European Union
If you are from outside the EEA or Switzerland you are able to enter the UK to study at KTC on our six month Foundation Course.
You will need to obtain a ‘Student Visitor’ visa in the country you are resident before arriving in the country. You should not apply for a ‘Tier 4’ student visa.
Please see the link on ‘Student Visitor Guidelines’ for more information on how to obtain this visa.
As an International student, your stay in the UK is only legal as long as your visa / entry clearance is still valid, so take note of your visa or entry clearance dates.
If you are eligible for an ‘Ancestry Visa’ (i.e. your parents or grandparents were British) you would be entitled to study in the UK for 10 months and complete the Cert HE course.
Advice for Students with Families
Dependants of nationals of the EEA or Switzerland will be allowed entry to the UK for the period of their spouse's or parent's course of study. No employment restrictions will be imposed on EU students or their dependants. Further information is available on the following website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucitizens/
Spouses and children of nationals of non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries (or a non-Swiss national) can only enter the UK under a ‘General Visitor’ visa. This allows them up to 6 months in the country and they are not entitled to work during this time. See guidelines on ‘General Visitor’ visas at the following website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/
Once Accepted:
Documents to bring
Because you may not return to your country of residence during the time you are at KTC, you will need to bring the following documentation.
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Your passport!
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All parts of your driving license (if you have one)
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Birth certificate
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Your IELTS English Language certificate, if you were required to do the test
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Documentation about any children you are bringing, e.g. educational documents
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Certificates of health, vaccination and x-ray reports, if you need them.
What to Pack
The college houses are all fully furnished and also have bed linen and towels. You only really need to bring your own clothes, toiletries, hair dryers and straighteners etc. You will need a computer for assignments. You may also want to bring some home comforts like pictures and your favourite mug; and you may like to bring a camera and some wet weather gear – it rains quite a lot in the UK!
Electricity/Voltage
Mains electrical power in the UK is 240 volts and our plug sockets usually take 13 amp with a 3 pinned fused plug. Please check all your electrical equipment will work on this voltage before coming to the UK. Do not bring any electrical items that need mains power unless they are dual voltage 110-120/220-240v (for example, a laptop computer). Remember this will also apply to your mobile phone charger, and you may need to buy an adaptor.
Eyewear/Medicals
It may also be worth having an eye test before coming to the UK and talking with your optician about your eye care if you wear glasses or are a contact lens wearer. Also, consider having a medical and dental examination before you leave. Make sure you have enough medication to last you a month, if you have a prescription, until you can get registered with a UK doctor.
Shipping Item
If you need to bring more than you can carry on the plane, you could ship over your excess luggage and baggage. You would need to investigate this a little yourself, but previous students have used a company called Seven Seas Worldwide. Their website is: www.sevenseasworldwide.com. You should be able to fit most possessions in boxes the company provides, but for other items such as a guitar or a computer you can pay an additional amount. It is worth also getting insurance for your possessions, if you do ship them, in case they get lost, stolen or damaged.
Other companies you may want to look at:
www.anglopacific.co.uk
www.excessbaggage.com
www.transglobalexpress.co.uk
www.voovit.com
Banking Basic
There is no limit to the amount of money you can bring into the UK, but you will need to check if there are limits imposed on foreign currency transactions by your home country. You can bring money into the UK in sterling notes, traveller’s cheques, bankers draft or letter of credit.
As you may or may not know, you incur a fee for every bank transfer into a UK bank account. KTC will not pay this fee, and you will have to account for it. You cannot pay your college expenses by credit card at the present time because we do not have the facilities to accommodate this. With this in mind, you may want to consider the following:
- Make one transfer to the KTC bank account, covering as much or as little as you would like. If you wanted to, you could transfer all your fees, rent and money for travel and foreign trips. KTC would credit it to your account, with the result that you would only have to pay one transfer fee
- You could use your ATM card to withdraw cash from the bank here. You will have a daily limit of how much money you can take out each day, so it may take a few days to take out all that you need. If you're happy to do that, though, then we're happy to take cash
- You could also set up an English bank account when you get here. You would then transfer money into that account; again either by transfer or you could get an International money order whilst you're still in your own country and have it made out to yourself in pounds. You would then pay it in to your new account when you get here
First of all, ask your bank in your home country:
- How best to transfer your money to the UK
- How to run a bank account in the UK
- Whether your bank has a special relationship with any UK banks
- Whether you can use cash cards from your home bank in cash machines in the UK
Before you decide which UK bank to choose and which accounts to open, familiarise yourself with banking terms such as balance, overdraft, PIN, etc. Also master the pounds and pence of British currency. UK currency is decimal based with 100p (pence) equalling £1 (one pound sterling).
- When you go to the bank to open an account, you will need to bring:
- Your passport
- Letter of acceptance from KTC
- Evidence of your UK address
- Reference/statement from your bank at home (as requested)
Most International students will be able to open a basic bank account. This allows you to pay money in to the account and withdraw money with a cash card. You will find a basic bank account does not allow credit or for you to go overdrawn, but money can be paid in to the account from your sponsors, and it can be used to pay bills etc.
You are strongly advised not to bring or carry large amounts of cash with you. If possible, make arrangements to transfer money to a UK bank account.
Health Care
The National Health Service (NHS), provides free and subsidised treatment for people who live in the UK. As an International student, you may be entitled to NHS treatment.
To receive any treatment through the NHS, firstly you have to be registered with a doctor or General Practitioner (GP). You should register with a local GP as soon as you have a permanent address - don't wait until you are ill. A list of local GPs is available from college. Registering is free. For our overseas trip later on in the year, you need to state your UK doctor’s details for our insurance purposes. If you are not registered with a local UK GP, you cannot come on the trip.
Once you have registered and receive your NHS card, don't forget to take the card with you whenever you go to see your doctor or any other NHS health-care provider (e.g. a dentist or an optician).
If you are not entitled to NHS treatment, you will have to pay the full cost of any treatment you receive in the UK. This can be expensive, so make sure you have medical insurance that covers you while you're living abroad.
It is worth remembering that whilst the visit to the GPs or to hospital is free, prescriptions and medication is not usually free, but you can discuss with your GP when you register about whether you are eligible for assistance with NHS costs on the grounds of low income. Eligibility for benefits is normally means tested. Students should pick up a form HC1 from their Doctor's Surgery, the local Benefits Agency or their local Post Office.
Driving
With many transport options available, most students get along very happily without their own vehicle. But if you do want to drive here, you can find all you need on the DVLA website: http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm
Thinking ahead to finishing
You haven’t even arrived at college yet, but it is important to plan ahead for the end of your time at KTC as you prepare to leave your country. You will, in all probability, end up buying personal items whilst you are in the UK. Therefore, when booking your tickets, find out from your airline what your baggage allowance is, and, if you are faced with excess baggage charges, consider selling off your things (or donating them to a charity shop), or ship them back through a shipping company, as it's cheaper (see section on shipping)