Arrivals and orientation for new EU and International students

Arriving in a new country can be exciting, but also a bit overwhelming. We understand that you may find it difficult to plan your arrival from another country, so we have taken the necessary steps to provide you with all the information you'll need to ensure you feel both welcomed and supported as soon as you arrive in the UK.

You can find useful information about arrival and enrolment on our Welcome pages.

Before you arrive

Students joining us in January 2025

International travel to the UK post-COVID 19

You no longer need to take any Covid-19 tests either before or after arrival in England. You no longer need to complete a UK passenger locator form before you travel or show proof of Covid-19 vaccination on arrival.

For the latest information, visit the UK Government website.

Latest dates of arrival for international students: January 2025 intake

All students are expected to arrive in time for Welcome Week and Induction, which starts on Monday 13 January 2025*. It is important that you attend Welcome Week and Induction. Please ensure you apply for your visa in time.

*Some courses may have an earlier start date.

Airport taxi pick-up service

We are heavily subsidising the cost of the taxi, meaning you will only pay a discounted rate of £20* per person for any journey from Heathrow and Gatwick airport, or £30** per person from St. Pancras International, to the Kingston area.

* Standard taxi rate from Heathrow/Gatwick airport to the Kingston area is approximately £50+ depending on the time of travel.
** Standard taxi rate from St Pancras International to the Kingston area is approximately £70+ depending on the time of travel.

Details:

  • When: 2-13 January 2025
  • Where: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport or St Pancras International
  • Booking deadline: Two days before your arrival

How to book:

Please email booking@zedcarz.co.uk, quoting the code 'KingstonUni' in the subject heading of the email.

Please provide:

  • your name
  • KU ID number
  • flight number
  • date and drop-off address

You must quote ‘KingstonUni' to get a discount flat rate of £20 per person for any journey from Heathrow or Gatwick airports to the Kingston University area or £30 per person from St. Pancras International train station. You can pay the driver either by credit card or cash.

If you are coming from Heathrow or Gatwick airport, upon arrival at the airport your driver should be in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name on it. If you are arriving from St. Pancras International, your taxi will arrange a pick-up spot.

CAS requests

If you are an international student with an unconditional firm offer for January 2025 and need to apply for a student visa, please don't delay. Request your CAS via OSIS now.

Deferral requests

Undergraduate applicants

If you are unable to arrive in time for your course, you can request to defer your start date to the next available intake, which is September 2025. You need to submit this request via OSIS.

Postgraduate applicants

If you are unable to arrive in time for your course, you can request to defer your start date to the next available intake, which is September 2025. You need to submit this request via OSIS. Please note that we don't process deferral requests by email for postgraduate applicants.

Pre-order essentials for your accommodation

If you are staying in University accommodation you can pre-order your bedding and student essentials.

If you're travelling from afar and need bedding and kitchen equipment, it's important to note that there are a limited number of local stores with limited stock available on arrivals weekend. You can avoid the hassle of shopping by pre-ordering from our friends at UniKitOut.

Your pack will then be delivered to your residence before you even arrive, making settling into your new environment a breeze. And don't forget to use the promo code KINGSTON10 for a 10% discount.

After you arrive

Registering with a GP

You should register with a GP (a doctor who is a general practitioner) online as soon as you arrive in the UK. You can search for the nearest GP surgery to your term time address on the NHS website and register as a new patient on the GP's website. All students are welcome to join our on-site GP practice and can register by contacting the Fairhill Medical Practice (the Health Centre) on the University's Penrhyn Road campus.

Support and well-being services at Kingston

Useful links

Biometric Residence Permits are being phased out from 2024

Important update about eVisas

The Home Office is digitalising the UK border and immigration system in 2025, physical immigration document such as Biometrics Residence Permits (BRPs) and visa vignettes are being phased out and will be replaced by an eVisa.

The UK Government has announced significant changes to the eVisa rollout timetable.

The validity of expiring BRPs will now be extended until at least 31 March 2025, with this date subject to ongoing review. It means that BRPs that expire on or after 31 December 2024 will be accepted as valid evidence of permission to travel.

We would still encourage you to create an account and access your eVisa before the end of this year.

For more information, please visit the GOV.UK website

What is a BRP

A Biometric Residence Permit or BRP is a document issued by the Home Office to students as evidence of immigration permission. This is also known as leave to enter or remain.

Police registration suspended from 1 August 2022

The requirement to register with the police, or update your details if you have already registered, has been abolished.

  • Students are no longer required to register with the police even if they have the requirement on their Decision Letter, on their Entry Visa Vignette stamp in their passport if they applied for their visa from overseas
  • Students in the UK who have a Police Registration Certificate who extended their student visa in the UK to study at Kingston, where the requirement to register was in their Decision Email, do not have to register or update their details.

If you have a visa or biometric residence permit (BRP) and need to tell the Home Office about a change in circumstances, you can do that via the GOV.UK website – Report a change of circumstances if you have a visa or BRP.

If you have any concerns or queries, please email the Student Immigration Advisory Service at immigrationadvice@kingston.ac.uk.

Opening a bank account

It is important to open a UK bank account when you first arrive and you should do some research to find the best bank account for your individual needs. You will need a letter to confirm that you are a student at Kingston which you will receive after completing enrolment. You can get advice from the following sources:

Student travel discount

Oyster card

  • If you are a full-time student, and live in a London borough, you can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard that enables you to get discounted travel on the Transport for London network. Please note: you must enrol before you can apply for the discount card.

National Railcard

  • If you are travelling from outside of London, studying full-time and aged 16-25, you can get a 16-25 railcard that offers one-third off rail travel.

International orientation

We have put together lots of great tips and information to help you with settling in at Kingston. Make sure you have access to Canvas, our virtual learning platform, and the Kingston University app so you can view all the online orientation sessions. You can find out more about these platforms on our Welcome page.

Welcome Week for new postgraduate students in January 2025 starts on 13 January 2025. These events include a range of informative sessions to help you get settled and exciting social events to make new friends. 

Visit our welcome page to find out more about settling in at Kingston

International enrolment

Enrolment is when you officially register on your course. This is when you get your student ID card and officially become a Kingston University student. This year we are allowing international students to enrol online before joining us on campus. This is to make sure you can access all of the Welcome and Arrivals information while finalising your travel arrangements.

When online enrolment opens, you will receive an email with full instructions on how to enrol through OSIS (Online Student Information System) once your place has been confirmed (e.g. your status changes to unconditional firm). Please complete this as soon as you can. The second part of enrolment takes place when you arrive on campus and is in-person. You will receive an email to book an appointment to enrol in person at one of our Information Centres.