Applying for your visa as a Chevening scholar

Our guidance on the student visa application process and other immigration options.

As a Chevening scholar, you will need to apply for your own student visa. Chevening cannot apply on your behalf. Follow the guidance provided here carefully.

The good news is that you don’t need to pay the visa fee or the Immigration Health Surcharge. Follow our step-by-step guide carefully to bypass these fees.

For Chevening Fellows, please note that different visa requirements will apply. Details will be communicated in your pre-departure Fellowgram after you receive your Final Award Letter.

Six steps to take before you apply for your visa

Click on the expanding arrows to reveal the four steps you need to take before you start your student visa application.

Step 1 Read student visa guidance.

Read our guidance on applying for a student visa and the UK government student visa guidance.

If you already have a valid UK visa or other permission to be in the UK, please inform your British embassy or high commission.

Step 2 Check that you have your Final Award Letter (FAL) from Chevening and your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your university. You will not be able to apply without these.

Your FAL will be issued to you by your British embassy or high commission by August.

Your CAS will be issued by your university.

You will need both your CAS and your FAL to apply for your visa. Questions about your CAS and other steps in the visa application process are answered in our guidance on applying for a student visa.

Step 3 Check whether you need to undergo a TB test for your visa application.

Check whether you need a tuberculosis (TB) test.

If you do require a TB test, it must be from a UKVI approved clinic. The TB clearance certificate is valid for six months. Once you have received your Conditional Award Letter (CAL), you should immediately organise your TB test as the process can take several months. Find your nearest testing centre.

If you are from a country where TB testing is required you will receive a contribution towards the cost of the test once you are in the UK.

Step 4 Check if you need ATAS clearance for your visa application.

Check with your university to find out if your course requires you to have Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance for your visa application.

An ATAS certificate is valid for six months from the date of issue, so make sure your ATAS certificate will not expire before you apply for your visa. If you require an ATAS certificate, you should start your ATAS clearance application once you have received an offer from your university and your Chevening Conditional Award Letter (CAL), as it can take six weeks or longer to obtain. There is no charge for an ATAS certificate.

For further information, please refer to the guidance on the ATAS website.

Step 5 Ensure that your application does not come under the general grounds for immigration refusal.

Read about the general grounds for refusal.

Your passport should be valid for the full duration of your study. If your passport is due to expire during the tenure of your scholarship, we recommend that you consider renewing your passport.

Step 6 Allow plenty of time to collate the documents required to make your application.

Check the government website and Chevening’s student visa document checklist.

Ready to apply for your visa?

You must apply online.

Make sure you:

Complete all sections of the form fully, honestly, and accurately.
Provide evidence in the exact format required by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Further information about requirements for a Student Visa can be found on the gov.uk website.
Apply from your home country
Are able to travel to a neighbouring country for your biometrics appointment if there is no visa application centre in your home country.

Other immigration options

Most Chevening scholars need to apply for a student visa, but depending on your circumstances, there may be other suitable immigration options for you. To find out more about immigration or get confirmation of the visa type you should apply for, contact the Welfare and Immigration team at welfare@chevening.org.

Please note that the team cannot provide immigration advice to your family or friends, and remember, they can’t apply for your visa for you.

Immigration advice in the UK is regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and the Chevening team’s advisors are accredited to give immigration advice under the OISC guidelines.

For more information:

Read our FAQs on applying for a student visa and our immigration FAQs.
Keep an eye on the Scholargram, your monthly scholar newsletter, for advice and updates.
Make sure you’re up to speed on restrictions for working in the UK.

Accessible versions of visa support documents:

Your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

Once your visa has been approved, you’ll get a biometric resident permit (BRP) which can be used to prove that you legally study in the UK. Read further information about your BRP below.

Read about your BRP

Click to read Biometric Resident Permit (BRP)