Steps to take before you leave

Once you have completed your scholarship you will receive your departure survey which you should complete. 

This is your final opportunity to give structured feedback to us on your Chevening experience so please make sure you fill it out and return it by the deadline. 

If you have items you do not need or do not want to take home, such as furniture, textbooks, a computer or stereo, you can try either selling them to other students, advertising them in the local newspaper/an online marketplace; or giving them to a local charity shop. 

If there are items that you will be unable to take with you by plane, there are options to send them by ship or rail. Ask your student adviser for suggestions or consult either the British Association of Removers or the British International Freight Association (BIFA). Check if the price includes insurance to cover any loss or breakages. 

Chevening will not pay for additional luggage as this is covered by your departure allowance. 

You will need to inform various people about your departure from your UK address, e.g. your academic department, your accommodation provider, your UK employer (if you have one), your doctor, your bank. It’s best to contact organisations at least a month before you leave to find out about deadlines and what you need to do. 

Check if there is a specific notice period for your accommodation and find out how you can get your deposit back before you leave or you will be charged rent even after you have left. 

Remember that UK banks have agreements with banks in many other countries, which could enable them to collect debts from your home bank. Also, your institution may refuse to give you your degree or other academic qualification until you pay any money you still owe for your tuition fees, accommodation, or library fines. 

You can arrange for the Royal Mail Re-direction Service to forward your UK mail to your address in your home country. Please note that there is a fee for this. You may also wish to give your home address to people or organisations so that they can forward on any correspondence or important information. 

Income tax refunds for work undertaken in the UK 

If you have done some part-time or vacation work in the UK, and you have paid income tax, you may be entitled to have some of that tax refunded to you. Contact HM Revenue and Customs for details on how to claim an income tax or national insurance refund. 

Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds 

If you have bought items in the UK within three months of your departure date that you plan to take back to your home country (outside the European Economic Area (EEA)), you might be able to claim back some of the Value Added Tax (VAT). To use the VAT Refund Scheme, you will normally have to buy the goods from a shop that operates the scheme. You can find more information about VAT refunds from HM Revenue and Customs. 

It can be very helpful to have references from the UK. At least a month before you leave, contact a few people who can comment on your abilities and your work (such as an academic supervisor or employer) and ask them for a written reference. Please note that staff at the Secretariat will not be able to provide you with professional or academic references. 

Your university’s Careers Service may be able to help you research potential employers in your home country and recommend websites which will email job vacancies to you.