Travelling home after your award

You will receive an email from your Programme Officer when it is possible to start the process of booking your flight home, as your booking period will depend on your course end date.

You will be given a deadline for booking your flight by your Programme Officer.

Chevening does not specify when you should leave the UK between your course end date and the visa expiry date. However, please note that your stipend will only be provided up until the end date of your course or your UK departure date, whichever is earliest. You should also check the end date on your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) and make sure you book your flight at least two days in advance of this date to avoid issues with your flight that may risk you overstaying your Student Visa.

If you intend to leave the UK before your course end date, you must inform your Programme Officer. You must also check with your course leader at your university if this is permitted, and if your remaining assignments/exams can be submitted remotely. Please note that there is also a mandatory Farewell event (usually at the start of July).

All return flights home are booked through Chevening’s travel agent. You will be contacted about this towards the end of your time in the UK.

You are advised to take out travel insurance for your journey as neither the travel agent nor the Chevening Secretariat can take responsibility for your baggage or onward travel.

For more information about booking your travel home, please look at the Chevening policy and guidelines.

After you have completed your studies and your course has ended, you should be aware that if you leave the UK temporarily you may not be allowed to re-enter the UK on your student visa, unless you can show you are re-entering the UK for study-related purposes. This will apply even if your visa is multiple entry, meaning you can leave and re-enter the UK while your visa is still valid.

You should contact your university’s international office for advice about:

• Leaving the UK if you plan to return before your visa expires

Once your award has finished, the Chevening Welfare and Immigration Team will not be able to provide you with any further immigration advice.

Your final stipend payment will be calculated pro rata, either until your course end date (as confirmed on your Final Award Letter) or your UK departure data, whichever is earlier. If you leave the UK before your course end date, your stipend will be less than usual, so please bear this in mind when budgeting for your final weeks in the UK.

Scholars on a full award will receive a departure allowance to cover unexpected costs such as luggage allowance or shipping personal belonging to their home country.

Once you have received the departure allowance and booked your homeward flight, this decision cannot be reversed. By leaving the UK, you are effectively ending your Chevening Scholarship.

Chevening does not cover any costs associated with graduation – this includes the cost of flight tickets to and from the UK. Chevening will not extend your current Student Visa if your graduation ceremony is after your visa end date. Please contact your university for advice on visas for graduation.

Chevening Scholarships cannot be extended beyond 12 months unless there are exceptional academic or welfare circumstances. The FCDO will only consider exceptions if necessary for course completion with strong supporting reasons. Dissertation extensions will not exceed three months.

You must inform the Secretariat if you intend to apply for an extension before your original course end date, as stated in your Final Award Letter. All extensions depend on the availability of funds and are not guaranteed.

Per your scholarship terms and conditions, you must return home for at least two years after completing your scholarship. The Secretariat cannot provide support letters for staying in the UK for work or study and will not allow repayment of scholarship funds to bypass this requirement.

For further guidance, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. After your award ends, the Welfare and Immigration Team cannot provide immigration advice. Contact your university for additional queries.