Pre-departure Guide for Indian Students Flying to the UK

You must have a lot of feelings about planning to fly off to study at your dream university in the UK. Filled with joy, gratitude and excitement, there must be a little amount of fear and anxiousness about the idea of settling in a new land. Life will roll out to be an adventure! A little help is all you need.

Visa clearance could take up to 6 months. Once you are granted your Tier 4 clearance visa, you will have some days to set before you sail. To prepare you for your travel to the UK, we have accumulated a Pre-departure Guide that will help you throughout.

Before Departure

Packing right is the first thing to do. Carry your laptop and a spare phone if and when you need them. One may consider carrying at least £1000-£1500 cash in low denominations, an international debit card and traveller’s cheques on hand. Pack a bunch of passport-size photographs, your CV, original and duplicates of your education certificates including IELTS scores and your driver’s license to transfer into a UK license and use for up to 1 year.

While you are at it, load in all the documents presented during the visa process. Find a list of documents in our blog about Student Visa Requirements in the UK. If you have a medical condition and/or are under any medication, carry your prescription and a translated letter from your doctor about your condition and treatment. A relative or friend can also help crosscheck the availability of your medicines at the UK pharmacies. For your initial period, carry medicines with you regardless.

Before your course begins, set up a university account to access joining instructions. This would help you gain clarity on the documents you will need to submit to the university upon joining.

At the Indian Airport

Pack items in the order of need so you don’t have to unpack all at once when you reach. Students can carry 2 pieces of luggage of up to 23 kg and 51 lb each when flying to the UK in economy class. Airlines could have different restrictions for the weight and sizes of the luggage; consider checking their website beforehand. Carry a kg less but don’t overpack as charges for additional weight and pieces of baggage are maddening. When carrying food items, students must have them clearly labelled so it doesn’t get tossed out.

Pack your documents in an easily accessible luggage pocket. The documents you will need are a flight ticket(s), a passport and a BRP collection letter. You will need to present this letter to collect your visa when you arrive in the UK. This visa will be in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Ensure that your passport is valid up to the duration of your course so you don’t wander around trying to renew it in a foreign country. Travel and health insurance are advisable.

At the European Airport

You will handed a landing card at the end of your flight. No, it’s not a card welcoming you to their country. You need to fill out our basic details on your flight, accommodation and emergency contacts. Keep it in your pocket and present when asked at the immigration check. If you are course starts in September, there will be student lanes dedicated to international students flying into the UK to study. But before you line in, call home and tell them how you are. It has been over 10 hours since they heard from you.

You will also be asked to present your passport, CAS, bank and medical details, and your accommodation contract proof. There are a number of accommodation options in the UK for students to explore if you haven’t booked any yet. You will be asked questions by the border force – it’s a part of their routine check. Make sure an officer stamps your passport with your date of entry.

After Reaching the UK

When you are out of the airport, pull in the map of your accommodation, get in a taxi and go take a decent nap. Well, easier said than done. Trains, buses and taxis can be booked on mobile applications in the UK. While you take your time to explore them, call on +44(0)1752 666222 for Need a Cab or +44(0)1752 222222 for Taxi First in Plymouth. When you have caught a break, buy a SIM card and open a UK bank account. This bank account will pay for your phone bill, household and utility bills, and manage payments from part-time work and overseas.

Take time to stroll around the university campus and the city. Before the course starts, it is a good time to understand your way around the campus and access your timetable. Cities also have social events and activities, sports clubs and societies to contribute to your social group.

You are now all set and should start packing your bags for the new experience.

Studywise International also organises a Pre-departure Preparation seminar for our students to prepare them for the changes they need to get accustomed to, documents and necessary items to carry and tasks to perform before and after reaching the UK. Download our FREE checklist to ease your process of flying to the UK.