ºÚÁÏÉç

Exchange students are eligible to apply for University accommodation. We can normally allocate rooms to all of our exchange students, but it is not guaranteed and, in years of high demand, a few may need to rent a room in the private sector.

The ºÚÁÏÉç’s accommodation is grouped into self-catered â€˜Courts of Residence’ on three sites:

• Stag Hill (our main campus where most academic buildings are located)
• Manor Park (our residential village, 5 minutes by bus/15 minutes on foot)

We have two designated arrival dates, when students can move into their accommodation: the day before our Exchange Orientation in mid September and in late January/early February. It is generally not possible to get most rooms ready earlier, but it may be possible for a few students to move in a day or so earlier by agreement with the Accommodation Office. 

Students must vacate their room by the last date on their rental contract, which is usually the Monday morning after the end of the semester.

Student rooms can normally only be allocated for full semesters, so research project students are advised to come to ºÚÁÏÉç for the whole semester, the start of the semester or the summer vacation period, if possible. Students coming outside the normal semester dates are advised to contact the Accommodation Office for assistance with renting in the private sector (see section below). It may be easiest to find a room to rent as a lodger in a landlord's home nearby.

Student nurses, midwives and paramedics are advised to book accommodation in Royal ºÚÁÏÉç County Hospital keyworker flats as these are conveniently located next to the hospital and just 10 minutes by bus from the main University campus. Details of how to apply will be emailed to students once their exchange application has been accepted. The rent must be paid in full before your arrival.

Alternatively, if there is availability, it may be possible to stay in student accommodation at Manor Park, just a few minutes' walk from the hospital.

Exchange and study abroad students must pay for their accommodation at ºÚÁÏÉç. See here for prices and payment details.

When applying for university accommodation, students are asked to indicate their price-band order of preference. We do our best to offer students one of their top preferences, but it cannot be guaranteed.

Accommodation fees can either be paid in full or in a few instalments or you can arrange to pay in monthly instalments. All students must pay a £250 pre-payment to secure their room and will be invoiced via their ºÚÁÏÉç email for the rest around the second week of teaching. You can pay for the semester in full or arrange to pay in monthly instalments. Any additional days at the start of your stay will be added to your invoice pro rata.

Our Accommodation Office provides advice and guidance on finding a property to rent in the private sector nearby. If you wish to rent privately, please visit our Privately Rented Accommodation pages for important and useful information and advice. Private rental contracts in a shared student house or a private flat are always for 6 or 12 months in the UK, whereas renting a room ('lodgings') in a private, landlord-occupied or family home can be for any length of time by agreement with the landlord, so is better for students coming for a shorter length of time.

We will email exchange students in June/November with details of how to apply for University accommodation using our online application form. The email will contain your unique Student Number, which you need in order to complete the form. You will need to indicate your preferred price bands in order of preference. You will not be able to specify a particular Court or site. If you have any special requirements, these can be entered on the form after liaising with one of our  counsellors or a member of our . For wheelchair or mobility scooter users, Twyford Court and International House (currently under renovation) on the Stag Hill campus or Manor Park provide the most suitable accommodation and easiest access to the academic buildings on campus.

The Accommodation Office will confirm by email whether students have been allocated a room by:

Autumn/Semester 1 entry: late August/early September

Spring/Semester 2 entry: mid-December

All successful applicants will be asked to pay a £250 deposit to secure their room and must complete an e-induction form with their details, following which they will be emailed details of their room, flat number and block. Students should carry this email in their hand luggage when they travel to ºÚÁÏÉç so that it can be presented at the key collection point.

The University supports current smoke-free legislation. It is therefore illegal to smoke inside any University building. This includes your University bedroom, kitchen and common room areas.
 

Check whether you will need a visa to study in the UK by entering brief details into the UK Government . All UK visas are now digital rather than a stamp or paper vignette in your passport.

Holders of a valid UK or Irish passport do not need a visa to enter the UK for study and work. You also do not need an Electronic Travel Authorisation to travel to the UK.

All other students:

UK study of 6 months or less

Depending on your nationality, international students coming to study in the UK for 6 months or less (no working) will need to either:

• apply and wait for a  (currently £135) before travelling to the UK (the  will say you need a visa). Once you have been formally accepted by ºÚÁÏÉç, we will email you a visa support letter for your visa application. Visa processing time: usually 3 weeks but may be up to 5 weeks at busy times.
• enter the UK as a Visitor without applying for a visa (the  will say you don’t need a visa). You will need to apply instead for an (ETA; from 8 April 2026: £20) around a week before travelling to the UK. You will also need to carry in your hand luggage the supporting documents needed for the Standard Visitor visa whenever you travel into the UK whilst studying here. Once you have been formally accepted by ºÚÁÏÉç, we will email you a formal acceptance letter to show at UK border control.

UK study of more than 6 months or study AND work for 6 months or less

International students coming to study in the UK for more than 6 months (i.e. two semesters) or wishing to work as well as study (including paid work, voluntary work, work experience, work placements or internships outside your ºÚÁÏÉç course), will need to apply and wait for a  (currently £558) before travelling to the UK. As part of the visa application, you will also need to pay the , which entitles you to treatment under the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) on the same basis as UK residents. Non-native English speakers are required to submit one of the University's accepted English language qualifications with their exchange or study abroad application to ºÚÁÏÉç to show they meet the minimum level of competence in English required for their particular ºÚÁÏÉç course (see 'Entry Requirements' in undergraduate courses / postgraduate courses). 

Once you have been formally accepted by ºÚÁÏÉç, the University will email you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number for your visa application. Some nationals may be required to attend an appointment at your nearest visa application centre to provide your photo, fingerprints and supporting documents. Visa processing time: around 3 weeks (from date of appointment).

You may work in the UK (paid, unpaid or internship) for up to 20 hours a week during university teaching periods and full-time during university vacations whilst you are studying here.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

To study or research certain sensitive subjects, postgraduate students may need an . We will let you know if you do. You need to apply for the ATAS certificate before starting your course or placement. Processing time: up to 6 weeks.

Further information and advice

For further information about visas and the supporting documents you need to provide, see

• ±«°­°ä±õ³§´¡â€™s&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
• ºÚÁÏÉç’s visa guidance.

For advice regarding visas, please contact the University’s International Student Advice team on internationalsupport@surrey.ac.uk.

As a Student Visa sponsor, the ºÚÁÏÉç is responsible for monitoring students and their attendance at classes during their studies.

The University has a duty to report to UK Visas & Immigration if you fail to arrive for the start of the course, withdraw from a course, defer or suspend your studies, complete your course before the expected end date or fail to attend without authorisation from your Faculty. This may lead to your visa being curtailed. You must therefore keep in touch with your Faculty, the Visa Compliance team and the International Student Office at all times, particularly if you encounter any problems before or during your studies.

Please note the exchange arrival and departure dates when booking your travel.

If you will be taking exams at ºÚÁÏÉç, please do not book your return/onward travel for before the end of the exam period, which is the evening of the last day of the semester. Exam timetables are released a month before the start of the exam period. Also, please be aware that unusually heavy spring snowfall can result in examinations being postponed!

Erasmus students taking assignment-only modules should note that the minimum stay to be eligible for Erasmus+ study exchange funding is 2 months and you will only receive Erasmus funding for the days you are physically present at the ºÚÁÏÉç.

On the exchange arrival day in September and February, exchange and study abroad students can sign up to be met by our student helpers and collected by minibus from Guildford railway station after their arrival by coach from London Heathrow airport or by train from London Gatwick airport or London Waterloo station in central London. You can sign up a month or so before your arrival here. NB. Students flying to the UK will need your flight details to complete the form.

Follow the link above for information on travelling to the University independently.

The University does not have any bursaries or scholarships for exchange or study abroad students, and it will not be able to help fund your stay. However, ºÚÁÏÉç is a member of BUTEX and so students coming to study at ºÚÁÏÉç can enter a competition to win a .

Students with a Student visa can work for up to 20 hours a week during teaching periods and full-time during university vacations (see ). Standard Visitor visa-holders and Visitors without a visa are not allowed to work whilst studying in the UK (paid, unpaid, internship or work placement outside your course). 

Students applying for a visa will need to provide evidence that they have sufficient funds for their stay, currently estimated at £1,171 a month. Students who don't need a visa are advised to carry evidence of sufficient funds to cover their living costs each time they enter the UK.

You should pay for things in the UK in UK currency (pounds sterling) whenever possible as you will need to make up for any shortfall arising from currency fluctuations or bank transfer charges. Allow for any increases in exchange rates which may affect your living costs.

Check with your own bank about requirements for transferring funds well before you are due to travel. If you need written evidence from the University concerning your admission, registration or your estimated expenses, you should obtain this from the International Engagement Office.

Fluctuating exchange rates can make a big difference so try to change your money at the right time but make sure this does not cause you to miss important payment deadlines. Your sponsor or family will be able to transfer funds into your bank account directly. There may be charges for this and for currency conversion.

Most taxis, public transport, shops and leisure services in the UK now accept bank cards or banking app payments, and the ºÚÁÏÉç campus is cash-free, so you are advised to only bring a small amount of UK sterling cash with you for expenses at the airport, travel to the campus and initial living costs, just in case you have problems with your bank card in your first week. Lifestyles vary, but you should not need more than £200-300. 

Your bank may charge you for each transaction you make in the UK, so before you leave home, find out about your bank's currency conversion fees and money transfer fees for when you are in the UK. Visiting students are generally not able to open an account at a UK high street bank but it may well be worth setting up a  and transferring funds before you leave home to cover your living costs and accommodation and avoid currency conversion fees.

All students should take out travel insurance with health cover before travelling to the UK. EU students should check whether they need to apply for a new European Health Insurance Card in their country before coming to the UK in order to get some free or reduced-cost health treatment. Students who travel to another country for a holiday during their studies in the UK must take out additional travel insurance. 

All students living in University accommodation are covered by personal possessions insurance (up to £4,000) and laptop insurance (up to £2,000), but can extend the cover for an additional fee to include mobile phones outside your room and other benefits. Students living in private-sector accommodation will need to find out whether personal possessions insurance is included in their rent.

Registering with a doctor

The University has a Student Health Centre, , on the main campus and there are a number of doctors' surgeries (or 'GPs' as they are called in the UK) a short walk from campus - for details of these and other health services, see

The Royal ºÚÁÏÉç County Hospital is 5 minutes by bus from the main campus and next to the Manor Park residences. It has an Accident & Emergency department, open 24/7.

Details of who is entitled to free treatment under the UK’s National Health Service (the NHS) are available on the  website. The following NHS treatment is free for everyone:

• emergency hospital treatment (but not follow-up treatment)
• family planning services
• diagnosis and treatment of certain communicable diseases
• compulsory psychiatric treatment

Most international students studying at ºÚÁÏÉç for more than 6 months will have paid the immigration healthcare surcharge with their Student visa application. This entitles you to the same free UK National Health Service (NHS) healthcare as a UK citizen, but excludes prescriptions, eye tests, glasses and dental treatment. Even if you have paid the healthcare surcharge you may need some health cover with your travel insurance. Prescription costs can be found on the . You should register with your nearest GP in your first week at ºÚÁÏÉç - see .

International students studying at ºÚÁÏÉç for less than 6 months will not be covered by the NHS, except for the free services listed above, and students from  with the UK are unlikely to have full health and repatriation cover, so you must take out private health insurance. If you fall ill or need treatment during your stay, you should phone your nearest GP to book an appointment (see ) and register as a temporary private patient. The treatment charges will be available from the GP reception.

European Health Insurance Card 

EU/EEA students should check whether you need to apply for a new European Health Insurance Card in your country in order to be eligible for free or reduced-cost treatment in the UK. Even with a card, you will still need to take out travel insurance with some health cover. 

Ongoing Medical Issues

If you have any pre-existing medical issues that may require treatment or medicines during your stay, please fix an appointment at your nearest GP as soon as possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made for your support. In particular, the doctor would need to know about any important ongoing problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, mental health problems, etc. You should bring with you any medical notes you have concerning your condition, together with enough medication for at least the first month.

Medicines and prescriptions

Pharmacies (also known as 'chemists' in the UK) are also a useful source of information and can provide basic medications for minor illnesses such as colds, coughs or hay fever. Over-the-counter medicines may also be cheaper than prescription medication. There are several local pharmacies near the University. If your symptoms persist, you should make an appointment to see a doctor. You can also call NHS Direct for help and advice by simply dialling 111 at any time.

The University has a , which provides counselling and emotional support for a wide range of personal issues and mental health problems, as well as family planning services. The Centre offers 20-minute drop-in sessions or you can arrange a longer session by telephoning 01483 689498 or emailing centreforwellbeing@surrey.ac.uk.

The Erasmus/Exchange Orientation is your introduction to your study exchange at the ºÚÁÏÉç and will provide practical and academic information, as well as being a great opportunity to meet other exchange students and see something of the local area before your studies begin. The 2-day Orientation is compulsory for all exchange students, apart from Nursing placement students who will be emailed a separate orientation programme.

You will be emailed a link to the orientation programme. 

The week following the September Exchange Orientation is ‘Welcome Week’. The Welcome Week events programme is designed to help all new students get to know the University and their Faculty. It is an opportunity to meet other students on your programme, to find out about the social and sporting activities on offer, and covers all the information that you need to know to get started on your course and get the most out of your stay at ºÚÁÏÉç.

The University’s Welcome website will become live in late-August and will provide you with full information on how to complete the first part of the university registration process online whilst still in your home country, as well as helping you to prepare for your arrival at ºÚÁÏÉç. It also contains your full exchange student timetable for Welcome Week (September only). We will email you a reminder to download or print off your timetable.