Visas and Immigration

Student visa overview

Do I need a visa?

If you are a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you do not need a visa to study. If you are from any other country then you will need to apply for permission to study in the UK.

Which visa will I need?

Tier 4 (General) – if you are coming to the UK to study a full-time course for more than six months you will need to apply for a Tier 4 visa. You can only study on a Tier 4 visa with an institution that has a Tier 4 Sponsor Licence and is a Highly Trusted Sponsor (such as the University of Derby).

Student Visitor – if you are studying a course that is less than six months in length (or an English language course that is less than 11 months long), you can apply for a Student Visitor visa.

Other visa categories

If you hold entry clearance or leave to remain in a visa category other than Tier 4, you may be able to study with your current permission. Please email visa@derby.ac.uk to see if you can study with your current visa.