HelpMeDegree
Get Started

International students

Applying to a UK university from abroad

There are a few extra steps when you apply from outside the UK. None of them are difficult once you know what to expect, and you do not have to work them out alone.

Find My Options Explore Courses

What to prepare

Qualification equivalency

Universities compare your qualifications against their own guidance for your country. An adviser will tell you what a university has published for your background.

English language evidence

Most courses require a recognised English test such as IELTS, with an overall score and minimum component scores. Some universities accept prior study taught in English.

Costs to plan for

Tuition, living costs, and one-off costs such as the visa application and healthcare surcharge set by the UK government. We help you build a realistic picture.

After an offer

Meeting conditions, paying any deposit the university requires, and receiving your enrolment paperwork. Immigration decisions are made by the UK authorities, not by us.

How an application from overseas runs

  1. 1Tell us where you are studying now, which country's qualifications you hold and which intake you are aiming for.
  2. 2Your adviser checks how universities treat qualifications from your country, and whether the English evidence you have meets the score a course publishes.
  3. 3Together you draw up a shortlist, and we say plainly which courses look within reach on the evidence you can actually supply.
  4. 4Paperwork comes next: transcripts, certified translations where a university asks for them, passport details and an English test booking if you still need one.
  5. 5When an offer arrives we go through its conditions, any deposit the university asks for before it will confirm your place, and how each payment deadline works.
  6. 6Once the conditions are met and the deposit is settled, the university issues your CAS, which is what you need before applying for a Student visa. That visa decision belongs to the UK government.

Being clear about immigration

Student immigration requirements are set and assessed by the UK government. HelpMeDegree is not a visa authority and cannot guarantee a visa, a place at a university, a scholarship or employment. We explain the published requirements and help you prepare, and we will always tell you when something is outside our control.

Read our guides

Common questions

Our core guidance for students is free. Where a service does carry a fee, we tell you the amount before you commit to anything.

No. Admission decisions are made by universities alone. We help you present a strong, complete application and explain every response you receive.

We are not a visa authority and cannot give immigration advice. We help you gather what a university needs, and point you to official guidance.

It depends on the course. Most universities accept IELTS, PTE or TOEFL, and some accept prior study in English. Each course page lists its requirement.