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International students

International arrivals service for international students

Our friendly team collects our new international students from Newcastle International Airport and Teesside International Airport and transports you to our Middlesbrough Campus Heart.

International student smiling

Our free collections service runs in January, May and September from Newcastle and Teesside airports. Students who are new to Teesside University are eligible for one of three forms of collection.

  • International airport meet and greet
  • International campus meet and greet (inclusive of airport transfer)
  • International transfer service

Please make sure that you can move or carry your luggage yourself.

For arrivals in all circumstances students must book collection five working days prior to arrival. The service is only available during the advertised period for each form of collection.

Please contact us at meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk with any queries regarding your arrival for meet and greet.

Arrivals: September 2025

For arrivals in September 2025, the university is pleased to offer a collections service from Newcastle Airport and Teesside airport.

International airport meet and greet service

Our meet and greet service is now closed.

International campus meet and greet service

This is a taxi service from Newcastle and Teesside airports, supported by a dedicated service. Staff will be on hand to greet you on campus and support you with onward travel to your accommodation.

International transfer service

This service provides a free transfer from Newcastle and Teesside airports from Monday 15 September to Tuesday 30 September.

Students taking an international transfer will be taken to our Middlesbrough campus heart. Students are not eligible for a campus greeter under the International Transfer Service.

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Meet and Greet departure times

Newcastle Airport

There are two coach departures from Newcastle airport each day throughout the Meet and Greet period and coaches are scheduled to provide students with time to collect keys and access accommodation on arrival to Middlesbrough.

  • Our 12.30pm departure from Newcastle Airport arrives to our Middlesbrough campus heart at approximately 2.00pm.
  • Our 2.30pm departure from Newcastle Airport arrives at our Middlesbrough campus heart at approximately 4.00pm.

Teesside Airport

Students arriving to Teesside are transported by taxi or car to our Middlesbrough campus. The last daily collection from Teesside airport is at 3.30pm to provide enough students with time to travel to Middlesbrough, collect keys and access accommodation.

Staff at Middlesbrough are on hand to support with your onward travel and key collection.

Planning your trip to Newcastle Airport

There are many flight options for arriving to Newcastle and our friendly team will provide advice depending on when you arrive. The flights that arrive closest to our departure times are:

12.30pm departure

  • Emirates EK035 arriving from Dubai
  • British Airways BA1326 arriving from London Heathrow

2.30pm departure

  • KLM KL957 arriving from Amsterdam
  • British Airways BA1332 arriving from London Heathrow

If you arrive on other flights, you are still welcome on the Meet and Greet service. Please contact our team for further information meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk.

For arrivals in all circumstances students must book collection five working days prior to arrival.

Planning your trip to Teesside Airport

Teesside Airport has regular arrivals from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and many students will transfer through Amsterdam Schiphol when travelling to Teesside. Teesside Airport also provides a speedy arrival experience and is just twenty minutes from campus by car.
Arrivals information Teesside Airport

We collect students from Teesside airport on demand, up until 3.30pm. The best flight to arrive on when travelling to Teesside airport is the KLM flight arriving from Amsterdam at 9.30am.


FAQs

When is Meet and Greet running?

Please see the Meet and Greet Offer section. Arrival dates are only advertised for the next session and an expression of interest form is available prior to these being opened for booking.

Where do you collect students from for Meet and Greet?

Newcastle Airport
Our team will collect you from Newcastle Airport and transfer you to Teesside. Collections operate for 6 hours every day during the airport meet and greet, with the last coach leaving the airport at 2.30pm.

During the campus meet and greet period, students are eligible for a transfer to Middlesbrough to be greeted by staff until 2.30pm.

If you arrive after the 2.30pm departure time please book an airport hotel and transfer to Teesside the following day.

Teesside Airport
Our team arranges collection from Teesside airport on demand up to 3.30pm each day. Students arriving on flights after 3.30pm will need to book a hotel for overnight stays. If this hotel is in Middlesbrough, please contact the Meet and Greet team for further advice.

I'm arriving on a late flight. Can I sleep at the airport?

Newcastle Airport
There are a number of hotels available at Newcastle airport where you would be able to book a room, and it is also possible to take the Metro into Newcastle city and arrange accommodation at a hotel or hostel in the city centre.

You will not be able to stay overnight in the airport itself, so if you arrive late, please be sure to book accommodation for your arrival.

Teesside Airport
It is not possible to stay at Teesside airport overnight. Students arriving late will need to arrange hotel accommodation. If the hotel is in Middlesbrough, please contact the Meet and Greet team for further advice.

I am arriving into Heathrow. Will you pick me up?

Our Meet and Greet service operates from Newcastle and Teesside airports, so we are only able to collect students who arrive at Newcastle or Teesside airport. It is possible to book a short haul flight from Heathrow to Newcastle and book onto meet and greet on one of the advertised days. Alternatively, you can book your own transit from Heathrow using public transport. There are excellent rail and bus links from London to Middlesbrough. Please contact the Meet and Greet team if you have any queries.

I am arriving outside the Meet and Greet period. Will you still pick me up?

We are only able to collect students during the advertised Meet and Greet period. If you arrive outside of this time, you will need to make your own arrangements to travel to Middlesbrough.

You can find out more about travelling to Middlesbrough independently on our Travelling to Teesside page.

Making your own way to Middlesbrough

Journey to Teesside University via train from Newcastle Airport:

You will need to take two trains. The first is the Metro, which is a train that runs through all of Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland. The second is a train on the UK national network that will transport you to Middlesbrough.

To make your journey;

  1. On arrival at Newcastle airport, follow the signs to the entrance to the Metro station. This is located near UK Arrivals and Eurocar and has barriers to entry.
  2. Purchase your Metro ticket using the ticketing machines at the station. You will need to purchase an A+B+C Single ticket. This will allow you to travel to Newcastle Central train station, where you switch onto the National Rail Network. A+B+C Single Metro ticket costs approximately £7.00
  3. Take the metro train for South Hylton. Once you board this metro, it will be about a 24-minute journey to Newcastle Central Station. You will need to use your metro ticket to exit the metro station.
  4. At Newcastle Central Station, you will need to purchase a new train ticket for your train journey to Middlesbrough. A train ticket from Newcastle to Middlesbrough costs between £8.00 - £15.00, depending on the service and route selected.
  5. Purchase a ticket using a ticketing machine to purchase your train ticket to Middlesbrough. These are usually card payment machines. This will provide you with paper tickets, which the conductor will check on the train.
  6. Once you have your ticket, you may proceed onto the train platforms. You will need to scan your QR code or paper ticket to access the platforms.
    Please ensure you only travel on the train for which you have purchased a ticket. A fine can be issued if you travel on a different train. Ask station staff if you are unsure.
  7. Train times to Middlesbrough vary depending on service. It can take up to 1hr and 20 minutes to make the journey to Middlesbrough train station.
  8. From Middlesbrough train station it is a short 15-minute walk to the University campus, or will cost approximately £8 in a taxi.

Journey from Newcastle Airport to Middlesbrough
The journey from Newcastle Airport to Middlesbrough using public transport will cost between £20 - £30, but prices are subject to change, so please budget for this. It will take between two and two and a half hours to complete the transit inclusive of waiting at train stations.

Journey to Middlesbrough from Teesside Airport
If you arrive to Teesside airport outside the Meet and Greet period, it is recommended that you book a taxi transfer in the airport, as this is the fastest way to get to our Middlesbrough campus.

A bus service and flex-bus service is available from the airport. Please see Teesside International Airport website for more details

I am studying for a PhD at Teesside and commence study in October, December, March or May, is there a Meet and Greet service for me?

At Teesside we understand that starting your PhD requires a lot of planning and we want to support your arrival to make this as easy as possible. The University offers a dedicated arrivals service for our international PhD students that provides transfer to the university from Teesside and Newcastle airports at each of our PhD entry points.

In addition to supporting transfer for our students, the University will also offer transfer for any dependents who travel with you (partner and/or children).

Please enquire for the PhD Meet and Greet service by contacting meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk. You will be asked to complete a form to confirm your booking.

I am a PhD student travelling with my partner and children, am I able to use the Meet and Greet Service?

Yes, PhD students who are travelling with families are still eligible for transfer during the PhD transfer window. Please liaise with the Meet and Greet team through meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk to arrange your booking.


Please be aware of any time differences and that telephone calls or emails outside of UK business hours will only be responded to the next working day (UK time).

If you have any enquiries about our meet and greet service, please contact meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk. It can take up to five working days for a response due to high demand.

 
 
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