During the current Covid-19 outbreak, we understand that our international applicants will have will have lots of questions.
The University has followed guidance from local health teams and Government as we implement our return to campus plans for the new academic year. The information presented on this page is therefore subject to change and we recommend that you regularly check back for the most up to date information.
Page last updated: 19/01/2022
Following the latest Government guidance, and underpinned by our comprehensive risk assessment, we have now returned to regular campus operations. All in-person teaching is able to resume, along with events, sports activities, and the re-opening of all campus facilities.
We will continue prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our University community and ensure our plans are underpinned by the advice of the local public health team and the national Government guidance.
Teaching materials and/or recorded sessions will also be available online, allowing you to engage remotely if you need to self-isolate or are unable to attend campus due to travel restrictions. Tutorials, supervisions and other one-to-one sessions can be conducted online, if you are unable to attend campus.
International students on most courses must ensure they join us on campus when they are able, and no later than 6 April 2022. There are some exceptions, where teaching and learning must happen in person, on campus, so students must arrive earlier.
If there is a change in pandemic-related Government guidance that impacts on in-person teaching, we will move all teaching online while we reshape the timetable. Learning activities that must take place on campus - for example practical, skills-based sessions, and UKVI contact points - would be prioritised for on-campus delivery.
If you have applied to one of the following courses, you must ensure you are on campus and ready to commence study (have completed any compulsory quarantine) by the following date.
7 February 2022
14 February 2022
21 February 2022
28 February 2022
4 April 2022
Whether you begin your course remotely or on campus, you must enrol on your course, online, as soon as possible. Check your student emails and the applicant portal for details. You must log in to the applicant portal to complete your enrolment. Download our step by step Enrolment Guide
You must keep the University informed of your location and travel plans at all times. You do this by keeping your details up to date in the applicant portal.
If you cannot be on campus at the beginning of the semester, there will be orientation and induction activities online, to make sure you get off to the best start. Teaching materials and/or recorded sessions will also be available online.
You must follow the Coronavirus test and quarantine advice appropriate for your journey to England.
Please check the UK government website frequently to ensure you have the latest information on what you need to do and then put your plans in place before you travel. Failure to demonstrate that you have followed the guidance correctly and put appropriate plans in place may result in you being unable to board your mode of transport or being denied entry to England at the border. gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
We strongly encourage everybody on campus to get tested regularly. To help keep everybody safe, students and staff should be tested twice weekly if they are on campus. Lateral Flow Device (LFD) kits are available to collect from the University (free of charge) which will enable you to carry out tests at home.
Please visit our Coronavirus webpage for details and additional safety measures in place to help protect our students and staff.Meet & Greet service will be available from Wednesday 5 January 2022 to Friday 21 January 2022 Students must book this service at least five working days in advance.
The service will run from:
Picks-ups will be at 1.00 pm every weekday (excluding Saturday and Sunday) during this period unless a different. Pick-ups will be located at International Arrivals
Anyone arriving to Newcastle International Airport on an internal flight (eg From Heathrow or Birmingham) will need to make their way over to international arrivals from domestic arrivals.
Where there is a change of pick-up time, students will be notified in advance.
Pick-ups will be on a request basis. Students can wait in the airport lounge until their transport arrives. Students must request pick-up at least five working days in advance.
Pick-ups will be on a request basis.
Students must request pick-up at least five working days in advance.
If you arrive outside of the meet and greet service dates (5 January 2022 to 21 January) you can request a pick-up but the university cannot guarantee that a collection can be offered.
In all circumstances students must complete the web form to initiate a booking request and must book their collection five days prior to arrival.
More about our Meet & Greet service
Important note: Please be aware that due to the Christmas holiday period, to guarantee collection in the week of Wednesday 5 - Friday 7 January 2022, you will need to submit your Meet and Greet request form prior to 1700 (GMT) on Friday 17 December 2021. While we will do our best to accommodate requests received after this date, we will not be able to guarantee it. 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.
We can only offer Meet & Greet Services to Teesside International Airport, Newcastle International Airport, Darlington train station, Middlesbrough train station and Middlesbrough bus station at this time.
You can now fly to Teesside International Airport from Amsterdam and London Heathrow, so please check if it is possible to continue by plane to Teesside Airport.
There are good train and coach links into central Middlesbrough from around the UK.
View train schedules and tickets
If you need to advice about a journey which is not included in the 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.
You should, where possible, arrive in the UK with a suitable device to undertake your course; for example, a laptop or tablet. This is particularly important should you need to quarantine on arrival and miss the first few days of your studies. If you have any queries over what you will require, please contact your school.
Anybody aged 18 or over in the UK is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination for free, regardless of their nationality or immigration status.
Nobody in England has to pay for the COVID-19 vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccination is free of charge and does not count as the kind of care that requires payment.
International students or anyone seeing requests for payment should report this activity to their university institution and to Action Fraud. More information on COVID-19 vaccine scams is on the Action Fraud website here.
While registration with a GP is encouraged to access the vaccine, individuals can request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient through a local GP practice.
International students can approach their local GP practice, saying they would like to register, this will allow you get an NHS number. An NHS number can be found on any letter the NHS has sent you, on a prescription, or by logging in to a GP practice online service.
While registration with a GP is encouraged to access the vaccine, individuals can request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient through a local GP practice.
Anyone in England is eligible for the vaccine if they fall within the current eligibility criteria set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and should come forward once it is their turn.
International students should be encouraged to register with a GP and get an NHS number. An NHS number can be found on any letter the NHS has sent you, on a prescription, or by logging in to a GP practice online service. You can also find an NHS number using this tool.
It is possible to request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient by approaching a local GP practice.
While registration with a GP is encouraged to access the vaccine, individuals can request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient through a local GP practice.
Visit nhs.uk/register for more information on GP registration.
Students who are not registered with a GP will not be proactively contacted by a local NHS service. We encourage all students to register with a GP and they can be directed to nhs.uk/register for more information.
However, international students can book their vaccination appointments via the National Booking Service with their NHS number if they have previously received NHS treatment. You can also find an NHS number using this tool.
If a person has received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine overseas that is also available in the UK, they should receive the same vaccine for their second dose. If the vaccine they received for their first dose is not available in the UK, the most similar alternative should be offered as per the advice here (see sections on vaccine interchangeability guidance). The student should contact a GP to ensure they receive an appropriate vaccine for their second dose.
Students should be directed to nhs.uk/covid-vaccination for more information about the Covid-19 vaccine.
Students should be directed to http://www.gov.uk/ for information on COVID restrictions.
You must follow the quarantine advice appropriate for your journey to England. You should check this link to see what measures and restrictions apply to you when traveling to England from another country during coronavirus (COVID-19) gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Remember, you must keep the University informed of your location and travel plans at all times. You do this by keeping your details up to date in the applicant portal.
You must follow the quarantine advice appropriate for your journey to England. You should check this link to see what measures and restrictions apply to you when traveling to England from another country during coronavirus (COVID-19) gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Remember, you must keep the University informed of your location and travel plans at all times. You do this by keeping your details up to date in the applicant portal.
If you are required to quarantine when you arrive, please visit the UK Government website, for guidance on how to quarantine.
You do not have to quarantine in a managed quarantine hotel unless you are arriving from a country on the red list. There are currently no countries on the red list.
Once you are in the UK, it is a requirement of your Student Visa and the University that you attend campus for your studies. It is expected you will live at an address on or close to campus in order to engage fully in campus life. The University frequently reviews the recorded addresses of its Sponsored Students and considers no further than 50 miles from the campus to be a reasonable travelling distance. Addresses further away will be subject to review by LGS Compliance and students will be required to explain how they are able tho satisfy the University's attendance requirements. UKVI Sponsorship of a Student Visa may be at risk if you fail to do so.
You can find lots of useful information about coming to England to study during the pandemic on this UK government blog: The Education Hub
If you have any concerns, please contact studentwellbeing@tees.ac.uk and for medical advice contact NHS 111
The University continues to heed government advice and we're regularly updating our own guidance.