When you arrive

At the airport

Make sure you are well prepared and have all your documents ready, so that you can move through UK Border checks quickly and easily and have a good experience when you arrive.

The UK Border Force have created a 10 top tips document which we recommend you read. You can download it here.

Here is some additional advice which will help to make your arrival in the airport simple and stress-free.

• When you complete your landing card, write an address where you can be easily contacted while you are in the UK.
• Keep all your documents in your hand luggage and have it ready to present to a Border Force officer before you arrive at the Passport Control area.
• You will need to present paper copies - electronic copies are not acceptable.

First year students will need

• Admission/Offer/CAS letter(s).
• Confirmation of payment/receipts for course and accommodation OR documentary evidence that you have sufficient funds to pay for these.

Returning students will need

• Student ID Card or Admission/Offer/CAS letter(s).
• Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) or evidence that you have continuing leave to remain as a student. Leave to remain will normally be indicated on your visa; but if this is endorsed in a passport that has now expired, you must also bring your old passport with you.

All returning students are advised to check their email accounts prior to travelling back to the United Kingdom for messages from the Home Office. If you have received email notification that your Student leave has been cancelled/postponed, you are strongly advised not to travel and you must contact your nearest British Diplomatic mission immediately for help.

Please remember- even if you have arranged our free airport pick-up service, you will not be able to meet the representative from Teesside University until you have successfully passed through Passport Control and collected your luggage. It is very important that you read the above advice and make sure you are organised and prepared for arrival at the airport by yourself.

Free meet and greet service for international students

When you have applied for your accommodation, don't forget to apply for our free Meet and Greet service. You will be welcomed by one of our friendly student ambassadors when you arrive at either Teesside International Airport or Newcastle International Airport and taken straight to your new home.

Book your meet and greet now

Equality and diversity

We welcome applications from every section of the community as part of our commitment to equality of opportunity within a diverse working and learning environment.

Welcome and orientation event

The welcome and orientation event provides international students with an opportunity to find out more about what it's like to live and study in the UK. It's a chance to meet other students from all over the world and will help you organise some of the things that are a priority for international students when you first arrive at Teesside.

We will post further details of the orientation programme here on our website closer to the date.

Leaving the UK

If you hold a Police Registration Certificate, you need to notify the police when you leave the UK for the last time.

Opening a UK bank account

It is important to open a bank account in the UK as soon as possible so that you are able to access your funds to pay for day to day expenses. It will also be useful to have funds held within a UK bank account should at any point in the future you need to apply to extend your visa or switch into another immigration category. In order to do this you will need to take certain information along to the bank of your choice. For bank account appointments you will need:

• Passport including entry clearance vignette
• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP card)
• A letter of introduction showing your UK student details (bank letter), including the name of the UK Bank that you wish to use. This can be printed off from your University e-Vision account after you have completed enrolment.

Registering with a doctor (general practitioner)

There will be an opportunity to register with a local doctor (we call this a general practitioner or 'GP') at the welcome and orientation event. However, you can also do this directly with a GP practice yourself once you are here. As soon as you have a UK address you can use the NHS website to find the closest GP to where you live. When you have decided which GP you would like to register with, you will need to go there in person and complete the registration process. Once you are registered with a GP, you will be able to access NHS Secondary Healthcare Services, although there will be services that you need to pay for, so always check.