EU, Swiss and non-EU EEA students
The EU Settlement Scheme allowed EU, non-EEA and Swiss nationals and their families who had been in the UK for a qualifying period to apply to remain in the UK indefinitely.
EU Settlement Scheme
The EU Settlement Scheme allowed EU, non-EEA and Swiss nationals and their families who had been in the UK for a qualifying period to apply to remain in the UK indefinitely. Applicants who do not qualify for 'settled' status can be granted 'pre-settled' status for a shorter period, if they meet the qualifying criteria.
The EU Settlement Scheme closed to new applicants on 30th June 2021, but some late applications for those with reasonable grounds for missing the deadline may still be accepted.
Student visas
If you wish to come to the UK for programmes of more than 6 months, and you do not have settled or pre-settled status, you will need to apply for a student visa. You will need a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) before you begin to make your application.
The key differences in the process for EU, Non-EU EEA students and Swiss students are:
- You do not need ATAS clearance, even if you are on a programme which would normally require ATAS
- You can apply for your visa through the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app and you do not need to attend a visa application centre
- You will receive a 'digital status' rather than a biometric residence permit card, if you apply using the app
- You can view your visa status using the UKVI View and Prove service, if you receive a digital status
You should be aware that a student visa has strict conditions. You should seek advice if your study plans change in any way, as your visa status may be affected.
Visitor Visa
If you are coming to the UK for a programme of 6 months or less, you can enter the UK as a visitor. You will not need to apply for entry clearance, but you may need show evidence of your reason for visiting the UK.
You should make sure that you are carrying a visitor visa support letter from Newcastle University in your hand luggage.
Passports
From 1st October 2021, in some cases you will no longer be able to enter the UK on your ID card. From that date, you will need to use a full passport. See the UKVI web pages for exceptions to the use of passports.
Immigration Health Surcharge Refund
If you are an EU or Swiss student who came to the UK to study on or after the 1 January 2021, and paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your visa application, you may be entitled to a full or partial reimbursement of your IHS.
In order to check if you are eligible for a refund and for details on how to apply for the refund, please refer to the following information from the Department of Heath and Social Care: