Arriving in Scotland

Arriving at the airport/other ports in Scotland

When you arrive in the UK you will have to go through Immigration/Passport Control. There may be a choice of queues – one for people with British passports and one for other nationalities.

You can read more on this UK Government website:

Guide to faster travel through the UK border

Short-term students - eGate exceptions

While many international students can now cross the border via the eGates, short-term students (those studying for up to 6 months) from Australia, New Zealand, Camada, Japan, the USA, Singapore and South Korea need to see a Border Force officer at passport control to get a short-term student stamp in their passport.

Immigration Officers

Expect visa and immigration officers to ask simple questions about your stay in the UK when you arrive at passport control. Never give false or misleading information (including forged or counterfeit documents). Do not enter the UK as a visitor. You will have to return to your home country and re-apply for a student visa.

If you have problems with immigration as you enter the country, ask to see a representative of the UK Immigration Advisory Service.

The immigration officer will need to check your important documents and may try to determine if you can speak English without the aid of an interpreter.

You may also be asked:

• Why you are coming to study in the UK
• What previous studies you have already taken in your home country
• If you have family connections in the UK
• What your accommodation arrangements are
• What you plan to do when you finish the course

Once the immigration officer has checked your documents and stamped your passport, you can then go to collect your luggage. Your luggage will come out on one of the carousels in the baggage hall – check the screens for your flight number and this will show you the carousel number you should go to.

Lost luggage

If any of your luggage is lost in transit, report it to the staff of the airline you have travelled with as soon as possible.

If you lose any of your belongings at the airport, rail or coach station, ask a member of staff for help in finding the lost property office to see if it has been handed in. If you think it may have been stolen, report it to the police as soon as possible.

Customs controls - what you can bring with you

Always check what goods you need to declare before you leave your home country for the UK

Once you have picked up your luggage, you will pass through customs control. If you have nothing to declare, join the queue for the green channel. If you have goods to declare, join the queue for the red channel. Please note that even if you do join the queue for the green channel, your luggage may still be checked.

If you are declaring goods, forms on which to make the declaration will be available on arrival and you will be given a copy to keep. If you do not make a declaration and/or are found to have provided incorrect information, a penalty fine can be imposed.

There are restrictions on traditional medicines, food products such as fish, eggs and honey, and some fruit, vegetables and plants (including bulbs, seeds, cut flowers and tree bark).

African Swine Fever

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a deadly pig disease which could devestate the UK's industry. Travellers are being asked not to bring pork or pork products from affected countries in to the UK.

ASF Guidance

Transport and somewhere to stay when you first arrive

Plan your arrival by checking transport from the airport/bus or train station to your accommodation.

If you haven’t arranged your permanent place of residence, book two or three nights in a bed and breakfast (“B&B”) or a hotel so that you have somewhere to go when you arrive.

Plan your budget for your stay, order some cash/traveller' cheques to support yourself until you can open a bank account in the UK.

Things to do during your first week

• Tell your family you have arrived
• Register with the police/pick up your biometric residence permit (see below)
• Find accommodation
• Open your bank account
• Register with a doctor
• Find out about university services and your IT accounts

Biometric residence permits

If you are applying to come to the UK for more than six months you will be issued with a ‘vignette’ or stamp in your passport granting you entry to the UK for 30 days. You will then need to collect your biometric residence permit (BRP) within ten days of entering the UK.

The BRP is evidence of your immigration status in the UK. While the permit does not need to be carried at all times, you will be required to present it if you need to demonstrate your entitlement to work or access public services. Students have ten days to collect it when they first arrive in the UK. We strongly encourage you to collect your BRP as soon as possible.

When you go to collect your BPR you must bring with you the passport or travel document which contains your 30-day visa. You should also bring your decision letter from the university with you. Any errors identified on a BRP must be corrected quickly. Common mistakes are errors with your visa expiry date and/or work entitlement.

Keeping your visa

Remember that under the new points-based system, the university will be obliged to tell the UK Border Agency about any students who:

• Fail to arrive and enrol at the agreed time for the start of their course
• Defer their studies
• Take temporary withdrawal/suspend their studies
• Withdraw from their studies
• Fail to attend their course for significant periods of time
• Make changes to their studies which shortens their completion time
• Do not register with the police within seven days if required to do so
• Work more than 20 hours per week during term-time
• Use public funds (claim government benefits)

Residency

It is expected that international students, who have been given a visa for their studies at the university, will normally live in Scotland, in the immediate vicinity of one of the academic partners.

All students must provide an up to date address and contact telephone number while studying at the university.

If you change address during your studies, please remember to update your record using MyDay, the university portal for students.

*new* eVisa guidance update

Summer 2024 Visa Guidance Update

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are developing a digital immigration system. This means the Home Office are replacing physical documents with an online record of your immigration status. This is known as an eVisa.

The documents being replaced are:

• biometric residence permits (BRP)
• biometric residence cards (BRC)
• passport endorsements, such as indefinite leave to enter wet ink stamps
• vignette stickers in passports, such as entry clearance or visa vignettes (vignettes to be phased out sometime in 2025. For new applicants for 2024-25, you will still get a vignette sticker to enter the UK and you will collect your BRP as normal from your appropriate University campus. It is advised for new applicants to create their UKVI account after their receive their BRP.)

From 7th August 2024, any student with a biometric residence permit (BRP) expiring on 31st December 2024 can now create a UKVI account and access their eVisa, without needing an invitation from UKVI to do so.

You do not have to pay to create a UKVI account. The move to eVisa will not affect anyone’s current immigration status.

What is an eVisa?

An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You will need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa.

Updating your physical document to an eVisa does not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.

You’ll be able to use an eVisa to travel to the UK – you will not need to carry a physical document, except for your current passport, which must be registered to your UKVI account. Until the end of 2024 you will need to continue to carry your physical document when you travel, if you have one.

Please visit this webpage if you need to create an eVisa.

What do I have to do?

If you have a biometric residence permit

If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP) that expires on 31 December 2024, you can now create a UKVI account and access your eVisa. You should do this before the expiry date of your BRP. If you plan on travelling outside the UK for the Christmas break, prior to travelling we recommend creating a UKVI account and ensure that your current passport is linked into your UKVI account, as you may have issues getting back into the UK after the end of December 2024 if this has not been completed before you go. Also, you should add your passport to your UKVI account at least a week prior to travelling as there can be delays in adding documents due to additional checks UKVI may need to undertake.

If you have permission to stay in the UK, once you’ve created your UKVI account you will be able to sign in to the view and prove service to access your eVisa. 

Creating a UKVI account

Please follow the instructions in the email UKVI sent you regarding the creation of an eVisa or following the instructions on the government website.

Please also see these useful videos:

• What is an eVisa?
• How to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa

If you have lost your BRP card, you can use your travel document, such as a passport, or visa application reference number to create your UKVI account.

You should only request a replacement BRP if it has been lost or stolen and you have no other form of identity document to create a UKVI account.

If you cannot see your eVisa details as soon as you create your UKVI account, there is nothing you need to do. UKVI will contact you directly by email once your eVisa is available to view. You can use your BRP to prove your immigration status until your eVisa details are available. Please retain your BRP card even after it has expired until further notice – do not put in bin or destroy as it may be required for reference later.

If you are a dual national, you should be able to add a second passport to your UKVI account. If you leave/enter the UK it is better to have both passports linked to your UKVI account and both passports will be recognised and either can be used.

If you are on a Student Route Visa, you will be asked ‘When does your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) start?’, and, ‘When does your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) end?’, rather than course start and course end dates. The correct information to enter would be the course start date and end date, not the CAS assigned/expiry date.

You can use a phone / laptop / tablet to create your account. Things to have to hand when you are creating your UKVI account:

• Visa Application / BRP Card Number
• ID Documents such as passport(s)
• Date of Birth 
• Phone Number 
• Immigration ID Check App (this app will need to be downloaded onto your phone/device before creating your account). Please see: guidance on Using the UK Immigration: ID Check app

If you are under 18

Your parent / carer is able to create your UKVI account if you are under 18, this can be for any visa type including dependent visa, student route visa, etc. Once / if you are over 18 you will be required to create your own account and it will be transferred from your parent to you.

For those on a Student Route Visa whose courses finish this year

You will not need to create a UKVI account unless you are planning on applying for another visa such as the graduate visa. If you are intending on moving to the graduate visa, your UKVI e-visa account will update automatically from the student route visa to the graduate visa.

How will I use my UKVI account?

Once you have created your UKVI account you will be able to view the details of your eVisa online, for example your type of permission, when it expires and your conditions of stay in the UK.  

If you change passport, name, or any other changes you will need to keep your UKVI e-visa account updated. Any updates will be free and quick using the update my details service that is part of your UKVI account.

If you have another physical document

If you have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain (also known as settlement) and you currently prove your rights through a different type of physical document, such as a wet-ink stamp in your passport or a vignette sticker, then you should make a ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application.

If your NTL application is successful, you’ll get a BRP to prove your rights. You should carry your BRP, along with your passport, when travelling internationally. Once you have a BRP, you’ll be able to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa later this year.

Those who have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If you have a biometric residence card (BRC) and you have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, then you already have an eVisa and you do not need to take any action to obtain one. You can find details of how to access and use your eVisa (your digital status) in your grant letter or email. You should continue to carry your BRC with you when you travel internationally.  

If you have a BRC and you have not been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, obtained another form of immigration leave, or become a British citizen, then your BRC is no longer valid, even if it appears to still be in date. This is because the UK has left the EU, and the EU free movement law no longer applies.

To continue living in the UK you should get an immigration status as soon as possible. You may be able to make a late application to the EU Settlement Scheme as a family member of a relevant EU, other EEA or Swiss citizen. Do not travel internationally until you have obtained a proof of your immigration status.

If you are a British or Irish citizen with a passport, or you have the right of abode

If you are a British or Irish citizen, and you hold a British or Irish passport, you do not need an eVisa or a UKVI account and do not need to do anything. You should continue to use your passport to prove your status in the UK.

If you are a British citizen and are also a national of another country (other than Ireland), or you have the right of abode in the UK and you do not have a British passport, then you may need to take action in the future. 

If you have the right of abode in the UK and you still have your BRP, check what you need to do with your BRP after being granted citizenship. You can prove you have right of abode if you have a UK passport describing you as a British citizen or British subject with right of abode.

If you need to make a new application

If you need to make a new application for permission to stay in the UK, you should follow the usual application process. There will be information and guidance provided during your application process if you need to create a UKVI account. BRPs will still be issued until Autumn 2024. The exact date is still to be confirmed by the Home Office.

If your BRP is lost or stolen

You should still report that your biometric residence permit (BRP) has been lost or stolen from inside or outside the UK. You can only apply for a replacement from inside the UK. The Home Office will contact you within one working day of reporting it.

If you require support creating a UKVI account

You can ask for help with creating a UKVI account and getting access to an eVisa through the government website.

If you do not have internet access or do not have access to a device like a computer, laptop or smart phone, you can get help filling in your online application. 

For more information, please take a look at the government's online guidance.

We will provide you with any further updates. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact: Admissions@uhi.ac.uk

*new* Electronic Travel Authorisation

Updated on 10/09/2024

By April 2025, all visitors who do not need a visa, except British and Irish citizens, will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – a digital permission to travel to the UK.

Nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries already need an ETA to travel to or transit through the UK. All remaining nationalities will be able to apply for an ETA from later this year through a quick and simple process using the UK ETA app.

ETA is extending in two phases:

• Eligible non-Europeans can apply in advance from 27 November 2024 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 8 January 2025.
• Eligible Europeans can apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.

Visitors can find out when they will need an ETA on this webpage.

An ETA costs £10 and permits multiple journeys to the UK of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.

ETA applies to:

• visits of up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study
• visits of up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
• visits for a permitted paid engagement
• transiting through the UK – including if you’re not going through UK border control

Further information and how to apply: www.gov.uk/electronic-travel-authorisation

Travelling in the UK

Driving in the UK

Before driving any vehicle (car, motorbike, van etc) in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), you should check that you meet all of the legal requirements which apply (a) to the driver and (b) to the vehicle; and that you are aware of the correct procedures, which may be very different from your home country.

It is a criminal offence to drive using a licence that is not valid in the UK. In addition, if you do so, your car insurance will be invalid and you will be committing a further criminal offence of 'driving without motor insurance.'

If you hold a driving licence issued outside of Great Britain (that is England, Scotland and Wales) then you can use the tool on the government website to check whether you can use it to drive in the UK. You may be allowed to do so for a limited period of time only.

Planes

There are a number of small airports in the Highlands and Islands. For information regarding flights, check Highland and Island Airports Limited. Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow are large, international airports with flights to and from all over the world.

Trains

Scotland is connected by a great railroad, which of course links to England and, through the Channel Tunnel, Europe and beyond. For more information on timetables and prices, visit Scotrail or the Trainline.

Buses

Stagecoach provides public transport through the North East and Highlands of Scotland. In addition, Megabus offers routes between the north and south of Scotland. Various local bus companies provide local services within locations.

Ferries

The islands of our region necessitate ferry services, which are the only way to access some parts of the area. Go to the Calmac website for timetables and prices.

Taxis

All areas have taxis, but local services will vary according to your location.