Top 5 things to know when you arrive at a London airport

1. Make sure you know what gate to use when you reach border control

The UK Home Office recently announced that nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States of America are permitted to use eGates when arriving in the UK.

As such, nationals from these countries entering the UK as a Tier 4 student, will no longer be required to speak to a Border Force Officer on entry to the UK.  Instead, these nationals will be able to use the eGates, which will read the chip in your passport, compare the digital image from the chip to your face and allow you to enter the UK.  As Tier 4 students from these countries will no longer receive a stamp on their passport upon entry to the UK, they will need to provide a form of evidence of the date of entry to the UK when they seek to collect their BRP and enrol at UCL. Acceptable evidence includes a boarding card, ticket or booking confirmation for travel to the UK.

Please note, however, that students from this list of countries seeking to enter the UK as a Short-term student MUST NOT use the eGates. Instead, Short-term students must speak to a Border Force Officer in order to obtain a Short-term study stamp on their passport. If these students enter the UK through the eGate they will be considered a 'visitor' which means they will not be permitted to study in the UK for more than 30 days. Short-term students who wish to study for more than 30 days and leave the port without seeing a Border Force Officer will need to leave the UK and re-enter in order obtain the Short-term study visa stamp and enrol at UCL. In order to avoid this, it is essential that Short-term students avoid using eGates on initial entry.

Tier 4 students from countries other than the ones listed above will need to follow standard procedure and present their documents to a Border Force Officer.

IMPORTANT - If you are not 100% sure of which gate to use, go to the regular gates operated by a Border Force Officer.

Further information can be found on the UK Border Force website and UCL’s Immigration and Visas webpage.

2. Carry important documents with you and print out useful resources

Once you reach the UK Border, you might need to present your documents to Border staff, depending on the country you are coming from and your student status (Short-term/ Tier 4). It is advisable to carry all important documents with you, in an accessible location.

Documents you should have ready in case you are requested to show them at the UK Border:

• Passport (containing your visa if applicable)
• UCL offer letter and/or CAS email
• Financial evidence
• Address of UK accommodation
• Paper or digital copies of flight information or boarding pass
• For short-term students up to 6 months, please download this request for a passport stamp. Show this to a member of border security in the airport and they will advise you.

More information on what to bring with you can be found on UCL’s International Student Support webpage.

3. Make sure you have money available without carrying around large sums of cash

As you come into the UK, make sure you have cash available in British currency (UK pound sterling), to cover initial or unexpected costs (taxi fares, food, etc.). There are exchange services available in the airport but they are expensive and should only be used as a last resort.

We strongly advise against bringing large amounts of cash with you while traveling as this is considered an unnecessary risk and a threat to your safety. Tuition fees and accommodation expenses can be paid online or offline, by several means (debit or credit card, bank transfer, cheque or bank draft, etc.).

Prepaid cards can be an ideal way of bringing in money to the UK. They work just like a credit or debit card but aren’t linked to a bank account. They are a good way of having easy access to money when you first arrive in the UK. More information about prepaid cards can be found on the Money Advice Service website.

To find out more details on how to pay your tuition fees, please visit UCL’s Student Fees webpage. If you have booked accommodation through UCL, you can check payment methods on the main UCL Accommodation website.

If you are concerned about ways of opening a bank account in the UK, you can find advice on the topic by visiting UCL’s International Student Support webpage.

4. Buy a transport ticket in advance and plan your route

Students should book transportation and plan their route in advance to avoid delays and other issues that might occur once exiting the airport. There are many ways you can get into London, depending on the airport you are arriving at. Those include National Express coaches, airport shuttles, designated trains and taxis. Once you pass immigration control and take all your belongings from the baggage collection area, there are usually signs that will guide you towards a waiting area from where you can continue your travel into the city. When booking transportation, remember to allow yourself enough time to get out of the airport building to avoid rushing and leaving anything behind.

For more information about the available means of transport you can use from each airport, check UCL’s International Student Support website.

5. Take your time getting out of the airport

There is no need to hurry to exit the airport without making sure that you have done everything that was required of you and you still have all your luggage with you. Before leaving immigration control, you should check that you have a visa stamp in your passport and that you have replaced all your documents in your hand luggage. This applies to Tier 4 students and Short-term students from all countries that require a visa to enter the UK.

After immigration control, you can collect your hold luggage by looking for the carrousel corresponding to your flight number and your departure city. If there are any issues and you cannot retrieve your baggage, please find a representative of the airline you travelled on and fill in a lost baggage form.

Once you have exited the Customs area, you should make your way to your chosen means of transport.

If you would like to know more on how to keep safe in the UK and the London area, please visit UCL’s International Student Support website.

You can also visit the Metropolitan Police’s website on crime prevention and staying safe in London.