International students: visa and travel authorisation requirements
The Oxford University Department for Continuing Education welcomes applicants and students from all countries, and you may find helpful the following information on studying in the UK as a non-UK resident.
Types of visas
Standard Visitor route
- You can study short courses of up to a maximum of six months as a Standard Visitor.
- You may also be able to use the Standard Visitor route for longer part-time or distance-learning courses that only require short occasional trips to the UK for periods of teaching such that you do not need to be resident in the UK. For information on using the Standard Visitor route for study, read the University’s page Short periods of study as a Standard Visitor. If you are then still not sure, please contact student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk.
You will need to check whether you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa; if not you will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Irish nationals do not require a visa or an ETA. The UK Home Office has a tool that you can use for checking whether you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa or an ETA: Check if you need a UK visa - GOV.UK.
Student Visas
The following Department for Continuing Education courses (only) are eligible for Student Visas:
- Postgraduate Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice
- MSt in Diplomatic Studies
No other Department for Continuing Education courses are eligible for Student Visas.
The University is not able to sponsor Student Visa applications for short courses (up to six months), part-time courses, nor distance-learning courses, which means that courses that are neither covered by the ‘Standard Visitor route’ nor listed above will not be suitable for non-UK residents.
If you are unsure, please contact student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk.
Short-term Student Visas
You should not apply for a Short-term Student Visa, as this is only for learning English as a foreign language.
Further information and advice
If you need further information about visas, the University’s Student Visa Team can advise by email: student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk.
The University takes no responsibility for a visa being denied at any point before or during a course.
International students
Our students come from more than 150 countries around the world and study with us online and in Oxford - at summer schools, intensive courses, weekend events and low-residency award programmes.