If you are an International Student intending to travel outside of the UK, the first thing you need to do when planning your trip is to check to see if you need a visa for the country you wish to visit. UK student visas are not valid for travel in other EU countries.

It is important to arrange your visa as long before your trip as possible. Most EU embassies will require you to attend an interview and there is often a long wait for appointments. Contact the embassy of the country that you wish to travel to as early as you possibly can.

Many European embassies/consulates require you to have at least three months remaining on your visa when you come back into the UK.

If you are planning on visiting a country in Europe then you may need to apply for a Schengan visa. The Schengen Visa scheme allows you to travel to any (or all) of the following countries for up to three months: Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands, and Iceland.

In order to apply for a Schengen visa you will usually need to check the embassy website of the country you are visiting and find out how to make an appointment. Generally this will be by telephoning the embassy on a premium rate number and following the pre-recorded instructions. Make sure you have your passport number to hand when you call. You will be offered the first available date and time.

Please be aware that the first available date for an appointment can sometimes be several weeks away.

Therefore, it is very important that as soon as you know you wish to travel you make your visa appointment. Please also keep in mind that processing times for visas can vary according to which country you plan to visit.

If you wish to visit a few different countries within the Schengen visa scheme on your trip then you are only required to apply for one Schengen visa. You should apply to the embassy of the country where you plan to spend the most time, or if you will be spending equal amounts of time in several countries then apply to the embassy of the country you will travel to first.

If you plan to travel to a country which is not part of the Schengen Visa Scheme then you need to contact the embassy for the country you are visiting and find out if you require a visa.

For any further advice on travelling outside the UK please contact the Student Support Office.