Once you arrive
The day you arrive in St Andrews is an exciting and busy time. If you are travelling from abroad, you should first figure out how to get to St Andrews.
As an international exchange or study abroad student, you will need to take some extra steps to make sure you complete all the necessary requirements after you arrive.
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eVisas
All Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) cards expire on 31 December 2024. Create your eVisa account now.
If you are an international student with a Student visa for six months or more, you will need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) when you arrive in the United Kingdom. You have ten days from entry into the UK to do this.
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You first step on arrival will be to settle in to your hall of residence (unless you have other living arrangements). You will be met at your hall by a wardennial team who will help you settle in and give you important information about residence life. If you plan to arrive before this date, you will need to arrange private accommodation in St Andrews.
Find out more about:
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You’ll probably want to get connected as soon as possible so that you don’t miss any important emails. Find out how to access the internet.
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Before teaching begins, you must attend Orientation and Matriculation. This involves a series of events dedicated to preparing you for your first classes and will allow you to register at the University. In addition to the following information, the University has put together dedicated webpages about all necessary steps on the Orientation website. Please read these pages carefully as they will include essential information for your journey to St Andrews, Orientation essentials and next steps.
Advising and matriculation
Matriculation for exchange and study abroad students will take place at The Gateway Building, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9RJ and attendance is compulsory. During the matriculation event, you will meet with your academic adviser to discuss module choices and have them approved.
You will also attend a UK Visas and Immigration check.
International students must bring the following items to matriculation:
- passport
- visa or biometric residence permit
For further information about visas, please check the visas pages.
If you are unable to attend matriculation, please inform the Global Office as soon as possible: studyabroad@st-andrews.ac.uk.
Academic culture session
The teaching and learning styles at St Andrews may be very different from what you are used to at your home institution. Give yourself the best chance of settling into our academic culture quickly, and to prepare for a successful academic journey at St Andrews by attending this session.
Orientation September 2025 and January 2026
Details about Orientation events for the upcoming academic year will be announced closer to the time. Please note that event location may change at short notice. Please refer to our email communication for further information.
Please note that changes to event locations or dates/times may occur at short notice. We recommend checking the Global Office social media platforms for regular updates prior to and during Orientation week.
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If you are studying under a Student visa, you should register with a doctor. You are encouraged to do this as soon as possible so that you will already be registered in case any medical concerns arise. Find out how to register with a doctor.
If you are not studying under a student visa, please read our guide: Register with a doctor
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Most banks will provide overseas students with a basic account when they are in the UK. However, if you are here for six months or less, your options may be limited.
A basic bank account will allow you to:
- access cash via a cash machine
- set up direct debits or standing orders.
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You will be supported throughout your time at St Andrews, whether you need advice on academic matters or help with personal issues.
The full range of student support services can be found on the advice and support pages. The following services may be of particular help to study abroad students:
Study abroad consultation hours
Current students can book an appointment with a member of the Global Office team. Most appointments are virtual this semester, but we also have a small number of in-person appointments available at St Katharine’s West. Please note that drop-ins are currently unavailable and all students must book an appointment slot in advance.
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The Advice and Support Centre (ASC)
The ASC is a drop-in service open from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm, and offers help with financial, personal or academic queries.
The Advice and Support Centre
University of St Andrews
79 North Street
St Andrews
KY16 9ALEmail: theasc@st-andrews.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1334 462020Academic skills support (IELLI)
The International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI) provides a wide range of academic study skills support to help students throughout their university studies. Students can make individual
appointments, attend seminars and utilise online guides and resources among other things. For further information, please visit academic and study skills support. Academic English Service (AES)
The Academic English Service (AES) offers free workshops, tutorials and online materials for all St Andrews students who use English as a second or additional language.
Support for international students
There is a range of support available for international students, whether you need help applying for a visa or advice on travelling to the UK. Please visit support for international students to explore the support available.
Student Health Hub
The Student Health Hub is an office located within the St Andrews Community Hospital operated by University staff who understand how to help you access health advice quickly.
For any health concerns, please contact the Student Health Helpline on +44 (0)1334 465777 or visit the health issues pages for further information.
Wellbeing, counselling and mental health
The University's wellbeing advisers are frontline staff members who will listen and provide advice on a broad range
of issues. To make an appointment, please call +44 (0)1334 462020 or email support.advice@st-andrews.ac.uk. Find out more about how the wellbeing advisers can help. -
All new inbound Study Abroad and Exchange students should take a look at the St Andrews terminology pages so that you can familiarise yourself with the academic terms and policies at the University.
There is also a glossary of useful terms that outlines and defines many terms relating to academic advising.
You should also familiarise yourself with the Module Management System (MMS), an online system used for submitting coursework, returning feedback, and processing exam results, and Moodle, an online system used for providing course materials.