Visa Requirements

The information on this page is for guidance only. If you are unsure about your visa status, or for the most up-to-date information, please contact your local embassy or visit:

Official visa website

If you are a ‘Non-Visa National’ (eg All EU/EEA countries, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) you can enter the UK with a ‘Standard Visitor Visa’ that is issued on arrival. You can stay and study for up to 6 months.  If you want to study for more than 6 months you will need to apply for either a Short-term Study visa or a Student Visa before you travel – see details below.

If you are a ‘Visa National’ (eg from China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine) you always need to apply for a visa before you travel. If your course is less than 6 months you can enter and study with a ‘Standard Visitor Visa’. If you want to study for more than 6 months you can apply for either a ‘Short–Term Study visa’ (up to 11 months) or a ‘Student Visa’ (previously known as a ‘Tier 4 visa’)  – see details below.

CHECKIF YOU NEED A VISA WITH THE LINK

Standard Visitor Visa

A Standard Visitor visa allows anyone to:

  • Study on a short course for up to 6 months at an accredited school;
  • It does not give you the right to work
  • It cannot be extended
  • It cannot last longer than 6 months
  • If you are a Non-Visa National, your Standard Visitor Visa will be issued on arrival in the UK;
  • If you are a Visa National, you need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa before you travel;

We can provide a letter on official headed paper to prove you will be learning English with us.

Short-term Study Visa

A Short-Term Study visa allows anyone to:

  • Study on an English language course between 6 to 11 months;
  • Stay in the UK for the length of the course plus 30 days;
  • It does not give you the right to work
  • It cannot be extended
  • It cannot last longer than 11 months
  • Non-Visa nationals and Visa Nationals have to apply for a Short Term Study Visa before they travel. (You can apply for a short-term study visa up to 3 months before your date of travel and should get a decision within 3 weeks of application);

You need a letter from our school to show border control officials that you will be learning with us. You also need to prove that you have enough money for your stay in the UK, as well as for the return journey home.

 

Student Visa

A Student Visa (previously called ‘Tier 4 visa’) allows anyone to study on an English language course for longer than 11 months. We are unable to support Student Visa applications. Speakeasy School is currently only accepting students on Standard Visitor Visas and Short Term Study Visas. For information relating to Student Visas, please follow one of the links above.

Last updated: September 2021