Once your application form has been processed, you will be sent an official letter of acceptance.
If you are an EU National you will need:
If you are from outside the EU and need a visa for studying in the UK, look at our immigration web pages.
Advice and information on the practicalities of getting here, setting up bank accounts, budgeting for the year and organising your life is contained in our Pre-Arrival Guide for International Students (1.4 MB, Adobe PDF).
Orientation in the Autumn is run by the academic department where you will be studying. The department will contact you directly with information on when to meet during the orientation week. This week will begin from the 23rd of September 2013.
For students arriving in January, your orientation will be run by the International Office and that will be on the 23rd of January (to be confirmed).
For each intake of new Study Abroad students a special orientation is organised. The orientation is run by the Study Abroad team and is designed to help you not only settle into Bristol but also meet the people who will be working with you during your stay.
While you are at the University you will be a 'Study Abroad' student. This will be your new identity for the year. Your academic home will be the Study Abroad Office and the responsibility for your academic work lies with the personnel of the Study Abroad Programme.
At the lunchtime session of the orientation day programme you will be advised how to go about registering for classes. Please do not visit any departments until orientation is over.
Registration Guide for Erasmus and Study Abroad students (1 MB, PDF)
Study Abroad students need to register online and then collect their student card on arrival. Full instructions will be sent to you in the post prior to arrival.
Students arriving in September who need help with online registration can access computers in the International Welcome Lounge when you arrive in Bristol.
Orientation forms part of your Introductory Week in Bristol. Orientation will be filled with meetings on social as well as academic aspects of your time in Bristol, and will include lunch and a campus tour. After orientation, you will register for classes in your various departments, sign up for clubs and societies and settle into Bristol.
For those coming for the full year and Fall Semester, the Students' Union Fair, held in October each year, will give you a chance to join as many of the 150 clubs and societies as interest you. Union clubs are probably the best place to meet informally with British students - a shared interest, even if only vague, is a great ice-breaker. For students arriving in January the Students' Union representatives will meet with you to help you find the groups and activities which you would like to join. Clubs and societies are eager to welcome new members all year round. This social involvement is the single most significant feature in helping you feel at home, and the Union representatives are always on hand to advise - the International Office is housed in the Union building along with all the Union offices and services, enabling Study Abroad students to make good use of the combined facilities.
Non-EU nationals who are at Bristol for a full year will require a Tier 4 visa. The Study and Work Abroad team will process a CAS (Confirmation of acceptance for studies) and you will then use the number on this CAS when applying for your Tier 4 visa.
Non-EU nationals who are at Bristol for one semester only will be given a student visitor visa letter. This will be sent out in your pre-arrival pack.
For more detailed information on visa requirements please see our immigration web pages.
If you are a nominated student from one of our exchange partners, you will receive a tuition fee waiver. You must include a nomination letter from your institution in your application form in order to receive this tuition fee waiver.
All other students will be responsible for the Study Abroad tuition fee, which is a single payment, due at registration and payable in £ sterling. There are no additional fees in any department, and no ‘bench fees’ are levied in any practical/laboratory based courses.
Full tuition fees for the academic year 2013/14:
Full Year: £12,000
One semester: £6,000
You should check with your home Study Abroad office and/or programme provider regarding the payment of fees to the University of Bristol. In many cases your home institution, or programme provider, will be paying the tuition fee on your behalf, or may have a special agreement with us which affects your fee status. If your Study Abroad office is not able to advise you, then you are welcome to contact us for further information.
We offer a scholarship in the form of a tuition fee reduction for:
Fees for scholarship students for the academic year 2013/14:
Full Year: £9,000
One semester: £4,500
Scholarship fees for 2013/14 are to be confirmed. Please check this website later or contact swap-in@bristol.ac.uk.
Students from colleges or universities in the USA or Canada are also eligible to apply for the BUTEX Scholarship.
Full details of University accommodation costs are given on the Accommodation Office Residences web page. Accommodation fees are split into three equal portions payable at the beginning of each term. Invoices showing the breakdown of costs are issued, and students are expected to settle their own accounts unless their programme is paying accommodation costs. Estimated Cost of Living expenses are available.
University accommodation is guaranteed for all Study Abroad students coming to Bristol for a full academic year or the autumn semester. University accommodation for spring semester students is not guaranteed, but we make every effort to place you and will help you find private accommodation should we not be able to put you in University accommodation.
Most UK universities only provide accommodation for first-year students after which most students find housing off campus. Study Abroad students could also consider private rental including shared houses or flats with other Bristol students of a similar age. If you choose to live off campus there is a wide variety of housing options available. Students who are considering private rented accommodation in Bristol, should contact us and consult the Accommodation Office website.
You are only able to access the accommodation application form for University accommodation once you have firmly accepted your offer to study at Bristol.
There is no break between the end of the first semester and the start of the second semester. Therefore, spring students arrive in Bristol before the autumn students depart. This overlap means that spring students placed in university accommodation may have to move into temporary accommodation for up to eight days while their allocated room is vacated and cleaned. The Study Abroad Office is able to arrange temporary accommodation for any student interested. This accommodation will be close to campus and with other Study Abroad students, at a cost of no more than £30/night. You will be given the opportunity to opt out of this service and arrange your own temporary accommodation. Please note that the Accommodation Office is unable to allocate places for Spring students until early to mid January.
For further information on living in Bristol and orientation when you arrive, please see Support and advice for international students.
