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Entry and visa requirements for the UK Visitor Route or Childe Student Route?

EU/EEA students need a visa if they stay at an English school or university for more than six months. We have summarised the application procedure for you in our Visa Guideline. You will also find important documents for the application process on this page.

  •  Visitor Route
    Applies to all students who intend to stay in the UK for less than 180 days . No visa is required, just a biometric passport, 

    (from April 2025) an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) see also: UK Government ETA Fact Sheet and Guidance: Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation and various supporting documents (e.g. confirmation from the school, proof of health insurance and a ‘Consent to Travel Letter’). If you already know the date of your planned arrival and departure, you can find out the number of days of your stay here. Holiday periods are not taken into account, the entire duration of the stay applies. 

  • Child Student Visa
    Applies to all students aged 4 - 17 from the EU/EEA who will be in the UK for longer than six months. You must apply for a visa and also pay a National Health Service insurance fee. The decisive factor is the age at the time of application (important exception: if you are still under 18 but attending a foundation course in the UK, you must apply for a student visa ). Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/child-study-visa

New Guardian Requirements for Child Student Visa holders Further evidence needs to be provided

Starting at the end of May 2025, the nominated guardian's details must be included in both the CAS letter and the online application for the Child Student Visa. If the guardian is a close relative or family friend, they will need to provide several forms of documentation and sign a "letter of undertaking". Alternatively, using a professional guardian agency from the beginning can be a more straightforward option.

Due to this new requirement, we recently entered into a new partnership with Pippa's Guardians whom we have known for a long time. For a nominal and much lower fee than normal, you can use Pippa's Guardians if your application is handled by us. You can find a brief overview of this new service here. Please reach out to us directly if you are interested in using this option.

Six steps to applying for a visa

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Foto CAS v2

Step 1: The CAS Letter

More info

To start your application for a Child Student Visa, you first need a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) letter from the school.

In order for the school to issue you with the CAS letter, they will need the following documents:

1. A copy of your child's passport
2. A copy of your child's birth certificate with a certified English translation or an international birth certificate
3. A signed Parental Letter of Consent
4. A signed Guardian Letter of Undertaking

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Screenshot CSV

Step 2: Create a Visa Account

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First, you need to create an account.

Open the link:
https://www.gov.uk/child-study-visa/apply
and follow the instructions.

  • Use your passport and your child's date of birth to create the account.
  • It is best to provide your (parent's) email and mobile number as contact details so that you can check if the visa has been approved at any time.

 

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UK Immigration ID App

Step 3: Download the UK Immigration: ID Check’ App

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Download the UK Immigration: ID Check app. The app links the visa application to your child's passport (the visa is stored on the biometric chip in the passport). You will need your child for this step, as the app matches the passport photo to your child's face.

  • You can use any mobile phone, and no data will be stored on the phone.
  • To scan the biometric chip, the phone must touch the passport cover. You may need to repeat the process a few times to make it work.
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CSV Application Steps

Step 4: Complete the Online Visa Questionnaire

More info

Please note that it takes some time to complete the online questionnaire (approx. 50-70 minutes).

The questionnaire is divided into different ‘sections’. You can only proceed to the next section once you have answered all the questions in that section.

1. Applicant details

2. Address details

3. Family and guardianship details

4. Your travel plans

5. UK travel history

6. Travel history

7. Further information

The questions you need to answer can be found here in the Visa Questionnaire

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IHS Surcharge

Step 5. Pay the visa and IHS fees

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At the end of the visa application, you will be asked to answer questions about the ‘International Health Surcharge - IHS’ (British health insurance).

After that, payment is made in two stages:

Step 1: IHS fee. Depending on the length of your child's stay or course:

  • One year: £1,164
  • Two years: £1,940

Step 2: Visa fee: The visa always costs £524 when applied for, regardless of the length of the course.

The fees are usually given directly in euros.

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Letter of Consent CSV

Step 6. Upload Evidence

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After you have answered all the questions in the application and paid the fee, you will be redirected to a page where you will be asked to upload certain documents. These are:

  • The translated or international birth certificate of your child
  • The parental letter of consent
  • The guardian letter of undertaking 

After that, you have successfully completed the visa application.

The application process can take up to three weeks. During the summer months, it sometimes takes up to 8 weeks. Please check your email and spam folder regularly.

 

Checking my Application How to generate the Share Code

If you want to check whether the visa has been approved, please use the following link with the applicant's login details: View and Prove your immigration Status

You can also use this link to generate the ‘Share Code’ that should be forwarded to the school.

Webinar "How to apply for a Child Student Visa" of 2 April 2025 Watch the recording in your own time

Our speaker Michelle Holmes, an established immigration lawyer, explains the Child Student Visa in our webinar on 2 April 2025 and guides you step by step through the application process.