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.
(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.
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.
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
First, you need to create an account.
Open the link:
https://www.gov.uk/child-study-visa/apply
and follow the instructions.
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.
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
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
These documents may be useful in the process of applying for a Child Student Visa: