If you were resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020, then it is likely that you will qualify for a status under the EU Settlement Scheme and will not require a visa.

If you were not resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020, then you will need a visa to travel to the UK. For courses of more than 6 months, you will require a Student Visa. For courses of less than 6 months you will likely need a Visitor visa.

No, if you are entering the UK on or after 1 January 2021 and will be studying a course of 6 months or more, you must apply for and be granted your Student visa before you travel. If you will be studying a course of 6 months or less, you can request a Visitor visa on entry to the UK which will allow you to study a short course.

If you arrived in the UK on or before 31 December 2020, you should be considered resident in the UK and qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme. If you arrived in the UK on or before 31 December 2020 and were a registered student prior to 31 December 2020, you will be able to prove your residency with just a Student Status letter from the University.

No, you did not need to apply for pre-settled or settled status before 31 December 2020. As long as you were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, you will be able to apply for pre-settled or settled status at any point before 30 June 2021. The University’s International Student Support Office can help you to make this application, detailed information is available on our EU Settlement Scheme webpages.

From 1st January 2021, any EEA national coming to the UK to study will need to apply for a visa.  The type of visa you will need to apply for will depend on the length of the programme that you are studying.  Details of the UK's immigration routes and how to apply for them can be found in our visa information pages.

The application is made entirely online and is free. The trained immigration advisers in the University’s International Student Support Office can help you to prepare and submit your application. Detailed information is here: EU Settlement Scheme. Decisions are usually made within 1-2 months.

Your status under the EU Settlement Scheme is linked to your passport number and so you will need to update your status with your new passport number. Please note that currently you must send your passport away to do this. You may wish to consider applying for settled status after you receive your new passport.

No, your UK visa is not affected. Your ability to travel to other European countries with or without a visa is based on your country of nationality’s agreements with those European countries, not their agreement with the UK. If you require a Schengen visa to travel to Europe, for example, you will be able to apply for this in the same way as previously, through the European country’s diplomatic post in the UK. If you do not require a visa to travel to European countries, this will still be the case once the UK leaves the EU.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals should be able to travel in and out of the UK without a visa until 31 December 2020. If you are currently resident in the UK, we would recommend that you apply for your EU Settlement Scheme status before you leave. You can consult with the International Student Support Office (visaadvice@exeter.ac.uk) for more advice on your particular situation.

If you are travelling to the EU for any purpose (study, work, or personal reasons,) we urge you to follow the latest UK Government advice. This states that travel to most countries in Europe will change if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

We also encourage you to plan plenty of time for any delays, particularly if you have travel connections.

The latest government advice is available on this link: https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-brexit

If you are travelling to the EU for any purpose (study, work, or personal reasons,) we urge you to follow the latest UK Government https://www.gov.uk/going-and-being-abroad

Travel to most countries in Europe will change if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.  After 29 March 2019:

• You should have at least six months left on your passport from your date of arrival in another country.  This applies to both adult and child passports.  Take steps to renew your passport if this is not the case. https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport

• If you renewed a passport before its expiry date, up to nine extra months may have been added to your new passport’s expiry date.  Due to a change in passport rules, any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum six months that you need for travel to most European countries.

• You can read more on the Government’s passport webpage: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passport-rules-for-travel-to-europe-after-brexit

• Register your trip on the University’s International Travel Form – this will ensure that you have insurance cover for emergency medical treatment.  Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may no longer be valid from 1 January 2021. 

If you are travelling to the EU for any purpose (study, work, or personal reasons,) we urge you to check the UK Government travel advice page for your destination country. This will set out whether a Visa or permit is required, and provide details on how to obtain where necessary.

Yes, but you should make some additional provisions.

Current UK Government advice is that after Brexit, drivers from the UK may need a different international driving permit (IDP) to drive in the EU and EAA. 

In the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK drivers may require an international driving permit (IDP) and additional documentation to drive in the EU and EEA. 

International Driving Permits can be obtained from the Post office and cost £5.50 per person. You can check if you need an IDP for the country you are visiting online. Staff and students should arrange their own IDP for driving in the EU.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal you may also need a Green Card in addition to an IDP to drive in the EU. A green card is an insurance certificate issued by UK insurance providers to show that the motorist has the necessary third-party cover when driving in the EU. This is required if you are driving a UK registered vehicle (own car or UK hire car) in the EU. It does not apply if you are driving a car hired or registered in the EU.

Staff and students can get a Green Card in the following ways:

• request a Green Card from their own motor insurer if driving their own vehicle to/from/within the EU.
• request a Green Card from the vehicle hire company if insurance is supplied by it either directly, or indirectly through their contracted 3^rd party, for the vehicle during the period of hire for to travel to/from/within the EU.
• request a Green Card from the Insurance Team (Insurance@exeter.ac.uk) if insurance has been arranged via the University insurer. Please note that this may take up to a month to obtain, therefore early notification is required.

More information is available online.

If there is no EU Exit deal, arrangements for EU and EEA licence holders who are visiting or living in the UK will not change.

Visitors with EU and EEA driving licences will not need an IDP to drive in the UK.

EU and EEA licence holders visiting the UK can continue to drive on valid EUand EEA licences.

EU and EEA car or motorcycle licence holders who are (or become) UKresidents can drive in the UK using EU and EEA licences until they are 70 or for up until 3 years after they become resident, whichever date is the later. At this point an application would need to be made for a UK licence.

For EU licence holders who passed their test in the EU or EEA, the UK will continue to exchange their licence.

EU licence holders who passed their test outside the EU or EEA have restrictions on licence exchange. As such, they may need to take a test to obtain a UK licence.

The UK expects drivers coming from the EU into the UK to carry an insurance Green Card, or evidence of their insurance cover.

More information is available online.

If you have arranged insurance for travel through the University, our Travel Insurer, AIG, has advised that full cover remains in place at present. Whilst, in common with other insurers, the University travel insurance policy does have an exclusion for claims directly attributable to a directive be issued by the UK or other Government that impacts on the ability to travel (i.e. that leads to delays or cancellation of booked transport), AIG has stated that it would look at these claims on a case by case basis.

AIG recommends arranging accommodation and transport using flexible bookings (i.e. that allow you to cancel or rearrange), rather than a booking that cannot be cancelled and would incur the full cost. This would limit any losses that you may suffer arising from such delays.

There have been no announcements made with regard to any limitations on the right to enter or exit countries. If any issues arise as a result of a directive issued by the UK or any Government that prevent an individual from entering or exiting a country, this again would be looked at on a case by case basis.

For all fieldtrips within Europe (outside of the UK), the University’s travel insurer will continue to provide cover for emergency medical expenses for travellers who have completed the relevant on line travel form via the International Travel webpage.  Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may no longer be valid from 1 January 2021.

Study abroad or Erasmus+ students should continue to make their own arrangements for travel insurance for the duration of their trip.  They can arrange and pay for this via the University’s travel insurer via the Undergraduate travel insurance webpage, or they can arrange their own insurance from the open market. Students should be aware that their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may no longer be valid from 1 January 2021.

If students are going on a visit to the EU with a Guild, Athletic Union or FXU society or club, they should check with them the insurance arrangements in place. They should be aware that their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may no longer be valid from 1 January 2021.