Prepare for arrival
In this section you will find information about obtaining a visa, opening a bank account, organising relocation and short-term accommodation.
Visa support
If you are joining the University and require a visa to work, the HR Immigration team will be in contact with you once they have received your contract of employment from the Recruitment team. The HR Immigration team will identify the most appropriate visa route based on your job offer and individual circumstances. The team will also be on hand to guide you through the visa process and will ensure your right to work check is completed once your visa has been issued.
Your job offer is conditional upon your right to work in the UK, and we must see satisfactory evidence before you start work. The HR Immigration team will undertake this check once your visa has been approved and your travel has been confirmed.
You can also contact the HR Immigration team directly: hrimmigration@exeter.ac.uk
eVisa
Once your visa has been approved you will be issued with an eVisa, this is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.
You will need to create an account to access your eVisa. Your eVisa will be linked to your passport so it is important that you keep your details up to date in your UKVI account.
You will be able to share your immigration status information with third parties, such as employers or landlords, by generating a share code in the view and prove service, which will provide time-limited access to your immigration status information. You can get a new share code whenever you need one – you do not have to remember a single unique code to be able to prove your status.
The University recognises the significant costs of UK visas and provides support to new staff applying for a Skilled Worker or Global Talent visa through the University Visa Reimbursement Scheme.
Costs vary depending on the type of visa, duration and whether the application is made in the UK or overseas. Full costs can be seen here:
Note that the University scheme only covers the cost of the visa and immigration health surcharge, you may encounter significant additional costs for TB tests, English Language tests etc, depending on your circumstances. Priority services are not covered by the scheme.
You will need to open a UK bank account to allow the University to pay you, but it is difficult to do this before you arrive in the UK, as most banks require proof of a UK residential address and evidence of your immigration status, as well as a letter confirming your employment details.
If you do not have a UK bank account by the time the payroll is run, we can pay into an overseas account or hold on to your salary until you get a UK bank account set up. You will see these options on the New Joiner Additional Details form.
Make sure you can access funds either through ATM withdrawals or a prepaid travel card to ensure you have funds to cover costs until you receive your initial salary payment.
The National Health Service (NHS) website provides a useful overview of their service provision for individuals relocating to the UK, including what services are accessible free of charge and details about the immigration health surcharge, which international staff will have to pay as part of the visa application process.
Further information about registering with a Doctor and Dentist can also be found below in the “first few weeks” section.
Even if you have paid the immigration health surcharge to access NHS services, you may also want to consider taking out private medical insurance to gain faster access to treatment and to ensure that acute conditions are covered.
Where relocation assistance is offered, this will be detailed in your letter of employment. Full details of the University Relocation Assistance Scheme, including eligibility, how to claim and some frequently asked questions can be found here.
If you want to bring large items to the UK such as furniture, heavy items such as books or boxes containing your belongings, you will need to organise shipment through a professional mover in your home country or an international mover based in the UK.
The University does not have a list of approved movers so choose whichever company is most convenient for you. Contact removal firms to establish how long the process will take and the cost.
The cost of moving your possessions will vary greatly depending on the method of shipment, distance, quantity and weight. It is worth shopping around to get the deal that is best for you. You can get quotes from any of the movers’ websites or from price comparison sites. Many removal companies will also offer storage solutions as part of their services.
Like opening a bank account, it is difficult to organise accommodation ahead of arrival in the UK. This is because letting agents need to see evidence of your visa and right to rent in the UK. We therefore suggest securing something temporary like a hotel or bed and breakfast, certainly for the first week or two if not longer. This will give you chance to get to know the area and visit the local letting agents.
The University does not offer accommodation to staff, however outside of term time it may be possible to secure a room in the halls of residence.
To get an idea of how much living in the UK costs and how much you will need to budget. You can use the website below which produces in-depth research on all areas of personal finance, such as energy bills, insurance and budgeting.
Please visit Our campuses webpages for information about how to get here.