International students

Orientation events for international students take place at the same time as for home students at the Student Union Freshers’ fair . You will also receive induction information from your college and department about academic and social life at Oxford.

Alumni groups around the globe will sometimes organise freshers’ events, typically in mid to late September, for new students embarking on their educational journey at the University. The Graduate Admissions team also offer some pre-departure events for offer holders. 

Coming to study in a different country is a major change to your life. Remember that this is a huge transition and it may take time to adjust to life in a different culture. Take opportunities to familiarise yourself with the culture here (reading papers, watching TV, talking to others). Spending time with someone from your same culture can also help you feel less isolated. You can meet people from your own country/region by signing up to one of the 200 plus student societies currently on offer at the University.

Keeping in contact with your friends and family back home may help you feel more settled, but if you find that you feelings of depression, isolation or anxiety persist, advice and help is available from your college, your department, central University services, fellow students and the Student Union. UKCISA provide further detailed information on culture shock and the transition phases you may go through.

If you would like help to improve your skills in academic English, or you are experiencing difficulties adapting to the requirements of Western academic culture, there are a number of resources which can help, including the Pre-sessional course in English for academic purposes offered by the Language Centre and other courses they have available throughout the year.

Undergraduate students are guaranteed college accommodation in their first year. For graduate students, the offer of a college place does not guarantee accommodation. The Graduate Accommodation Office lets and manages rooms, flats and houses in and around Oxford city centre, on sites owned by the University, to full-time graduate students. Contact the Graduate Accommodation Office to find further information on graduate student properties and how to apply for accommodation. 

Note that the UK Government requires private landlords to perform an immigration check to ensure you have the right to be in the UK before agreeing a tenancy. All University and college managed accommodation is exempt from this requirement and no immigration check is required. If you are overseas and looking for private accommodation this check can be done when you arrive in the UK, or online, rather than the usual 28 days before the tenancy starts, see pages 19 and 20 on the code of practice on right to rent for landlords.

If you are renting private accommodation be aware of scams or fraudulent activity where landlords or agents may ask for large deposits in advance. If you are not sure whether a request for a large deposit is genuine, or think it might be fraud, contact your college or the Graduate Accommodation Office for advice. 

Managing your budget

Visit the fees and funding pages for advice on funding options and tips on managing your budget. Remember that you will have additional expenses at the end of your course in preparing to return home.

Be alert to any scams and potential fraud

You should be especially careful in the first few weeks of term about any scams by email, phone or social media that ask you for any payments or personal information. Fraudsters are known to take advantage of new students especially at the start of term and particularly if English is not your first language.

A legitimate organisation (UK or overseas) will always allow you time to seek advice before you respond, see the fees and funding page for more information about how to avoid these scams.

You should end the conversation immediately if you have any concerns, or if asked for a payment or personal details. You must end the conversation immediately and seek advice either from your college, department or the relevant central team at the University. You can contact them with the email subject title ‘potential fraud’ to gain their immediate attention. For visa or immigration matters contact [email protected], for fees or loans contact [email protected] and for any other matters, approach your college. 

UK banks are able to open accounts for European and International Students. However, as they need to collect certain information from you to meet UK government financial rules we have explained the steps you will need to follow below. This guide covers the main banks in Oxford (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Metro, Nat West, and Santander) but we have also explained about internet (online only) banks below. 

Most banks in Oxford will open your account the same day or within a few days (up to 10 days for Nat West) and you can often start the application process online but may need to visit the bank to show your identification documents.  Barclays and Nat West require students to have been in the UK for three years to open a student account, but if you have not been here 3 years you can open a basic bank account which should be enough for your daily needs i.e. debit card and free banking. 

Let your college know if you are experiencing a delay in your account being opened and you are concerned about a deadline for paying your fees and they will advise you. 

Remember that if you plan to bring money into the UK you must declare any cash of €10,000 or more (or its equivalent in other currencies) to customs officers.

Healthcare system in the UK

Students from the UK or Ireland, or those with indefinite leave to remain or those who have been granted pre-settled status or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are eligible for free treatment under the National Health Service (NHS).

If you are visiting for a short period from the EU, EEA or Switzerland i.e. for 6 months or less you should bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if you are eligible to continue using it in the UK, see the UK Government website for changes as a result of Brexit. 

Students who require a visa (those not from the UK or Ireland, or those who do not hold indefinite leave to remain or pre-settled or settled status) and are studying full time for more than 6 months will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of a visa application to access the NHS services free of charge. Family members coming to the UK as dependents will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge to be eligible for the same access to the NHS.

The UKCISA website has a comprehensive explanation of how the UK health system works as this may be different from your home country. It explains your first points of contact, for example a GP (doctor) surgery or health centre, Accident and Emergency department and how and why you might be sent or referred to a hospital. For non-urgent medical help or advice you can call 111 24 hours a day and for emergency medical help call 999 24 hours a day.

If you have not previously registered with a UK doctor, make sure you do this on arrival so they have your medical history on file. Your college will help you with this process when you arrive.

If you are not exempt from hospital charges, or only partially exempt for other reasons, you are advised to take out appropriate private healthcare insurance for the length of your stay in the UK. This will include visitors coming for less 6 months or less and not on a student visa. 

Insurance for students

It is advisable to have travel insurance to cover your luggage, personal possessions, money and medical costs for your journey and the first few days here. If you are planning to take out an insurance policy which covers you for the length of your course in the UK, you may find that this also covers your journeys to and from home at the start and end of each term.

The Pre-sessional Course in Academic English is a 6 week summer course which introduces International students to the academic literacy skills needed to study at the University of Oxford. It focuses on both oral and written academic communication and provides a supportive learning environment for international students who are new to Oxford.  

The pre-sessional course prepares you for the academic rigour required at Oxford as well as providing opportunities for you to meet and connect with other students from around the world. This helps you integrate into University life quickly and effectively.

 Email [email protected] for further information.