Additional preparation information for international students
Please note: We strongly recommend that you arrive at the University for the start of your course, as stated in your offer letter and Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
If you are unable to arrive for this date due to delays, you'll need to be on campus to complete your UKVI identity checks by the last date of arrival as stated on your CAS Statement. For the majority of courses you'll need to arrive within the first two weeks of teaching. Failure to do so will prevent you from continuing your studies at Keele. Please see our student visa page on 'Your responsibilities' for more information.
Keele University offers a free Meet & Greet Airport Transfer Service from Manchester International Airport on September 18th, 19th and 20th 2025.
Please ensure that you only register for this service if your flight arrival into the UK is on the 18th, 19th or 20th September 2025, your flight is arriving to Manchester International Airport and your flight arrives before 14:00 GMT. To register for this services please click here.
If you need to talk to someone, whether it’s about your studies or life outside of them, we have a Student Experience and Support team based within your Faculty to support you, including a member of the team dedicated to every School.
Student Experience and Support are part of Student Services and work closely with teams such as Counselling and Mental Health, Disability & Dyslexia, and the Chaplaincy to ensure all students can easily access the support they need.
Visit this web page to find out about the team in your Faculty and how you can get in touch with them.
There is also specialist visa and immigration support available from our Immigration Compliance and Advice team - visit our visa page for more information.
You'll need to apply for an appropriate visa before coming to Keele to study. You can find further information about how to apply for your visa on our Immigration Compliance and Advice web pages.
All students need to engage with their course and attend scheduled learning and teaching events (as shown on your timetable and advised by your School).
If you hold a student visa that is sponsored by Keele University, we are required by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to monitor your engagement and attendance. Please be aware that if you do not participate, engage with, or attend your programme, we will have no choice but to terminate your studies. This may mean the cancellation of your visa.
Your student visa may also be cancelled in the following situations:
- Failure to arrive and enrol on time for the start of your course
- Changing your course when it is not allowed under UKVI rules
- Withdrawing from, deferring or suspending your studies
- Absences from any part of your course (without prior agreement)
- Failure to pay fees to the University, including tuition fees and accommodation charges
- Your studies being terminated by Keele University, including academic failure
- Failure to abide by the University's rules and regulations
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of what can cause a student to be withdrawn from the University, but guidance for you to consider.
For further information relating to your responsibilities to the University in terms of your visa application, please visit our Immigration Compliance and Advice web pages.
We recommend that you purchase a Proof of Age card carrying the PASS hologram if you plan to purchase age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco while you are in the UK. Using a Proof of Age card means you can keep your passport safe. Please be aware that the ID you use in your home country may not be accepted in the UK.
There are so many opportunities for you as a Keele University student! All you have to do is explore the options and get involved with anything that interests you. For example, there are lots of clubs and societies for you to join at Keele SU, or you could volunteer for a local charity or organisation. The University also holds events throughout the year on important topics such as looking after your mental health and physical wellbeing. There are lots of academic opportunities too, such as learning another language!
We know that continuing your studies in a new country in a second language can be daunting. Our Language Centre is here to help you with your English, including how to write academic papers, become familiar with British academic culture, and how to avoid plagiarism and academic misconduct, in addition to using appropriate language and structures.
All international students for whom English is not their first language need to attend an ‘Introduction to the Language Centre and Academic Language Support' session.
In this session, we will introduce ourselves and the modules that we offer. We will also ask you to provide a sample of your academic writing which we will use to recommend modules and/or 1:1 tutorials that will help you while you are studying at Keele. This diagnostic will not affect your status as a student at Keele.
Additional materials on ‘An Introduction to Academic Essays’ and ‘How to avoid Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct’ will be provided at the end of these sessions to help you prepare for your studies at Keele.
If you have any questions about English support, please contact the Language Centre at enl@keele.ac.uk
Make sure you have downloaded the Keele App onto your device, or are accessing it regularly via a web browser - just go to app.keele.ac.uk - to view events taking place on campus.
