Your DMU Future - information for international students

To be able to study in the UK, you will need a Tier 4 student visa. We encourage you to get in touch with your education agent or the regional team in our friendly International Office for visa support and guidance for your country.

DMU is offering a free pick-up service from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on specific dates in January 2022 to coincide with the start of programmes and International Welcome Week. The pickup dates are Friday 7 January, Friday 14 and Saturday 15 January.

Further details and online booking are available at www.dmu.ac.uk/airportpickup

We have also provided guidance and information on how to travel from the airport to DMU, including links to the National Express bus service and to taxi companies.

International Welcome Week starts on Monday 17 January and will include online information sessions, as well as some on-campus, in person activities. You can find out more and sign up for updates on our website.

If you have any questions about travelling to Leicester or need further information or advice, please email us at arrivals@dmu.ac.uk and we'll do our best to advise you.

Fees

• When it comes to paying your fees it’s really important that you have you finances in order and everything planned out. As an International student you are required to pay 50% of your fees in advance of or on the day of registration. If the amount is not paid you will not be able to register and therefore your visa will be curtailed within the required time period. The remaining balance must be paid by a monthly/termly instalment plan that must be agreed with the Income Team within four weeks of registration.

Working in the UK

• The UK government has announced a new immigration route (the Graduate Route) which will enable international students to apply to remain in the UK for two years once they have completed their studies. Any eligible student who graduates from the summer of 2021 onwards should be able to apply for this route. Successful applicants will be able to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for a maximum period of two years.

• Under Student Visa regulations, students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during term time. Working can be a good way to enhance your skills and experience, develop your English and earn extra money – however you should not rely on part-time work to pay for your fees or accommodation costs. Please be aware that impact of Covid-19 may reduce opportunities for part-time work in the UK.

Self-isolation guidance

If you need to self-isolate (quarantine) when you arrive in the UK, we suggest you look carefully at our guidance document for international students. It includes:

• Links to the rules on Covid-19 testing before and after travel
• Links to rules on quarantine
• Buying food in quarantine
• Information on bedding and kitchen equipment
• How we can support you

To complete your registration with us we need you to follow these steps as soon as possible:

1. Complete your online registration form. You will have been emailed to invite you to complete an online registration form. This is where you will give the university the information we need about you to set up your record as a student with us. Information about online registration can be found here.
2. Pay a minimum of 50% of your fees. University fee policy requires international students to pay at least 50% of their fees in order to be able to complete their registration with the university. 
3. Book a video appointment. The last step to complete your registration is to have a short video appointment with a member of DMU staff. Once you have completed steps 1 and 2 above you will be emailed with more information and invited to book your video appointment.

What you need to do before your appointment

Provide copies of your visa and passport documentation by email to internationalregistration@dmu.ac.uk. What you need to send will depend on your situation:

If you are in the UK at the time of registration we will need a copy of the visa sticker in your passport that has been stamped at the border AND your Biometric Residence Permit Card - both sides (if you have been able to collect it) 

If you are outside the UK and have had your passport back following a visa application we will need a copy the sticker in your passport.

If you are outside the UK and have not yet applied for your visa we will need a copy of your passport - we should have this on file from your application, so you do not need to send this again unless you are asked to do so.

Photographs of your documents are acceptable - but they must be in colour and clear enough for us to be able to read all details on the document.

Any student progressing to DMU from DMUIC do not need to provide further copies of visas unless you have new documentation since your initial registration. 

Please use the online document guidance form to determine the evidence you need to email to; internationalregistration@dmu.ac.uk

What you need to do at your appointment

Join the online meeting at the time of your appointment slot. You will have booked a time to have your video call, it is important that you follow the link you are sent to join the meeting at the time of your appointment. Should you join early or late you may have to wait longer to be seen.

Have your passport and visa documents ready. We will need to check your identity. We may also ask for copies of any documents by email if we do not have a copy of what we need, so please be prepared to email copies of your documents again if requested.

Confirm the date you expect to arrive in the UK. You must arrive in the UK as soon as possible. We have made an allowance for students to register before arriving where restrictions following Covid-19 have limited their ability to travel on time - but we must know your travel plans and reason for any extended delays and you will need to discuss these during registration.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information. We are taking steps to register students remotely to support students that may be in a period of self-isolation following travel, those that are registering before they are able to travel and to ensure the safety of our staff and students.

It is really important that you work with us to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible during registration by following the instructions included closely.

If you have difficulty completing the tasks above, please contact internationalregistration@dmu.ac.uk.

i-Buddies is a mentoring scheme that matches our newly arrived international students with an existing DMU student. i-Buddies can support you as you transition into life in the UK and will help you start to make friends straight away. The scheme lasts for the first term of the new academic year, but many Buddies become friends and choose to stay in contact after this. Click here to learn more about i-Buddies.
Please note: This video was filmed before the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have availability within our halls and nominated halls for students arriving in January. Once you have made DMU your firm choice you will receive an email with details of how to book a room via our online booking system. All of our halls can be viewed on our halls page. Please contact our accommodation at accommodation@dmu.ac.uk if you require any assistance.

Students that may have received a Covid-19 vaccination in their home country are encouraged to bring any proof of vaccination documentation with them to the UK. Take a look at our FAQs for international students on the Covid-19 vaccine. You can also read more about the benefits of the vaccine by visiting our ‘Be safe, get the Covid vaccine’ webpage.