International student Arrival | International

There’s a lot to think about before you travel and when you arrive. Here you’ll find essential information to help you prepare for your move.

Online registration and paying your fees

We have an easy to use online student enrolment process. Before you arrive you should complete the online registration to confirm yourself as a member of the University of Stirling. Once completed, you’re entitled to attend lectures and use all our facilities. For more information see our Welcome page.

Before the start of each academic year, you’ll need to pay your tuition and accommodation fees. More information on how to pay.

Accommodation

Arrange your accommodation before you arrive. We offer a wide range of University of Stirling managed accommodation to suit different preferences and budgets. Alternatively, you could choose to rent in the private sector. Discover more about University accommodation.

Visa advice

Depending on which country you’re coming from, you’ll need to apply for a visa to cover the duration of your studies. We have a dedicated International Advisors Team to support you with the information and advice you need. See more information on visas.

Opening a bank account

It’s a good idea to make preparations for banking and finances before you arrive in the UK. Here we give advice on opening a bank account.

Vaccinations

We recommend that you get vaccinated against Meningitis C and MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) before arriving in Stirling. You’ll also need to have a Tuberculosis (TB) test if you’re coming to the UK for more than 6 months and are resident in certain countries. If you can’t access these vaccinations in your home country before you arrive in Stirling, you can get them free of charge from a doctor in the UK. Make an appointment as soon as you’ve registered with a general practitioner (GP).

You’ve made it through the airport, now what?

Getting to Stirling

Scotland’s two main international airports, Glasgow and Edinburgh, are less than an hour away by car. Frequent coach and tram transfers are available from each of these two airports to their respective city centres. From there, you can access rail services. By train Stirling is only about an hour away from Glasgow and Edinburgh and then you’ll need to take a taxi or bus from Stirling city centre to our campus.

Healthcare

Conveniently located on our University of Stirling campus, we have both a doctors and a dental practice.

We recommend you register with a doctor in your first few weeks here. If you’re an international undergraduate or postgraduate student with a Tier 4 visa, you’ll need to pay a National Health Service (NHS) surcharge as part of your visa application. You must pay the healthcare surcharge of £150 a year for the total duration of your visa. This allows you to access the UK healthcare system, entitling you to free healthcare under the NHS.

If you're coming to the UK as a student for six months or less, you don't need to pay a health surcharge. Instead you'll pay for every appointment and doctor's prescription as needed.

You should register separately with an NHS dentist, and there is a charge for dental treatment. There are also local opticians that you can attend and eye tests are free in Scotland.

For further information on healthcare, see the UK Council for International Student Affairs advice.

Welcoming you to the University of Stirling

We want you to feel settled as soon as possible. So in your first few weeks there are a number of welcome and orientation events set up. You’ll find a strong sense of community and vibrant atmosphere on campus. We’ve been voted 1st in Scotland for welcoming international students (International Student Barometer 2016). Learn more about what will happen in your first week.