Student Welcome

Entry via Republic of Ireland

Entry to the UK via the Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland (ROI) is part of the Common Travel Area (CTA). This means that there is no immigration control between the Republic of Ireland and the UK. As you will not pass through passport control on arrival in the UK, you may have to keep evidence of your entry to the UK to be presented as part of your registration at Newcastle University.

Students arriving from the ROI with entry clearance

If you arrive in the UK with entry clearance (a vignette in your passport), your passport will not be stamped on your arrival in the UK.

You should keep your boarding pass or flight booking details as evidence of your journey to the UK. You will need to present these documents, as well as your passport and biometric residence permit card (for leave of over 6 months) in order to complete the registration process at Newcastle University.

Students arriving from the ROI without entry clearance

Some students will not require entry clearance to enter the UK for a programme of 6 months or less. Please check whether you require entry clearance for the UK before you travel.

If you arrive in the UK via the ROI without entry clearance, you will be deemed to have entered the UK with the immigration permission granted to you when you entered the ROI. You should also keep your boarding pass or flight booking details as evidence of your date of entry to the UK. These will also be required for the registration process at Newcastle University.

If you entered the UK from the ROI before 11pm on 31st December 2020, you will be able to stay in the UK with permission to study for up to 3 months from the date of entry. This stay is reduced to 7 days if you entered the Republic of Ireland while you still had immigration permission for the UK, but this has since expired.

In order to extend your stay, you would need to leave the CTA (UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands) and re-enter the UK, showing your visa support letter at the border in order to re-enter the UK.

If you entered the UK from the ROI after 11pm on 31st December 2020, you can stay in the UK with permission to study for up to 6 months. This stay is reduced to 2 months if you entered the Republic of Ireland while you still had immigration permission for the UK, but this has since expired.

Students who do not have entry clearance and are not granted immigration permission in the ROI

If you are not granted immigration permission in the Republic of Ireland, or you are given a visa which limits your stay to a ‘short visit’, you should contact the Visa Support Team immediately, as this may limit your right to stay and study in the UK.