Information for applicants from the EU
We are committed to welcoming students from across Europe and beyond and providing a truly global experience for all of our students.
This information is provided for students who will commence their studies at the University of Nottingham in the 2021 academic year or later. If you are already studying at Nottingham, please refer to our information for current EU students.
This webpage was most recently updated on 14 July 2021. The information below was correct to the best of our knowledge at this time, but may be subject to change.
Fees and funding
The UK government has confirmed that EU, EEA and Swiss nationals starting courses in the 2021/22 academic year who are not registered as 'settled or 'pre-settled' in the UK will no longer be eligible for 'home' (UK) fee status or financial support from Student Finance England. In most cases you will be classed as an 'overseas' (international) student for fees purposes.
Find out more about our fee status assessment process.
Scholarships and funding
The University of Nottingham offers undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for outstanding EU students with overseas fees status as part of our range of international scholarships.
This includes:
UK Research and Innovation has announced that its PhD studentships will be available for international students from the 2021-22 academic year onwards. This will include EU, EEA and Swiss students as well as students from other countries.
Exceptions to international fee status
Some students from the EU, EEA or Switzerland meeting certain criteria may be eligible for 'home' fee status instead of overseas. You may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .
For more information, see our fee status assessment policy, UKCISA's fee status guidance, and the Department for Education's policy paper on new fee status rules.
Immigration regulations
Entering the UK
The UK government's new points-based immigration system is in effect from 1 January 2021, when freedom of movement between the UK and EU ended.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland are included in the new points-based system, and will require a visa to enter, work, live and study in the UK. For most students, this will mean applying for a student visa.
After completing a degree course on a student visa, you will then be eligible for the new graduate immigration route (post-study work visa) to stay and work in the UK for a further two years – or up to three years after a PhD course.
Use our welcome webpages to plan your travel arrangements. Students travelling from certain countries may need to self-isolate (quarantine) after entering the UK.
EU Settlement Scheme
If you have obtained 'settled' or 'pre-settled' status under the UK's EU Settlement Scheme, then you can enter, live, study and work in the UK freely with this immigration status and will not require a UK visa.
The EU Settlement Scheme was available to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who were living in the UK by the end of 2020. Applications for the scheme closed on 30 June 2021.
Irish students
Under the Common Travel Area arrangements between Ireland and the UK, Irish nationals can enter, live, work and study in the UK without a visa. These rights are unaffected by Brexit, so Irish students do not need to apply for a student visa or for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Degree recognition
British universities are widely recognised around the world and there are various recognition agreements between countries. Many of these agreements are not related to the EU, so most academic qualifications will still be recognised.
Where degrees are accredited by professional bodies in the UK, such as degrees in architecture, engineering, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and veterinary science, these degrees may no longer qualify graduates to work in these fields within the EU and EEA, since the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) agreements ceased in 2020.
Students studying professional qualifications in the UK should check with the relevant overseas professional body that their UK degree will qualify them to work in their profession in their chosen country.
Studying abroad during your Nottingham degree course
The University of Nottingham believes that student mobility is essential to the global experience we offer our students, and we will continue to provide opportunities to study and work abroad during our courses, at partner universities across Europe and the globe.
The University has made a commitment to continue providing outgoing student mobility and exchange programmes through the Erasmus+ scheme (or an alternative to the Erasmus+ scheme) until the 2022/23 academic year, regardless of whether Erasmus+ funding from the UK government continues beyond Brexit.
Brexit's impact on study abroad opportunities
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.
Spend part of your degree course at Nottingham
European exchange students interested in studying at the University of Nottingham for a semester or year as part of their degree can find details of how to apply on our Erasmus+ page for visiting students.
Your next steps