Visa document guidance

If you're not from the UK or Ireland, we need to check your right to study to complete your enrolment. This page has visa information for new students.

Visa Document Guidance 

As part of the pre-enrolment task on Portico, you must upload your visa documents. 

Choose your study type to see which documents you need to upload: 

UKVI Share Code

View your eVisa and get a share code

Generate

I am studying a full-time course (any study level) 

I applied for a Student Visa from outside the UK

To complete your enrolment, upload the following to Portico:

We strongly encourage you to start pre-enrolment before arriving in the UK by providing your share code, even if you have not received all your visa documents yet. However, we cannot complete your enrolment until you provide proof of entry to the UK.  

After you arrive in the UK
To complete your enrolment, upload one of the following to Portico:

Entry clearance vignette. 

  • Your entry clearance travel vignette with a UK arrival stamp. This will be a sticker on your passport. When you arrive in the UK, the immigration officer will stamp your vignette. You must enter the UK within the dates specified on your entry clearance vignette.
  • If your entry clearance vignette doesn’t have a stamp when you arrive, upload your boarding pass or flight itinerary.

Decision email with entry clearance stamp or boarding pass 

If you do not have an entry clearance travel vignette with a UK arrival stamp, upload the following documents instead:

  • An email that you received from UKVI, confirming that your visa has been granted for UCL. Please upload all pages of this letter.
  • An entry clearance stamp (if you received one). If you did not receive an entry clearance stamp. please upload a copy of your boarding pass or flight itinerary displaying your entry date into the UK and your full name.
Visa examples for students applying outside the uk.pdf


I am applying for my new visa from within the UK, but I’m still awaiting its approval 

Upload the following to Portico:

  • A copy of your current visa 

And one of the following: 

  • A copy of your visa application form.
  • A copy of your document checklist.
  • A copy of the payment confirmation from your visa application submission. 


Graduate Route Visa Information 

The Graduate Route visa has strict study limitations. It allows study in select courses not covered by the Student Visa route. 

If you have a Graduate Route visa, you must first apply for and successfully obtain a Student Visa or another visa that permits full time study at UCL before you will be permitted to enrol.

Examples of visa document evidence for students applying for a new visa from inside the UK.pdf


I have pre-settled/settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or Indefinite Leave to Remain 

Upload the following to Portico:

  • Your Sharecode. You should generate your Sharecode on the UK Government website. Once generated, your share code is valid for 90 days and consists of letters and numbers. UCL will use this code to confirm your immigration status. For more information, visit the Digital Immigration Status webpage.
  • When you get to question 5e on the pre-enrolment task, for question 1, you will need to select that you have obtained a visa. For Section 5e question 2, you will then select ‘eVisa’.  You will then be asked to provide your sharecode so that we can verify your settled status. Once you have provided your sharecode should be able to select ‘continue’ without having to provide any further information. 

I have another type of visa 

Upload any of the following visa documents to Portico:

You will also upload proof of arrival in the UK, such as:

  • A copy of your boarding pass or flight itinerary displaying your entry date into the UK and your full name.

If you have visa documents in a format that is not listed above, please upload them via Portico. Provide as much detail as you can about your UK immigration status. Our enrolment team will review and request further information if needed. 

 

I am studying a course which is 6 months or less

For example: UCL Summer School or Affiliate students

If you are completing the pre-enrolment task from outside of the UK, select the option ‘I have not yet obtained the required documents.’ This will still allow you to progress through the pre-enrolment task.

To complete your enrolment, upload the following to Portico:

  • Your visa
  • Proof of arrival (stamped vignette or boarding pass)

The guidance below explains which documents you need to upload. 

I have been given a Standard Visitor Visa 

If you applied for your visa in advance:  

  • A copy of your entry clearance vignette with an entry clearance stamp. This will be a sticker on your passport. Your ticket will be stamped when you arrive in the UK - you will not be able to upload a copy until you arrive.
  • If your entry clearance vignette isn’t stamped on arrival, please provide a copy of your boarding pass showing your date of arrival and full name.

If you didn’t apply for a visa in advance:  

  • A copy of your entry clearance stamp. 

If you entered the UK via the e-gates:  

  • A copy of your boarding pass showing your date of arrival and full name.

If your entry clearance vignette isn’t stamped on arrival, please provide a copy of your boarding pass, showing your date of arrival and full name.

Visa document evidence for students studying in the UK for 6 months or less.pdf

 

I am studying a Part-time, flexible, distance learning course or course jointly run by UCL and a Partner Institution

Upload any of the following visa documents to Portico::

Also upload proof of arrival in the UK, such as:

  • A copy of your boarding pass or flight itinerary displaying your entry date into the UK and your full name.

If you have visa documents in a format that is not listed above, please upload them via Portico. Provide as much detail as you can about your UK immigration status. Our enrolment team will review and request further information if needed. 

Need more information?

Submit a query to us through askUCL.