Before your arrival in the UK - International

Here is some information about life in the UK as a student from overseas. Please make sure that you bring with you any documents that you will need.

Registering with the police

The UK’s Home Office requires students from some countries to register with the police. More information about this requirement, and which countries it applies to, can be found on the Home Office website.

If an Immigration Officer has stamped your passport with a requirement to register with the police, you must do this within seven days of your arrival in the UK.

Once you have arrived at The Manchester College, we will provide full information about how to register with the police in Manchester.

What do I need to know now?

Before you arrive, there is some general information you need to know so that you can ensure that you have the required information and documents with you.

When you register with the police, you will need to take

  • your passport
  • two passport size photographs (we can let you know where to get photographs from photo booths in Manchester)
  • your letter of acceptance from The Manchester College showing the course you are taking and how long it lasts, or a copy of your learning agreement

A fee of £34 (cash only) will have to be paid and you will have to complete a registration form.

Once registration is complete, you will be issued with a Police Registration Certificate. You should carry this certificate with you at all times to prove your identity. You can then put your passport in a safe place, so that it does not get lost or stolen. It is very difficult and expensive to get a replacement passport.

Registering with a doctor (general practitioner – GP) or dentist

In the UK, before you can receive any treatment other than emergency treatment, you need to register with a doctor (also known as a general practitioner – GP). You also need to register with a dentist to receive dental treatment.

To do this, once in the UK you should contact the appropriate health authority office and ask for details of doctors and dentists in your local area who have places at their practices. Alternatively, visit your local doctor or dentist surgery in person.

For a full list of Manchester doctors and dentists, visit the Manchester NHS website.

Opening a bank account

Students from outside the UK who are aged 18 or over and studying in the UK for at least six months should be able to open a ‘basic bank account’ with most UK banks. A basic bank account allows you to pay money in and take money out, but does not allow access to credit. You will be given a cash card that you can use at any cash machine.

To qualify for a ‘student account’, you must have lived in the UK for the previous three years and be studying on a higher education course.

If you already have an account in your home country with a bank that has a branch in Manchester, it makes sense to open an account with that bank. Enquire at your bank in your home country to find out if they have any UK branches.

To open a bank account in the UK, you will need proof of who you are and where you live. You will need your passport (or national identify card, if you are from an EU country), with a valid visa. You also need a letter, on headed paper from The Manchester College and with the college stamp, addressed to the bank of your choice confirming

  • the name of the bank and the full address of the branch
  • your UK and overseas addresses
  • the title of your course
  • the start and end dates of your course
  • whether the course is full time or part time

You can apply for this letter through the college’s International Office.

Contacting the college's International Office

The International Office is based at The Manchester College's Nicholls Campus. Their telephone number is +44(0)161 455 2434.