Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not already have permission to remain in the UK, you must apply for a student visa or a visitor visa to study at University of Chichester. The type and length of the course affects the type of visa you need. To help you understand what type of visa you require, please refer to our “Which Visa?” Flowchart.
If you need a Student Route visa, you will need a CAS before you can apply for your visa. You need to meet your offer conditions, pay a 50% deposit, complete an online CAS request form and attend a CAS eligibility interview (if applicable), before you get your CAS. We normally start issuing CASs 3 months prior to the course start date. Please visit our Student visa information section for more information.
If you applied for your visa outside the UK and were granted an Entry Clearance Vignette (sticker) and told to collect your BRP on arrival, you will need to follow these instructions:
How to collect your Biometric Residence Permit
You will also need to create an online UKVI eVisa account before the expiry date of your BRP.
You can watch a UKVI video “How to Create a UKVI account” here.
Please visit UKCISA website for more information on who can bring dependants to the UK.
Most undergraduate students start their studies on the 23rd of September 2024. Your start date might be different if you a PGCE, postgraduate, nursing, or a Musical Theatre student. To find out your start date, please visit the course and semester dates document on our website.
If your course is longer than 6 months long, you can arrive up to one month before the start date of your course. Please note that our Halls of Residence accommodation may not be ready at this point, and arriving too early can make you feel a little bit isolated. Most students will be arriving around 20-22 September 2024.
All International students living in the halls of residence accommodation received a bedding pack . The pack includes a duvet, pillows, sheets, towels etc.
The weather in Britain is rather unpredictable. It can rain on any day of the year, so you will need a waterproof coat, good shoes and possibly an umbrella. Of course there are also many sunny days – Chichester is one of the sunniest places in the UK! The temperature does not often drop below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but the dampness can make it seem colder in the winter and humid in the summer. The warmest months are June, July and August and the coldest usually December, January and February. You might find it cheaper to buy some types of clothing after you have arrived in the UK, but if you arrive in the colder months (October to April), make sure you have a coat and a jumper with you.
Most of our undergraduate students start their studies with a Welcome week on the 23rd September 2024. You should check your offer letter to see what the start date of your programme is, as it may be different if you are on a PGCE, postgraduate, nursing or musical theatre course.
The weather in Britain can be unpredictable. It can rain on any day of the year, but there are also many sunny days. Bognor Regis and Chichester are the sunniest places in the UK! The temperature does not often drop below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but the dampness can make it seem colder in the winter and humid in the summer. The warmest months are June, July and August and the coldest usually December, January and February.
Tip from a current student: It is a good idea to carry an umbrella with you at all times. You never know when you might need it, especially in the winter months.
Most students, international and UK students, will feel homesick at some point and it is perfectly normal feeling to have. Make sure you stay in touch with your friends and family back home, but also do your best to make friends and participate in activities in your new location. This will help foster a sense of belonging and will help manage homesickness. The Wellbeing team and the International Advice team are here to support you if you feel overwhelmed and need someone to talk to.
Tip from a previous student: Bring your favourite food/ingredients from home. It is not always easy to find food you are used to using and having them with you can make a big difference when you are missing something familiar from home. It is also nice to share your country’s culture and cuisine with others.
It is important to look after your mental health and we have a student wellbeing team here to advice you and refer you to external services so that you can get the support you need. Please make sure that you declare your health and mental health conditions as part of your application process, so that our teams can help you put support in place in advance of your arrival.
All personal information will be treated as strictly confidential and will not affect the decision about your eligibility for the course. Please see our website for more information.
If you have a disability or any additional need for which you require support or special arrangements, please let us know in advance, so that we can help you plan your time here with us. All personal information will be treated as strictly confidential and will not affect the decision about your eligibility for the course. Please see our website for more information.
Please note that some support is funded by the UK government, which is not available to international students. However, we can discuss the cost of the support with you if we know about it in advance and see what options you have and how much you may need to pay. It is good to be prepared well in advance.
You may need a letter from the University for various reasons. It may be to prove your student status, your address or that you can work. Please see a list of the most common letter requests we receive and instructions for how to get your letter.
Bank letter: Log into Chiview, search for a “printable documents” tile. You will need to know your bank’s address and include it on the letter. The letter will be signed and appears as a PDF document and you should print it in colour.
You can print a bank letter via Chiview, once you have registered and visited Registry with your original ID documents.
Council tax* exemption letter (students who live outside Chichester/Bognor Regis): If you live in the local area, the University confirms your student status directly to the local council. If you live further away and need a council tax exemption letter please contact sturecords@chi.ac.uk. You should also make sure you inform your local council that you are a student by completing their online form.
*What is council tax? Visit UKCISA website to find out more.
Student Status letters (September starters) – log in to Chiview and print your letter via “printable documents”. You can print a student status letter with our without your term-time address. The letter will be signed and appears as a PDF document.
Student Status letters (January/Summer starters) – If you start your studies outside our standard semester star dates and can’t see a “printable documents” tile on your Chiview record, please contact sturerecords@chi.ac.uk to request a letter.
Schengen visa letter: If you need a student status letter in order to apply for a Schengen visa, please email international@chi.ac.uk. More information about the Schengen visa application process is available on our website.
Letter for your employer (Student Route visa holders): Email academicregistry@chi.ac.uk. This letter will confirm that you are a student and includes a sentence about Student Route visa holders being able to work part-time during term-time and full-time during vacations.
Letter confirming your term dates (if you want to work full-time during vacations): Email academicregistry@chi.ac.uk to request this.