International Students

Newnham welcomes all international students and we work closely with the International Student Office, University of Cambridge.

The International Student Guide provides practical pre-arrival and orientation information to help students coming from outside the UK plan their move to Cambridge. It includes guidance on travelling to Cambridge, opening a bank account, living in the UK and the University’s support services. It also has a useful glossary of Cambridge terminology and provides some practical advice from current international students to help you settle in.

The Visa Advice Service provides free, confidential advice on a range of immigration matters. The Service is available to individuals with an offer to study at Cambridge, current students and family members. We can advise on student visas and other related areas of immigration.

The National Health Service (NHS) is the UK’s state healthcare system providing a wide range of health care services including appointments with a doctor, hospital treatment and dental care. You should register with a doctor as soon as possible after your arrival in Cambridge. The College Nurse will give advice on this upon arrival. You will need your passport and a letter from your College as proof you are a student. Further NHS information is available on the International Student Team website.

The process for collecting your student visa following a successful application for entry clearance is changing. Whether this will affect you will depend on when and where you intend on applying for your visa. Under the new process, visas will no longer be issued in the passport. You will instead be issued an initial 90 day entry vignette in your passport which will enable you to enter the UK. In addition, you will receive a decision letter outlining the conditions of your immigration leave. The actual visa in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) will need to be collected on arrival in the UK.