Visiting the UK for your graduation

Visiting the UK to attend your graduation ceremony

It is not possible to extend your Student visa to attend your graduation ceremony. If your ceremony is going to take place after the end date of your Student visa and you don’t have another immigration permission, you will need to leave the UK before your visa expires. You must check if you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa or ETA to re-enter the UK for your graduation ceremony.

Check if you:

Need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling to the UK. You can do this by seeing if the country you are a citizen of is on the visa national list.
Need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling to the UK. You can do this by seeing if the country you are a citizen of is on the ETA list. The countries list will change again on 2 April.

You can also check if you need a UK Visitor visa or ETA by selecting your country on the UK Government website.

Look carefully at the information in the section below: How to apply for a Visitor visa or ETA.

You can visit the Oxford Brookes Graduation website for information on your graduation ceremony.

Do friends and family need a visa to visit you in the UK?

Firstly, check if they:

Need a visa before travelling to the UK. You can do this by seeing if the country they are a citizen of is on the visa national list.
Need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). You can do this by seeing if the country they are a citizen of is on the ETA list. The countries list will change again on 2 April.

You can also check if they need a UK visa or ETA by selecting their country on the UK Government website.

Look carefully at the information in the section below: How to apply for a Visitor visa or enter as a visitor.

How to apply for a Visitor visa or ETA

Nationalities who need to get a visa before travelling

If you are a visa national, you will need to apply for a Standard visitor visa before you come to the UK by following the steps:

Complete the online application form.
Pay the application fee which is currently £115 for a 6 month Visitor visa.
Provide documents to show the reason for your visa (see Documents needed below).

Nationalities who need to get an ETA before travelling

If you are one of the nationalities on the ETA list, you will need to apply online on the Government website or using the app. This will cost £10 per applicant and once approved, the ETA will last 2 years and you can use it to make multiple visits to the UK.

You don’t need to apply for an ETA if:

you have a student visa,
you have another visa to enter the UK,
or you have permission to live in the UK due to a different immigration status (eg. EUSS settlement).

The ETA scheme is gradually being introduced in the UK for everyone who can travel to the UK as a visitor who does not need a visa. For some nationalities it is already mandatory to apply for the ETA prior to travelling to the UK and for others it will be soon.

The ETA gives you permission to travel, but it is not a permission to enter so you will still need to go through passport control, either by using the e-gates, if you are eligible (see section below, Use of the e-gates), or with a Border Force officer if you are required to. You might still be asked to present all the documents to support your entry at the airport when you arrive in the UK. See Documents needed in the section below.

Other nationalities

If your nationality is not listed on the visa nationals list or the ETA list, you do not have to apply for a visa before you travel to the UK - you can request entry as a visitor upon arrival. This is the case for most European students who will need an ETA from 2 April.

If you request to enter as a visitor upon arrival, you might still be asked to present all the documents to support your entry at the airport to a Border Force Officer when you arrive in the UK. See Documents needed in the section below.

Documents needed

Recommended documents you or your family members/friends need when applying for a Standard Visitor visa or when entering the UK as a visitor:

You will need to request a graduation ceremony invitation visa letter to support your application and for the application of anyone coming to see you at the ceremony. You can do this via your Student Information pages. If you are a citizen of a country who will need an ETA before travelling to the UK, we still recommend carrying this letter with you when entering the UK as a visitor.
It is recommended you give copies of your passport and visa to help with your family/friend’s application.
Your Brookes attendance letter
Evidence you have enough money to support yourself during the visit
Proof that you have arranged accommodation
Proof that you can pay for a return or onward journey and will leave the UK at the end of the visit
It is a good idea to include evidence of continuing connections with your home country. For example, evidence of other close family, rent agreements or property ownership, and any study or employment. This is because the UKVI can refuse Visitor visa applications if they think the person applying may not go back home and they can do this without asking for more evidence and there is no way to review or appeal the decision.
Please see the Home Office’s guidance for supporting documents for full details of what they should provide with your application.

Use of the e-gates

Nationals of the EU/EEA/Switzerland or Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA have the option of entering the UK via the e-gates if you have a biometric passport. If you enter this way, you automatically receive leave to enter the UK for 6 months as a visitor. You will not receive a stamp.

If you are from any of the countries listed above but do not have a biometric passport, you will need to see a Border Force Officer to enter the UK as a Visitor (see previous section).