Get Ready to Go - Study Abroad - University of Leeds

Notification of your Acceptance
You should expect to receive a letter or e-mail of acceptance from the host by the time you leave Leeds in June (if
studying abroad for the full year or first semester). Please be patient waiting for your acceptance and check your
Leeds email account regularly for any updates on the status of your application. If the SAO receives an
acceptance letter/package you will be sent an email asking you to collect your acceptance documents from the
SAO.
If you receive notification directly to your email account or to your home/ temporary address please inform the
SAO of your acceptance so they can update their records accordingly.
Applying for your visa or study permit (if applicable)
If you are applying to study outside of Europe* you will almost certainly require a student visa or a study permit.
The process for obtaining the visa depends on where in the world you will study. Some are very straight forward to
obtain, others are more difficult and costly. Visa applications are generally made after you have received official
acceptance from the host institution.
Detailed information about visa applications can be found on page 17.
* If you are due to study in another European country and you have not got citizenship or residence status from a
country within the European Union you will almost certainly require a study permit for the country you will be going
to. You should contact your own country’s embassy in the country where you are going to find out what
procedures are required.
Completing a ‘Change of Programme’ form
Most students will need to complete paperwork which will allow your parent school at Leeds to change your
degree programme to a programme which incorporates the period overseas.
You need to complete a ‘Change of Programme’ form which can be obtained from your parent school or from
Taught Student Administration. It is a simple procedure but necessary for you to remain registered at the
University of Leeds and receive funding, such as your Student Loan, for your time overseas.
If you are already registered on a four year degree which incorporates a year overseas you will not have to
complete this document.
Booking flights
The Study Abroad Office does not recommend that you book your flight until you have received official
acceptance from the host institution and secured your visa (if required). However, if you do decide to take the risk
(e.g. to secure a cheap deal) you are advised to find out if your airline allow you to cancel or alter departure dates
and how much that will cost you. Past study abroad students have not made original flight bookings due to delays
with their visa applications.
Some Travel Agencies allow you to make changes to flight bookings although there are normally high charges for
doing this. STA quoted a price of at least £85 for making changes to the dates of travel.
If you are buying a ticket valid for twelve months bear in mind that you should not buy this before July as it may
expire before the end of your studies or you may be limited in how long you can travel after you complete your
studies. The Study Abroad Office cannot recommend any particular travel agencies or airlines. It is often useful to
ask for advice from students who have previously studied abroad and to do some research on the web.
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