EN 🇬🇧
Join now

Countries · Student guide

United Kingdom

Complete guide for international students in the United Kingdom: bureaucracy, housing, budget, health, work and finance.

Updated on Jul 28, 2026

Cost of living
High

Typical spending band for a student

Language
English

Main language to handle day to day

Currency
GBP

Local currency for banking and payments

Visas
Medium

Typical visa/permit process complexity

Overview

The UK combines NHS for the properly enrolled, aggressive rental market and £ costs to be planned at the exchange rate. The difference between London and regional cities is huge — more than in many other European countries.

What really changes here

  • NHS: Post-registration access and payment Immigration Health Surcharge (if applicable to visa)
  • Rent often requires secured deposit (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) and guarantor if you have no UK history
  • Council Tax: Full-time students often exempt, but need to be certified by the university
  • Transport: Oyster/contactless in London; elsewhere regional buses and trains — variable cost per city
  • Contactless payments everywhere; UK account useful for part-time salaries
  • Brexit: EU citizens now often Student visa; rules other than pre-2021

Ideal if…

  • Programs in English, short master's degrees, campuses with housing in halls
  • Who has a budget for deposit + first month in £
  • Students leveraging strong libraries and career services
  • Medium cities (Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow) for lower costs than London

Harder if…

  • Budget only "Erasmus salary" without buffer £ for London
  • Studio circles in zones 1–2 without guarantor
  • You don't understand the difference between visa, BRP/eVisa and the right to part-time work
  • Expect free healthcare without completing NHS enrolment

Arrival checklist

First 7 days

  1. Collect visa/BRP documents or complete eVisa online check-in
  2. University registration + proof of address for bank
  3. Open account (Monzo, Starling, Barclays student often online)
  4. Register GP (General Practitioner) near campus — do not postpone
  5. Activate SIM UK (giffgaff, EE, Vodafone)
  6. Get student exemption council tax if in private flat
  7. Night bus/tube map and numbers 999 / 111 NHS
Mistakes to avoid
  • Pay deposit without registered TDP scheme
  • Working more than the hours allowed by the student visa
  • Do not record GPs until “you are sick”
  • Sign leases without understanding excluded bills (energy spike in winter)

City guides

Cities in United Kingdom

Neighborhoods, rent, universities, transport and safety: everything you need to choose where to move.

Londra
  • from 700 GBProom/month
  • 6universities
  • 9neighborhoods

London, capital of the United Kingdom and a true global metropolis, offers some of the best universities in the world (UCL, Imperial, KCL, LSE) and job opportunities in every sector, from finance to tech to creativity. It is multicultural, rich in culture and with excellent transport; on the other hand, the cost of living is among the highest in the world, especially for rent.

Open city guideManchester
  • from 480 GBProom/month
  • 4universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Manchester, the capital of the north-west of England, is one of the largest university cities in the United Kingdom (over 100,000 students) and a lively hub of media, tech and creative industries (MediaCityUK). Famous for music, football and nightlife, it offers excellent value for money: much more accessible than London, despite rising rents.

Open city guideEdimburgo
  • from 520 GBProom/month
  • 5universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and a UNESCO heritage city, combines historical beauty, culture (the famous Festival Fringe) and a large university center led by the University of Edinburgh, among the best in the world. It is safe, walkable and the UK's second largest financial centre; on the other hand, rent costs are among the highest in the country after London.

Open city guideOxford
  • from 560 GBProom/month
  • 3universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Oxford, a famous university city an hour from London, is home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, among the best in the world, and Oxford Brookes. Beautiful, historic and rich in culture, it combines academia, publishing, biotech and high technology; the downside is one of the highest costs of living and rent in the country, with very little housing.

Open city guideCambridge
  • from 580 GBProom/month
  • 2universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Cambridge, a historic university city an hour from London, is home to one of the best universities in the world and Anglia Ruskin. Beautiful and walkable, it is also the heart of "Silicon Fen", one of the main European hi-tech, biotech and research hubs. The quality of life is very high, but the cost of rent is among the highest in the country and housing is scarce.

Open city guide
Move checklist Plan documents and deadlines step by step

Go deeper

Guides by category

Pick a topic to get started — bureaucracy, housing, work, and more.