Last updated: Wednesday 12 May, 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance:
Students preparing to study in the UK & Europe

Select your study destination

Restrictions remain in place across England (United Kingdom)

The UK government recently announced that to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission there will be a staggered return to face-to-face delivery for universities this spring. The government has indicated that from 17 May at the earliest, UK universities and International Study Centres will be able to return to face-to-face teaching.

We are now in discussion with the universities that we work with, to review the next steps for our Centres, to see if a return to face-to-face teaching is going to be possible for you in this academic year.

Until further notice, your studies with us will continue to be via virtual learning.

Please note that we will be updating this page when we have further information regarding face-to-face teaching at each of our Centres.

Our number one priority remains, as always, the safety and wellbeing of our students. As such, our approach to re-opening Centres will be gradual and very carefully managed and will be done in-line with our partner universities and UK government guidance.

We will review the procedures and risk assessments in place at all of our Centres prior to re-opening, to make sure the environment is as safe and secure as possible. We will be in contact and let you know about what this means for you in due course.

The current COVID-19 restrictions affect the following Study Group colleges and International Study Centres in England, including:

Restrictions if you are currently in England:

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the Government website.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, a negative COVID-19 test result is a requirement for travel to the United Kingdom.

The UK Government has introduced a requirement for all international travellers to the UK to have had a negative test for COVID-19 up to 72 hours before travel. This applies to all transport routes, including planes, passenger ferries and EuroStar trains.

The Government has made it very clear that a negative test result does not avoid the need for self-isolation upon arrival in the UK.

You must self-isolate for 10 days when arriving in the UK from all countries except the Republic of Ireland. (The ‘travel corridor’ list of exempted countries has been withdrawn.) You can only end self-isolation early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the ‘Test to Release’ scheme.

The UK Government has recently added India, UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kenya to its list of ‘red list’ of countries from which routine travel to the UK is not permitted. This is a measure to prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19.

Anyone who has departed from or travelled through these countries in the previous 10 days will be refused entry unless they are a UK or Irish national or have a right of residence in the UK.

As an international student, you will need to have valid visa for entry in the UK, and you will need take a COVID-19 test and get a negative result during the 3 days before you travel.

After your arrival in the UK, you will need to self-isolate in a quarantine hotel for 10 days.

You must pre-book and pay for your hotel quarantine before travelling. The charge for this is £1,750 for transport to the hotel, accommodation including meals, and COVID-19 testing. There is an additional charge of £41 each day if you need to quarantine for more than 10 days. There are more details here.

You cannot get round this restriction by travelling via a third country.

There are strict penalties for anyone breaking these rules. Providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out your Passenger Locator Form.

You could be fined up to £10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both, if you do not provide accurate details about the countries you have visited in the 10 days before you arrived in the UK.

If you break the quarantine rules you may face a penalty of up to £10,000.

These restrictions are until further notice.

Full details of the test requirements are on the UK Government website here. Please check these pages regularly as the rules may change at short notice.

There are details of planning your travel to the UK, and what to expect on arrival, here.

Following recent changes by the UK Government regarding COVID-19 restrictions, if you are starting your course in the next few weeks, it is very important that you please let us know how you will be starting your course. You may already have done this, however, we are asking if you could update the online registration form and complete the very short pre-arrival form. This will ensure that you have the best possible experience when you start your studies with us.

Whether you start your programme virtually from home or travel to the UK, your course will be online for a period of time at the start of the year. Universities in England are currently closed until 17 May and your course will be delivered by virtual online learning until this time. We will advise you separately when your course will transfer from virtual learning to blended learning*, a mixture of virtual and face to face teaching.

Changes to COVID-19 restrictions and latest information on these can be found below.

*For all students studying at University of Huddersfield International Study Centre and University of Huddersfield – London, your course will be online until the middle of May when you will need to return to the centres for face-to-face learning. We will contact you again to let you know if this information changes.

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the government website.

Restrictions remain in place across Scotland (United Kingdom)

On 26 April 2021, the Scottish government announced a further relaxation of some of the rules about what we can all do during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Non-essential shops and stores are now able to re-open, as can close-contact businesses like beauty salons. Gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres can also re-open.

You can now travel throughout Scotland, as well as to other parts of the United Kingdom.

Rules like reduced capacity, social distancing and frequent hand-sanitising will be in place – please make sure you follow these.

Please remember, too, that the other precautions the government has introduced to protect us all from COVID-19 are still in place and must be followed by everyone. You can read the full government guidance here.

While this relaxation of the rules will mean there is more we can all do, we want to you stay safe while you are out and about. Please to take care and be vigilant during this time, and always avoid large crowds and demonstrations.

The current COVID-19 restrictions affect the following Study Group colleges and International Study Centres in Scotland, including:

Restrictions if you are currently in Scotland:

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the Government website.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, a negative COVID-19 test result is a requirement for travel to the United Kingdom.

The UK Government has introduced a requirement for all international travellers to the UK to have had a negative test for COVID-19 up to 72 hours before travel. This applies to all transport routes, including planes, passenger ferries and EuroStar trains.

The Government has made it very clear that a negative test result does not avoid the need for self-isolation upon arrival in the UK.

You must self-isolate for 10 days when arriving in the UK from all countries except the Republic of Ireland. (The ‘travel corridor’ list of exempted countries has been withdrawn.) You can only end self-isolation early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the ‘Test to Release’ scheme.

The UK Government has recently added India, UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kenya to its list of ‘red list’ of countries from which routine travel to the UK is not permitted. This is a measure to prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19.

Anyone who has departed from or travelled through these countries in the previous 10 days will be refused entry unless they are a UK or Irish national or have a right of residence in the UK.

As an international student, you will need to have valid visa for entry in the UK, and you will need take a COVID-19 test and get a negative result during the 3 days before you travel.

After your arrival in the UK, you will need to self-isolate in a quarantine hotel for 10 days.

You must pre-book and pay for your hotel quarantine before travelling. The charge for this is £1,750 for transport to the hotel, accommodation including meals, and COVID-19 testing. There is an additional charge of £41 each day if you need to quarantine for more than 10 days. There are more details here.

You cannot get round this restriction by travelling via a third country.

There are strict penalties for anyone breaking these rules. Providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out your Passenger Locator Form.

You could be fined up to £10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both, if you do not provide accurate details about the countries you have visited in the 10 days before you arrived in the UK.

If you break the quarantine rules you may face a penalty of up to £10,000.

These restrictions are until further notice.

Full details of the test requirements are on the UK Government website here. Please check these pages regularly as the rules may change at short notice.

There are details of planning your travel to the UK, and what to expect on arrival, here.

Following recent changes by the UK Government regarding COVID-19 restrictions, if you are starting your course in the next few weeks, it is very important that you please let us know how you will be starting your course. You may already have done this, however, we are asking if you could update the online registration form and complete the very short pre-arrival form. This will ensure that you have the best possible experience when you start your studies with us.

Universities in Scotland are currently open to students. You have the choice to study your programme virtually from home or at an International Study Centre where your course is a mix of face to face teaching and online learning.

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the government website.

Restrictions remain in place across Wales (United Kingdom)

The Welsh government has relaxed some of the rules about what we can all do during the COVID-19 lockdown.

From 12 April, non-essential shops and retail services can reopened, as well as close-contact services such as beauty parlours.

Travel through Wales, and between Wales and the rest of the UK and Ireland is now allowed, but you must check the restrictions in the area you are travelling to.

Please remember, too, that the other precautions the government has put in place to protect us all from COVID-19 are still in place, and must be followed by everyone.

Full details of the COVID-19 precautions are available here.

The current COVID-19 restrictions affect the following Study Group colleges or International Study Centre in Wales:

Restrictions if you are currently in Wales:

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the Government website.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, a negative COVID-19 test result is a requirement for travel to the United Kingdom.

The UK Government has introduced a requirement for all international travellers to the UK to have had a negative test for COVID-19 up to 72 hours before travel. This applies to all transport routes, including planes, passenger ferries and EuroStar trains.

The Government has made it very clear that a negative test result does not avoid the need for self-isolation upon arrival in the UK.

You must self-isolate for 10 days when arriving in the UK from all countries except the Republic of Ireland. (The ‘travel corridor’ list of exempted countries has been withdrawn.) You can only end self-isolation early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the ‘Test to Release’ scheme.

The UK Government has recently added India, UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kenya to its list of ‘red list’ of countries from which routine travel to the UK is not permitted. This is a measure to prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19.

Anyone who has departed from or travelled through these countries in the previous 10 days will be refused entry unless they are a UK or Irish national or have a right of residence in the UK.

As an international student, you will need to have valid visa for entry in the UK, and you will need take a COVID-19 test and get a negative result during the 3 days before you travel.

After your arrival in the UK, you will need to self-isolate in a quarantine hotel for 10 days.

You must pre-book and pay for your hotel quarantine before travelling. The charge for this is £1,750 for transport to the hotel, accommodation including meals, and COVID-19 testing. There is an additional charge of £41 each day if you need to quarantine for more than 10 days. There are more details here.

You cannot get round this restriction by travelling via a third country.

There are strict penalties for anyone breaking these rules. Providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out your Passenger Locator Form.

You could be fined up to £10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both, if you do not provide accurate details about the countries you have visited in the 10 days before you arrived in the UK.

If you break the quarantine rules you may face a penalty of up to £10,000.

These restrictions are until further notice.

Full details of the test requirements are on the UK Government website here. Please check these pages regularly as the rules may change at short notice.

There are details of planning your travel to the UK, and what to expect on arrival, here.

Following recent changes by the UK Government regarding COVID-19 restrictions, if you are starting your course in the next few weeks, it is very important that you please let us know how you will be starting your course. You may already have done this, however, we are asking if you could update the online registration form and complete the very short pre-arrival form. This will ensure that you have the best possible experience when you start your studies with us.

Universities in Scotland are currently open to students. You have the choice to study your programme virtually from home or at an International Study Centre where your course is a mix of face to face teaching and online learning.

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the government website.

Restrictions remain in place across the Republic of Ireland

The Irish government has relaxed some of the rules about what we can all do following the COVID-19 lockdown.

Outdoor meetings of two households are now allowed, and two fully vaccinated people (that is those who have had both doses) can now meet indoors.

You can now travel anywhere within Dublin county. This replaces the previous 5km travel restriction rule.

Please remember that the other precautions the government has put in place to protect us all from COVID-19 are still in place, and must be followed by everyone.

There is a full list of the restrictions here.

The current COVID-19 restrictions affect the following Study Group International Study Centre in Ireland:

Restrictions if you are currently in Ireland:

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the Government website.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, everyone arriving into the Republic of Ireland will need to quarantine on arrival.

Before travelling to Ireland you will need to complete a Passenger Locator Form and have had a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test carried out no more than 72 hours before you arrive in Ireland.

Everyone arriving into Ireland must undertake a 14-day quarantine period at the address specified on the Passenger Locator Form.

Yes, if you are arriving from a country on the ‘Category 2’ list.

People arriving from Category 2 countries need to quarantine at a designated facility (a ‘quarantine hotel’) upon arrival into the Republic of Ireland.

On 15 April, the Irish government extended the list of ‘Category 2’ countries for which additional entry restrictions apply as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. The list of additional countries is:

  • Armenia
  • Bangladesh
  • Belgium
  • Bermuda
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Canada
  • Curaçao
  • France
  • Italy
  • Kenya
  • Luxembourg
  • Maldives
  • Pakistan
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • USA

The full list of countries is here.

Anyone who has departed from or travelled through any of the Category 2 countries in the previous 14 days will be refused entry unless they are a Republic of Ireland or UK national or have a right of residence in the Republic of Ireland.

As an international student, you will need to have valid visa for entry into the Republic of Ireland. Please note that the Republic of Ireland has generally ceased accepting new visa/preclearance applications globally.

Before travelling to Ireland you will need to complete a Passenger Locator Form and have had a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test carried out no more than 72 hours before you arrive in Ireland.

If you are arriving from a Category 2 country

After your arrival in the Republic of Ireland from a Category 2 country, you will need to self-isolate in a quarantine hotel for at least 10 days. If you have a negative or ‘not detected’ COVID-19 test on day 10, you can complete your quarantine period in accommodation other than the quarantine hotel.

You must pre-book and pay for your hotel quarantine before travelling.

Bookings can be made here. There are more details about quarantine hotels here.

These restrictions are until further notice.

The government has relaxed some of the rules about what we can all do following the COVID-19 lockdown.

Outdoor meetings of two households are now allowed, and two fully vaccinated people (that is, who have had both doses) can now meet indoors.

You can now travel anywhere within Dublin county. This replaces the previous 5km travel restriction rule.

Please remember that the other precautions the government has put in place to protect us all from COVID-19 are still in place and must be followed by everyone.

There is a full list of the restrictions here.

Restrictions remain in place across the Netherlands

Lockdown measures in the Netherlands have recently been eased.

Universities and colleges will gradually reopen and stores will be allowed to admit more customers.

A nationwide night-time curfew that has been in place for three months was lifted on April 28, while bars and restaurants are now allowed to serve small groups on outdoor terraces between noon and 6pm.

The current COVID-19 restrictions affect the following Study Group International Study Centre:

Restrictions if you are currently in Holland:

For the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the Government website.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, if you are coming from a country in the Schengen zone by public transport or from a country not on the EU safe countries list.

The Dutch Government has introduced a requirement for people travelling to the Netherlands by aircraft, ship, ferry, international train to present a negative COVID-19 test result if they are coming from a country not on the EU safe countries list.

For passengers from the Schengen zone countries, the negative test result requirement applies only to public transport, and not to private coaches or cars.

The test used must be a COVID-19 PCR (polymerise chain reaction) test. No other type of test will be valid. The test sample must have been made no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in the Netherlands. The test result must be written in Dutch, English, French, or Spanish. Full details of the test requirements are available here. You can see a copy of the declaration form here.

Passengers attempting to travel without a negative test may be potentially denied boarding. International train and coach passengers will be asked to provide a negative test result before boarding or before the first stop in the Netherlands.

Yes, the Government has made it very clear that a negative test result does not avoid the need for self-isolation upon arrival in the Netherlands. You should still self-quarantine for 10 days on arrival in the Netherlands even if you have a negative test result.

You are not required to self-quarantine if you are coming from a country where the risk of contracting COVID-19 is low.

Safe countries with a low COVID-19 risk

Safe countries outside the EU/Schengen area

  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Rwanda
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Thailand
  • China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau). Only if China lifts entry restrictions on European travellers. Travellers from China are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test declaration.

Safe countries within the EU/Schengen area

  • Iceland
  • Portgual

Safe countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

  • St Maarten
  • Saba
  • St Eustatius

We will get you to where you want to be

Our aim is to get you to where you want to be, studying for a postgraduate or undergraduate degree. If you have any questions about your studies, please contact your education representative.