IMPORTANT visa information for international students

Police registration is critical for international students. It’s a legal requirement, and failure to do so is a criminal offence. It could also mean that you will find it difficult to extend your student visa in the future. But don’t worry – it’s easy to register!

Not every student needs to register, as this depends on the country you are from and the length of your visa.

To confirm whether you need to register, check the visa stamp in your passport, your biometric resident permit and the decision letter from your visa application.

If all or one of these says you need to register, you must do this. Remember, if you need to register with the police, you must do this within seven days of your arrival in the UK.

However, at busy times in the Summer and Autumn, the Police station may be closed and instead there will be an opportunity to register on campus at a session with the police. If the Police station is closed, then don’t panic if you cannot register within seven days, it’s ok.  You will just need to contact the International Student Support team to make an appointment to register.

If you need to go to the police station - don’t worry, it’s just a 15 minute walk from campus! You can find it at Hinckley Road Police Station, 95 Hinckley Road, Leicester, LE3 0TD. Or you can phone them on (0116) 222 2222 (extension number 6885 or 6886).

Prepare everything you need before you go. You will need;

• two recent, identical passport photographs;
• £34 in cash (try to take the exact money);
• your passport;
• your CAS letter;
• and the proof of your Leicester address like your housing contract as long as it has your full address on it or a bank letter from the Student Gateway.

It normally takes around 15 minutes to complete your registration. To speed up the process, you can download the police registration application form in advance and fill it in before you go to the police station.

After you have registered, you still need to remember to tell the police if that are any changes to your circumstances and to keep your certificate up to date.

You must tell them of any changes within seven days or you risk a warning. If there is any change to your personal circumstances such as you marrying, changing your name, a new address, a new course, a move to a different university, or a new passport or visa, you need to tell the police.

You need to take your existing registration certificate and the proof of the change to the police station to get your registration certificate updated. If you are telling the police about moving to a new address, remember to take your new tenancy agreement and if you are telling them about a new visa, take your biometric residence permit and your decision letter with you. This is the letter that was sent to you with your passport and other documents.

When you have finished your study and you are leaving the UK, you should hand back the certificate to the police station either in person or by post, and report your flight details back home.

Don’t forget if you need any help you can get in touch with DSU Advice or the university’s own International Student Support Team.