FAQs about studying and living in the UK

No. The British Council in Germany does not offer this service.  Please contact the institution requiring the certification and ask what other options they will accept for verification and/ or translation of your certificate. 

For example: the UK institution may accept a certificate (or stamped copy) sent directly from your (German or other foreign) university/ higher education institution that issued the original certificate / awarded the degree/qualification. 

Use the handy course search function on the UCAS website to search for courses of all levels by subject or institution. You can also find more information and descriptions of types of qualifications on the page: higher education courses and qualifications page. Find information on how to apply for a degree course in the UK on our Study in the UK page on that page you'll also find our tips on applying for undergraduate courses through UCAS.

The UK government announced on 23.06.2020 that from July 2021 EU students will be treated as all other international students and be subject to international fees at universities in England. Scotland has now announced the same thing. This means that each individual HE provider in England and Scotland will set the prices of their courses for international students. Please see our Brexit pages for more information. 

At the moment (until Autumn 2021), for an undergraduate course (Bachelor) the current maximum fees (some institutions charge less) for home and EU students are up to £9,250 per year in England and Wales, up to £4,046 per year in Northern Ireland and in Scotland, tuition is free. European Union students studying in England and enrolling in 2020-21 will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee status’, which means they will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students. They will also be able to access student loans as before. 

Tuition fees for a year abroad or study visit to a UK university – where you are not graduating from the UK university – will be charged, it is best if you check directly with the university what the fees will be. Students visiting for just one year or semester are not eligible for a student loan.

For postgraduate courses EU students also pay the same tuition fees as UK students (home rate). The universities are free to set the fees independently. Fees vary according to the subject studied, you can check these on the website of the university that you are applying to.

UK government loans

For undergraduate courses starting in the 20/21 academic year only there are student loans available. Students from the EU can apply for a loan from the UK government to cover their tuition fees. This loan is repayable once a student has completed his or her studies and is earning more than a set minimum income. For more information on student loans please see the UK government student finance overview.  

These FAQs will be updated when the UK government announces the fees and other regulations for EU students from 2021 onwards. For more information about Brexit, see our regularly updated page.

Information on financing your studies in the UK can be found on our website under scholarships and financial support.   

And a database of scholarships can be found on our Study UK website scholarships page. 

If you have arrived in the UK before 1 January 2021 to start your course, you will not need a visa. However, you should apply (for free) for the ‘EU Settlement Scheme’ by the end of June 2021. If you arrive after 1 January 2021, you will need to apply for a student visa if you are studying a course which is longer than six months in length. For more details about visas and how to apply for one, see our more detailed page about the UK’s EU-Exit and visit this Study UK page.

Our Study Guide for Student Advisors in Europe (pub. March 2021) has all the relevant and up-to-date information on UK study, including an overview on the application process, deadlines, visas, fees, scholarships and funding, student life and more. 

On the English UK website you can find information about learning English in the UK.  

You can also find an alphabetical list of British Council accredited language schools in the UK on our website.

Should you book through a German agent or tour operator, we recommend you to check that the language course is taught by a British Council accredited language school.

No. The British Council in Germany does not offer the service of holding or invigilating external exams on our premises. 

• For A-level exams, please visit the following websites to find exam centres offering sessions for private candidates:

  Edexcel: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/understanding-our-qualifications/find-a-pearson-centre.html
  Cambridge International: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/exam-administration/private-candidates/

• ACCA Exams can now be taken online. For more information, please visit our website:
  https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/exam/acca-computer-based-exams

• For university and other exams, please check with the following provider if they can be offered through them:

  Examinations International
  Elfie Konrad
  Sudermanstrasse 7-9, 50670 Köln
  Telephone: +49 (0)221 122405
  e-mail: info(at)examinations.de
  www.examinations.de 

Information is available on the  Make it in Germany website.  

Or try the general guidance on the EURES website – the European Job Mobility Portal Germany page 

The European Employment Services (EURES) UK website also provides information, advice and guidance on living and working in other European Economic Area member countries  

Yes. The Graduate Route visa comes into force in July 2021, allowing international students who have completed a degree at undergraduate level or above to stay in the UK to work or look for work for 2 years (Bachelor/Masters) or 3 years (PhD). It is possible to work at any skill level on this visa. Graduates will be able to switch into skilled work once they have found a suitable job. For more information on the Graduate Route visa, see here.