Birmingham is proud to be a global university at the heart of an international city. Our campus is truly a diverse and global place which attracts the brightest and best international students and staff and whatever form of Brexit emerges, we will continue to welcome students from Europe and across the world. Find out more about how the University is making its views on Brexit heard.
Although we recognise that the ongoing uncertainty about Brexit is unsettling, we will continue to monitor developments and help you understand what is happening.
Please continue to check these pages. They will be updated with key information, changes and links that could support you. While we will try to keep this information as up-to-date as possible, due to the pace of change we cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies and would encourage you to also check official channels.
For the latest information from the government, please visit the Department for Exiting the European Union website. Regularly updated Brexit FAQs for universities and students are also available on the Universities UK website.
You can also contact the University’s International Student Team for further information.
You can also find further information on the government website on how to prepare for Brexit.
Visa and immigration information for EU students and postgraduate researchers
Current students and researchers
If you’re a national of an EU member state, or of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you are advised to apply for either settled status or pre-settled status to confirm your right of residence in the UK beyond December 2020. While this is not mandatory, it will help you demonstrate that you were already resident in the UK before the Brexit date. As we are still unsure whether the UK will agree a deal before leaving the EU, this could be important in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal in place because different rules may apply to those entering the UK after the Brexit date (currently expected to be 31 January 2020) in a ‘no-deal’ scenario – please see information for incoming students below.
Applications for settled or pre-settled status are free of charge. The deadline will be 31 December 2020 if there is a ‘no-deal’ Brexit and is expected to be 30 June 2021 in a ‘deal’ scenario. Find more information about how to apply.
Incoming students and researchers
The UK Government has confirmed that the Settlement Scheme will be run for EU nationals and their immediate family members who are resident in the UK on or before 31 January 2020, regardless of whether there is a ‘deal’ or ‘no-deal’ Brexit. This means that your residence rights and ability to study, work and access benefits and services in the UK should not be affected. For EU nationals arriving in the UK after 31 January 2020 (the current Brexit date), the rules will depend on whether the UK leaves the EU with or without a deal in place.
In a ‘deal’ scenario, non-UK EU nationals arriving between 31 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 will be able to enter the UK in the same way as now and will be eligible to apply under the Settlement Scheme on the same basis as those arriving before 31 Janury 2020.
In the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, if you are a non-UK EU student or researcher moving to the UK to study at the University after 31 January 2020 and before 31 December 2020, you will continue to be able to enter the UK using only your passport or ID card. You will not need a visa; however, after entry, you must apply for “European Temporary Leave to Remain” (ETLR) by 31 December 2020 to be able to live, work and study in the UK. European ETLR applications will be free of charge and will provide you with 36 month ‘leave to remain’ in the UK, which allows you to live and study freely. Full details can be found in the Government policy paper.
Find out more about whether you may need a visa to study in the UK if you are an EU national.
For more information please visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs Brexit page.
Fees and student finance information for EU students and postgraduate researchers
Current students and researchers
If you are a non-UK EU students or researchers already studying at the University of Birmingham and started your course in 2018 or earlier, you will continue to be classified as having ‘home’ fee status and will be eligible for UK government student loans for the duration of your course at the University of Birmingham.
EU students who currently receive student loans and/or grants from Student Finance England (SFE), and EU nationals applying to start courses in England during the 2019/20 academic year can find information about this from Student Finance England and read the UK Council for International Student Affairs Brexit page.
Incoming students and researchers
Students from the EU applying to courses at the University starting in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years will not see any changes to their loan eligibility or fee status. You will therefore continue to benefit from ‘home’ fee status and will be eligible for student loan finance. This guarantee will apply for the full duration of the course, even if the course finishes after the UK has left the EU. This will be the case in England whether or not the UK leaves the EU with a deal.
For students and researchers planning to arrive in the UK to study in the 2021/22 academic year, the Government has not yet made an announcement on either fee status or the financial support available. The University of Birmingham is working across the Higher Education sector to urge the UK Government to provide clarity on EU students' fees and access to student funding support beyond the 2020/21 academic year.
Find out more about whether leaving the EU could affect your tuition fee status.
Study and Work abroad information
Travel around Brexit date
If the UK leaves the UK with a withdrawal deal, there is expected to be no change to travel requirements for EU nationals entering the UK and British nationals entering the EU until at least 31 December 2020.
If there is a no-deal Brexit and you need to travel to the EU around the time the UK leaves the UK (currently planned for 31 January 2020), you will need to consider the following points for your journey;
· Check you have six months validity on your passport
· Prepare for longer border control queues
· If driving in EU, you may need International Driving Permit
For UK Nationals travelling to the EU, the Government has published up-to-date travel information and advice for British passport holders in Europe. This provides information on the type of action that needs to be taken when travelling in the event of a no-deal Brexit. If you’re a UK student, check your passport for EU travel. You can check the requirements for your destination country on the Get Ready for Brexit website. You can also obtain Foreign Travel advice online.
If you’re an EU student you should check the guidance given by your home country.
Erasmus +
At the moment, there is uncertainty on whether the UK will leave the EU with or without a withdrawal deal in place.
If the EU withdrawal bill is agreed in its current form, the UK can stay in the Erasmus+ programme until 2020 but it is currently unclear what the situation will be if there is a no deal Brexit.
Find out how each of these outcomes will affect you if you are taking part in Erasmus+
If you are a University of Birmingham Student on Erasmus+ work or study placement in 2019/20
If the deal is agreed
There should be no disruption to your placement. Under the current terms of the deal you should be eligible to continue studying or working in Europe and be eligible to receive an Erasmus+ grant.
If we leave the EU without a deal
A European Commission statement in June 2019 confirmed that Erasmus+ placements that are ongoing when the UK leaves the EU should not be stopped, even in a no deal scenario. This means that an Erasmus+ placement has that started (or is planned to start) while the UK is still a member of the EU cannot be cancelled.
If the UK leaves the EU with no agreement in place, the UK Government has issued a statement confirming a guarantee of Erasmus funding.
If you are planning to work in the EU, the terms and conditions of employment may change following Brexit. These may vary depending on the country the work placement is in. Please check UK Government country-specific guidance for further information.
If required, in the case of a no-deal Brexit, the University of Birmingham has agreed to underwrite the Erasmus+ grant in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years for all eligible University of Birmingham students for whom study in Europe is compulsory as well as students from widening participation backgrounds. If you are eligible for the underwrite, we will contact you directly with more information regarding this. Please also read the Government advice on funding.
In the event of a no-deal Brexit, there may be changes to how you access and pay for healthcare in your host country which you should prepare for. However, University of Birmingham students travelling as part of their course are covered by the University of Birmingham travel insurance policy. For the latest information on healthcare abroad and European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) please read the NHS advice.
If you are a University of Birmingham Student planning to study or work in Europe in 2020/21
Study placements to EU countries may be affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. However, we have taken steps to reassure our EU exchange partners that we wish to continue exchanging students on a reciprocal tuition-fee waiver basis, regardless of Brexit. It remains our priority that students are able to continue with their plans to study abroad at one of our EU exchange partners so we are working to reduce the impact and ensure your study placement can go ahead.
While we can’t guarantee that all our existing Erasmus+ partners will continue to host Birmingham students, we are working to secure places for our students at partner universities, with extra consideration for degrees that have a compulsory study abroad requirement. When placements are no longer possible, we will work to provide alternative opportunities.
If you are planning to work in the EU, the terms and conditions of employment may change following Brexit. These may vary depending on the country the work placement is in. Please check UK Government country-specific guidance for further information.
In the event of a no-deal Brexit, there may be changes to how you access and pay for healthcare in your host country which you should prepare for. However, University of Birmingham students travelling as part of their course are covered by the University of Birmingham travel insurance policy. For the latest information on healthcare abroad and European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) please read the NHS advice.
You can also find detailed Government ‘living in country’ guides, including updates on residence, heath and benefits, with specific advice for those in affected countries as the UK leaves the EU.
If you are planning to Study at the University of Birmingham on an Erasmus+ study placement in 2019/20
If a deal is agreed
There should be no change to your placement and you should continue to receive the Erasmus+ grant from your home country as per your 2019/20 grant agreement.
If we leave the EU without a deal
The University of Birmingham will continue to welcome and fully support our European exchange students following Brexit and you will be able to complete your semester or year of exchange at Birmingham on a fee-waiver basis. Erasmus+ funding for the 2019/20 academic year should not be affected if your exchange placement has already started at the time the UK leaves the EU. If you are an EU student planning to study at the University of Birmingham for semester two (Spring 2019) you should seek advice from your home institutions about the impact on your Erasmus+ funding.
After the UK leaves the EU, for a transitional period between 31 January 2020 and 31 December 2020, EU nationals will still be able to move to the UK and study, work and access benefits and services as before Brexit. If you plan to stay in the UK after 31 December 2020 you will need to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain (ETLR). Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website.