Pre-arrival Guide

Accepting your offer and paying your deposit

If you receive an offer and wish to accept, you will be required to pay a deposit by a specified deadline. This deposit reserves your place on the course. Missing this deadline could mean your place on the course is offered to another applicant, so we encourage you to pay the deposit before the deadline in your offer email.

Please note 50% of your tuition fee is payable before your in-person enrolment. You will not be able to enrol unless this tuition fee has been paid.

Important: Please make sure that your full name and Student Reference (which begins with OC) is quoted in the payment reference so that we can identify the payment and match it with your application.

If you believe that your payment is likely to be late, or if you are having difficulty paying, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Student Finance team as soon as you can. (Please provide as much detail as you can, including your full name and your Student Reference number - found in your offer letter.)

Payment

Accommodation

Organise your accommodation.

You may prefer to organise private accommodation yourself in or near London.

If you need help in finding housing, our accommodations team will help you find a safe, comfortable and affordable environment so that you are housed with other students. Raleigh House, London offers single occupancy rooms and ensuite rooms. For accommodation enquiries, please email livein@london.aston.ac.uk.

Accomodation

Visa and entry clearance

We aim to have CASs issued within 5 working days after you have received your 'Next steps' email, which will be issued to you once you have received an unconditional offer and have paid your deposit or provided your financial guarantee letter.

If you have any questions specifically related to your Student Visa or your CAS, please visit our visa webpage or contact us, and our expert visa team will be able to help you.

Once your CAS has been issued, please send your travel details and a copy of your visa to our London Admissions team.

Please make sure to include your full name and reference number (which begins with OC) in the subject line of any email you send.

If you experience any delays with your visa application, contact our London Admissions team as soon as possible with the details of your visa submission and expected timelines.

What to pack / what not to pack

What to pack

1. Passport and visa
   
   Don’t forget these; otherwise, you won’t even be able to get into the UK! Also, pack copies of your CAS (visa holders) and your financial evidence in case you need to show these at the border. If you are not a UK passport holder, please bring your visa too.
    
2. Clothing
   
   The weather in London can be unpredictable, even in summer! Bring some layers of lightweight clothing, as days can start off cool and get warmer, and make sure to include a waterproof jacket. The style is generally casual but bring some smart clothes or your country’s traditional dress for more formal events.
    
3. Laptop and electrical appliances
   
   The standard electricity supply in the UK is 230V, and the standard outlet is a 3 pin plug. If you are bringing your laptop and other electrical items to the UK, make sure to pack some adaptor plugs too. Electrical appliances are relatively cheap in the UK, so don’t worry if you don’t have enough room in your bag.
    
4. Medical/optical prescriptions
   
   If you’re receiving medical care, speak to your doctor before you leave home to get information to pass onto your new doctor in the UK. If you wear glasses, bring a copy of your prescription in case you need to get new glasses or contact lenses while you are here.
    
5. Items from home
   
   Pack some photos and things that will brighten up your room and remind you of home. Make sure to bring a camera so that you can add photos of all your new friends and experiences!

What not to pack

1. Your entire wardrobe
   
   The UK has a temperate climate. While you can bring lightweight summer and winter wear, you can easily buy windproof jackets in the UK that are cheap and offer superior quality.
   
   Since our campus is in London city centre, there is a huge range of clothing shops available to suit every budget.

2. Kitchen equipment
   
   This will take up lots of space in your luggage and is cheap to buy here – you can even buy items like rice cookers.
    
3. Food
   
   The local markets in London sell many different foods from around the world, so you’re sure to find some home comforts. You can also find specialist ingredients and groceries in the world foods section of most big stores.
    
4. Restricted/ Prohibited items
   
   You can bring limited amounts of some items like alcohol and cigarettes to the UK. Other items such as fresh food are completely prohibited. Please make sure you do not bring any prohibited items with you.

Support before you leave

Our dedicated country teams are on hand to help and support you with your journey to Aston. Please email us.

Step 1 - Online Enrolment

You will need to complete your pre-enrolment online before arriving at the University. You will be contacted by email with a university username and password, and instructions about how to do this

Enrolment week and course start dates

We are excited to welcome you to Aston University London. This is an important stage in your journey, giving you the opportunity to complete your enrolment, prepare for your studies, and start getting to know your new environment.

Note: Friday, 5th June is the last enrolment day.

Enrolment Checklist 

Before arriving on campus, make sure you have completed the following: 

• Completed your online enrolment  
• Paid the required tuition fee  
• Checked your emails for important updates  

When you visit campus for in-person enrolment, please bring: 

•  Passport 
•  Your eVisa share code  
•  Original copies of all academic qualifications   
•  Original Medium of Instruction certificate (if submitted)   
•  Entry Stamp in passport or Boarding card 

Getting here

Aston University London

200 Aldersgate Street, London, EC1A 4HD

Travelling by plane

The nearest airport to our London campus is London City Airport (LCY), located just 6.4 miles away. Other nearby airports include:

• London Heathrow (LHR) – 15.8 miles
• London Gatwick (LGW) – 25.3 miles
• London Luton (LTN) – 27.8 miles
• London Stansted (STN) – 30 miles

Luggage Notice:

Please note that we do not have any holding capacity for luggage on campus. You are advised to leave your belongings at your accommodation when you visit us for enrolment.

Travelling by public transport

• By bus
  If you're planning on travelling by bus, timetable information is available from Travel West Midlands
  
  Numerous buses stop at Aston University
   
• By coach
  If you're planning on travelling by coach, timetable information is available from National Express
   
• By train or underground
  For train services, visit National Rail.

Our campus is centrally located and within walking distance from several underground stations:

• Farringdon East - 3 minutes
• St Paul's - 3 minutes
• Barbican - 3 minutes
• Farringdon - 6 minutes
• Moorgate - 11 minutes

To plan your journey, visit Transport for London, a useful resource for live travel updates and route planning.

E Visa - View and prove service

You can prove your Immigration status to the University, as this will be required for Right to Study checks during enrolment. Further details about the View and Prove service are available here.

We will need to be provided with a Share Code, for the University to check/ re-verify your immigration status. Kindly provide the Visa Compliance Team at Aston a Share Code. Please see below instructions on how to generate a Share Code.

Step 1 : Click here

Step 2: Log in with the ID used to get your Visa.

Step 3: Once logged in, select the reason for Share Code as “Other/Something else”. This is for use to check your immigration status for education purposes.

Step 4: Click the option for "Generate Share Code" or "View/Share Your Immigration Status."

Step 5: Click on the appropriate link or button to proceed with generating your Share code.

Step 6: Bring this share code with you on the day of enrolment. Pleas also bring your passport and previous qualifications.

Secure a local SIM card

SIM operators such as Lebara and GiffGaff offer local calling, SMS, international calling, and mobile data bundles packages at a low price. You can top them up from any convenience store or online.

Register with a GP (Doctor)

It is essential to register with a GP nearest to your accommodation. To register with a GP, you will need to visit your local doctor’s surgery, clinic or medical centre during consulting hours with your passport, letter from university, visa documents and residence proof. You will receive an NHS (national Health Service) number once you are registered. View student guide to the NHS.

Open a bank account

International students can open a bank account online or in a UK branch. It's usually easiest to apply online in the UK but visit a branch if you need help. You can also apply online from several locations abroad before you arrive in the UK.

In most cases, you'll need some or all of the following documents to open an international student bank account:

• An in-date passport
• A valid visa
• A bank statement from your home bank, from the past three months
• Proof of address in the UK or abroad (check with your bank)
• Student ID or an acceptance letter from your university.

You can get the university letter from The Hub (Login to map>Student Support Services>Request a Confirmation of Student Service Letter) acknowledging you as a student. Don’t forget to link your new local mobile number with your bank account.

Get your National Insurance Number (NIN)

You will need this if you want to work in the UK. Since it takes time to process your National Insurance Number application, it is recommended to book an appointment as early as possible. If you are planning to work part-time, your employer might ask for your NIN.

Find information here.

TV Licence

If you plan on watching television while you are in the UK, you will need to purchase a TV licence. This will allow you to watch or record live TV, download or watch programmes on BBC iPlayer. Even if you do not watch programmes on a television but use another device (e.g. a laptop or tablet), you will still need to purchase a TV licence. This also applies to any online TV service you use, such as Now TV, Apple TV, YouTube and Amazon Instant Video.

Find out more

Proof of age

You may find when buying age-restricted products such as alcohol or tobacco, going to a bar, club or to the cinema, that you are asked to provide proof of your age. Your passport, EU national identity (ID) card or your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), can all be used as proof of this.

Safety

The UK and London are generally safe places to live. There are however, a few precautions you should take as you would in most major cities. Do not display any valuables, keep purses and wallets securely hidden from view and avoid walking down dimly or unlit streets at night. If you can, walk in a group at night time.

If you do need the police or other emergency services, call 999 from any phone (including mobiles). The 999 number is for emergencies only. If you need to speak to the police in a non-emergency situation, you can dial 101 and you will be asked which police force you would like to be connected to (for Birmingham, ask for the West Midlands Police).