What to do before you arrive in the UK

Read our guidance for preparing for your journey to the UK and information about what to expect when you arrive. We’ll also be sharing top tips for supporting a healthy body and mind during this slightly more unusual start to your year in the UK!

For all scholars

To read before leaving your home country:

• The UK is operating a traffic light system for international travel. Find out if the country that you are travelling from is on the UK’s red, amber or green list so that you can prepare for your arrival process and read the rules that you will need to follow.
  • The green, amber and red lists are reviewed every three weeks and can change at short notice. Please check the lists regularly and do not assume that a country will remain on the same list over the weeks and months ahead. If you are travelling to study in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, read travel advice for Scotland, travel advice for Wales or travel advice for Northern Ireland. This will ensure that you are following the most up-to-date guidance.
  • We’ve outlined the steps that red, green and amber arrivals need to take below.
• Read the government guidelines on considerations for international students arriving in the UK to avoid any disruptions to your plans.

To do before leaving your home country:

• Book your flights to the UK and travel test package through Diversity Travel (please see email from your programme officer about booking flights to the UK).
  • Diversity Travel will pay for costs associated with Covid-19 testing or hotel quarantine that you might need, as well as flights to the UK.
• Take a Covid-19 test and get a negative result within three days of your departure. Find out more about pre-departure Covid-19 tests here.
• Check when you can move into your accommodation. Make sure you have somewhere to stay on your first night, and for your first 10 days, in case you need to self-isolate in your accommodation on arrival.
• Fill in a passenger locator form online before you arrive in the UK. This form provides details of where you will be staying (or quarantining) when you arrive.

For scholars travelling from a red-list country:

• Be aware of the red-list travel rules.
• Be prepared for your stay in a quarantine hotel by reading government guidelines on what to expect.
• Make sure that you have packed anything that you will need, such as essential medicines.
• Read about a Chevening Fellow’s experience of a quarantine hotel.

For scholars travelling from an amber-list country

• Be aware of the amber-list travel rules.
• If you will be living in university accommodation, find out what provisions they have in place for students who will need to quarantine in their accommodation on arrival. This information should be available on their website and may also have been sent to you via email.
• Read about a Chevening Scholar’s experience of quarantine in their university accommodation.
• If you will be moving into privately-rented accommodation, inform your landlord that you will be quarantining on arrival to make sure that they are aware of.

For scholars arriving from green-list countries:

• Be aware of the green-list travel rules.