Research placements

• Students should be enrolled in studies leading to a recognised degree or other recognised tertiary level qualification, such as a bachelor or master, at a higher education institution overseas for the duration of their research placement. We can also host recent graduates doing an Erasmus+ traineeship in the 12 months after their their graduation.
• Your research placement must be relevant to your degree-related learning and personal development needs and, wherever possible, be integrated in your study programme
• Research placements should be full-time
• Students need to fulfil the selection criteria defined by their higher education institution, which may include academic performance, previous mobility experience, motivation, etc.
• There is no age limit or nationality restriction.
• Research placements are open to people with special needs and disabilities, and the University aims to promote equity and inclusion for these learners.
• Students must have a suitable level of English for the research they will be undertaking and to cope with day-to-day life in the UK, ideally at minimum CEFR B2 level.

Visiting researchers do not pay tuition fees to Surrey but you may need to pay a small fee to your home institution whilst you are on your placement. 

For students doing a placement in a scientific laboratory, bench fees may be payable but this is at the discretion of the academic department concerned. There may also be some costs associated with undertaking training or attendance at conferences. Your Surrey supervisor should agree any costs with you and your home institution in advance of your placement.

You will need to cover any visa and visa sponsorship fees (if relevant), as well as your travel, accommodation and other living costs.

The UK government estimates that students living outside London need around GB£1,136 a month to cover living costs and accommodation. Student accommodation at Surrey costs £85-289 per week.

Surrey does not unfortunately have any bursaries to offer visiting researchers and does not generally pay or provide payment in kind to trainees/interns. You should therefore explore potential sources of traineeship/internship funding through your home institution's international/study abroad/Erasmus office.

Erasmus+ traineeship grant 

Erasmus+ traineeships offer students at higher education institutions the opportunity to do an EU-funded period of training, research or a work placement at a higher education institution or company in another Erasmus+ programme or partner country. If you are studying in the EU or EEA and your home institution has an Erasmus charter, you may be able to apply to them for Erasmus+ traineeship funding towards your travel and living costs for a period in another Erasmus+ programme or partner country.

Students can do an Erasmus+-funded traineeship abroad for a period of 2-12 months per study cycle (bachelor's/master's/doctorate) and can receive both an Erasmus+ study grant (for doing taught courses) and an Erasmus+ traineeship grant for a combined total of 12 months per study cycle (bachelor/master/doctoral).

The University of Surrey hosts Erasmus+ trainees both from student exchange partner and non-partner higher education institutions.

To be eligible:

• Students must be registered at a higher education institution that has been awarded the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) and is in one of the Erasmus+ Programme Countries (EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Non-EU: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey) or in their Overseas Countries and Territories.
• Students who are finishing their studies at a higher education institution may apply (while still enrolled) for Erasmus+ traineeship funding as a recent graduate, as long as the traineeship will be completed within 12 months of their graduation.

For further information, see the European Commission's Erasmus+ Traineeships information and frequently asked questions about Erasmus+

• For a placement that is an integral part of your curriculum, the sending institution must give full academic recognition for the period spent abroad, by awarding ECTS credits or the equivalent. Recognition will be based on the internship agreement/research placement agreement/Erasmus traineeship agreement approved by all parties before the period of mobility.
• If the research placement is not part of your curriculum, the sending institution will provide recognition by recording this period in your Diploma Supplement or Europass Mobility Document, or your Surrey supervisor will provide a research placement completion letter or a traineeship certificate (Table D of the Erasmus learning agreement).

Interested students should enquire about funding and apply to the international/Erasmus office of their sending higher education institution. The office will provide information about their funding application and selection process, the documents you need to prepare, which countries and institutions you can go to, how and when to apply for the grant, when you would receive it, and the requirements and responsibilities of your period abroad. This process can take a few months so be sure to make enquiries well in advance of your placement.

Non-native English speakers will need to show you have a suitable level of English to enable you to carry out your research successfully and to cope in an English-speaking environment.

Stays of more than 6 months

Students doing placements of over 6 months will need to submit one of the University’s accepted English language qualifications with your research placement application so that we can email you a sponsorship number for your Student visa application.

Our English language requirements for research placements of over 6 months are:

• in the Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (FEPS): a minimum of IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each of the components (reading, writing, listening and speaking), or an equivalent qualification from the University’s accepted English language qualifications.
• in the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS) and the Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences (FHMS): a minimum of IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, with 6.0 in Writing and 5.5 in each of the components (reading, listening and speaking), or an equivalent qualification from the University’s accepted English language qualifications.

Stays of 6 months or less

Students doing placements of 6 months or less and entering the UK as a Visitor (no work allowed outside your research placement) will need to submit evidence of your English language proficiency. We require your English to be at CEFR level B2, or ideally C1.

Evidence we can accept includes:

• a letter from your home institution confirming that your English language level is sufficient for a placement and at least at CEFR B2 level.
• one of the University’s accepted English language qualifications at IELTS Academic 6.5 for FASS or FHMS and 6.0 for FEPS (see section above)
• another recent English language qualification or English exam result
• a formal CEFR assessment by your home institution's languages department.

English language testing

Your English language will not be tested by Surrey, though your Surrey supervisor may arrange an online chat to discuss potential research options and that will be an opportunity for them to check that you can communicate with each other effectively in English.

Linguistic support

Students who are awarded an Erasmus grant may be invited by your home institution to undertake an Erasmus+ Online Linguistic Support assessment test (OLS) to make sure you meet the recommended level at Surrey and to identify any linguistic support needed. The results of this test will not prevent Erasmus students from undertaking the traineeship and we will not see the results, but your sending institution may grant you access to a free online English language course before and during your stay abroad in order to improve your language competency for your mobility abroad. Erasmus students will be asked to take a final OLS English language assessment on your return home to measure your progress.

Visiting researchers may be able to attend up to three of the University’s free English Language Support Programme (ELSP) courses if you start your placement at the start of the first or second semester (early October/early February) and there is space in the class. Our courses - which include grammar, pronunciation, presentation skills, dissertation writing, etc. - typically last 4 or 9 weeks and consist of a weekly 1- or 2-hour class. There are no exams but you can download an attendance certificate at the end.

You can also learn and practise your English through our Language and Culture Exchange Scheme (LACES), through which you meet up for a chat in a coffee shop with an English native speaker who wants to practise speaking your language.

It may also be possible for you to use the English language resources and language laboratory in our language study area within the School of Languages.

British and Irish passport-holders do not need a visa to study and/or work in the UK. For others, whether you need a visa will depend on:

1. Your nationality: visa national passport-holders need a visa to enter the UK; non-visa nationals (e.g. EU/EEA passport-holders) do not generally require a visa for stays of 6 months or less. 

2. Your length of stay: will your placement be for 2-6 months or for 6-12 months?

3. The purpose of your stay: Whether you will be doing a research/research training placement or an Erasmus-funded work placement. Students doing a:

• research placement or research training placement related to your degree course overseas are considered by the UK government and the University of Surrey to be 'studying' rather than 'working'. The government defines a researcher as: 'an individual conducting an investigation into a problem or situation, where the intention is to identify facts and/or opinions that will assist in solving the problem or tackling the situation. A researcher may be working independently or as part of a team'.
• work placement (paid or unpaid but not research) are considered to be doing work and must apply for a temporary work visa - the University of Surrey can only sponsor (support) visa applications for students whose home institution has awarded you Erasmus+ traineeship funding for your work placement.

UK visa requirements

* ETA or Electronic Travel Authorisation. 

** You can check which supporting documents you need to carry in your hand luggage by entering: your nationality, 'Study' and '6 months or less' in the gov.uk visa checker. They should include: 

• your invitation letter/acceptance form from Surrey
• Surrey learning agreement / Erasmus+learning agreement / Convention de Stage (France)
• evidence of your UK accommodation address.

*** Students applying for a Student visa must be able to provide one of the University of Surrey's accepted English language qualifications at an appropriate level for the equivalent of your degree course at Surrey (undergraduate courses / postgraduate courses) so we can sponsor your visa application.

**** Before applying for a Government Authorised Exchange visa - Temporary Work, you will need to:

1. Check with your Surrey supervisor whether you need to apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate - depending on the subject area of your degree course and your nationality, postgraduate researchers may need to apply for an to carry out research in certain sensitive subjects. The processing time is around 30 working days, so you should apply to Surrey 4 months before your placement start date.

2. Make sure you have a fully completed and signed Erasmus+ learning agreement and an acceptance letter from your Surrey host, and your university transcript of records in English or a stamped and certified translation.

3. Apply to your home institution and be awarded Erasmus+ traineeship funding for your placement.

Once you have received an email from the University of Surrey's HR department with your CoS reference number, you can apply online for the Government Authorised Exchange visa. This can take 3-4 weeks.

You will need to find a placement opportunity and a Surrey supervisor before you can be awarded an Erasmus traineeship or other grant by your home institution. The University of Surrey does not keep a list of placement opportunities in each department, so you will need to find a suitable opportunity yourself by checking out the research and teaching currently being undertaken by each department and emailing appropriate academic staff directly.

The best way to identify academics working in your field/s of interest and to find out their contact details is to visit the ‘Research’ and ‘People’ pages on the relevant Surrey academic department webpages.

Students interested in a research traineeship in the School of Veterinary Medicine should email: vsmreception@surrey.ac.uk.

You may email staff at any time of year, but we recommend doing so at least 3 months before your proposed research placement, particularly if you are coming for more than 6 months, to allow time to get your visa (if relevant), and, if relevant, an ATAS Certificate to study in a sensitive subject area at postgraduate level (see ATAS Certificate section below).

When you email academic staff at Surrey, please provide:

• Your preferred mobility period / approximate dates
• Your official university transcript of records (in English or a certified English translation)
• Your CV and your particular research interest/s
• Evidence of your English language proficiency (see Eligibility section above)

Potential supervisors may wish to arrange an online interview to assess your suitability and discuss project options.

We have specific nursing exchange agreements with partner institutions overseas through which we place their Erasmus-funded students at local hospitals to do clinical placements under a Government Authorised Exchange visa (temporary work.

We are not able to arrange clinical placements for students outside of these agreements.

Our School of Veterinary Medicine does not have a companion animal clinic so our students carry out their practical training at private veterinary practices, and we are not able to arrange work placements or traineeships at these for students from other institutions.

Once you have found a supervisor and agreed the details of your research placement:

1. INVITATION LETTER - Your Surrey supervisor will send you an invitation letter or, if preferred, complete your home institution's acceptance form. You can use this to support your application for one of your home institution's Erasmus traineeship grants or another grant or scholarship. You should also carry it in your hand luggage as one of your supporting documents when you travel to the UK. Your supervisor will not sign general letters of intent or set up inter-institutional agreements to host trainees from your home institution on an ongoing basis.

    

2. INTERNSHIP AGREEMENT/LEARNING AGREEMENT - You, your home institution and your Surrey supervisor must also complete either Surrey's learning agreement for research placements or your home institution's own internship agreement (for students in France this is the Convention de Stage). Students applying for an Erasmus+ grant will also need their home institution's Erasmus+ learning agreement for traineeships to be completed by all three parties. These are effectively the study contract between you, your home institution and your department at the University of Surrey. Your home institution should provide you with their internship agreement and, if appropriate, their Erasmus+ learning agreement. Alternatively, Surrey's International Engagement Office can provide you with our Learning Agreement for Research Placements form on request (ieo.incoming@surrey.ac.uk).

The internship agreement or learning agreement should outline:

• The practical details such as the main contact details, the hours of work, and the start and end dates, the student's English language level
• The aims and nature of the work or research and the learning outcomes or skills to be acquired
• How the internship/traineeship will be recognised by the home institution (credits, an entry in a document, etc)
• Details of any pay or payment in kind from the host institution
• Who is providing the accident, public/civil liability, travel and health insurance cover.

The process for completing internship agreements/learning agreements is as follows:

1. The student, with help from their home institution, completes their personal details, contact details, academic recognition, insurance cover and any other sections relating to them and their sending institution.

2. They email the semi-completed agreement to their Surrey supervisor to complete the host/receiving institution sections with their contact details, details of the proposed research project (title, working hours, activities, outcomes/skills to be acquired, monitoring plan, evaluation plan), details of any payments/payments in kind and any insurance cover (we do not generally provide these).

2. Each of the three parties signs and dates the agreement in the signature section and a fully signed pdf copy is emailed to all three parties.

3. The student completes Surrey's research placement application form and uploads their supporting documents, including a fully signed pdf copy of their internship agreement and/or learning agreement.

4. After the student’s arrival at Surrey, if any changes need to be made to the details or terms of the Erasmus+ learning agreement (if relevant), the parties must complete and sign the ‘During the Mobility’/’Changes to learning agreement’ section and email an updated pdf copy to each party. The student uploads a revised and fully signed pdf copy to their placement application.

5. At the end of the visiting researcher/trainee’s stay, their Surrey supervisor should provide a letter on headed paper or, in the case of Erasmus trainees, complete the final section of the learning agreement (Table D) to confirm the outcomes and that the research placement has been completed satisfactorily. A pdf copy should be sent to the student and the home institution contact.

Your home institution should ensure that you are covered adequately for liability to third parties as a result of your own negligent acts or omissions, and by personal accident and health insurance for the duration of your placement.

Surrey will maintain public liability and any other appropriate insurance cover (including professional indemnity insurance) in respect of the Trainee, to cover Surrey’s liability, including for the Trainee’s negligent acts and/or omissions whilst under the direct supervision of Surrey during the Placement.

The courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim.

The University does not provide travel insurance or medical or healthcare cover for visiting staff or students.

Before you travel to the UK, you will need:

• if required by your home institution, a letter of invitation/acceptance, signed by your Surrey supervisor
• a fully signed copy of your learning agreement/internship agreement/Convention de Stage
• if relevant, to obtain a visa or, if not relevant, a visa support letter/formal acceptance letter from Surrey's International Engagement Office (ieo.incoming@surrey.ac.uk)
• if relevant, an ATAS certificate
• if you have been awarded an Erasmus grant, your sending institution should provide you with:
  • a grant agreement covering the mobility period, stating your grant rate (the monthly amount of money you will receive), and signed between you and your sending institution.
  • the Erasmus+ Student Charter which sets out your rights and obligations with respect to your period of research abroad.
• your/your parents’ bank statements or a letter from your/your parents bank as evidence that you can support yourself financially for the duration of your stay (together with any traineeship grant you have been awarded)
• a formal document with the address where you will be living in the UK (a rental contract or university accommodation confirmation email)
• evidence of your home address
• a copy of your liability insurance, accident insurance, travel and health insurance, and if you are from the EU, your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)
• a printed or downloaded Confirmation of Pre-Registration form from your initial online registration with the University of Surrey (see the link to this form on Surrey's Welcome website international pre-departure checklist (you will need to complete your registration in person after your arrival).
• confirmation that you have activated your Surrey IT/email account (see the link to the IT account activation form on international pre-departure checklist).

Once you and your Surrey supervisor have finalised and signed your internship agreement/learning agreement/convention de stage, please complete our incoming research placement application form.

You will need to register your email address and a password of your choice in order to access the application form and save and return to it as many times as you need to.

You will be required to upload to your application the following documents in pdf format before submitting it:

• your fully signed internship agreement/learning agreement/convention de stage
• a copy of your passport photo page (the passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the placement end date).
• your university transcript of records (in English or a certified translation)
• any previous degree certificates (bachelor's)
• evidence that you meet our English language requirements (school English exam certificate/formal English test certificate/letter from your home institution confirming your CEFR level)

You should receive an email confirmation after submitting your application. If you need to upload any further documents after submitting your application (e.g. copy of new passport photo page, English language evidence, degree certificate, etc), please email ieo.incoming@surrey.ac.uk so that we can set your application to 'In Progress' again.

If you require a Student visa or a Standard Visitor visa, carefully read the visa details and requirements (our Apply for a Visa page also gives useful guidance on the supporting documents you need to provide as part of your visa application or carry with you when you travel to the UK if you don't need a visa).

Stays of 6 months or less - Standard Visitor visa or entry as a Visitor without a visa

Visa nationals must apply online and obtain a Standard Visitor visa before travelling to the UK. You can apply up to 3 months before your placement. You will need to wait for a visa support letter from the University's International Engagement Office. Once you have received this, complete the online Standard Visitor visa application, pay your visa fee (GB£115), and, if required, fix an appointment at your nearest visa application centre in your country to provide your fingerprints, photo and supporting documents. You should receive your digital visa within 3 weeks. Your visa states the earliest date you can enter the UK (usually 7 days before your placement start date). When you arrive in the UK, you must queue at passport control to see a border force officer and show your digital visa. You should follow instructions in your visa decision email about how to prove your immigration status with your digital visa.

EU, EEA, Swiss and other non-visa nationals can come to Surrey as a Visitor without a visa. Instead, you will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) at least a week before you travel to the UK. You should carry your formal acceptance letter from the International Engagement Office and the other supporting documents required for the Standard Visitor visa in your hand luggage each time you travel to the UK during your placement to show at UK border control. Nationals of the countries listed on this page may use the faster automatic e-passport gates at UK border control, rather than queueing to see a border force officer. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals should keep your boarding pass or travel confirmation email as proof of your date of entry to the UK to show when you complete your university registration on your first day at the University.

Stays of more than 6 months - Student visa

You must apply online and obtain a Student visa before travelling to the UK. Students applying for a Student visa will need to wait for an email with your CAS number from our CAS team before you can apply for your visa. You can apply for your visa up to 6 months before your placement.

To apply, complete the online visa application, pay your visa fee (currently GB£490), and fix an appointment at your nearest visa application centre in your country if required. EU, EEA and Swiss students do not need to attend a visa appointment but will be required to upload a passport-type photo to the UK Immigration: ID Check app.

You will also need to pay the immigration healthcare surcharge as part of your visa application. This entitles you to free National Health Service (NHS) hospital and doctor's appointments, and necessary treatment and initial emergency medical cover. However, you will also need to purchase travel insurance with some additional health insurance to cover any repatriation, medical prescription costs, eye tests, glasses and dentistry. Some sending institutions provide some insurance so check with them first. Check here whether you need to pay the health surcharge and how much.

Applicants who are required to attend a visa appointment will need to provide your supporting documents, fingerprints and photo at the appointment. The visa processing time is around 3 weeks after your visa appointment (if you are required to have one). After this you will receive a digital visa. Please check that the dates of your stay are correct. You should be able to arrive in the UK up to 30 days before your study start date.

You should follow instructions in your visa decision email about how to prove your immigration status with your digital visa.

Government Authorised Exchange (temporary work) visa

Once your Erasmus+ Learning Agreement for Traineeships has been finalised, you have received an invitation/acceptance letter from your Surrey supervisor and you have checked whether you need an ATAS certificate, you will be contacted by our Human Resources department. They will ask you for a few more details so they can provide you with a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number (current fee GB£25) for your Government Authorised Exchange (temporary work) visa (GAE visa). 

Once you have received an email with your CoS reference number, you must apply online for your GAE visa within 3 months, entering the CoS number on your visa application form and paying the visa fee.

You can apply for your Government Authorised Exchange visa (temporary work) up to 3 months before your work placement start date. The processing time is around 3 weeks (the busiest time is March-September), so you will need to allow plenty of time and set a realistic start date for your placement. Visa fee: currently GB£298.

You will need to provide some supporting documents as part of your application, and students from some countries will need to book an appointment at their nearest visa application centre to have their fingerprints and photo taken. Within a few weeks you should receive a digital visa. You should follow instructions in your visa decision email about how to prove your immigration status with your digital visa.

Students from some countries, doing traineeships of more than 6 months, will also need to pay an immigration healthcare surcharge as part of their visa application. This provides National Health Service healthcare on the same basis as for a UK resident. You will still need to purchase travel insurance with some additional health cover (some sending institutions provide this). To check whether you need to pay the healthcare surcharge and how much, see: Calculate your immigration health surcharge 

The acceptance/invitation letter from your Surrey host department should include the following:

• must be on letter headed paper with an official stamp, signed and dated by the appropriate signatory (the Surrey supervisor or head of department).
• must contain the placement title, exactly as written on the internship agreement/learning agreement
• must contain details of the tasks the participant will undertake and knowledge/skills to be acquired during the placement, as indicated on the internship agreement/learning agreement.
• must contain the start and end dates of the placement, and total hours per week.
• must confirm that the placement is supernumerary (not part of normal staffing requirements and not filling a job vacancy) and that the student is expected to return to their home institution/leave the UK at the end of their placement.

The University of Surrey does not provide travel, health or medical insurance for incoming research placement students.

Stays for 6 months or less

Trainees staying for 6 months or less may book an appointment to see a doctor or nurse as a temporary patient if you need treatment at any point during your stay. There will normally be an appointment charge which you may be able to reclaim in your country if you have a European Health Insurance Card, on presentation of any receipts. EU/EEA and Swiss students should apply in your country for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before you come to Surrey - for details of the EHIC and to apply in your country, see here. Even with an EHIC, for stays of 6 months or less, you will need to take out travel insurance with some health cover before coming to Surrey as the EHIC doesn't cover everything. Medical prescriptions in the UK cost around GB£9.50 per item.

Stays of more than 6 months

Most trainees applying for a Student visa to stay over 6 months will be required to pay an immigration healthcare surcharge with your visa application. This covers essential and emergency medical treatment in public National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, clinics or GPs (doctors surgeries). Check here how much you need to pay for the healthcare surcharge, if anything. The healthcare surcharge does not provide comprehensive health cover (e.g. it does not include prescriptions, dental care, sight tests or glasses). You should therefore take out some additional health cover with your travel insurance before coming to Surrey, unless these are provided by your sending institution. Medical prescriptions in the UK cost around GB£9.50 per item. Trainees who have paid the healthcare surcharge should register online at the nearest GP to your accommodation.

Pre-existing medical conditions

If you have an ongoing medical condition that requires treatment, you will need to purchase appropriate medical insurance, arrange to see your doctor before your come to Surrey and ensure you bring your medical documentation (in English) and at least a month's supply of any medicine you need. We recommend you fix an appointment with your nearest doctors' surgery (also called a 'GP') in Guildford in your first week at Surrey.

Some healthcare is provided for free for everyone on the UK's National Health Service (NHS) - this includes initial emergency hospital treatment (but not ongoing treatment or repatriation), family planning, and treatment for sexually transmitted and some highly contagious diseases (including initial treatment for Covid-19).

Healthcare facilities

The University has a health centre (Guildowns) on campus and there are several local doctors' surgeries ('GPs') near the main campus where students can book an initial phone appointment with a doctor online. Where necessary, this will be followed by a face-to-face appointment. It is important therefore that you purchase a UK SIM card when you arrive so that you have a UK telephone number, as GPs are not able to ring international numbers.

We also have a Centre for Wellbeing next to the University health centre, which has trained counsellors who can support students with emotional issues such as homesickness or bereavement, as well as mental health conditions through one-to-one appointments, drop-ins and group sessions. They also provide a family planning service.

The Royal Surrey County Hospital, just up the road from the main campus, is the main hospital for the area and has an Accident & Emergency service open 24/7.

Students doing a placement at Surrey relevant to their overseas degree for up to 12 months are considered to be studying in the UK, rather than working, and as such, will be registered on Surrey's student records system, will have a student number and student id card (student campus card), and you will have automatic membership of the University of Surrey Students' Union. You will be eligible to apply for university student accommodation, although it is not guaranteed. You will also continue to have student status at your sending institution.

Recent graduates doing a work placement at Surrey will be considered to be working, rather than studying. Your academic department will register you with the faculty’s Human Resources team rather than on the Surrey student records system. You will therefore have a temporary staff campus card but you will not have a student number, nor Students’ Union membership. You will be eligible to apply for staff accommodation, although availability is limited and it is not guaranteed.

University Accommodation

Students are eligible to apply for university student accommodation and recent graduates for staff accommodation, although neither is guaranteed. We have a range of price bands to suit different budgets.

University accommodation can normally only be rented for the whole semester and is typically full during teaching periods. We would therefore encourage placement students to come, if possible, during the summer break (mid-June – end August) when there is availability. University rooms for the summer break can be booked from late April. University rooms must be vacated by early September, when the residences are closed for cleaning, so if you need to stay longer, you will probably need to move to a local guest house or bed & breakfast for the last part of your stay. 

Our university accommodation is very reasonably priced and is in groups of small housing blocks or houses called 'residences', containing flats for 4-10 people, each with a shared kitchen and either shared bathrooms or private ensuite bathrooms. For our range of accommodation, see here.

We have different price bands to suit different budgets. For prices and payment options, see here. 

Our accommodation is on two sites in the lively, historic market town of Guildford in southeast England:

• The main Stag Hill campus, where most academic buildings and the university library are located, 10 minutes' walk from the centre of Guildford and from Tesco superstore - it offers budget accommodation through to more expensive ensuite rooms.
• Manor Park residential village, 20 minutes' walk/5 minutes by bus (Stagecoach No. 1 bus timetable) from the main campus, and 5 minutes' walk from the Surrey Sports Park and Tesco superstore.

Private Rentals

Most trainees, particularly those coming outside the normal semester dates, will need to look for either:

• lodgings in a property with a resident landlord (this can be for a short period by agreement with the landlord)
• a room in a student or private house share or a flat rental (6- or 12-month contracts)

For advice on renting in the private sector and a list of local letting agents and private student accommodation, see our privately rented accommodation webpage. 

Students

As soon as we have emailed you your Surrey student number, please visit the International Pre-Departure Checklist on our Welcome website. Before your arrival at Surrey, please:

• complete the initial online Pre-Registration form, accept the Terms & Conditions, upload your photo (if this facility is available) and then print off or download to your mobile phone the Confirmation of Pre-Registration document.
• after 24 hours, follow the link in the checklist to activate your Surrey IT/email account.

Recent graduates

You must complete our Miscellaneous Application form to get an IT/email account set up as a visitor to the University.

Your Surrey supervisor will give you a full introduction at the start of your traineeship to your academic department and the facilities you will be using. Make sure you email your supervisor in good time to agree your start date and get an induction programme for your first few days at the University.

We recommend you build in an hour in your first day or two for a more general half-hour orientation by the International Engagement Office - email us on ieo.incoming@surrey.ac.uk to book a suitable time.

We also recommend you book yourself onto one of our free campus tours to familiarise yourself with our wider facilities and the layout of the campus - these tend to be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-2.30pm - or watch our virtual campus tour.

Students with a Temporary Worker visa must collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within 10 days of the date you said you would arrive at the University of Surrey. You must collect it from the central Guildford post office. Be sure to take your passport and visa.

Just before or after arriving at Surrey, trainees need to complete a Miscellaneous account request form in order to get a Surrey IT/email account and a visiting researcher campus card. The campus card gives you access to the library and its resources, as well as to certain academic buildings. The form will need to be signed by a senior member of staff from your Surrey department, then emailed to usersupport@surrey.ac.uk or taken to the IT Helpdesk at the 1st floor entrance to the Library.

IT Services will create an IT account for you which will migrate through to the Library management system. Once you have received email confirmation of your membership number from IT Services, you should visit the Library to have your photo taken and a campus card issued.

Depending on your mobility dates and availability of places, you may be able to access one or two of the University of Surrey's free English Language Support Programme classes. These tend to be delivered towards the start of each semester (early October/early February) and last between 4-9 weeks. If you are arriving at the start of semester and would be interested in taking one or more of these, please contact the International Engagement Office ieo.incoming@surrey.ac.uk before or just after your arrival.

NB. Due to the Covid-19 situation all English language classes are currently online.

The University’s International Engagement Office (IEO) organises a number of social and cultural activities for our group of incoming Erasmus+ Study, International Exchange and Study Abroad students during both semesters (e.g. visits to historic properties and towns, bowling, ice-skating, quiz night, etc). Erasmus+ trainees are welcome to take part in these.

The Exchange and Study Abroad students also have a Facebook page where they arrange their own social activities, visits and trips.

If you would like to take part in the IEO-organised activities or to join the current Facebook group, just drop the International Engagement team ieo.incoming@surrey.ac.uk an email to register your interest.