EGATES AT THE AIRPORT

Students who are nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States of America may be directed to enter the UK using the electronic gates (‘eGates’) rather than speaking to a Border Force Officer.

If you are a national of one of these countries and have already applied for a visa in your home country, and this has been granted as a sticker in your passport (‘visa vignette’), you may enter the UK through the eGates. You must keep a copy of your boarding pass/flight ticket as evidence of the date that you entered the UK. You will need evidence of the date you arrived in the UK in order to enrol at Queen Mary.

If you have not applied for a visa in your home country, and are requesting Short-term Student immigration permission on entry to the UK, you MUST NOT use the e-gates, because you will need a stamp in your passport from the Border Force Officer. If you are requesting permission as a Short-term Student on entry to the UK, you must speak to a Border Force Officer, and request a Short-term Student stamp to allow you to study in the UK.

AIRPORT COLLECTION

Due to COVID-19, we are unfortunately unable to run our usual Airport Collection service from Heathrow this year. However, there are several options that you can utilise to make your own way to Mile End campus.

The three recommended options are:

• Taxi - London's black cabs can be booked in advance, hailed on the street or picked up from taxi ranks. Minicabs (ordinary cars licensed as taxis) can be booked using the information on TfL’s website or via an app such as Addison Lee. You should never use an unbooked minicab. 
• Heathrow Express and Underground: change at Paddington for Hammersmith and City Line
• London Underground: change at Holborn for Central Line

SELF-ISOLATION 

If you arriving in England from certain countries which are required by the government to self-isolate for a 14 day period under Covid-19 measures. Please see the information on the Advice and Counselling Service website including which countries are affected.

BRP COLLECTION

If your Tier 4 leave has been granted for more than six months, you'll need to collect your BRP card from your chosen Post Office within 10 days of arriving in the UK. The nearest collection location to the Mile End campus is the Whitechapel Post Office (208A Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel, London, Greater London, E1 1BJ). For students travelling from certain countries who have to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival to the UK, the Home Office has stated that when you arrive in the UK you will not be penalised for being unable to collect your biometric residence permit (BRP) while coronavirus measures are in place. Please check the Advice and Counselling Service website for up to date immigration information.

POLICE REGISTRATION

You may also need to register with the police if you are of a certain nationality (check your visa sticker in your passport, your Biometric Residence Permit or Home Office decision letter). Check the Advice and Counselling Service website for information on how to register.