One of the areas most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic has been international travel. It’s been an especially confusing and unsure time for international students, many of whom have been reluctant to make firm plans for next year due to all the uncertainty.
One of the areas most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic has been international travel. It’s been an especially confusing and unsure time for international students (and UK students travelling abroad for study), many of whom have been reluctant to make firm plans for next year due to all the uncertainty. There are also groups of students from countries whose governments do not currently permit travel to the UK (or vice versa), who are now left wondering what to do having been advised against travelling abroad.
While the government is responsible for setting overseas/inbound travel and self-isolation rules, most educational institutions in the UK have their own specific approaches to supporting international students during these unprecedented times. The best thing to do is to keep up-to-date with the latest information from your university. Some establishments are moving to online teaching, while others are making changes to course dates to work around the situation. Visit your university’s website or speak to an administrator about where to find the latest updates relevant to you. For more general information, the UK Council for International Student Affairs has put together a large online advice guide, which answers frequently asked questions and links to other resources you may find useful.
Yes. Since 8 June, international students have been subject to ‘quarantine’ (self-isolation) rules, meaning they must stay within their accommodation for a period of 14 days upon arriving in the country, with very limited exceptions. From 10 July onwards, a list of ‘travel corridors’ has been shared. These travel corridors link the UK with countries deemed to be more safe from the threat of Covid-19. Students arriving from these destinations will not have to self-isolate, as long as they are free of symptoms before making the trip. Lots more information on the rules for international students can be found on the UK government website, along with the form you will need to fill in 48 hours ahead of travelling to the UK. Advice is updated regularly, so make sure to check back for the latest information.
If you are an international student who is - or who may be - unable to travel to the UK due to Covid-19 restrictions, support is available. You can book with confidence with Mears, thanks to the flexible options we have put together to help students in these uncertain times. If you cannot come to the UK due to travel restrictions from abroad then we will cancel your booking for you, as long as you provide proof of your travel cancellation. Student accommodation bookings cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions will not be subject to the forfeit of your booking fee, so all money will be returned to you. This is just one of the steps we are taking this year to provide students with extra support and fall-back should it be needed. Find out more on our dedicated Book With Confidence page.
Please complete all sections below