The New to the UK programme is a series of free events specially designed to help international students feel welcome and supported when they first join Royal Holloway. Whether you've studied in the UK before or not, we recommend that you attend New to the UK.
New to the UK January 2025
The New to the UK programme takes part from 13 January. We encourage all international students to attend the events.
Our New to the UK programme aims to help international students in 3 ways
- Give you important information that will make your transition to studying at Royal Holloway and life in the UK as smooth as possible
- Orientate you with the campus and surrounding area
- Provide opportunities to socialise and meet other students
There is no need to book your place for any of the events below. New students will be sent a timetable of events and joining instructions in early January.
Talks and information sessions
Our New to the UK programme will include informational talks delivered by subject matter experts. They'll also be plenty of time for students to ask questions after each talk.
Welcome and visa talk
Come and meet the International Advice Team and learn about the support that they offer to students.
You'll also be able to understand how to
- Register with a Doctor (GP)
- Access wellbeing services at the University
We also provide you with important information about your visa, including
- How to activate your new eVisa?
- How to complete your in-person course enrolment?
- What your responsibilities as a Student visa holder are?
- What your post-study visa options are?
Money and Working in the UK talk
Come and learn about how to make the most of your money while studying in the UK including
- Opening a UK bank account
- Getting a national insurance number
- Not paying tax in the UK
- Your working rights as an international student
- Keeping your money safe
- Student discounts and travel offers
- Support if you have money problems
Events and activities
Social Events
There will be a number of fun social events for you to join on arrival. We'll include full details in your timetable.
Open a bank account on campus
We'll be inviting several high street banks onto our Egham campus, saving you the trouble of travelling to them. They'll be on hand to answer any questions you have about the banking system in the UK and of course they can help you set-up a UK bank account.
Events at our London Graduate School
If you're studying at our campus in central London then you are very welcome to join any of the events above which will all take place on our Egham campus.
However, we will also organise a welcome event for you in central London. The date is to be decided and we will confirm details as soon as possible.
Late arrival support
We really hope that you can arrive on 12 January 2025 in order to make full use of the opportunities that the New to the UK programme has to offer. However, we also understand that international students can be subject to delays in arriving on campus through no fault of their own.
To ensure that late arrival doesn't impact your transition into life in the UK and study at Royal Holloway, our International Advice team will be
- Recording our talks and informational sessions and making them available to all students
- Available in-person at our Egham campus. No need to make an appointment, just drop-in whenever you need us. No question is too big or too small!
- Proactively contacting students who miss the University's welcome events to make sure they feel supported on arrival in the UK and that we can answer any questions you might have
