Unless you hold a UK passport you will need immigration permission to study in the UK. RCM exchanges are normally shorter than 6 months, and students can therefore come to the UK as a Standard Visitor. Your nationality will impact whether or not you need to apply in advance for a visa, or whether you can be granted permission to enter on arrival. You can check whether you need to apply in advance for a visa here.
Students from some countries, known as "visa nationals" need to apply for a visa in advance.
Students who are nationals of the majority of the countries where our partner institutions are located (e.g. EU/EEA countries, USA, Japan, Australia) do not need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travel, but must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for the UK before travelling.
Our International team are available to provide advice and support regarding visa and immigration matters.
Find out more about Standard Visitor immigration permission.