Made for international students

Start your UK student life feeling ready.

Friendly, practical help for your airport pickup, first home, bank account, travel, health and everyday student budget.

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UKyour study destination

UK-widenot only London

A group of international students arriving together at a UK university campus — Your new chapterArrive informed.
Settle with confidence.

Airport to campusYour first UK accountKnow your cityHealthcare without confusionSpend with confidenceAirport to campusYour first UK accountKnow your cityHealthcare without confusionSpend with confidence

Choose your route

Where are you in your student journey?

Pick the route that sounds most like you. We’ll bring the useful guides forward and show the popular questions that match.

01 / Before arrival

I’m coming to the UK to study.

Start with landing plans, your first home, money, mobile data and the essentials for your first UK week.

02 / Student life now

I’m already studying in the UK.

Go straight to jobs, work rights, student savings, everyday travel, broadband and building your life here.

From landing to belonging

The first weeks are easier when someone explains the little things.

StudentStart brings the useful advice into one calm place—what to prepare, where to save money, how to travel and what to do when something feels unfamiliar.

Clear stepsUK-wide adviceOfficial links

Student help centre

Tell us what you need right now.

Start with the question in your head. Every route is written for real student life, in plain English.

01 / JobsI need to find a job.

Where to look, how to apply and how to avoid fake offers.

Open the job finder ↗ 02 / Work rightsAm I allowed to work?

Student visa hours, minimum pay, payslips and restricted work.

Check my rights ↗ 03 / HealthI feel ill. What do I do?

GPs, pharmacies, NHS 111 and when an emergency means 999.

Find the right help ↗ 04 / FreebiesWhat can I get for free?

Clubcard, Nectar, student offers, free tools and genuine savings.

Open the freebie wallet ↗

01 / The actual student bit

You came for a degree. You are building a life too.

The best first term is not the busiest one. Find your people, a study rhythm, a cheap dinner and somewhere you feel comfortable being yourself.

A diverse group of university students walking and talking together on a UK campus

Find your peopleStart with one place you would happily visit twice.Open the Student Life guide ↗

University flatmates cooking an affordable dinner together in a shared student kitchen — *Shared-flat energy***A ten-minute conversation and one cheap dinner can make a house feel easier.**

Try one society.

Pick an interest, cultural group, sport or cause. Go to one taster session before deciding whether it is your thing.

Make the small invitation.

“Coffee after class?” or “Want to walk to the library?” is easier than waiting for a huge friendship moment.

Find your study spot.

Learn one quiet place, one group-work place and their opening hours before the first deadline gets loud.

Save the support contacts.

Your Students' Union, wellbeing team and course adviser are easier to use when their details are already in your phone.

First-term permission slip

You do not have to love every event, make your best friends in Freshers' Week or have everything figured out.

Build my student life ↗

02 / Your first-week checklist

Small steps for a softer landing.

Tick things off in any order. Your checklist is remembered on this device only if you allow saved preferences.

Put your documents in one place

Passport, visa status, university letter, accommodation details and travel confirmations—digital and offline.

Map the airport-to-door route

Know where you will meet your driver or which train, coach and local connection comes next.

Get connected

Choose a UK SIM or eSIM so maps, messages and verification codes work from the moment you arrive.

Choose your money setup

Compare account access, international transfers, fees and the documents each provider needs.

Register for healthcare

Find your local GP, save urgent-care numbers and understand where to go when you need help.

Make the city feel like yours

Learn one reliable route, one affordable food shop and one place where you can meet people.

03 / My StudentStart

Your progress should feel real.

This is your living arrival passport. Every completed step earns its mark, and the next useful move stays visible.

StudentStart United Kingdom

Arrival passport

Edition / 03

Destination: Not set yet
Arrival phase: Before travel
Main priority: Your essentials
Progress: 0 of 6 steps complete

01Documents 02Route 03Connect 04Money 05Health 06Belong

A LITTLE PLANNING NOW · MORE ROOM FOR STUDENT LIFE LATER

04 / Essentials

Make the unknown feel navigable.

Practical guidance, stripped of jargon and organised around the moments you will actually face.

GUIDE / 01

Money that works from day one.

Understand UK accounts, international transfers and the details worth comparing before you apply.

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GUIDE / 02

Move through the UK

Alibaba Cabs for landing day, then Lime, bikes, trains, buses and the student passes that cut everyday travel.

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GUIDE / 03

Find your student home

Know the checks, costs and questions before you sign.

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GUIDE / 04

Stay well & safe

GP registration, urgent care and scam-aware confidence.

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GUIDE / 05

Make your budget breathe

Smarter everyday choices without missing student life.

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GUIDE / 06 · New

Find a safer student job

UK-wide places to search, stronger applications, job-scam checks and first-payslip help.

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GUIDE / 07 · Checked August 2026

Know your UK working rights.

Student visa hours, home-student rights, minimum pay, tax, payslips and the jobs international students must avoid.

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05 / Cards & student savings

Cards and passes that can cut student costs.

A UK-wide guide to supermarket rewards, local transport passes and bank offers—with the catch explained before you sign up.

International students comparing their shopping in a UK supermarket — Everyday student lifeSpend less on the things you already buy.

Money / StudentStart recommendsSee why Monzo’s app-first budgeting tools may suit student life.Read our Monzo recommendation ↗ Everyday / 07 schemesNectar, Clubcard, Lidl Plus, Asda Rewards, Morrisons More, Co-op and Boots.Open loyalty wallet ↗ Transport / 12 ways to saveLime Access, bike share, Railcard, Oyster and nation or city passes across the UK.Build my travel stack ↗ Money / checked 27 SepStudent rewards and live switching cash with every qualifying step exposed.Compare live rewards ↗

06 / Get connected

Signal for the walk to campus. Wi-Fi for the deadline.

Compare providers by where they work, how long they tie you in and what the whole contract costs—not by the loudest introductory offer.

10 SIM providers / official links

Find the UK SIM that works in your room.

EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, giffgaff, VOXI, SMARTY, Lebara, iD Mobile and Tesco Mobile—compared for flexibility, signal, international use and perks.

Compare SIM cards ↗

10 broadband suppliers / official links

Choose broadband that fits the tenancy.

BT, Virgin Media, Sky, Plusnet, Vodafone, TalkTalk, Hyperoptic, NOW, Zen and Community Fibre—with the contract catches made visible.

Compare broadband ↗

Start here / independent check

Your postcode decides the shortlist.

Use Ofcom’s free checker for mobile coverage and broadband availability before opening any provider deal.

Open Ofcom checker ↗

07 / Your first UK journey

Plan the trip from the airport to your front door.

Your landing time, luggage and group size all change the best option. Try them here, then check the live timetable and full price before booking.

An international student being welcomed by a driver outside a UK airport — AirportYour new home

01 / When do you land?

02 / How much luggage?

03 / Who is travelling?

Your suggested starting option

Train + local connection

Usually the cleanest balance when services are running and your luggage is manageable. Check ticket flexibility and the final station-to-door leg.

Flexible / compare liveOpen the full transport guide ↗

08 / Student guide

Land calm. Then travel for less.

Our complete first-journey guide covers the airport pickup we recommend, cheap coaches and trains, local passes and the student freebies worth claiming.

A student meeting a driver for an airport transfer

New / flagship guide

Your first UK journey—and the student freebies worth claiming.

Why we recommend Alibaba Cabs for the first airport-to-door trip, when National Express, FlixBus, rail or the Underground wins, and the loyalty cards and free benefits to open this week.

Alibaba CabsCheap travelFreebies

Read the field note ↗

Ready to price the first journey?

Get a quote / Book now WhatsApp now for a quote

09 / Useful next steps

Services for the moments that matter.

Start with our independent guides. When an approved partner link is added, it is marked clearly—never hidden inside the recommendation.

Arrive / StudentStart guide

If a link is marked “Ad · Partner link”, StudentStart may earn a commission. Compare the provider’s final public price and terms before deciding. How partner links work ↗

10 / Student cities

Every city has its own rhythm.

A quick introduction to the places international students call home.

LON / 001

London

Contactless travel, neighbourhood thinking and a budget that rewards planning.

MAN / 002

Manchester

Compact, energetic and well connected by tram, bus and rail.

BHX / 003

Birmingham

A central base with diverse communities and routes across Britain.

EDI / 004

Edinburgh

Walkable character, dramatic seasons and student life woven through the city.

Your next chapter

Arrive with a plan. Leave room for the fun stuff.

Use your checklist, find student discounts and make the first week feel less overwhelming.

Open my StudentStart Passport