It is  possible to use a Standard Visitor visa for the Summer School whether that is just for one session or all three.  However, you must not exceed six months of study on a Standard Visitor visa.

If you have another type of valid immigration permission e.g. a Student visa for another UK institution, please contact us for advice as you may be able to use this to study with us.

UKCISA have more information on studying as a visitor in the UK.

If you are not already living in the UK with a status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you will need immigration permission to be able to join the Summer School 2023.

You will be able to study for a maximum of six months on a Standard Visitor visa (tourist visa).  As an EU/EEA national you will be able to get this permission at the UK border when you arrive.

You will not be able to work whilst in the UK as a Standard Visitor. It would not be possible for LSE to sponsor you on a Student visa to enable you to work whilst studying with us unless you meet the requirements stated in the cases below.

More information can be found on our dedicated web page for EU/EEA and Swiss nationals.

EU/EEA nationals

Depending on your nationality, you will either need to obtain your visa before travelling or you can request entry as a Standard Visitor at the border. You can check if you need to apply for your visa before travelling on the gov.uk website. 

• If you need to apply for a visa before travelling, you are known as a Visa National.
• If you do not need to apply for a visa before travelling you are known as a Non-Visa National.

A Visa National is a a person who needs to apply for a visa before they travel to the UK. It currently costs £95 to apply for a  six month Standard Visitor visa at the embassy. You will be issued a multi-entry sticker in your passport which will be valid for 6 months.  This means you can leave and re-enter the UK using the same Standard  Visitor visa, but you must still be able to show you have studies to complete.

Visitor Visa Document Guidance

How do I find the Standard Visitor Visa application form?

Standard Visitor visa guidance

If you are from a country which does not need to apply for a Short-term Student visa before travelling, you can request to enter the UK as a Short-term Student at the border.

You can find more information on Standard Visitors on the following links:

Standard Visitor Visa

Visitor Visa document guidance

e-Gate nationals

The following nationalities can use the  e-Gates:

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Singapopre
• South Korea
• USA
• EU/EEA nationals

If you enter the UK via the e-Gate you are entering the UK as a tourist. 

The stamp you receive at the border is only for a single-entry.  

If you are travelling through Ireland, this is known as the Common Travel Area.  You will not go through UK immigration controls so you will need to show that you have entered Ireland (e.g. a stamp in your passport) and provide your boarding pass as evidence of how you travelled to the UK.

Case One: A person attending the Summer School/Executive Education Course/Custom Programme only and has no current immigration permission for the UK.

If you are  intending to study at the Summer School/Executive Education Course/Custom Programme only, you will need to obtain a Standard visitor visa. 

• If you are an Executive Education Course student and need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, contact the Executive Education Course team for a letter.

• If you are a Summer School student and need to apply for a Standard Visitgor visa, you can request a letter from the Summer School.

• Check the Home Office guidance on supporting documents and prepare your application.

• If you are a visa national (you must apply for a visa before travelling), submit your application to UK Visas and Immigration.

• If you are a non-visa national, you can request permission to enter the UK as a Standard Visitor at the border when you arrive in the UK.

Case Two: LSE Summer School before further studies in the UK

If you are coming to LSE to study at the Summer School before attending full-time studies in the UK, your options depend on when and where you will be completing your full time studies.

Attending Summer School if you have an unconditional offer for your LSE programme.

If you have an unconditional offer for your  main LSE degree programme, we may be able to issue you with a CAS which covers all of your programmes. Contact Graduate Admissions to request a joint CAS.

If you are issued with a joint CAS, you must register for and attend the Summer School. Non-attendance may affect your ability to join your main degree programme.

Attending Summer School to meet the conditions of your LSE degree

If you have a conditional offer of study with LSE and are required to attend the Summer School to meet this condition, LSE may be able to issue you with a CAS and you may be able to extend your Student visa in the UK.  You must:

• Register and attend the Summer School (non-attendance may lead to a withdrawal of your main degree offer);
• Successfully complete and pass the Summer School - the academic progression rules of the Student visa will only allow you to extend your visa  in the UK if you have successfully completed and passed the previous programme you were issued a CAS for.  You will be required to take any assessments as part of your Summer School programme. Failure to take these or pass successfully may mean you are unable to meet the conditions or your offer or be able to apply for your new Student visa in the UK.
• Your ability to be issued with a CAS number will be assessed by Graduate Admissions depending on which session of the Summer School you will be attending and the length of time between the expiry of the visa and the start date of your main degree programme. A CAS is not guaranteed in all cases.

Summer School/Executive Education Course before starting a degree at another institution.

We are unable to provide a CAS number for Summer School students who do not intend to complete their full time studies at the LSE. If you already have a Student visa which will cover the period of study at the LSE, read the information on supplementary study.

Case Three: Supplementary study on a Student visa for another institution.

The UKVI permits supplementary study at any point of your valid Student visa so long as:

• it does not affect your main degree programme;

• it does not delay your departure from the UK (you cannot extend your Student visa for supplementary study).

If you have a Student visa for another institution,  you will be able to attend on the basis of it being supplementary study.  We may require evidence that you are still studying/have finished your programme to be able to register you on a Student visa for another institution.

If you have completed your previous programme and have already left the UK, you cannot benefit from the supplementary study rule.  This is because your main reason for returning is to study at LSE on a non-LSE visa, which means your supplementary study has delayed your departure from the UK.  You may be refused entry at the border.

If you have to attend Summer School to meet the conditions of your offer, wish to attend on the basis of supplementary study but have travel planned before Summer School, you must contact us to find out your options by completing our online query form.

Even if you do not have to apply for your visa in advance of travelling for the Summer School, you are still entering as a Standard Visitor when you arrive. 

The conditions for the Standard Visitor visa are as follows:

What you can and cannot do (‘permitted activities’)

You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor:

• for tourism, for example on a holiday or vacation
• to see your family or friends
• to volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity
• to pass through the UK to another country (‘in transit’)
• for certain business activities, for example attending a meeting or interview
• to take part in a school exchange programme
• to do a recreational course of up to 30 days, for example a dance course
• to study, do a placement or take an exam
• as an academic, senior doctor or dentist
• for medical reasons

You cannot:

• do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person
• claim public funds (benefits)
• live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits
• marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership - you’ll need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa

The conditions for many other types of visa can be found here.

I have a digital status.  How can I prove what immigration permission I have for the UK? 

If you were granted a digital status as part of your EU Settlement Scheme or points based visa application, you can use the View and Prove Service to print a PDF of your status in advance of registering for Summer School.  This will help the Summer School staff at registration if they know what immigration permission you hold.

The Student Advice and Engagement Management Team are the dedicated team to advise on the immigration options available to you. However, you will need to complete our online query form for advice as it captures the essential information we need to provide the most accurate information.