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Living in Bradford

Welcome to Bradford

Your first few days in Bradford will be busy, exciting, and maybe a little nerve-wracking. This page will help you get settled in your new home.

If you have any queries about living in the UK, you can contact our International Student Adviser.

Email: internationalstudents@bradford.ac.uk

Call: +44 (0) 1274 236954

When you arrive

After you've arrived the UK, you will need to think about opening a bank account to manage your finances, registering with a doctor in case you're sick, and collecting your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) to enrol at the University.

Our Pre-Arrival Booklet 2023 (9.3 MB) covers this more thoroughly and advises on other considerations you may want to make.

Opening a bank account

What will you need?

The bank will need to see the following documents in order to open your new account:

  • Your passport
  • Biometric Residence Permit (visa students only)
  • A 'Letter of Introduction to UK Banking Facilities'. You can obtain this from MyBradford - Student Services in the Richmond Building, after you have enrolled on your course

Banks

The following banks are located near to the University:
BarclaysLloydsHSBC and TSB. You can also register online with Monzo.

Further information can be found on the UKCISA website.

Cash and pre-paid travel cards

We recommend that you bring some cash or a pre-paid travel card (around £300) with you, to make sure you can meet your expenses until your bank account becomes active. Please do not travel with large amounts of cash.

Cheques

When paying a cheque into a UK bank, it will take a number of days before the funds become available (a minimum of four or five days before the funds become available. It could take over 28 days if depositing funds from a different currency.

Paying your fees

Check out our Fees, Financial Support and Scholarships section for more information.

Registering with the health centre

It's important to register with a doctor (often called a GP - General Practioner) when you arrive in the UK in case you're unwell.

Where to register

You can register with the Bradford Student Health Service if you live close to the University or within the practice area.

Students arriving in September will be able to register with the Bradford Student Health Service when they enrol with the University.

If you want to register with another local doctor, you can find out about doctors in your area by calling the Local Health Authority on +44 (0) 113 295 2500, or search on the National Health Service (NHS) website.

What to bring

  • Your TB health certificate and any chest X-Rays if these are required for your visa.
  • Details of all vaccinations that you have received.
  • Medical records if you have any pre-existing conditions (with English translation).
  • Any medication that you are currently taking (including a letter from your doctor in English, confirming which medication you are carrying).

Before you start your course

Before you start your course, you will receive detailed instructions on when and how to enrol at the University.

All international students must enrol in person with the Visa Support Team upon arrival in the UK. You will also receive information from the University of Bradford IT team for how to complete your online pre-enrolment.

Please see the New Students section for information on how to access your timetable and choose your modules once you have enrolled.

Collecting your Biometric Residence Permit

When you receive your travel visa, you will also receive a letter with further details about your BRP. This letter states that you will need to collect your BRP with 10 days of arriving in the UK. Please aim to collect your BRP as soon as possible after arriving in the UK.

If your BRP is being delivered to the University, you should be able to collect your BRP as part of the in-person enrolment process. If you are due to collect your BRP from the Post Office, you will need to bring your collected BRP to your enrolment.

Student life

It can be hard finding your feet as an international student, so it's important to get out and get involved.

Students at our diverse, welcoming City Campus have access to societies, sports facilities, support networks and social spaces. Bradford city centre is just a 10-minute walk away.

Discover life as an international student in Bradford:

Compact, friendly and minutes from the city centre, our campus is a place where great things happen.

Bradford is an exciting place to be a student. It's creative, diverse, and there's always something to get involved in.

Find out how i-Graduate’s student barometer ranks our international student experience.