Working during study

Doing part-time paid and voluntary work is a great way to get to know British people and culture and gain valuable work experience for your future career.

However before you take a job think about whether you'll have enough time for your studies, as working too many hours can seriously affect your academic progress.

Before you apply for a job, check whether you've got permission to work or volunteer in the UK and any restrictions on working or volunteering that apply to you. Please remember that if you're applying for a visa to come to the UK to study, you can't use potential earnings from work to satisfy the funds requirements of the immigration rules.

EEA Nationals

Most nationals from the European Economic Area (EEA) are free to work in the UK without restriction, if you first entered the UK before the 31 December 2020 and are eligibile to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme.  

If you entered the UK after the 31 December 2020 then you will require a visa to enter the UK the same way as non-EU students.  Please refer to the work conditions on your Student Visa and the information below.

Nationals from outside the EEA

Check your visa to see whether you're allowed to work or volunteer in the UK. If you've got any questions, please come and see an adviser in the Student Visa Advice Team before starting work. If you work when you don't have permission to do so, or if you take employment that is not allowed by the rules (for example working freelance), you'll be committing a criminal offence. You could be taken to court, fined up to £5,000 and you could be removed from the UK. You would also face automatic refusal of any application to return to the UK from between one and ten years. You can find more information on the Work Restrictions page.

Please note that to enable you to work in the UK your current immigration permission (visa) must be issued as a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or as a vignette (sticker) in your current passport. If your current visa is a vignette in your previous passport then you must make an application for your visa to now be issued as BRP to enable you to work.

Please apply online and your visa will be re-issued as a BRP to enable you work in the UK.