HOST UK visits

We’ve teamed up with HOST UK to link international students and postgraduate researchers with British families for a cultural exchange experience.

HOST UK is a charity that wants to help you feel welcome in the UK by giving you a taste of what British life is like. Enjoy a short time away from your university work with a host family, and benefit from this unique opportunity.

You can meet kind, friendly people in their home to enjoy traditional home-cooked meals, explore the local area and try new activities like gardening, hiking or fishing.

All hosts are unpaid and invite students because they enjoy welcoming you to this country.

Apply for a HOST UK visit

To apply, you must be a registered full-time student aged 18 or over. Spouses and partners can also apply as part of the application.

Due to the limited number of available places, we recommend taking the following steps to maximize your chances of securing a visit:

• consider travelling further afield to increase your chances of being matched with a host
• offer as many available dates as possible
• regularly check your email (including your spam folder) for important updates about your application.

Costs

The University contributes to the cost of applying for your first HOST UK visit for you and your spouse/partner. The costs are:

What students said about their Host UK visit

“We went for a walk in the park together, and I also showed them a Chinese dance. In the evening, we enjoyed dinner and exchanged gifts. That day was pure happiness, and even now, thinking back on it still makes me feel so happy. 

“I got to understand British culture better, and I also shared many of my thoughts. It felt very comfortable and natural to communicate together, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

“This has made me like my life studying in the UK even more. Somehow, it has also given me a lot of courage.”

University of Leeds student from China

I really enjoyed climbing the mountain and the extremely beautiful view. I enjoyed seeing british homes and neighborhoods and knowing more about the culture. 

University of Leeds student from Egypt

“My host family had welcomed me warmly and treated me like real family. We played cards and board game, which has been a special moment, because I had spend kind of a family time for the first time in a while. I felt warm emotion. 

“Everything I had experienced was amazing. My host family provided me British culture experience, such as foods and Christmas special habit. Also, I do not feel alone anymore, as I have now new family in this country. 

“I am really grateful to HOST for connecting me and my host family. I think HOST had been working on finding a family that suited my interest.”

University of Leeds student from Japan

I had an absolutely fabulous time with my hosts. If you want to learn about British culture I strongly encourage you to go on a HOST visit. I feel like I could live in the UK for years and not understand the British culture as closely as I did during that one weekend.

Apply to be a host

If you’re from the UK, your family can experience this cultural exchange by becoming volunteer hosts and inviting international students to stay for a day or for a weekend.

Apply to be a host on the HOST UK website.