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 British life. It offers the chance to enjoy a short time away from your university work with a host family.

You can meet kind, friendly people in their home, 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 

HOST UK visits for 2026/27 will open soon. Register your interest and we’ll be in touch with more information when applications open.

How to help secure your place

Places on the programme are limited, so we recommend taking the following steps to maximise your chances of securing a visit when applying:

• consider travelling further afield to increase your chances of being matched with a host
• provide as many available dates as you can
• regularly check your email (including your spam folder) for 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 following costs are typical but please note that they may vary and are subject to change:

What previous students who took part said about their Host UK visit

We went for a walk in the park together and I showed them a Chinese dance. In the evening, we enjoyed dinner and exchanged gifts. That day was pure happiness and still makes me feel so happy. I got to understand British culture better and it felt very comfortable and natural to communicate together. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious. This has made me like my life studying in the UK even more.

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

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.