How to complete the Right to Study check
- Log into Student Records with your K number and password.
- Once logged into Student Records, the Right to Study Check should be the first page you see. Click on ‘Click here to start your Right to Study Check’ at the bottom of the page. If it is not there, it should be listed at the very top left-hand side of the page.
Important to know:
- If you are outside the UK, you will be asked what your intended date of arrival will be. Please put the earliest date of expected arrival if you do not know the exact date. The task will then relaunch to you on the date that you provided.
- You can only complete the RTS task successfully once you have arrived in the UK. This is because we need to have evidence of when you arrived in the UK.
- Please note that if you have selected that you are outside the UK and put your intended date of arrival, you have not completed the RTS task. You will need to complete it when you arrived in the UK. The task will relaunch on the date that you input on the task.
Once you have completed the task, a member of the Visa Compliance team will check your documents. This may take up to 3 working days.
Once we have verified your information, you will receive a confirmation email that we have approved your Right to Study Check. Once you have received this, you will then be able to arrange your Student ID card collection.
If we require further information, a member of the team will contact you with further details.
What if I can’t find or access the task?
There are several reasons why you may not be able to find the task.
If you can't see the task, it should be listed at the top left-hand side of the page on Student Records. If it is not there, then it could be due to one of the following reasons:
- If you are a British/Irish national (passport holder) or a distance learner - you do not need to complete the RTS check. You will be able to go straight to the next stage of enrolment and collect your ID card.
- You have not completed online enrolment. You will only get access to the RTS task once you have completed online enrolment, which is stage 1 of the enrolment process.
- You have started the RTS task from outside of the UK and selected a future arrival date. The task will not appear until the date you selected for arrival in the UK. If you have arrived earlier, then please email Visa Compliance and let us know.
- If none of the above applies and you are still unable to locate the task, please contact the Visa Compliance team.
If you have found it but are not able to access the task, please try putting the link to Student Records in your browser. If this still doesn’t work, double-check that you are using your King’s email address to access it.
Why do we need this information?
In accordance with our legal duty to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), we are required to hold copies of visas for all students subject to immigration control and ensure that our students have the correct immigration permission to study at the university. This information allows us to keep your student record up to date and the university compliant with UKVI regulations.
What documents you will need to provide will depend on your nationality, the type of immigration permission you hold, where you applied for your visa, and if you applied outside of the UK how you entered through the UK border.
Student Visa - Entry Clearance Vignette & BRP
If you applied outside of the UK
If you applied for your current student visa from outside of the UK and do not have a digital status, you will have an entry clearance vignette in your passport.
For the Right to Study check, you will need to provide the following documents:
- A copy of your valid passport
- A copy of your Vignette
- Proof of entry to the UK. You can do this by:
- Uploading a copy of your vignette with the entry stamp on it, or
- If you are eligible to use the e-gates and that is how you entered the UK, a copy of your flight ticket/boarding pass, which shows us the date you entered. (Only nationals that can use the e-gates can use flight ticket/boarding pass as evidence of entry to the UK)
- If you have already received your BRP – you can upload this as well. Make sure you upload both the front and the back of the BRP since UKVI regulations state that we must hold both.
Please note that if you have not yet received your BRP, you just need to submit the documents 1-3 listed above.
If you applied inside of the UK
If you applied for your student visa from inside of the UK and who do not have a digital status, you will need to provide the following documents for the Right to Study check:
- A copy of both the front and back of your BRP for King’s College London.
- A copy of your valid passport
- If you have applied for your visa inside of the UK but have not yet received a decision, you can provide proof of your submitted application. For example, we can accept a copy of your Student visa Application cover sheet confirming a submitted application and fee payment to UKVI.
Student Visa - Digital status
Applied outside of the UK
If you applied for your current student visa from outside of the UK and have a digital status, you will need to provide the following documents for the Right to Study check:
- A copy of your valid passport
- A government share code* (The code should begin with the letter 'S'. if it does not, you will need to obtain a new one from the GOV.UK webpages.
- Proof of entry to the UK - you need to provide a copy of your flight ticket/boarding pass, which shows us the date you entered the UK.
*Share codes are only valid for 90 days, so if you have obtained one more than 90 days ago, you will need to request a new one. You can request a share code on the GOV.UK webpages.
Applied inside the UK
If you applied for your current student visa from inside of the UK and have a digital status, you will need to provide the following documents for the Right to Study check:
- A copy of your valid passport
- A government share code* (The code should begin with the letter 'S'. if it does not you will need to obtain a new one from the GOV.UK webpages.
*Share codes are only valid for 90 days, so if you have obtained one more than 90 days ago, you will need to request a new one. You can request a share code on the GOV.UK webpages.
If you have Pre-Settled/Settled Status
If you hold Pre-Settled/Settled Status, you will need to provide the following documents for the Right to Study check:
- A copy of your valid passport
- A government share code*
*Share codes are only valid for 90 days, so if you have obtained one more than 90 days ago, you will need to request a new one. You can request a share code on the GOV.UK webpages.
Visitor Route - Courses that are less than 6 months in length
All non-British/Irish nationals who are travelling to the UK for courses that are less than 6 months in length, will enter the UK under the visitor route (Standard Visitor Visa). You will also need to complete the Right to Study check.
There are 3 different ways you can enter the UK as a visitor, depending on your nationality. How you enter will determine what evidence we need from you.
You will either have:
- A vignette (visa sticker in your passport) and entry stamp from a border official
- Just an entry stamp in your passport from a border official
- You will not have a stamp/visa sticker, since you entered the UK through the e-gates and were not required to apply for a visa in advance.
A vignette (Visa sticker in your passport) and entry stamp from a border official
If you are a Visa National* (i.e. you require entry clearance prior to travel to the UK as a visitor), your Visitor Visa will take the form of a vignette in your passport and you will need to provide the following documents for the Right to Study check:
- A copy of your valid passport
- A copy of your vignette
*For a list of Visa Nationals, please refer to the 'Visitor visa' nationals list on the GOV.UK webpages.
Did you have to apply for the visitor route (Standard Visitor Visa) before you came to the UK and were granted a vignette (visa sticker inside your current passport?). If you are a Visa National (i.e. you require entry clearance prior to travel to the UK as a visitor), your Visitor Visa will take the form of a vignette in your passport. For a list of Visa Nationals, 'Visitor visa' nationals list on the GOV.UK webpages.
Just an entry stamp in your passport from a border official
If you did not need to apply for a visa before coming to the UK but you need to see the border officer when you arrive, you will need to provide the following documents for the Right to Study check:
- A copy of your valid passport
- A copy of your entry stamp
You do not have a visa - you do not have a stamp/visa sticker since you entered the UK through the e-gates and were not required to apply for a visa in advance
For those coming to the UK for up to 6 months, who do not need to apply for a visa in advance of coming to the UK or are required to see a border officer upon arrival, since you are eligible to use the e-gates, you are still entering the UK under the 'visitor route'.
This means that when you pass through the e-gates you are entering the UK under the Standard Visitor Visa. If this applies to you, you will need to provide the following documents for the Right to Study check:
- A copy of your valid passport
- Proof of entry to the UK. You can provide a copy of your flight ticket/boarding pass/Eurostar ticket, to evidence the date that you entered the UK.
I hold another type of visa/immigration permission, do I still need to complete the check?
If you are in the UK under a different immigration route, (including those who hold Indefinite Leave to Remain), you are still required to complete the Right to Study Check. You will need to provide us with a valid passport and a copy of your current immigration status.
Under our legal obligations under the UKVI, we must check all non-British/Irish nationals immigration permissions before we can invite them to complete enrolment.
I have recently changed from remote to in-person studies, do I need to complete a Right to Study check?
If you were previously studying remotely and are now coming to campus for in-person studies, you will be required to complete a Right to Study check before you can collect your student ID card. Please refer to the section 'How to complete the Right to Study check' above for further guidance on how to do so.
I am unsure if I need to complete a Right to Study check, who can help me?
If you are unsure if your personal circumstances will require you to complete the Right to Study check, please contact Visa Compliance for further guidance.
Once you have submitted the task, a member of the Visa Compliance team will review your documents. Once approved, you will receive a confirmation email and will be sent information on how to collect your student ID card.
Important to know:
- At busy times of year, especially August and September, it may take several days for the Visa Compliance team to review your documents. Thank you for your patience - you will receive a confirmation email once the review is complete.
For further guidance on collecting your ID card, please read our article It's my first time on campus, how will I collect my student ID card?
How do I then collect my student ID card?
Please refer to our article It's my first time on campus, how will I collect my student ID card? for the latest guidance on collecting your student ID card once your Right to Study check is complete.
I’ve changed my course at King’s, will I need to complete the Right to Study check again?
If your request to transfer course has been authorised at King’s, and you have previously completed the Right to Study check during enrolment for your previous course, you will not be required to complete the Right to Study check again.