The King’s Host Agreement (KHA) is a document signed by three parties: you (the student or recent graduate), your host organisation, and King’s College London. It outlines the expectations, responsibilities, and legal parameters of your work-based learning opportunity.
When do I need a King's Host Agreement?
If your internship is part of an accredited module or programme: You are required to complete a KHA.
If your internship is extracurricular: The KHA is optional, but you may use it if your host organisation requests formal documentation from King’s.
King’s cannot sign any external documents or employer-provided agreements, such as a Convention de Stage or a PDF form. If your host will not sign the King’s Host Agreement, you may not be able to proceed with the opportunity.
Important to know: There is no dedicated administrative support for the King’s Host Agreement process. As such, please read the below information carefully, as this will help you navigate the process and provide troubleshooting assistance to your Host Organisation if required.
How do I initiate the process?
All King’s Host Agreements are now managed through a dedicated King’s Host Agreement Pathway. This Pathway will guide you through the entire process, including:
- Submitting your internship details
- Accessing the appropriate KHA (standard or graduate/dormant student)
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Uploading your fully signed agreement
You are responsible for completing all steps and liaising directly with your host and academic department to ensure the agreement is completed before your internship begins.
You must begin the KHA process at least 21 days before your internship start date to allow all teams enough time to review and sign this for you.
What should my host and I know before requesting a KHA?
- You must have formally accepted the opportunity before initiating the agreement.
- All King’s Host Agreements should normally be completed via DocuSign. In rare cases where your host cannot use DocuSign, a PDF version may be used instead. See the section ‘What if my host cannot use DocuSign? (PDF option)’ below for full guidance.
- The KHA must be fully signed by you, your host, and your academic department before your opportunity starts.
- If your opportunity is outside the UK, you are responsible for understanding and securing any necessary visas and insurance.
- A current registered student, and your internship takes place before your course end date.
- A graduate, dormant student, or on a formal interruption, and your internship takes place within 24 months of your course end date (not the graduation date).
You can find your course end date in your Confirmation of Study Letter.
Important to know:
- The course end date refers to the end of your academic programme, not your graduation ceremony.
- You cannot delay graduation to extend your student status.
You cannot use the KHA if:
- You are a prospective offer holder
- You are enrolled in a programme less than 6 months in length
- Your course end date was more than 24 months ago
Are there different versions of the KHA?
Yes. The King’s Host Agreement (KHA) exists in several versions, depending on your status and the type of internship or placement.
- Current students use the standard KHA, or French language translation where needed
- Graduates or dormant students (within 24 months of your course end date) use a Graduate/Dormant KHA, or French language translation where needed
- PhD students may need a PhD-specific version, especially if your placement/internship is a requirement of your doctoral funder or Doctoral Training Entity (CDT/DTP).
Don’t worry - the King’s Host Agreement Pathway will automatically direct you to the right version once you complete your internship details.
Every KHA must be signed by three parties: you, your host organisation, and King’s College London.
Who signs on behalf of King’s depends on which version of the KHA you are using:
| Your status | Who is the designated King's Signatory |
| Current student - extracurricular internship | A nominated signatory from your academic department (usually your Head of Department) |
| Current student - credit-bearing internship | Your module convener |
| Graduate or dormant student (within 24 months) | King's Internships Team |
| PhD student (placement/internship required by funder or programme) | Your Doctoral Training Entity (eg. CDT/DTP) or designated supervisor |
If you complete your KHA via DocuSign, it will be routed to the correct signatory automatically, but you are still responsible for checking that your host and your signatory have signed. If you need to use the PDF version instead (for example, if your host cannot access DocuSign), you must ensure that the KHA is passed on to the correct signatories yourself. See the section 'What if my host cannot use DocuSign? (PDF option)' for full guidance.
What documentation can I use if my host only needs confirmation of student status?
If your host only requires proof that you're a student or recent graduate, you can use:
- Confirmation of Study Letter (for enrolled students)
- Record of Agreed Results (ROAR) (if your programme has not yet fully concluded)
- If you have already completed your programme, your host organisation may use your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) and Higher Education Datacheck (HEDD) to confirm your qualification at King's online.
What if my host is French or requires a French version?
If your host organisation is based in France or requires a French-language agreement, a French-language version of the KHA is available through the Pathway.
- All answers must still be completed in English. You must communicate this to your employer.
- This version is particularly useful for satisfying Convention de Stage requirements in France.
The King’s Host Agreement (KHA) must be completed through DocuSign wherever possible. A PDF version is available only as a last resort if your host cannot access DocuSign or refuses to use it. It is at the discretion of your King’s signatory whether to accept a PDF version. They may instead require that the KHA is completed through DocuSign.
Before using the PDF option, you must first:
- Double-check you have entered the correct host email address (typos are common).
- Ask your host to check their junk/spam folders for the DocuSign email.
- Remind your host they can reassign the form to another colleague internally through DocuSign.
- Check that your King's Signatory is willing to sign-off the PDF version of your KHA. If you are unsure who your King’s signatory is, please refer to the section ‘Who signs the KHA?’ for guidance.
If all else fails, you can access a PDF copy of the KHA in three ways:
- At initiation (before filling anything in): When you first open the KHA via the Pathway, you will see a Download button on the right-hand side of the screen. Selecting this will generate a completely blank PDF version.
- After completing your own sections: Once you’ve entered your details and signed, you’ll see a prompt to Save a Copy of Your Document. You can then Download or Print. Saving this copy is strongly recommended as a back-up in case of issues securing later signatures.
- If you miss the earlier steps: If you didn’t save a PDF and the DocuSign route fails, you will need to start a new KHA through the Pathway and use option (1) or (2); outlined above.
Once you have a PDF copy, you must send it to your host organisation for completion, ensuring you have completed section 1, section 5, and added your name and signature in section 6. When they return it, forward the document to your King’s signatory for final signature.
Important to know: If they do accept a PDF, the King’s signatory will need to circulate the final signed version to both you and your host, and will retain a copy for departmental records. You must then upload this final version to the KHA Pathway.
What insurance and liability details should I know?
King’s does not provide insurance for students or graduates undertaking internships, placements, or similar opportunities. You are responsible for ensuring the following:
- You obtain any relevant health, travel, and liability insurance prior to your internship.
- Your host organisation confirms that they have valid employers’ liability insurance.
- King’s College London will not cover or be liable for any sickness, accidents, or incidents.
For graduates:
- King’s does not provide insurance or legal support.
- You and your host are responsible for securing liability cover.
When might King's not sign the KHA?
King’s will not sign your KHA if:
- Your internship is unpaid, extracurricular, and based in the UK, as this would breach UK minimum wage law.
- Your host wants King’s to confirm the internship is a compulsory part of your course, when your academic programme does not offer accredited internship options.
- You or your host attempt to use the KHA as a replacement for an employment contract.
- Your course is less than 6 months, or you are not enrolled or over 24 months past your course end date.
- The host organisation refuses to use DocuSign and your King’s signatory does not agree to accept a PDF version of the KHA.
Can I use the KHA for an opportunity outside the UK?
Yes, but:
- You are responsible for understanding internship laws, insurance requirements, and visa obligations in your host country.
- If your internship is in France, your host may require a Convention de Stage - our French KHA for registered students can be used for this.
Can I terminate early or change dates?
- To change your internship dates, submit a Date Amendment Agreement via the KHA Pathway.
- To end your internship early, please read our article My internship/work opportunity has ended early; what do I need to know?. If you still want to go ahead, submit a KHA Early Termination Agreement via the KHA Pathway.
If you are a staff member supporting a student through this process:
Please refer to the Employability Toolkit (section titles: King’s Host Agreement Guide and Accredited Internships Convener Toolkit). These sections provide comprehensive staff guidance.
The resources include:
- A full explanation of the KHA process, eligibility, and when to decline to sign.
- Step-by-step DocuSign instructions and troubleshooting.
- Annotated templates, including guidance for supporting French KHA requests.
- Specific advice for Module Conveners of Accredited Internships.
- Blank and watermarked copies of the KHAs (English and French) are available there for reference.
I have further questions about my King's Host Agreement?
- Contact your host organisation first to ensure they’ve signed and clicked “Finish”.
- If delays continue, check with your academic department (for current students) or contact internships@kcl.ac.uk (for graduate KHAs).
If you still have questions or issues completing your KHA, contact the following, providing proof that you have carried out the troubleshooting mentioned above, e.g. forwarding an email of you asking your employer to check their spam/junk folders:
- Your academic department (if you are a registered student)
- Or email internships@kcl.ac.uk for support (especially for graduates or general troubleshooting)