International students: from the airport to your UK campus

When can you arrive?

On a Student visa you can usually arrive in the UK:

• up to 1 week before your course starts if your course lasts 6 months or less, or
• up to 1 month before if your course is longer than 6 months.

You cannot arrive before the start date on your visa. Check the details on GOV.UK: Student visa and the arrival dates your university gives you.

Have these ready at the border

• Your passport, linked to your eVisa in your UKVI account (see eVisas on GOV.UK).
• Your university offer or CAS details and your accommodation address.
• Your driver’s name and phone number, which we send before you fly.

University arrival services vs a private car

Many universities run a free or low-cost airport pickup on set days during welcome week. If your flight fits those dates, use it. A private car makes more sense if you:

• land outside the university’s pickup days or late at night,
• have more luggage than a shared coach allows,
• are travelling with parents who are helping you move in, or
• are sharing with friends from the same flight. A 9-seater split between several students is often good value.

Getting from the airport to your new address

Your first journey in the UK is usually your hardest one: a long flight, a new country and everything you own in two or three large cases. Trains and the Underground are cheap, but with heavy luggage, changes and stairs they are hard work, and a black-cab fare to outside London can run high. A pre-booked private car takes you from the arrivals hall straight to your front door.

• Flight tracked: we watch your flight and your driver is there when you actually land, early or late, with no extra charge for delays.
• 60 minutes of free waiting after landing, so passport control and baggage reclaim are not a race.
• Meet & greet: your driver waits in arrivals holding a name board and helps with your bags.
• Driver details before you travel, so you know who is meeting you.
• Fixed price in pounds, agreed when you book. No meter and no surge pricing.
• Room for luggage: choose an MPV (up to 6 passengers), a 9-seater (up to 8) or a 16-seat minibus for a family or group. Tell us how many cases you are bringing.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup, useful if your visa decision or start date moves.

We cover Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City and Southampton, and drive to addresses anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales, not just London.

Get a fixed price

Your first week

• Complete university registration and ID checks. Your university will ask to see your eVisa status.
• Register with a GP near campus. Most universities have one.
• Open a student bank account and get a UK SIM.
• Check any work-hour limits in your visa conditions before you take a part-time job.

Popular student runs we drive include Heathrow to central London campuses, Oxford, Cambridge, Reading, Guildford, Southampton, Birmingham and beyond.

Get a fixed price to your campus

Visa rules change. Always check GOV.UK and your university before you travel. Rushxo is a transport company, not an immigration adviser.

Moving to the UK: more guides

Skilled Worker arrivals · Nurses & doctors arriving · Joining family in the UK · Moving back to the UK · UK ETA for visitors · Heathrow to your London hotel