Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

You must have a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number to apply for your Student visa.

  • You must enter the CAS number on your visa application form.
  • UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) staff will retrieve the information about you and your course from their system. 
  • You will need a new CAS number every time you make a student visa application.

Your CAS is a unique reference number we will send you by email. It is not a paper or a PDF document.

Getting your CAS

  • You will receive your CAS number by email.
  • This email also has information about your course of study and your personal details.
  • Your CAS number is to study the course stated in your CAS email only. If you transfer course, you may be required to obtain a new visa, for which you will need a new CAS. Please note you may be required to return to your home country to make the new visa application in order to transfer course.

When you will get your CAS

New students/Students starting a new programme

If you are a new student or starting a new programme, your CAS will be issued by Admissions. You will receive your CAS number once you have met the conditions of your offer, have firmly accepted it and have provided all the necessary documents. Please visit the dropdowns below to see which documents are required for your course type and how to submit them. 

You must meet the conditions of your offer, make Bristol your firm choice and provide all the documents below to enable the Admissions team to produce your CAS

  • Passport: Please provide a colour copy of the passport you will be using for your visa application.
  • Qualification documents: Please provide a scan of your transcript or certificates for the qualifications on which your offer is based. If these are not in English, we need a certified translation of these documents.
  • English language evidence (if applicable): If you have been asked to meet our English language requirements within your offer, please provide satisfactory evidence of this.
  • Under-18 parent/guardian declaration form (if applicable): If you will be under 18 when you submit your visa application, you must complete this parent/guardian declaration form.
  • Progression information (if applicable): If you have studied in the UK before and this applies to you, you should already have received an email about this.

Your course requires ATAS clearance, so we will also need your ATAS certificatePlease note you should have received an email about applying for your ATAS certificate. The University will receive a copy of your ATAS certificate at the same time as you receive it, so you will not need to upload this.

Please upload the relevant documents to your applicant dashboard as soon as you can to ensure there is no delay with your CAS.

You must meet the conditions of your offer, accept your offer and provide all the documents below to enable the Admissions team to produce your CAS. You must also have paid your tuition fee deposit, unless you are exempt from this requirement.

  • Passport: Please provide a colour copy of the passport you will be using for your visa application. 
  • Qualification documents: Please provide degree documents (certificate/transcript) confirming the award/completion of your degree. If these are not in English, we need a certified translation of these documents. 
  • English language evidence (if applicable): If you have been asked to meet our English language requirements within your offer, please provide satisfactory evidence of this. 
  • Academic progression information (if applicable): If you have previously held a Student visa, we will need information from you to demonstrate that your new programme represents academic progression from your previous studies in the UK. If you have already provided this, you do not need to provide it again. 

If your programme requires ATAS clearance, we will also need your ATAS certificate (if applicable). Please note, only certain programmes require this and your offer letter will indicate if it applies. If it does, please obtain this as soon as possible. The University will receive a copy of your ATAS certificate at the same time as you receive it, so you will not need to upload this. 

Please upload the relevant documents to your Applicant Portal as soon as you can to ensure there is no delay with your CAS. 

You must meet the conditions of your offer, accept your offer and provide all the documents below to enable the Admissions team to produce your CAS.

  • Passport: Please provide a colour copy of the passport you will be using for your visa application. 
  • Qualification documents: Please provide degree documents (certificate/transcript) confirming the award/completion of your degree. If these are not in English, we need a certified translation of these documents. 
  • English language evidence (if applicable): If you have been asked to meet our English language requirements within your offer, please provide satisfactory evidence of this. 
  • Academic progression information (if applicable): If you have previously held a Student visa, we will need information from you to demonstrate that your new programme represents academic progression from your previous studies in the UK. If you have already provided this, you do not need to provide it again. 

If your programme requires ATAS clearance, we will also need your ATAS certificate (if applicable). Please note, only certain programmes require this and your offer letter will indicate if it applies. If it does, please obtain this as soon as possible. The University will receive a copy of your ATAS certificate at the same time as you receive it, so you will not need to upload this. 

Please upload the relevant documents to your Applicant Portal as soon as you can to ensure there is no delay with your CAS. 

Those students who need an ATAS certificate to study must have received it before the Admissions team can release CAS. A copy of ATAS certificate will be automatically sent to the University once it is issued. 

Postgraduate taught students will also need to pay a deposit unless exempt. 

If you are an undergraduate student, the CAS will be created by the Undergraduate Admissions

If you are a postgraduate student, the CAS will be created by the Postgraduate Admissions

Current students

  • If you are a current student, please request your CAS at least six weeks before your visa expires.
  • Please email student-visas@bristol.ac.uk for a CAS eligibility form.
  • We may need to check your academic eligibility for CAS with your School and Faculty
  • Some tuition fee debts may stop us from issuing a new CAS
  • You do not need to print a copy of your CAS email for your visa application; you need to enter the CAS number in the appropriate section of your visa application form.
  • Having a CAS does not guarantee your application will be successful. You must also meet the other requirements for applying for a student visa.

After you get your CAS

Check:

  • Are your personal details correct?
  • Are your course details correct?
  • How much have you paid to the University for your tuition fees? Is this reflected in CAS and can you meet the financial requirements
  • Do you need an ATAS certificate? See our ATAS guidance
  • If you are a University of Bristol financially sponsored student, are the details of your sponsorship reflected in CAS and correct?

If there are issues with your CAS, please contact the teams below: 

How long your CAS is valid for

Your CAS will be valid for six months. Any visa applications you make must be made during this period. If your CAS is older than six months, your student visa application will be refused.

When applying for a visa inside the UK you must apply before your current permission expires. If applying outside the UK, please remember that you must arrive in the UK before your course start date, hence it is important to allow enough time for your application to be processed. Please use this tool to learn about the approximate processing times in your country. 

If your visa is refused or you decide not to use your University of Bristol CAS

In either of these situations, please email student-visas@bristol.ac.uk with details.

Unpaid debts to the University of Bristol

If you have any unpaid debts to the University of Bristol, e.g. tuition fees from last semester, these may appear on your CAS. In some cases tuition fee debt can stop the University from issuing a CAS