Main registration

All students are required to register in person at the start of their course.

About registration

You are required to register your attendance as soon as possible when you arrive.

What happens at main registration?

At main registration:

Your personal information and ID will be checked
You will collect your campus card.

If you were able or asked to provide a photo during online pre-registration, your campus card will be ready for you when you register in University Hall or MySurrey Hive during your first week, providing your photo was suitable (you should have received an email from Student Records if it was not suitable).

If you weren’t able or asked to provide a photo, we will let you know what to do when you attend Main Registration.

If you haven’t completed online pre-registration

We recommend doing this before you arrive as it will save you time and make the registration process much smoother. But if you are unable to do it, just let us know when you attend Main Registration and we will provide you with a laptop to do it there and then.

When is main registration?

Main Registration dates will be added here when they become available. Our next dates will be in January/February 2025.

If you cannot attend, you must get in touch as soon as possible.

Main registration for Postgraduate Research (PGR) students

Postgraduate Research students have different registration arrangements. Please check your email inbox for an email with subject line "Welcome to the University of Surrey!" for the details. Contact researchdegrees@surrey.ac.uk if you have any questions.

How long will it take?

The process of registration should only take a few minutes with a staff member as long as you have the correct documentation with you (see 'Documentation required' section below. Depending on the queues you may be there for a few hours.

Main registration can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve only just arrived on campus. It can get very busy during peak times, so queues are likely.

If you do not complete registration

If you do not register you may have your place at the University suspended. If you are unable to attend registration please contact MySurrey Hive as soon as possible.

Documentation required

All students please note: 

Unfortunately, we cannot accept scanned copies or photocopies of your ID or visa documents. We can only accept your original documents
If you have a conditional offer and we haven't seen your certificates, then upload them to Surrey Self-Service to be checked, otherwise you don't need to bring them with you.

Official documentation

UK or Irish students

Please bring the same passport, birth certificate or National ID Card (Irish students only) that you uploaded during pre-registration with you.

If you do not have access to the document that you uploaded during pre-registration, or you forget it on the day, then in certain circumstances we can accept a UK photo driving licence instead. You must bring your original ID with you, photocopies or scans will not be accepted.

Students may register by showing a UK photo driving licence in the hall only if they have already uploaded a clear copy of a passport or birth certificate during pre-registration. In all other circumstances a driving licence will not be accepted in the hall and you will need to go and get your passport or birth certificate before you can register.

European and international students

Please select the type of visa/status that you hold from the list below to check what you will need to bring with you to registration.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that we keep copies of these documents, so we’ll take copies during registration. We’re also responsible for keeping a record of your immigration status and for reporting any student who does not register or attend their course at the University.

Please note:

Unfortunately, for main registration, we cannot accept scanned copies or photocopies of your passport or visa. We can only accept your original documents
If you have any queries about what visa documents you should bring to registration please search MySurrey website, where you will find lots of useful information about visas and contact details if you need more support.

University of Surrey Student Visa - issued outside the UK

In all cases:

Passport
30/90-day entry vignette
BRP card/stamped note from the Post Office confirming the BRP was not available. *

As applicable:

Border stamp confirming date of entry, or;
Other evidence of date of travel if no stamp was issued or an eGate was used. Other evidence can include booking confirmations, travel tickets or boarding passes.

If you were under 18 when making your visa application, you are required to bring a copy of the consent letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian that you provided when applying for your visa.

*You will need to collect your BRP from:

Guildford Town Post Office
56 High Street
Guildford
GU1 3ES

View Google directions from the University of Surrey to the Post Office.

You must collect your BRP from the Post Office within 10 days of arriving in the UK or before the end date on your entry visa (whichever is earliest) and you will need to show this to officers of the University to confirm that you are eligible to study at Surrey. if your BRP is not available at the Post Office you will instead be given a stamped note confirming this to show at registration.

See UKCISA's advice for collecting your BRP.

University of Surrey Student Visa - issued inside the UK

In all cases:

Passport
BRP card/stamped note from the Post Office confirming the BRP was not available.

If you were under 18 when making your visa application, you are required to bring a copy of the consent letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian that you provided when applying for your visa.

University of Surrey Student Visa - digital status

In all cases:

Passport.

As applicable:

Border stamp confirming date of entry, or
Other evidence of date of travel if no stamp was issued or an eGate was used. Other evidence can include booking confirmations, travel tickets or boarding passes
If you have already provided a Share Code to the University no additional action is required
If you have not yet provided a Share Code to the University please do so before in-person registration so we can verify your status. The online pre-registration system includes a section to provide a share code, or if you have already completed that process, please send us a code through Surrey Support. When generating your Share Code please make sure you choose the third option ('Something Else') when asked what the code will be used for. Choosing either of the other options means unfortunately the code will not work with the verification system we have access to.

If you attend registration without first sending us a Share Code you will still be registered, but the process may be delayed.

If you were under 18 when making your visa application, you are required to bring a copy of the consent letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian that you provided when applying for your visa.

Ongoing Student Visa application

If you have applied for a Student Visa sponsored by the University of Surrey you can still register as long as you bring the following documents with you to registration.

In all cases:

Passport
BRP card for your previous UK visa
Home Office Document Checklist confirming submission of visa application.

As applicable:

Sopra Steria Biometric Appointment Confirmation, or;
IDV Biometric App confirmation.

Indefinite Leave/Settlement Visa

In all cases:

Passport
Evidence of your current status. Depending on when your visa was issued this may be in the form of a BRP card or passport vignette.

If your vignette was issued in a previous passport that is acceptable as proof of immigration status.

EU Settlement Scheme

In all cases:

Passport or EU National Identity Card

As applicable:

BRP Card, or;
If you hold a digital visa status and have already provided a Share Code to the University no additional action is required.

If you have not yet provided a Share Code to the University please email a valid code to Surrey Support before registration so we can verify your status. When generating your Share Code please make sure you choose the third option ('Something Else') when asked what the code will be used for. Choosing either of the other oprions means unfortunately the code will not work with the verification system we have access to.

If you attend registration without first sending us a Share Code you will still be registered, but the process may be delayed.

Visitor Visa

Only acceptable for programmes of study up to six months in length.

In all cases:

Passport.

As applicable:

Visa vignette or visa entry stamp, or
Other evidence of date of travel if an eGate was used. Other evidence can include booking confirmations, travel tickets or boarding passes.

Asylum Application

In all cases:

Application Registration Card (ARC)
Bail 201 Notice.

As applicable:

Passport or Travel Document, if held.

Tier 2/Skilled Worker Visa

In all cases:

Passport
BRP card.

As applicable;

If you are enrolling on a full time degree programme please provide a letter from your sponsor confirming that enrolment on our programme will not negatively interfere with the employment you have been sponsored to undertake.

British National Overseas Visa

In all cases:

Passport.

As applicable:

BRP Card, or;
If you hold a digital visa status and have already provided a Share Code to the University no additional action is required.

If you have not yet provided a Share Code to the University please email a valid code to Surrey Support before registration so we can verify your status. When generating your Share Code please make sure you choose the third option ('Something Else') when asked what the code will be used for. Choosing either of the other options means unfortunately the code will not work with the verification system we have access to.

If you attend registration without first sending us a Share Code you will still be registered, but the process may be delayed.

Refugee Status, PBS Dependant Visa, UK Ancestry Visa, UK Spouse/Family Visa, or Turkish Worker Visa (including family members)

In all cases:

Passport
Visa Document; BRP card or passport vignette.

Graduate Route visa

The Graduate Route visa only allows limited study options, and cannot be used for any of our main degree programmes.

If you intend to use a Graduate Route visa to study, please urgently contact Surrey Support to confirm this is appropriate.

If the Graduate Route is not suitable, you will only be permitted to register if there is time for a different visa application to be made.

Other types of visa

In all cases:

Passport
Proof of visa type; BRP, passport vignette or stamp.

If you hold a visa not covered in this list and have any queries before registration please contact Surrey Support.

Make sure you complete online pre-registration first.

Allow yourself plenty of time to attend main registration as there can be queues during busy periods.

Campus card

When can I get my campus card?

If you uploaded a suitable campus card photo when pre-registering then your card will be pre-printed and ready to collect when you attend main registration.

If you weren’t able to provide a photo then you can request one when you attend main registration, and this will be printed for you to collect from the library when it's ready

About your campus card

Your campus card gives you access to many facilities at the University. You can use it to:

Visit the Library (to borrow books, pay for photocopying, etc)
Access IT facilities
Access other buildings on campus.

Your campus card is also your Students’ Union identity card, enabling you to attend Students’ Union events and get student discounts in participating stores or venues.

It’s important to look after your campus card as there may be a charge for lost, damaged or stolen cards. The card should be returned to the Library if you leave the University permanently.

Find out more about campus cards.