What to bring

It’s a good idea to bring some money to cover expenses for the first few weeks. Any financial support you're expecting (loans, grants, bursaries, scholarships or sponsorship) is usually only released after we have confirmed that you have enrolled on your course.

Funding may also be late if you applied after the deadline, and bank transfers can take up to two weeks to process if you are setting up a UK bank account for the first time. Check our finance for students section for more information.

We like to keep you updated, but there are some emails that will really help make your first few days run smoothly. It’s worth bringing copies, or saving emails or screen shots, of the following communications:

• Confirmation email: Sent when your place is confirmed and includes the start date for your course. Most courses start at on 25 January but some will start earlier – you can also check our academic dates pages.
• Accommodation move-in confirmation: If you are living in the BU student accommodation portfolio, your contract start date is 23 January. However, under the current circumstances, we are this year looking to offer you the chance to arrive earlier in order to enable physical distancing. You will be contacted at least two weeks before your contract start date with further information about when you can arrive. If you are living in private rented accommodation then please check the start date on your contract and contact your landlord direct to discuss this.
• Registration email: Sent from 6 January, this will include the time, date and location of your first session and details about how to register and enrol on your course.

Travelling from overseas? 

It is a good idea to also carry original certificates of the following documents in your hand luggage so you can keep them safe - it is also a good idea to keep a spare copy in your larger luggage.

• Proof of your identity: Photo ID such as a passport or driving licence to collect your keys to your accommodation (and bus pass if you’ve requested one) and enrol on your course
• Educational qualifications: Original certificates for the qualifications required for your course (e.g. BTEC, A-level, degree, English language qualification) and official translations if not originally in English
• NHS or HPC professional courses: Original Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) certificate
• Tier 4 student Visa: In order to organise your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) once you're in the UK you will need your passport including your entry clearance sticker plus the letter you recieved from the Home Office with your visa (view a sample).

If you’re moving to BU halls or a UniLet house, check this helpful guide (pdf 200kb) which shows what is included in each accommodation. There is also a seperate preparing to move here webpage going over how to collect your keys, what to bring with you for BU halls or a UniLet house and any Covid-19 precautions you will need to be aware of when arriving.

If you're renting privately, contact your provider as they should be able to give you this information too.

The best advice we can offer is to not over-pack and consider how you are travelling to your new home... are there weight restrictions on your flight, will you be able to carry everything, do you really need it?

It’s likely your room is for single occupancy, with limited storage so stick to the essentials as you can always buy things once you are here. You are also likely to be sharing a kitchen and lounge space so shopping for items for these areas can be a good way to get to know each other when you arrive.  

Here's our essential items list:

• Duvet, pillows and bed linen (or order a bedding pack from UniKitOut - see below)
• A towel
• Cutlery and crockery (enough for you!)
• Some pots and pans (some flats have induction hobs, we suggest that you bring suitable pans)
• Cooking utensils 
• Tin opener and vegetable peeler
• A tea towel
• A warm winter coat and comfy shoes
• Enough clothes to make you feel good but not so many you have nowhere to put them
• Some photos or posters to pin to your notice board to make you feel at home.

If you are travelling from abroad, you don’t need to bring these items in your luggage. Local supermarkets and shops will stock everything you need, so you can buy them when you get here. You can find out more about what to bring in our blog.

If you are arriving in the UK from a country not on the UK Government’s travel corridor list, you must follow the Covid-19 guidelines for self isolating when you arrive. From the date you arrive in the UK you must not leave your accommodation for a minimum of 10 days. Information about the support available to you whether you are staying in BU managed or private accommodation will be shared with you in the new year.

Please note that during your isolation period you will not be able to obtain food or medicine in person. All the major supermarkets offer a home delivery service and you may find the following links useful to order supplies in advance. Some supermarkets have a minimum spend and some charge for delivery. You can visit the SaveTheStudent website for comparisons of minimum spend and delivery charges.

• Aldi
• ASDA
• Co-Op
• Iceland
• Ocado
• Sainsburys
• Tesco
• Waitrose
• HelloFresh: Order full meals plans and recipes, delivered to your accommodation from £2.50 per meal.

Most chemists are able to arrange delivery of medicines if you register for the home delivery service. You can find a list of local pharmacies at https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-pharmacy.

“Test to Release” scheme

Under this scheme you can choose to pay (approximately £120) for a private Covid-19 test which you complete 5 days after your arrival to the UK. If the result comes back as negative, you can stop self-isolating.

You should book your test with a private test provider BEFORE you travel to England. This is so you can enter details of the test when you opt into the scheme on the passenger locator form.

Please read the information on the government website for more details. For the latest Covid-19 information from BU, please read our frequently asked question page.

To reduce how much you bring to set up your new home, you can buy lots of essential items from UniKitOut and have everything delivered directly to your accommodation - claim 10% discount by quoting your unique code BU10 when you check out.

If you are travelling from overseas, the bedding pack is a great option as you don't need to pack these items, or shop for them after a long journey when you will be tired. Please note, in the UK shops selling these items, including supermarkets, will close at 16:00 on a Sunday. 

NHS conditions for studying a professional course mean you will need to complete both a Occupational Health Check and a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check online. If you don't complete these checks, your first placement may be delayed so we recommend that you complete them before you arrive.You will be sent an email with your personal login information to complete these checks. If you can't find the email or are unsure of what to do, please contact AskBU.