» DOWNLOAD HERE THE PRE-ARRIVAL GUIDE

Please note: the prices above are per single journey, and are based on one person travelling. Please contact us if your transfer is for more than one person.

*For Central London, an additional congestion charge of £15 applies from 7.00 to 18.00 Mon-Fri and from 12.00 to 18.00 Sat-Sun

If you have booked an airport transfer with us, you will be met at the airport. The driver will be holding a ‘Lewis School of English’ sign. For your safety, we will email you a password, which you should ask the driver to tell you when you meet. You will be taken directly to your accommodation. Do not worry if your flight is delayed as the driver will check flight information and will adjust their arrival time if necessary.

After the first hour following the landing time, you will be charged £45 per hour pro rata for any delays. This is to cover the cost of parking and the driver’s time.

If you wish to travel by public transport, here are our recommendations. Please note: coaches are generally much cheaper!

Coaches
nationalexpress.com
Trains
nationalrail.co.uk
Airports
Southampton (SOU) – Bournemouth (BOH) – London Heathrow (LHR) – London Gatwick (LGW) – London Stansted (STN) – London Luton (LTN)

Please telephone your host family to tell them when you expect to arrive in Southampton. Unless they are coming to the station to meet you, you should take a taxi to your homestay address. The price should be no more than £10-£15.

Please note it is a requirement of UK Visas & Immigration that any child under 18 travelling with an Adult (even if it is a brother or sister) needs a letter of authorisation from a parent giving their permission for their child to be accompanied by this particular Adult or Group leader. If the child is travelling alone, then the details of the taxi company or relative/friend meeting the child need to be stated in the letter. A copy of the passport of the parent signing the letter needs to be attached. Failure to produce the letter at immigration may cause some delay until verification is made OR in extreme cases, the child may be returned home.

» Dwonload here our Parental Consent Form for Under 18

We strongly recommend that you have comprehensive insurance to cover you in case of accident or emergency. Lewis School can arrange insurance cover through Howden Insurance Group* (previously Endsley Insurance).

Insurance Cover Standard: £10.00 per week
Insurance Cover Private: £20.00 per week

» Read more

Do I need a visa?
To find out whether you need a visa to study in the UK, check here on the UK Government website.
What types of student visa are there?
Student visas include:
Short-Term Study Visa – this visa is for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months.
Standard Visitor Visa – this visa allows you to attend an English language course that lasts less than 6 months. EE &EUA visitors will get this on arrival. Visitors from other nationalities will need to apply before traveling.
 
Where can I apply for a visa?
To find a visa application centre in your country, click here.

The UK government recently introduced the ETA to enable a quicker and more secure digital immigration system.

Who must apply for an ETA?
You can get an ETA instead of a visa if you are planning to travel to the UK to visit for up to 6 months, including for study. Travellers from visa-exempt countries such as EU/EEA countries will need to apply for an ETA before travel.

• Eligible non-Europeans can now apply for an ETA and will need an ETA to travel from 8 January 2025
• Eligible Europeans can apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel from 2 April 2025.

How much does it cost?
It costs £10 to apply and you will normally get a decision in less than three days.

For more information and to check if you can apply, visit the UK Home Office website at this link

An ETA gives you permission to travel to the UK.

Who can apply

You can apply now if you’re a national of:

▶ Bahrain    ▶Kuwait  ▶ Oman  ▶ Qatar  ▶ Saudi Arabia  ▶ United Arab Emirates

You can get an ETA instead of a visa if you’re:

– coming to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study
– coming to the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
– coming to the UK for a permitted paid engagement
– transiting through the UK – including if you’re not going through UK border control

You also do not need an ETA if you have any of these

– a visa
– permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme)
– a British or Irish passport
– a British overseas territories citizen passport

If you’re coming to the UK for another reason, check if you need a visa instead.

How much it costs

It costs £10 to apply. Everyone travelling needs to get an ETA, including babies and children. You can apply for other people. You cannot get a refund after you apply.

How long it takes

You’ll usually get a decision within 3 working days, but you may get a quicker decision. Occasionally, it may take longer than 3 working days.
In case of a group, each person must apply separately.  You may get a decision at a different time from someone else in your group – even if you applied at the same time.

For more details and to apply click here to be directed to the UK Government Website

You can download our Pre-Arrival Guides, which will help you and your parents/guardians to prepare for your stay, and to answer questions you may have about our programmes.
We look forward to welcoming you soon here at the Lewis School!

Download our Pre-Arrival Guide for Year-Round Stays

Download our Pre-Arrival Guide for Summer Stays

Whether you are travelling individually or as a group, we can arrange travel from your airport to your accommodation.

Please complete and return our Parent/Guardian Consent Form.
Please also print the form, sign it, and make sure your child travels with this document. They may need to show it at border control at the airport.
NB. it is a requirement of UK Visas and Immigration that any child under 18 travelling with an Adult (even if it is a brother or sister) needs a letter of authorisation from a parent giving their permission for their child to be accompanied by this particular Adult or Group leader. If the child is travelling alone, then the details of the taxi company or relative/friend meeting the child need to be stated in the letter. A copy of the passport of the parent signing the letter needs to be attached. Failure to produce the letter at immigration may cause some delay until verification is made OR in extreme cases, the child may be returned home.

We strongly recommend that you have comprehensive insurance to cover you in case of accident or emergency. Lewis School can arrange insurance cover through Howden Insurance* (previously Endsleigh Insurance) .

Insurance Cover Standard: £8.00 per week (including Covid cover)
Insurance Cover Private: £16.00 per week (including Covid cover)

READ MORE

Do I need a visa?
To find out whether you need a visa to study in the UK, check here on the UK Government website.
What types of student visa are there?
Student visas include:
Short-Term Study Visa – this visa is for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months.
Standard Visitor Visa – this visa allows you to attend an English language course that lasts less than 6 months. EE &EUA visitors will get this on arrival. Visitors from other nationalities will need to apply before traveling.
 
Where can I apply for a visa?
To find a Visa application centre in your country, click here.