Transport London - hvordan finne frem til skolen - Generell info. Hampstead School of English - London - Engelskkurs

This page has useful information to help you plan your trip and arrive safely and conveniently at your accommodation.
It covers immigration, money, insurance, electrical equipment and what to wear.

Please don't forget to read our advice on your first day at school and living in London as well.

Please make sure that your passport is valid and that you have a visa (if you need one) prior to your travel date. It is best to have a passport that is valid for the entire duration of your stay in London in order to avoid having to renew your passport at the embassy in London. If you are not sure whether you need a visa please check with your local British Embassy or view http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/.

Immigration officers will try to check that you are a serious student and they may look carefully at all your documentation. In particular they will want to ensure that you have sufficient money to support yourself during your stay here and that you will not need to work.

You will need to show your documentation from the school and information about your accommodation in London. Nationals from certain countries will require entry clearance prior to travelling to the UK, and you can check on your country’s status as well as the procedure to obtain entry clearance at: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/.

If your visa finishes before the end of your course, you must renew it with the Home Office one month before it finishes. You will need a letter from the school proving that you are a student here together with details of your address in London and proof that your fees have been paid. Please note that the letter will also include a summary of your attendance and the Home Office will not accept attendance of less than 80%. Please speak to anyone in the Office for help and advice with this.

Students from the European Community need not register with the police, but all other students – if you are staying in the UK for more than six months – must register with Borough Police Station this can be found at: Ground floor, Brandon House 180 Borough High St London SE1 1LH
Tel: 020 7230 1208 Nearest Underground Station Borough (Northern Line)

It is a good idea to register with your embassy in London in case you lose your passport or have an accident. We have all the embassy addresses in the school so please ask anyone in the Office for this.

It is a good idea to bring some money in Sterling Travellers' Cheques as well as some cash for the first few days. It is possible to change money at banks and bureaux de changes in London. It is also helpful if you ask your bank for their correspondent bank in London in case you need this information.

We recommend that, if you are in half board accommodation arranged by the school, you provide sufficient money to cover the following:

Weekly travel card: £20 - 28 per week
Lunch, drinks and snacks: £3 - 4 per day
1 Full day excursion: £25 - 30

If you are staying in our studio accommodation and will be cooking your own meals, you should consider the following costs:

Weekly Travel Card: £20 - 28 per week
Food for one week (for items purchased at a local supermarket): £25 - 30 per week
1 Full day excursion: £25 - 30

Banks are usually open from 09.30 to 16.30 from Monday to Friday and many banks offer a Saturday morning service.

If you are here for six months or more and would like to open a bank account, please ask anyone in the office for a letter from the school proving evidence that you are studying here. To receive a letter you will be required to provide evidence of your address in London (for example a tenancy agreement or contract) and your home country address. Many banks are reluctant to open accounts for students who are here for less than one year and these are very strict requirements. Please visit the office at school and we will recommend a bank that is likely to open an account for you. It is often very helpful to contact your bank in your country and ask them if they have a branch in London that will open an account for you.

If you have a credit card or bankcard from your country that has a ‘Cirrus’ or ‘Maestro’ symbol, you will be able to withdraw money from cash points in London from your home account. You should check with your bank or credit card company to find out if you will be charged for this service. Most banks will add a surcharge to your transaction if you use the cash point in a foreign country.

Bureau de Change services are available all over London but please check the rate of exchange and the commission charged in advance as these vary considerably. There is a Bureau de Change at the Hampstead Safe Deposit a few doors away from the school. Some local post offices also offer a Bureau de Change and are commission-free, though their rates may vary from bank rates. The office staff will be happy to direct you to post offices that offer this service.

Please note that you can pay school fees by traveller’s cheques if you do not wish to exchange large amounts of money when you arrive. Remember that you are in a big city and should not carry a lot of cash with you.

We strongly advise all students to take insurance that covers them for medical attention, loss or theft of property, course cancellation and travel expenses. Fees are not refundable and medical attention can be costly.

There is a students' scheme with rates below, and if you would like to take out this insurance, please ask a member of the office staff.

1 week - £10
2 weeks - £12
3 weeks - £18
4 weeks - £20
5 weeks - £25
6 weeks - £30
2 months - £30
3 months - £45
4 months - £55
6 months - £78
7 months - £90
8 months - £100
9 - 12 months - £115

Medical and other expenses £1,000,000
Personal liability £1,000,000
Personal Injury £30,000
Re-imbursement of fees £5,000
Personal Possessions £800
Personal money £50
Passports, tickets, travel documents replacement £200

You should ensure that anything you bring into the UK, such as travel irons, hairdryers, heated rollers, electric shavers etc can be used on standard British voltage, which is 220-240v.

We advise that you purchase an electrical adapter before you travel, so that you can use your equipment as soon as you arrive. However, you can also purchase an electrical adapter whilst in London at Dixons, Woolworths, and some local supermarkets like Sainsburys or Tesco.

Whilst London is arguably the most exciting city in the Western Hemisphere, the weather is known to be changeable and to have 2 or 3 "seasons" in one day is quite normal! We recommend that you bring an umbrella (folding), jacket and sweater for most days. Everyone does a lot of walking in London so comfortable shoes are highly recommended. That said, shopping in London is fun and varied and you will be able to find suitable clothing here.

Average temperature range from 17 to 21 degrees Celsius but it can vary a great deal and we recommend that you bring light clothing together with sweaters and a light jacket as well as the usual t-shirts.

March to mid June and September to early November: Average temperature range from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius but it can vary a great deal and we recommend that you bring sweaters and a reasonably warm jacket.

Average temperatures range from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius and we recommend that you bring sweaters and a warm coat and a scarf.