Travelling to the University is a busy and exciting time for all students. If you're arriving from outside the UK, there are some extra things you'll need to think about, but we're here to help make your arrival as smooth as possible.
Practical tips for travelling
Preparing to travel abroad for your studies can feel daunting, but we're here to support you on your journey. The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides some really helpful advice on preparing for your arrival to the UK, including what documents you need to bring with you in your hand luggage.
When you arrive, you'll need to go through passport control - make sure you have your passport ready. It's important that you're also ready to answer questions about your visa and that you make sure the details are correct. Read more about immigration and passport control.
Once you've collected your luggage, you'll then need to pass through customs control. At this stage, you'll need to declare certain items. For a hassle-free experience, make sure you understand what restricted and prohibited items you shouldn't bring with you.
After passing through customs you can then make your way out of the airport, where a warm welcome will be waiting for you on campus!
Travelling to campus
Airport collection service
To help you reach campus more easily, we're currently reviewing our airport collection service for September 2023. We'll be updating our airport collection page when more information is available so keep checking back.
Airport collection
Travelling independently
Birmingham is located centrally in England, with strong transport links making it easier to get to via air, rail, and road. It has its own airport (BHX), and has three busy train stations. If you're travelling from other UK airports, or elsewhere in the UK, there are several ways to get here.
Train
The University of Birmingham has its own train station, simply called 'University' (UNI). There are also stations in Selly Oak (SLY) and at Five Ways (FWY) which are near to some student accommodations. Trains run through these stations up to every 10 minutes during the week, and regularly at weekends. You can plan rail journeys and check times and ticket prices in advance using National Rail Enquiries.
Birmingham New Street (BHM) is two stops away on the cross-city line and is a major national station, with trains running to cities across the UK, such as London and Manchester, as well as Wales and Scotland. If you're travelling by Eurostar, you'll need to change at London stations.
Coach
If you're travelling with heavy luggage, you may find a coach more convenient. Remember, that we offer free airport collections by coach from London Heathrow (LHR) over Arrivals Weekend.
You can travel to Birmingham Coach Station, in the Digbeth area of the city centre, and then take a taxi directly to your University accommodation. Coaches to Birmingham Coach Station is run by National Express, so only their coaches start and finish at this station.
Megabus coaches also travel to the city. Make sure you know where the stops are when planning your journey to Birmingham.