International students are the beating heart of LSE, making up around 70% of our student body. LSE is widely recognised as one of the most international universities in the UK. Navigating a new country while managing an intense academic workload can feel like a lot to take on. This page is your practical hub for settling into London, staying compliant with visa regulations, finding financial or academic support, and building your community.
LSESU has seven Part-Time Officers who represent students at the highest level of the Students’ Union. The International Students Officer is one of these! They are tasked with representing international students in the SU’s Executive Committee, and will also often be a representative within university spaces. This means that international students will always have a voice advocating on their behalf in these spaces.
You can find out how to get in touch with this year’s International Students Officer here.
Your journey to LSE starts months before you step onto Houghton Street. Focus on compliance, realistic budgeting, and secure housing.
Pre-arrival checklist
Secure and understand your visa: read your visa conditions, vignette dates, and constraints carefully. Use LSE's official visa guidance page to avoid common errors. Term dates strictly dictate your work permissions.
Budget realistically for London: build a monthly budget covering rent, utilities, transit, food, and social activities. LSE's student life pages have living cost guidance to help benchmark your expectations.
Start your housing search early: research the London rental market, and decide whether university halls or private accommodation suits you best. Review the fundamentals of UK renting before sending any money.
Welcome to London! Your first few days are all about getting grounded and settling into the big city.
Do not wait until you're sick to look for a doctor. Registering with a GP is your main entry point to free routine healthcare and specialist referrals under the NHS.
Start here: LSE's own healthcare in the UK page is the most LSE-specific overview, and a good first stop.
Find a GP: use your postcode to find a nearby clinic on the NHS GP finder
Complete registration: submit forms online or in person, and keep your NHS number safe once issued.
Urgent vs emergency care: book a GP appointment for general illnesses. Call 111 for non-life-threatening medical advice and call 999 or go to A&E for a life-threatening emergency.
Open a UK bank account: high-street banks (HSBC, Barclays) or digital banks (Monzo, Revolut) require an official LSE student status letter, downloadable from LSE For You (LFY) once you're fully enrolled.
Get a UK SIM card: standard international roaming rates build up fast. Grab a local prepaid or contract SIM. You can even go with an e-sim for more convenience!
Join national and cultural societies: with 250+ student-led societies, you can find a “home away from home.” A few to start with: the LSESU International Students' Society, plus dozens of country- and region-specific societies. You can browse the full Search Societies directory to find what you like.
Join a sports club: with over 45 clubs ranging from competitive teams to social and fitness-based activities, there's something for everyone. Explore LSESU clubs.
Meet your International Students Officer: an elected, part-time student representative who advocates for international students' interests within the Students' Union and across university boards. Find out how to get in touch with this year's representative here.
London is a vibrant, fast-paced global city, and adapting to it is part of the experience. Here's what you need to know.
Most Student visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week during term time.
LSE has a great webpage for international students here, and it’s LSE that is best-placed to help with any visa or immigration advice that you may need. You can get visa advice and find out how to contact the team here.
Expect an adjustment period! Adapting to London's pace, the weather, or a different style of living is completely normal.
The UK academic system: LSE emphasises independent research, critical analysis, and specific essay formats that may differ from your home system. The UK's marking scale can also come as a surprise. For instance, a mark in the high 60s or 70s is often a strong result, not a disappointing one, even though it can look low compared to grading scales elsewhere. Ask your department for their marking criteria if this is unclear. LSE LIFE runs academic workshops, one-on-one essay drop-ins, and study skills sessions.
Extenuating circumstances: if something affects your ability to complete coursework or sit exams, LSE has a formal extenuating circumstances process. Ask your department or LSE LIFE early in the semester.
Deposit protection: in England, private landlords must legally place your deposit into a government-approved protection scheme (and give you the paperwork) within 30 days of receipt. If they don't, you may be entitled to compensation — see GOV.UK tenancy deposit protection
Subletting safety: check your primary tenancy agreement first to confirm subletting is permitted, and keep every contract, agreement, and inventory log in writing.
LSE Subletting community: the student-run LSE Subletting Instagram page [@LSESUBLETTING] is an active peer platform for temporary listings. Make sure to always verify in person before transferring money.
International students are eligible to access LSE’s Student Support Fund and LSESU’s Hardship Fund! We know that it can sometimes be difficult to find financial support as an international student in the UK, but as long as your financial difficulties are unforeseen, the Financial Support Office and Hardship Fund Panel is able to consider an application from any registered student.
LSE Student Support Fund and LSE Access Fund: available to students of all fee statuses facing financial shortfalls, including international students.
LSESU Hardship Fund: a means-tested emergency fund for sudden, unplannable expenses (short-term housing crises, emergency medical travel, short-term visa delays).
Scholarships: as well as LSESU's scholarship and bursary guide, UK-government-funded schemes such as Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships are worth checking if you haven't already. LSE's Financial Support Office can point you to what you may be eligible for.
This page will only stay useful if it keeps growing. If you've found a resource that's missing, or want to suggest something for a future update, let us know.
Suggest a resource via this form
Get in touch with the International Students' Officer to raise an issue, give feedback, or get involved in a campaign
Join or start a conversation in a relevant society, many of the ideas on this page are things students can help shape directly!
Site design by Elliot Parker.