Moving to Bradford
Preparing for your move
You will probably feel excited and maybe a little nervous in the weeks before your big move to Bradford.
Now you’ve made the decision to study with us, it’s time to think about how you’ll get here and where you will stay.
The advice and information on this page should help you transition to the UK.
Finding a place to stay
We strongly advise all of our international students to arrange accommodation before they confirm their place with us. Finding a place to stay is competitive and it will take some time for the accommodation provider or housing agency to process your application. You will not be able to find a place to stay on the day you get here.
Our page on arranging accommodation can help you find a place to stay.
Cost of living
To see the estimated living costs for a single student, see our Living Costs page.
You will require additional funds if you bring your spouse and/or children. This is £680 per dependent per month, and for up to nine months. This is necessary to obtain a Student visa.
You will also need additional money for your accommodation and to help your family feel comfortable. We estimate that it will cost a minimum of an additional £5,000 for your spouse, and £2,500 for each child.
Your journey to Bradford
You will need to plan your journey from your home country to your accommodation in Bradford, and arrive for when your student enrolment takes place.
Our Pre-Arrival Booklet 2024 (8 MB) covers this more thoroughly and advises on what luggage and documents you should bring.
Getting to the UK
We suggest you book a flight to Leeds/Bradford Airport. This is the closest airport to the University and will be the most convenient for you.
There are regular connecting flights from London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris airports.
If this is not possible, you can also choose to fly to Manchester Airport, but please bear in mind that this is further away from Bradford.
The Pre-Arrival Booklet 2024 (8 MB) covers how to get to Bradford in detail.
Our Visiting our campus page can help you get from your accommodation to the University of Bradford.
Airport pick-up
The University runs an airport pick-up service from Leeds/Bradford Airport and Manchester Airport at certain times of the year.
This service must be booked in advance - register for airport pick-up now.
For more information on this service, or if you are only able to arrive after these dates, please email airportpickup@bradford.ac.uk.
Bringing your family
If you are thinking of bringing your family to stay with you for the duration of your course, you will need to make very careful plans.
We strongly advise you to come on your own initially. This will help you get familliar with life in the UK, and to find somewhere suitable for you and your family to live.
You will then be much better prepared to care for your family when they arrive.
It is important to think through matters such as accommodation, living costs, visas, as well as schools and nurseries, if you have children.
Nurseries and childcare for 5 year olds
If you have children under the age of five and would like them to go to a nursery, please be aware there are charges for places in nurseries and early education childcare providers in the UK. This includes our nursery facilities on campus.
It is important to apply well in advance if you would like your children to attend the University Nursery, as there is often a waiting list for places. See our Nursery web pages for more information.
There are other early education and childcare options in the Bradford district. The Bradford Council website explains the different childcare options and has a childcare search for you to find a provider. If you are staying outside of the Bradford district, you will need to search on the local authority's website for the area you are in.
It is important to budget for the childcare fees as it can cost more than £250 per week to have a child in nursery on a full-time basis.
Schools
Children of international students studying in the UK can go free of charge to state schools (from 5-18 years). Fee-paying places are available at independent schools (also from 5-18 years).
Arrangements should be made well in advance by contacting Bradford Metropolitan District Council for details of available places.
The postcodes areas closest to the University are BD7 and BD5. The school lists give the addresses and postcodes of all the schools, so you will be able to get an idea of which are likely to be in the University area.
You can contact the council directly for more information:
All schools are regularly inspected by the government, and a report is made public – this is called an Ofsted Report. You can view the inspection reports on the Ofsted website.
