How can I become a student visitor?

We welcome students from other Academic Institutions to undertake short research projects as part of their degree.

Agreement of research group

Before making any applications, please directly contact the research group you wish to work with and ask if they would be willing to support your application to be a student visitor in the department.

You can find more about our research groups on our research pages and on the academic staff pages.

You must have the consent of a research group before you proceed further, this will be confirmed with your proposed supervisor.

Signed Student Visitor's Agreement

Prior to your visit you must have a signed Student Visitor's Agreement in place.

In order to set up your agreement we will require the following:

1. A letter from your home institution confirming that:
   1. You are a registered student (including level of degree and the start and end date of your overseas qualification)
   2. Your visit is approved (including the start and end date of your visit to Cambridge) and is part of your degree studies
   3. You will be returning to your home institution when your visit to Cambridge is complete
2. Transcripts from your institution if available, or other official confirmation of your recent grades
3. Confirmation that you have secured funding that will cover your living costs while in the UK and a copy of your funding letter if you have applied for any external funding such as a grant or scholarship
4. A colour scan copy of the details page from your passport, and of any previous UK study visa if applicable.
5. A full colour scan of the details page of your passport
6. Proof that you meet the language requirement (see below)

Language Requirement

The University has agreed that it is important that a visiting student’s English language proficiency is at a sufficiently high level for their period of study at Cambridge. We require a TOEFL or IELTS test taken up to 2 years prior to the start date of your visit with the following scores:

*For tests taken after 21 January 2026, students might be referred to the Language Centre for an additional assessment. 

If a student has an acceptable English language test obtained within the last two years but does not meet the standard English language requirements for the University, the Language Centre is able to assess those individuals who obtain either of the following:

**Tests taken on or before 21 January 2026 only. For TOEFL tests taken after this date, we require a score of 100 and 25 in each element. 

Visiting students are advised not to contact the Language Centre directly to request a referral. Referrals can only be done by the Department Research Personnel Administrator. There is a cost for the service, and their decision is final.

International students requiring a visa

If you are from outside of the UK and Ireland and you plan to study here, you will require the correct Visa.

• Visitor visa  - for a visit of 6 months or less
• Student visa - for a visit between 6 and 12 months

Contact us

If you would like to be a student visitor and need more information, or if you encounter questions or obstacles in your application process, we are here to help. Please contact us!

Department of Chemistry Visitor Administration