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Global Opportunities

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  1. Global Opportunities
  2. Outgoing students
  3. Exchange Programmes
  4. Pre-departure information

Pre-departure information

If you're visiting this page, then you probably have been granted a Conditional Offer to go abroad with Queen Mary. Congratulations! You've made a great decision to enhance your Queen Mary degree with an experience overseas on one of our programmes.  

It is important for you to attend all Pre-Departure briefings/workshops/events to which you are invited, as pre-departure guidance varies depending on your exchange programme and destination. As you prepare for your exchange, these briefings are a vital way to receive useful information, to ask questions (saving you time and avoiding misunderstandings down the line) and also to meet other students going abroad.

You should not submit or complete any materials for the partner institution until you have accepted your Conditional offer of exchange and Queen Mary has confirmed that your nomination to the partner has been completed and accepted. 

Once you are holding a Conditional offer to go abroad next academic year, you will be given access to the Pre-Departure tab of our QMplus page "Go Abroad, Student Information & Resources" where detailed and complete pre-departure instructions will be later available.

In the meantime, you may find a general summary below of what pre-departure steps students complete:

Please ensure you read all information you receive from us and your host institution or organisation carefully and complete all actions.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are well prepared for your time abroad by following our guidance.

Students who:

  • Are made a Conditional Offer to study abroad will be advised on next steps to complete by the Global Opportunities Office;
  • Accept their Conditional Offer to study abroad will be nominated to the partner/host institution by either their academic department or the Global Opportunities Office;
  • Have not been made a Conditional Offer to study abroad by the Global Opportunities Office should not attempt to complete any application materials for any of our partner institutions or to contact them directly requesting such information.

Students whose nominations are accepted by the partner institution will:

  • Begin to receive communications directly from their host destination (either the international office and/or relevant academic department); these communications may be in English or in the language of the host destination;
  • Need to complete all host institution application procedures (forms, supporting documentation) as requested by the partner and by the specified deadlines.

Students will not be permitted to complete their mobility period as forecasted if they do not:

  • Meet the conditions specified in their Conditional Offer to study abroad;
  • Receive an offer of admission from their host institution as a result of not completing their application procedures by the specified deadline/s.

The list below is a a brief overview but by no means exhaustive of the steps that nominated students must complete before they depart on exchange. Your Checklist will cover all your required steps in more detail. In the meantime, you may refer to the below overview as you begin to research your programme and destination, contacting us if you have any queries:

  • Read all guidance sent from the GO Office and your academic department;
  • Attend any pre-departure briefings;
  • Complete ALL paperwork and actions from Queen Mary and the host institution by the deadlines (see "Checklist and paperwork" section of this webpage);
  • Apply for and complete all Student Finance forms and grants for which you may be eligible (where applicable), with the support of Advice and Counselling (only for Home/EU student with loans through Student Finance);
  • Review our Health and Safety page;
  • Consider your travel plans to your host country and familiarise yourself with the local situation and requirements for your stay there by consulting the below resources. Please note that several of the resources are provided by the UK Government. If you are a non-UK national student going abroad with Queen Mary, you should also consult and make a note of contacts from your home country (e.g. your nationality's embassy contacts in your host country).
  • Review your host institution's/organisation's information pages - familiarise yourself with their advice for incoming students around pre-departure, class registration, arrival, healthcare, visas and insurance etc.
  • Consult information about your country via resources in section below: "Resources to learn more about your host country";
  • Obtain relevant guidance on visas and insurance from your host institution;
  • Maintain your academic eligibility to participate on the Outbound Student Exchange Programme (see conditions of your offer); and
  • Ensure that you have made any funding bodies supporting you aware that you will be going overseas.

Before you set off for your exchange, you will need to organise your accommodation, contract(s), finances and make your travel arrangements (in addition to completing mandatory paperwork for both Queen Mary and your host institution abroad).

The following links should give you some advice to learn more about your forecasted host country:

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