Handbook

Travel to the UK

Travel arrangements

Your initial travel to the UK is included as part of your scholarship and is arranged by the CSC.  The CSC will book a single economy flight from your home town’s nearest major airport to the nearest major airport to your university in the UK (as determined by the CSC) and one standard class train or coach fare in the UK, if appropriate. However, your travel can only be booked once you have received your visa to enter the UK.

Your Programme Officer will provide you with detailed instructions on how to book your travel using the CSC travel provider. All travel to the UK must be booked through the CSC travel provider’s online booking form. The travel provider will book your travel in line with the CSC Travel Policy. When completing the booking form, you should ensure your final destination is your UK university to ensure that a coach/rail ticket (if appropriate) can be booked to your final destination.

You will not be reimbursed for any airfare, train or coach fares that are not booked via the CSC’s travel provider. Taxi travel is expensive and you are advised not to travel by taxi; the CSC is not able to reimburse any taxi fares except if pre-approved in exceptional cases.

If you require any health or disability related assistance, please let your Programme Officer know in advance of making your booking so that we can arrange this with the CSC travel provider.

If you are already in the UK when your award is confirmed and you do not return home before your award commences, you will not be eligible for an airfare or a warm clothing allowance.

All award-holders are expected to be in the UK for their award start date, as stated in the Notification of Award. If you need to travel after the official start date of your award, you must ask for approval from your university and your Programme Officer in advance, giving the reasons for the delay. You should not assume that approval will be given and must not arrange any travel until you receive confirmation that you can register late.

The CSC cannot accept responsibility for accidents during your journey or for the loss of luggage, wherever or however these may occur. You should arrange appropriate travel insurance to cover your travel to the UK for the duration of your award.

Travel expenses

Your award will usually cover the following incoming travel expenses:

• Fares: One approved airfare from the nearest major airport to your home town in your home country to the nearest major airport to your university/host organisation in the UK (as determined by the CSC); one standard class train or coach fare to your final destination, if the arrival airport is not located in the same city as your university.
• Incidental expenses: One night’s hotel accommodation, only if your journey involves a necessary overnight stop en route to the UK as determined by the CSC travel provider and confirmed in advance by your Programme Officer.
• Excess baggage: Only if the standard baggage allowance for your flight is less than 30kg, the cost of bringing an additional 10kg or one piece of luggage from your home country to the UK. You must submit receipts clearly showing the weight and cost incurred with a reimbursement claim form to your Programme Officer after you have arrived in the UK.
• Please refer to the full CSC Travel Policy.

You must submit any claims for reimbursement within three months of your arrival in the UK. To download the reimbursement claim form and to see the full CSC Travel Policy, visit the Polices and Forms page.

Family members’ fares

You are personally responsible for the fares and luggage expenses of your family members. These can be arranged by the CSC travel provider and billed to you separately.

Currency

You should carry with you sufficient UK currency (pounds sterling) to meet any expenses that you may incur immediately when you arrive, in case there is a problem with accessing the funds on your cash card. A sum of £200 should be sufficient. If you are accompanied by dependants, you will need a correspondingly larger sum.

Arrival in the UK

Reception on arrival

The CSC does not offer a reception on arrival service in the UK. However, your university’s international office may be able to provide a ‘meet and greet’ service. We recommend that you check the information provided in your university offer letter about arrival services. You should also contact your university’s international office for advice and guidance on travelling to your accommodation when you first arrive in the UK – you can find contact details for your university’s international office on the institution’s website.

If you are using a university service and have any disability-related needs that require additional assistance, please ensure that your university is aware, so they can provide extra support.

Registration form

Once you arrive in the UK, you will need to complete the registration form provided by the CSC and submit it to your Programme Officer along with a copy of your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or visa (if your award is six months or less). You will also need to provide a copy of the visa decision letter (this will have been emailed to you by UKVI when you received your passport and visa from the visa application centre) and your passport photo page to your Programme Officer. You can find the registration form on the Policies and Forms page.

If you do not submit your registration form, BRP, visa decision letter, and passport photo page within the first three months of arriving in the UK, you risk having your stipend suspended.

Travel during your scholarship

Overseas travel

If you are planning to travel overseas during your award, you are responsible for arranging any visas that are required. We encourage you to arrange adequate insurance to cover your possessions, accidents, and illness during any periods of travel.

Please remember that your scholarship is for study in the UK, and you are expected to spend the majority of your time during your scholarship in the UK.

Master’s Scholars: If you are a Master’s Scholar and you wish to travel overseas at your own expense, you can do so for a period not exceeding two weeks.

PhD Scholars: If you are a PhD Scholar and you wish to travel overseas at your own expense, you can do so for a period not exceeding four weeks per academic year.

Split-Site Scholars: If you are a Split-Site Scholar and your scholarship is for one period of 12 months, you can travel overseas at your own expense for a period not exceeding two weeks. However, if your scholarship is for 2 periods of 6 months you are expected to spend your full time in the UK. You should speak to your Programme Officer before making any travel plans.

Please note that any overseas travel should take place during the university vacation and must be at a time approved by your supervisor or course lead in the UK. You do not have to ask your Programme Officer to approve overseas travel if it is within the time period limits stipulated above, but you must still notify your Programme Officer about each proposed trip in advance.

In cases where you need to travel overseas during term time, you must ask your supervisor or course leader to approve this travel during term time, no matter how short the trip.

You must also ensure that you inform your university’s immigration team of any planned travel and that your passport and UK visa are valid for a reasonable period from your expected date of return. You should be particularly mindful of seeking immigration advice if you are travelling outside of the UK towards the end of your programme, especially if you plan to return after the last day of your programme has passed. Please carry your Confirmation of Award with you when you re-enter the UK, in case you are asked to produce it.

If for any reason you want to travel overseas for longer than the time period limits stipulated above, you must ask your Programme Officer in advance for approval. You should be aware that approval is not likely to be granted, however, unless under exceptional circumstances. If you travel overseas for longer than the permitted time limits, your scholarship and all associated payments (including tuition fees) will be suspended, and any overpayments made to you will have to be returned to the CSC immediately.

If you are in receipt of family allowances and your family is planning to travel overseas for any period of time, you must inform your Programme Officer at least three months in advance. The reason for this is that your spouse and/or child allowances will be suspended for the duration of the time spent overseas.

If, for any reason, you are unable to inform your Programme Officer in advance, you must contact them as soon as reasonably possible and return any family allowances paid to you for the period of time spent overseas.

Fieldwork

Master’s Scholars: If you are a Master’s Scholar and there is a requirement for you to undertake fieldwork, your university must inform the CSC that fieldwork is essential to your plan of studies, during the placement process. However, the CSC may refuse a fieldwork request if its value to the plan of studies has not been sufficiently demonstrated.

 

If your fieldwork request is approved, you will receive a stipend allowance (at the non-London rate) for a period of up to two months, but please note that you will not receive any additional funding to cover the costs of a return flight or any further costs.

 

If you are undertaking fieldwork in your home country and your university has given you permission to submit your dissertation remotely, you can use your homeward airfare for your travel. In this case, your stipend will not be paid for the final month of your scholarship, when you will be writing up your dissertation. To find out more, refer to the information under ‘Travel arrangements’.

 

PhD Scholars: If you are a PhD Scholar, your fieldwork plan must be determined during the placement process. Your supervisor must confirm at this point that fieldwork is essential to your plan of studies. Approved standard fieldwork provision will be indicated in your Notification of Award.

 

When you are planning your fieldwork with your supervisor, you must take into consideration that the scholarship is not designed to support long periods of overseas fieldwork which extend the length of time it will take you to complete your PhD. If your fieldwork is planned to be longer than the standard six months or needs to be extended for any reason, you and your supervisor must seek approval of extended fieldwork from your Programme Officer.

 

If you are eligible for a mid-term visit, this will be forfeited if you receive a return airfare to your home country for fieldwork. To find out more, please refer to the information under ‘Mid-term visits’.

 

Standard fieldwork provision

Standard fieldwork provision covers the reasonable costs of one economy return flight to one fieldwork location and the maintenance of your stipend at the non-London rate for a period of up to six months. Please be aware that your stipend will continue to be paid into your UK bank account.

 

If you prefer not to receive any stipend, you can choose to suspend your stipend for up to the standard period of six months and this period of suspension can then be added to the end of your award.

 

The CSC is unable to pay any further costs associated with fieldwork nor provide funding for costs such as research assistants, extensive overland travel, or gifts for participants. All fieldwork costs are expected to be covered by your stipend including accommodation, local travel, and maintenance.

 

Please note that spouse and child allowances cannot be paid for any period of time when your family is not in the UK. If your family stays in the UK while you are away on fieldwork, spouse and/or child allowances will be maintained, in addition to your stipend, if applicable. If your stipend is suspended during fieldwork, spouse and/or child allowances will also be suspended, even if your family is still in the UK.

 

If you are in receipt of a disability allowance and you go overseas for fieldwork then your disability allowance will be paid at an equivalent local rate.

 

Extended fieldwork provision

If your planned fieldwork is longer than six months, you can request to extend your fieldwork provision for a fixed period of time that must be agreed by the CSC in conjunction with yourself and your supervisor in advance of travel.

 

If approved, you can choose whether to receive a reduced local rate stipend for the period beyond six months or to suspend your stipend for a maximum of an additional six months.

 

If a suspension is approved, the duration of your suspension will be added to your scholarship tenure. Please be aware that the maximum period of time you can request for a suspension of your stipend is six months.

 

Please note that if your approved period of fieldwork extends beyond 12 months, your stipend will be paid at a reduced local rate and cannot be suspended. Any period of fieldwork during which you are paid the local rate stipend counts as your scholarship tenure and no additional time will be added on.

 

Booking fieldwork travel

Your Programme Officer must approve the actual timing of your fieldwork. You must submit the Fieldwork Form available on the Polices and Forms page at least eight weeks in advance of travel to book your travel. Your fieldwork flights must be booked through the CSC’s approved travel provider and within the parameters of the CSC Travel Policy. Please note that any flights booked without following these instructions will not be reimbursed.

 

You cannot book open-dated return flights or arrange stopovers, and you are expected to have planned and confirmed your fieldwork dates with your UK supervisor in advance of booking your flights.

 

You must inform your Programme Officer of any changes to the timing of your fieldwork and confirm your return to the UK in writing. You may be liable for any costs if your fieldwork plans change at short notice.

 

If you have a disability or a condition that means you are likely to require adjustments during fieldwork, please let your Programme Officer and your host institution know as soon as possible.

 

Mid-term visits

During your scholarship, you are able to request a mid-term visit to your home country under certain conditions. You will only be able to undertake a mid-term visit if:

 

• You have received written confirmation from the CSC that your scholarship has been extended to its maximum tenure.
• You have not claimed and do not intend to claim spouse and/or child allowances during your scholarship.
• You have not received or will not be receiving a return airfare to your home country for fieldwork.

 

The mid-term visit is for a period not exceeding 28 days, and usually takes place between the 15th and 28th month of your scholarship. Please note that requests for visits towards the end of your scholarship may be refused.

 

To request a mid-term visit, you must submit the mid-term visit form to your Programme Officer at least eight weeks in advance of your intended date of travel – this form is available on the Policies and Forms page. On the form you must include your preferred outward and return journey dates and a countersignature by your supervisor.

 

If your request for a mid-term visit is approved, the CSC’s travel provider will book you a return flight from the airport nearest to your university in the UK (as determined by the CSC) to the nearest major airport to your home town in your home country on the most cost effective route available.

 

You cannot book open-dated return flights, arrange stopovers, or take a mid-term visit to a country other than your home country. Any flights booked without following these instructions that fall outside of the CSC Travel Policy will not be reimbursed.

 

Your stipend will be suspended from the day that you leave the UK until the day that you arrive back in the UK. However, you will receive an allowance to cover the costs of accommodation during your visit home for up to 28 days. The allowance will be limited to the actual costs incurred during your visit or based on a pre-determined daily rate (currently set to £14.08 per day), whichever is lower.

 

You must submit a copy of your rental agreement, if applicable, to your Programme Officer when you submit your mid-term visit form. The rental agreement dates must cover the period for which you will be on mid-term visit.

 

Once you return to the UK, the period of suspension will be added to your scholarship tenure, to reflect the duration of time spent on your mid-term visit, up to a maximum of 28 days.

 

Please be aware that your stipend will be suspended for any period of time over the 28-day maximum that you spend on your mid-term visit.  If your mid-term visit goes beyond 28 days, this time will not be added to your scholarship tenure.

 

Travel from the UK

Travel arrangements

Towards the end of your scholarship, your Programme Officer will advise you on the procedure for booking your flight home. You must follow the travel guidance outlined by your Programme Officer and be aware that any flights that are booked outside of this procedure will not be reimbursed.

Your scholarship covers the cost of travel from the airport nearest to your university/host organisation in the UK as determined by the CSC to the nearest major airport to your address in your home country. The airfare will be chosen by the CSC travel provider. If you want to specify a particular airline, you may be asked to pay the difference in the cost of the airfare. Please be aware that any deviations from the approved route are not usually approved and may be limited in their flexibility. You should also be prepared to pay any extra costs for deviations from an approved route. Please refer to the CSC Travel Policy for more information.

If you need to change the date of your flight for reasons within your control, you must pay the cost of any changes. If you miss your flight, and the reason is within your control, you will be liable for any costs incurred in booking a new flight. You must contact your Programme Officer as soon as possible if you need to change your flight.

All flights must be booked in line with the CSC Travel Policy.

Travel expenses

Your scholarship covers the following travel expenses for your homeward journey:

• Fares: one standard-class train or coach fare, if appropriate, and one single economy airfare booked through the CSC’s approved travel provider on an approved carrier using the most economic and practical route possible, in accordance with airline schedules and the CSC Travel Policy.
• Excess baggage: a fixed rate, non-accountable allowance for excess baggage. You will receive this one-off payment when your homeward flight booking has been confirmed and you can use it to cover costs of sending your additional baggage home, either using international shipping or additional baggage allowances with your airline.
• You should note that taxi, Tube, or local bus fares will not be reimbursed.

Family members’ fares

You are personally responsible for the fares and luggage expenses of your family members. These can be arranged by the CSC’s approved travel provider and billed to you separately if required.