Page updated: 12 August 2026
Welcome International Students
We hope this information may be of help to you in planning your first term at Girton.
The University also has a dedicated International Student Office. They also offer a free visa advice service and a fantastic Pre-arrival and orientation information guide.
The International Student Office have a guide on their webpage called 'Finding your way to Cambridge from London airports' and this guide provides an overview of how to get to Cambridge from the main London airports usually used by students when travelling to the UK. The guide can be found at the following link: Moving to Cambridge.
Please do check the guide on the website regularly for any updates.
We advise that you check the route you are planning to take prior to leaving due to unexpected disruptions to public transport.
From the railway or bus station in Cambridge, the simplest way to College is by taxi: this may cost approximately £20.00.
We advise all students to have access to a UK bank account. You may need a letter confirming your student status and current address to open a bank account, this is something Student Services (email tutorial@girton.cam.ac.uk) can provide for you. This is especially important for international students as your current bank may not operate in the UK.
The International Student Office have information on their website about opening a bank account.
The National Health Service (NHS) is the UK’s state healthcare system providing a wide range of health care services including appointments with a doctor, hospital treatment and dental care. College also requires you to register with a local Cambridge GP (our College Nurses can help you with this).
The International Student Office have some useful information on their website about healthcare in the UK.
International Freshers Events
The College invites all non-UK Freshers to arrive in College earlier than other students to give them extra time to settle in and to take part in the International Freshers events. International Freshers are welcomed from Monday 28 September 2026. You will not have to pay for participation in the programme, or extra accommodation if arriving on 28 September, but you will be charged for any accommodation outside of your tenancy agreement at your usual weekly rate.
Hi everyone!
Congratulations on receiving your results! I am so excited for you to join us at Girton!
I am Jessica, your International Officer for the JCR this year, meaning that I am your point of contact for any issue that you may have, whether that may be for administrative issues (e.g. signing up for the one-pound bus pass), or a welfare issue (feeling homesick). I'm your girl!
I will also be organising your international freshers week, which is from the 28th to the 29th of September, two days' worth of activities designed for you to meet people and acclimatise to Girton and Cambridge before freshers week formally starts! Make sure you arrange your flights accordingly with this in mind!
Alongside the Girton specific activities that I have planned for you all, Cambridge's International Student Association also hosts events for all of the University's international students. I went to their 'Trip to Jacks' event last year and met so many other international students from other colleges over Cambridge's most famous and favourite gelato shop. See their Instagram page for more details regarding these events, as well as how to join their International Families https://www.instagram.com/isa.cambridge/. Also linked on their Instagram page is a helpful and comprehensive international student guide, so do refer to that also.
Please email me with any other concerns you may have!
Warm regards,
Jessica Keady, International JCR Officer