Working in the UK

The main purpose of a student visa is to allow study in the UK, not work. If you hold a student route visa, you must adhere to the working restrictions attached to your visa.

UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) calculates working hours from Monday to Sunday, so you must ensure that you do not exceed 20 hours within Monday to Sunday.

The 20 hours limit is for all work you undertake regardless of multiple employers.

Term Time: If you are studying for a qualification at degree level or above

You can work up to 20 hours a week in term-time (A 'degree-level' programme is at SCQF level 9 or higher / RQF level 6 or higher).

You can work the usual 20 hours a week limit during term-time (would be in addition) during an ‘assessed and integral’ work placement that is part of your programme.

Official vacation, periods before and after studies: Studying below and above degree level

You may work full-time hours before your programme starts (CAS start date) and at the end of your term-time studies, provided your visa remains valid.

The period at the end of studies (if you have completed your studies on time) would count as an official vacation period (wrap-up period).

Please note that your studies are not considered complete until your results are officially published, confirming that you have passed all components of your course and will be awarded accordingly.

If your visa sponsorship has been withdrawn, or you haven't completed your studies on time, please get immigration advice from the Visa and International Support Team. 'Term time' may extend where you have resits/repeats. It may vary with changes to studies or Student visa sponsorship.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate (taught) students

This will be the official course end date stated on your most recently used CAS.

If repeating studies: If you fail your exams and are repeating any modules or assessments and coursework during your Student visa wrap-up period, you will be considered to be in term-time as you are continuing to study and haven’t completed your studies. You should only work 20 hours per week when studying.

Postgraduate Research students

Your course completion date (term time ends) is once you have submitted all academic work (Post Thesis submission, Viva, and any submitted final corrections).

Your Director of Studies must confirm that any submitted corrections have been approved by examiners (Post Viva with final Thesis submission).

Extra time after your course end date (wrap-up period)

Students on a full-time programme longer than 12 months are issued a Student visa to cover the CAS course end date plus four additional months. This extra time after study is sometimes called the Student visa 'wrap-up period'. This last four-month period of your visa is 'outside of term time/after study' as long as your visa has remained valid, and you completed your studies on time.

With a Student visa, you can do most kinds of work, but you must not

• Take a permanent 'full-time' job
• Be self-employed
• Engage in a business activity
• Be employed as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
• Be employed as an entertainer  

There is also a helpful and comprehensive UKCISA blog post that should help you to decide if the job you would like to take up is allowed under a Student visa.

It covers:

• Types of work not permitted under a student route i.e. professional sportsperson/entertainer or self employment
• Volunteering vs Voluntary work
• The risks of illegal working
• Income Tax
• Gig Economy (such as working for Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat, DPD)

Although the above list may seem straightforward, there are grey areas. Speak to us if you are unsure.

You can prove your right to work by providing all the information in the lists below.

With a Student visa, you are allowed to do:

• Paid employment and work and/or
• Volunteering, and/or
• Unpaid employment and/or ‘voluntary work’

However, you must remember to follow your Student visa working restrictions

Differences between volunteering and voluntary work

‘Volunteering’ offers the opportunity to undertake a wide range of activities. It is not paid, but you can meet new people and make a difference in your local community. There are many ways of finding volunteering opportunities, usually at a charity or public sector organisation. For the activity to count as ‘volunteering’, it must meet certain conditions. The UKVI Student caseworker guidance explains that volunteers do not have a contract and must not be a substitute for an employee. Volunteers would not be paid, though it is possible to receive ‘reasonable’ travel and subsistence expenses. This is usually limited to food, drink or travel expenses only.

Volunteer Scotland opportunities

'Voluntary work’ has a different meaning from ‘volunteering’. Voluntary work is typically characterised by working for the ‘benefit’ of a charity, voluntary organisation, or related fund-raising or statutory body. It would be classed as unpaid voluntary work/employment, if you get any other type of payment, reward, or benefit in kind. This includes any promise of a contract or paid work in the future. As ‘Voluntary work’ is classed as ‘unpaid employment’, any worked hours must be counted toward your weekly work hour limitation as a Student visa holder (during term time).

Useful links

• Careers Support
• Employment status: Overview

Edinburgh Napier is unable to provide personalised letters regarding a your right to work. 

If your employer needs evidence of your right to work you can do the following:

1. Get a Confirmation of Studies Letter. This can be requested via the Edinburgh Napier App under the “e-student record” tile.  This letter will confirm your name, date of birth, address, start date of your course, expected end date of your course and the year and level of study. 
2. View your eVisa and get your share code to prove your right to work UK government website.
3. Download the appropriate working letter from the menu below. 

Give your employer your confirmation of studies letter, your right to work sharecode and the working letter. 

Full-time PhD students may take up to 40 days holiday each year including Christmas and Easter holidays.

Your Director of Studies must approve your time and duration of any holiday period. You are advised to discuss plans for taking time off with your supervisor, before confirming holiday bookings.

During your formal holiday period, you are entitled to work more than 20 hours per week. If you need evidence of your approved holiday period, you can request this directly from your Director of Studies.

If you started your course before September 2024 or you do not see an appropriate version of the letter for your course below, please complete this online letter request instead and we will email your letter to you.

Working in the UK letter | Edinburgh Napier University

Whilst you are studying with the College, please contact the college office for your employment letter. When you progress to the University, please use the appropriate link below based on the intake you progressed to the University.

• Undergraduate students who progressed to the University in September 2024 UG Working Letter (PDF 100Kb)
• Postgraduate students who progressed to the University in September 2024 PG Working Letter (PDF 100Kb)
• Postgraduate students who progressed to the University in January 2025 PG Working Letter (PDF 100Kb)