Sidney fosters a diverse student population and we welcome students from nearly all over the world!

Today more than 25% of the University of Cambridge’s undergraduates (around 3,000 students) are from outside the UK, representing more than 90 countries. It's a great place to be a student and has a truly diverse community so wherever you're from, you'll quickly start to make friends and feel at home.

Applying from outside the EU

If you're applying from outside the EU, you'll need to submit a Cambridge Online Preliminary Application (COPA) as well as your UCAS application. There is also a small fee associated with international applications.

The deadline to submit your completed COPA form (and UCAS form) is 15 October, although if you wish to be interviewed overseas there is an earlier submission deadline for some countries. Please check the application timetable.

Remote interviews

We do occasionally offer remote interviews for international candidates on a case-by-case basis in certain subjects. If you wish to enquire further, please contact the Sidney Admissions Office.

English language requirements

If English isn't your first language, it's essential that your English language skills are good enough for you to undertake an intensive and challenging academic course that's taught and examined in English. Throughout the admissions process, Admissions Tutors will be assessing your English language skills as well as your academic ability. Discover our English Language Requirements on the University of Cambridge website.

If an applicant requires a visa to study in the UK and doesn't come from one of the countries classified by the home office as majority English-speaking as listed on the gov.uk website, then we have to be able to prove that the applicant has an adequate level of English in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Therefore, unless we can do this on the basis of the interviews and information available to us during the admissions process, it's very likely that we will ask for IELTS. A typical offer for the IELTS would be minimum overall grade of 7.5 with 7.0 or above in each element, however all offers are set on an individual basis.

It will be decided shortly after the interview process whether we will require an applicant to take IELTS, and this will be included as a condition of the offer. There is no need to worry about it before you apply.

Fees and finance

International students will be expected to pay higher tuition fees and a College Fee.

The Cambridge Trust offers scholarships for undergraduate students who pay the University composition fee at the Overseas rate.

Most of the Trust's scholarships are part-cost awards which will pay only part of the cost of studying in Cambridge.

The eligibility requirements for part-cost scholarships are:

  • significant academic achievement and potential
  • financial need
Settling in

To help you settle in there's a huge range of information, events, and activities for new overseas undergraduates organised by the University of Cambridge.

Sidney has a large pastoral team to assist with any queries, and the University has a dedicated International Student Office.

The International Students website provides lots of practical guidance for overseas freshers on coming to live and study in Cambridge from an international student perspective.

iCUSU (part of Cambridge University Students' Union, CUSU), represents international students studying at Cambridge. The group welcomes new international students when they arrive in Cambridge and organises social events before freshers' week and throughout the year.

The Sidney Sussex JCR Committee has an International Student Officer who will be there to help you settle in from the beginning.

Find out more

Discover more about life as an international student at Cambridge in the Guide for Prospective International Students.

Our Admissions Team are always on hand to answer any queries you might have in relation to our international entry requirements.