If you wish to travel outside the UK, you will need to consider three things:
- do you need a visa for the country you intend to stay in (as well as those you intend to travel through)?
- does your medical insurance cover you for the countries you wish to visit?
- does your immigration status in the UK allow you to re-enter the UK?
You will also need to make sure that your passport does not expire while you are away.
If you were required to apply for a visa before coming to the UK, it is likely that you will need one to visit other countries in Europe. You will need to establish the visa requirements for each country and this may require a visit to that country's embassy in London. Student Advice and Welfare Services (SAWS) has a list of embassies that you can use, as well as further information and advice.
If you are a 'visa national' and wish to go abroad, you are likely to be refused a visa if you have six months or less 'leave to remain' in the UK.
If you wish to travel around within Europe, you may be able to obtain a 'Schengen Visa' which allows visitors to use one visa to visit a number of European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden). If you wish to travel to these countries, you should apply for a visa from the country in which you wish to spend most time. If you intend to spend an equal amount of time in a number of countries, you should apply to the country you will visit first.
Make sure you apply for a visa in plenty of time as some applications can take several weeks.