Living in Glasgow

We understand how difficult it can be to navigate a new home. You may need help getting access to a GP. See below for all the information you need.

It is a good idea to check if your bank in your country has a partner bank or branch in the UK first. If not, you will need to open a bank account. You will need:
o    your passport or BRP card.
o    proof of your student status – you can get this from reception.
o    proof of your address in Glasgow – an electricity or gas bill is usually best.

The following banks are popular with our students.
Santander: 84 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8BQ
HSBC: 2 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 3LB
TSB: 52-60 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5TU

If you are coming to the UK for less than 6 months, you will not be able to open a traditional bank account. Instead you can open an online bank account, for example Monzo or Revolut. You can also transfer money with Western Union or PayPal.

If you are a renting a flat during your time in Glasgow, you may get a bill for council tax. You can apply for an exemption, so you don’t have to pay the bill if you are a full-time student. To qualify, you need to study more than 21 hours per week and be on a course that is at least 24 weeks long. You can also apply if you are under 20 years old and are studying for at least 12 hours a week for a minimum of 3 months.

You can apply online for an exemption. Just come to reception and we can give you the form you need to complete your application.

Hopefully you won’t need any medical help when you are in Glasgow, but here’s the information you need to be prepared.

You can find details of the healthcare services available in Glasgow at NHS services. It includes everything from doctors, dentists to emergency departments. You need to pay for treatment if you are studying for less than 6 months, so we strongly advise you to take out a private health insurance policy before you arrive to cover medical expenses.
If you are studying for longer than 6 months, you will have to pay an immigration health surcharge as part of your visa application. This means you will not have to pay to use NHS healthcare services, but you must remember to take your BRP card to the hospital and doctor’s surgery.

You should register with the closest GP to your postcode and you can find your local surgery in this GP directory. To register, you may need a letter to prove you are a student living in the UK. You can get one from reception or check the Documents section of the app as you may already have it.

Students practising their speaking skills

Care of Under 18's

If you are under 18 years old, we like to make sure that you are well-looked after in the school. This is called safeguarding and it means there are extra checks we perform while you study with us.

First of all, we ask for your parents / guardians to complete a detailed consent form before you arrive. While you are in the school, all staff will know that you are under 18 and be looking out for you.

Students aged 16-17 are not supervised outside class and have to travel independently to and from the school. If you have any problems, no matter how small, we have staff who are specially trained to deal with the issues you may have. You can download our full Safeguarding Policy here.

This is what makes us different
Hear from our students

At Live Language, I can improve my English skills thanks to our well-informed and professional teachers. Furthermore, I can meet and have a good relationship with people who come from all over the world.

Yuang, Indonesia

It was well structured, and covered a good amount of content each week. I didn’t feel like we spent too long on one area, yet everything was explained clearly.

Steven

I enjoyed speaking with my classmates and the teacher are magnificent

Carlos Javier, Spain

Our teacher has been absolutely fantastic. I cannot praise her more highly. She has been patient with us but with the correct balance of challenge to keep us working hard!

Alex, Colombia

I chose Live Language because I had met with my teacher and she struck me as an energetic, forward looking and conscientious. I just knew I would enjoy studying Spanish with her.

Janet

Quality of the teaching. The teacher was excellent. The classes were always very well planned and organised. After each exercise, it was made clear what was trained and what the point was. Each week, there was a test. So, you could see quickly the progress you had made. Most of the exercises were carried out in groups, so we used the language all the time. The exercises were not unilateral, just the opposite, they were always varying. You never knew what would come next, it was never boring.” - Justyna, Germany

Justyna, Germany

Living in Glasgow

Care of Under 18's

This is what makes us different Hear from our students

This is what makes us different
Hear from our students