ATAS
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applies to all international students and researchers (apart from exempt nationalities) who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study or research at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects.
The subjects and research areas are those where knowledge could be used in programmes to develop Advanced Conventional Military Technology (ACMT), weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) or their means of delivery. Researchers and students in these sensitive subjects must apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before they can study or start research in the UK.
It is important to check if you need to apply for an ATAS certificate before applying for your Student Visa.
Who needs an ATAS certificate?
If your offer letter / CAS from Admissions says ATAS certificate is required, apply for ATAS as soon as possible.
You can also check if you need an ATAS certificate on the ATAS government webpages.
Who does not need an ATAS certificate?
Students and researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an ATAS certificate.
If you are not from one of the above countries, you may need an ATAS certificate if you will be studying or reaching in certain subjects at postgraduate level.
If your offer letter / CAS from Admissions says ATAS certificate is required, apply for ATAS as soon as possible. If you believe you should be exempt from ATAS but your offer letter / CAS state that you need ATAS, you should ask Admissions for clarification.
You can check if you need an ATAS certificate on the ATAS government webpages.
How long does it take to receive an ATAS certificate?
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) who issue ATAS certificates gets very busy at certain times of the year, so you are strongly advised to apply for an ATAS certificate at least four months before you intend to apply for your Student Visa.
It usually takes around 4-6 weeks for the FCDO to process an ATAS application, but sometimes takes much longer. The official processing time estimate is 30 working days (6 full weeks).
To ensure fairness and consistency, applications in order of receipt. There is no ‘fast track’ service.
You must receive your ATAS certificate in time to submit it with your other Student Visa application documents (by the deadline for document uploads).
What should I do if my ATAS certificate is taking too long to be issued?
Email ATAS@fcdo.gov.uk if you have a query about your application. They will not reply to any query on an application that is not at least 20 working days old.
The ATAS team usually works from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. They aim to answer your email within 5 working days, but this may not be possible during busy periods. They are unable to provide a telephone service.
If you are concerned about your ATAS application and are struggling to get in touch with the ATAS team then email internationalstudentsupport@glasgow.ac.uk for support.
Please note, if you need an ATAS certificate but submit your Student visa application without one, then your visa application may be rejected as invalid.
How to apply for an ATAS certificate
Before you start completing the ATAS application, contact your School Office / Graduate School at UoG for the course / research details, name of your supervisor etc to write on the ATAS application (Admissions can confirm the CAH3 code for your course).
Guidance on how to complete the online ATAS application form can be found on the government webpage - How to complete the online application form.
You can also view the online ATAS guidance for students.
My personal details have changed since submitting the ATAS application.
The ATAS team will no longer be amending certificates for the following reasons:
- Errors or omissions on the ATAS certificate (Given names, Date of Birth etc.)
- Changing course dates
- Changing course/subject titles
- Mistakes in passport numbers or dates
The responsibility is on the applicant to ensure the information submitted in the application is correct.
- For changes to renewed passports, please email the ATAS team a copy of both your old and new passport. They are unable to makes changes to passport information without this. Please re-send your email to ATAS@fcdo.gov.uk and include the following in the subject of your email: “ATAS Reference Number” – Certificate Change
- For any changes requested by the ATAS team to your application including unemployment gaps - Please log back into the application, make the changes (E.g. add a new entry to confirm the dates you were not working) and resubmit your application. If you are unable to resubmit your application after making the requested changes, please ensure you save the changes and go through each section until the end and the application says complete. You will then be able to resubmit your application.
If you believe that you provided incorrect details in your ATAS application and you have further questions regarding this, feel free to contact internationalstudentsupport@glasgow.ac.uk for advice.
My CAS number has changed since requesting my ATAS certificate
If your CAS number has changed since requesting your ATAS certificate, such as if your CAS has expired, you should contact the International Student Support team for advice at internationalstudentsupport@glasgow.ac.uk.
The ATAS portal says decision sent by email, but I have not received a decision.
If your ATAS portal shows as ‘Decision sent by email’ but you have not received an email regarding the outcome (this is ONLY for applicants where the status is DECIDED): please email the ATAS team at ATAS@fcdo.gov.uk and include the following in the subject of your email: “ATAS Reference Number” – Certificate Not Received
Useful ATAS links
Find out if you need an ATAS certificate
How to apply for an ATAS certificate
If you need additional support: