We recognise that self-isolating (quarantining) when you arrive in the UK may not be easy, but the University of Reading is a friendly place, and we have a range of support available.

Firstly, please take your time to understand what you need to do in order to plan for travel to the UK from overseas and carefully read the government guidance on travel to the UK, as the steps you need to take will vary depending on a number of factors.

Quarantine Support Package

We understand the significant disruption that the coronavirus pandemic has caused, particularly to international travel. To help international students with some of the additional costs that they may face, we are pleased to confirm final details about our Quarantine Support Package, to help those arriving in the UK from a Green, Amber or Red list country.

The online form is now live and must be completed within 60 days of arrival into the UK.

Find out how the Package may be able to support your journey and additional costs and read the full terms and conditions.

Tell us you need to quarantine on arrival

While you are quarantining, you will not be able to complete the in-person enrolment stage which is necessary in order to access your University IT account and other services, including online Welcome Talks and teaching.

Therefore, if you will be in quarantine on or after 19 September, you must let us know so that we can complete your enrolment process on your behalf. This means you will be able to access all the digital services you need.

To tell us you are/will be quarantining, log in to your RISIS portal after you have completed your online enrolment stage and follow the links. If you have any questions about this, please contact your Support Centre (or Henley Helpdesk or ISLI Admin Office).

Preparing for quarantine

It is important that you prepare carefully for the self-isolation period if you are travelling from an Amber list country and think through what you will need to bring with you to manage the first few days after arrival. If you are a returning student you may wish to ask friends who do not need to self-isolate to help you with initial practical arrangements.

If you are living in private accommodation off campus, you should consider:

• bringing essential items such as soap or hand sanitiser with you;
• arranging an online supermarket delivery of food and cleaning materials for shortly after you arrive. If you have never used an online supermarket delivery, you may wish to download an app for one or two of the local shops (for example, Asda or Tesco) and set up an account so you can easily place an order when you are ready;
• pre-ordering a selection of essential items such as bedding, towels and kitchen equipment – a number of companies provide ‘starter packs’ (such as Unikitout) and Amazon also sell kitchen starter packs and bedding. Please note that we do not recommend or endorse these companies and you should conduct your own research before purchasing any items;
• speak with your landlord/accommodation provider to explore whether you can arrange for deliveries before your arrival.

If you are living in University Halls of Residence, as part of the arrival booking process, you can purchase a bedding pack and a kitchen pack. If you aren’t bringing bedding with you, we suggest you consider purchasing these items when you book your arrival, as you won’t be able to visit any shops while you are in the self-isolation period. These packs can be placed in your room for when you arrive.

If you will be quarantining in private accommodation and have any questions or concerns, you can contact the COVID-19 Support and Behaviour team at covid-support@reading.ac.uk.

If you’re in halls, you can contact the Halls Hotline on 0800 029 1984.

Support while you’re quarantining

Our full range of specialist student support services will be accessible remotely so there is no need to leave your accommodation to ask questions or get help.

Your Academic Tutor will contact you to arrange a meeting close to the start of term, which you can request to take place online if you’re in quarantine.

For new undergraduate students our STaR Mentoring scheme will allocate all new students with an existing student usually in your own School as an informal and friendly contact to help you navigate your first few weeks and months at Reading.

We hope that this information and guidance will offer you reassurance and support through your travels to us. We hope your journey to us is a safe one and we look forward to welcoming you to our Campus soon.

If you are unsure or have any questions about travelling to the UK, please contact the International Student Advisory Team at int-adv@reading.ac.uk.