Le Cordon Bleu London Culinary School for International Students

At Le Cordon Bleu London, we welcome every year over 60 different nationalities which helps to create a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Explore our International students page to find out about our programmes and courses, fees, applications, language requirements, student visas, accommodation and arrival information.
            
And if you have any further questions, we have a dedicated team in our school ready to assist you with your application. Please contact us by filling the request form.

Please note: If you will require a student visa we advise that you make your course application to Le Cordon Bleu London 4 to 5 months prior to your chosen start date. Please also ensure that if you require a student visa, your passport is valid for the entire duration of the course plus an additional 6 months.

Le Cordon Bleu London offers culinary diplomas in Cuisine and Pâtisserie achievable through six or nine months of training, our Diplôme de Boulangerie through 180 hours of guided tutorials, as well as our six-month Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management and three-month Diploma in Culinary Management and Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition & Food Trends.

Our culinary arts programmes may also be studied as 12-month integrated diplomas with Culinary Management or with Internship Pathway. For more information, please visit:

• Grand Diplôme^® with Culinary Management or with Internship Pathway
• Diplôme de Cuisine with Culinary Management or with Internship Pathway
• Diplôme de Pâtisserie with Culinary Management or with Internship Pathway

The Internship Pathway  programme is also available with our wine diploma.

Our six-month Diplomas (Cuisine, Pâtisserie or Wine) are of benefit to our international students, as you can study in the UK with a Standard Visitor visa and avoid the Student Route visa application. We also offer a range of Gourmet & Short courses lasting between 1 and 10 days, in addition to evening classes.

Le Cordon Bleu London does not ask for higher tuition fees from international students. Tuition fees for diplomas are paid in full six to ten weeks before your intended start date.

Le Cordon Bleu has partnered with Flywire to provide you with an easy and secure method of sending international payments via telegraphic transfer or credit card in your home currency, ensuring best price guaranteed and no unexpected bank fees. You can find out more about the process in the following video:

You can begin your studies with Le Cordon Bleu London at the beginning of any one of our four terms:

• Term 1 - Winter
• Term 2 - Spring
• Term 3 - Summer
• Term 4 - Autumn

We recommend that you submit your diploma application no later than 12 weeks in advance of your chosen start date.
Please visit our How to Apply page for guidance on applying for our Grand Diplôme^®, Diplome de Cuisine, Diplôme de Pâtisserie, Diplôme de Boulangerie, Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management, Diploma in Culinary Management or Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition & Food Trends.

If you are interested in applying for one of our 12-month or 15-month diplomas, please visit our Culinary Arts & Business page for a full list of available courses.

You may also want to apply for one of our short courses, please visit our dedicated Gourmet and Short Courses page.

Nationals of English-majority speaking countries are exempt from providing evidence of English-language proficiency.

Applicants who have completed a Bachelor Degree or Higher Qualification from select countries are exempt from being required to provide an IELTS/PTE Pearson English test as evidence of B2 Language ability if they require a Student Route Visa. Qualification List of countries for a qualification exemption.

If you require a Student Route Visa , please provide an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) for UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) test report result with 5.0 or above in all components (you can choose either the Academic or General module) or a PTE Pearson Academic UKVI test report result with 43 or above in all components.

Please visit the British Council website for more information on booking your IELTS for UKVI test or the Pearson website for more information on booking your PTE Pearson Academic UKVI test.

We cannot accept non-UK VI IELTS and PTE tests for Student Route Visa applications so please ensure you book the correct test to avoid delaying your application.

• English language certificate equivalent to CEFR level B2
• Academic transcript of a completed course taught in English
• Employment history in an English language environment
• Oxford English placement test (provided by Le Cordon Bleu) with telephone interview

Le Cordon Bleu London welcomes students from all over the world, so if you are applying to study then the impact of the United Kingdom leaving the EU may affect the way that you apply.

The Government’s position is that EU nationals who move to the UK to live, work and study from 1^st January 2021 onward will need to obtain immigration permission, in much the same way as non-EU nationals do now.

Whether you are an EU citizen already in the UK, moving to the UK in 2020 or looking to move here as a student in 2021 you can find out about the Government's EU Settlement Scheme and more here.

If you are entering the UK to study a diploma or certificate course with Le Cordon Bleu London you will normally need to apply for a UK visa to study.

After making a successful application, Le Cordon Bleu London will provide further guidance for visa applications. Please be aware that you must hold a Confirmation of Enrolment letter or CAS from Le Cordon Bleu London before beginning a student visa application.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) have registered Le Cordon Bleu London as a Student Route sponsor, which authorises our sponsorship of international students for a Student Route visa.

Please note: Student Route visa students sponsored by Le Cordon Bleu have permission to work 10 hours per week during term-time and full-time during vacations. Please visit http://lcbl.eu/glvacation to see the specified dates for term-time and vacation periods. The restriction of 10 working hours do not apply to the work placement element of the Internship Pathway programme.

• Do I require a Student Visa?

  We require that students are over 18 and have completed secondary education. We also require that all students are competent in the English Language.

  If you are entering the UK to study either a Diploma or Certificate course at Le Cordon Bleu London and do not hold either a European Economic Area nationality (European Union Countries, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) or a visa in another immigration category which has no restrictions on study and that will be valid for the length of your course, then you will need to apply for a visa to study in the UK. If you do require a visa, please continue reading below.

• What type of student visa do I need?

  Your chosen course and nationality will affect which category of visa that you should apply for, and how you apply for it.

  • If you are applying for a course over 6 months (Diplôme de Cuisine, Diplôme de Pâtisserie and Grand Diplôme^®), then you will require a Student Route Visa.
  • If you are applying for a course under 6 months (Intensive Diplôme de Cuisine; Intensive Diplôme de Pâtisserie; Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management; Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition & Food Trends; Diploma in Culinary Management and Certificate courses), then you will require a Standard Visitor visa.

  Applicants from certain countries (non-visa nationals) are not required to apply for a short term student visa in advance before travelling to the UK. This means you can make an application to the school only a short period of time (up to 10 days) before the start of the course if there are spaces still available on your programme of choice. Non-visa nationals will need to show their Confirmation of Enrollment document from Le Cordon Bleu London on arrival in the UK.

  Examples of countries where this would apply include Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA. If your nationality is not found on the list in Appendix 2 from UK Visas and Immigration, you may be a non-visa national and therefore do not require a visa in advance to study for up to 6 months. You can also confirm this by visiting the UK VI website.

  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a member of the Le Cordon Bleu London team.

• Where should I apply for my visa?
  • Student Route visas: Student Route visa applications should always be made in your country of residence.
  • Standard Visitor visas: Citizens of Visa National Countries will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before they travel to the UK. Citizens of other countries can obtain a Visa stamp on arrival in the UK. You can check if you need a UK visa by visiting www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
• When should I apply for my visa?
  Le Cordon Bleu recommends making your application well in advance of the beginning of your chosen term. After receiving your successful application, Le Cordon Bleu London will provide further guidance for visa application deadlines. Please be aware that you must hold a Confirmation of Enrolment letter from Le Cordon Bleu London before beginning any student visa application. Le Cordon Bleu London requires students applying for Student Route visas and those applying for Standard Visitor visas before travelling to the UK to provide a copy of their visa to the Admissions team at least 3 weeks before the beginning of term.
• Can I extend my visa?
  Both Standard Visitor visa and Student Route visa cannot be extended without returning to your home country. If you are planning your studies at Le Cordon Bleu London, we would recommend that you consider enrolling for the whole Diploma (such as 9 month or 12 month or 15 month course) from the beginning as you will not be able to extend your visa once in the UK.
• I have a UK Bachelor or a Master degree, what else do I need to provide?
  International students who have previously studied a Bachelor or Master Degree in the UK and are applying for a course over 6 months will need to provide additional documentation relating to their previous UK studies.
  These include:
  

  • Any current or previously held Biometric Residence Permits (front and back)
  • Any current or previously held Student Route Visas
  • Any current or previous Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) Statements

  In addition, applicants should ensure their CV is fully updated with all information relating to their previous UK studies including dates of study, qualification and level achieved.

Courses at Le Cordon Bleu London are non-residential, and students are responsible for their own accommodation. Our Accommodation page provides guidance and information on finding accomodation.

Le Cordon Bleu London is located in the heart of the capital at 15 Bloomsbury Square WC1A 2LS, with good transport links from the nearest major airports. Visit our Contact Us page for information on travelling to our campus.