UK · CHAPTER 18
Staying safe and wellin the UK.
Call 999 (or 112) in an emergency, 111 for urgent medical advice and 101 for police matters that are not urgent. Your university's wellbeing service and the free Samaritans line (116 123, 24 hours) are there if you struggle. The High Commission of India in London and consulates in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Belfast help with lost passports and serious trouble. The commonest problems for Indian students are scam calls pretending to be the Home Office or police, rental deposit fraud and fake job offers.
Published by Althéa Consulting · Adviser: Harshita Kohli
Source review: · How to use our guides
- Emergency
- 999 or 112
- Urgent medical advice
- 111
- NHS, 24 hours
- Police, non-emergency
- 101
- Samaritans
- 116 123
- Free, 24 hours
Mental health and wellbeing
Every UK university runs a free, confidential wellbeing or counselling service; book through your student portal. Your GP can refer you to NHS talking therapies, and in England you can also refer yourself. Homesickness, exam stress and money worries in the first term are normal and worth talking about early.
If you feel unsafe or in crisis, call 999 or go to A&E. Samaritans answers 116 123 at any hour, free from any phone.
Scams aimed at international students
- Calls or messages claiming to be the Home Office, UKVI or police, saying your visa is invalid and demanding payment. UKVI never asks for money by phone, gift cards or crypto.
- Rental fraud: a cheap room, a landlord who is "abroad" and asks for a deposit before a viewing. Pay only after a viewing and a contract; deposits must go into a government-approved protection scheme.
- Job offers that ask you to pay for training, or to receive and forward money (money mule work is a crime and can end your visa).
- Fake visa or CAS "agents" offering guaranteed visas. Only your university issues a CAS.
- Report fraud online to Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk, 0300 123 2040), which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in Scotland call Police Scotland on 101.
Discrimination and hate crime
Racist or religious abuse, online or in person, is a crime in the UK. Report it to the police on 101 (999 if you are in danger), online through True Vision (report-it.org.uk), or through your university, which must have a reporting route. The Equality Act 2010 protects you at work, at university and when renting.
Everyday safety
- Use licensed taxis or ride apps; minicabs must be pre-booked.
- Keep your phone out of reach on busy streets in big cities, where snatch theft is common.
- Carry your eVisa share code details and a photo of your passport, not the original, for daily life.
- Free contents insurance is sometimes included with halls; check before buying your own.
When to contact the Indian mission
- The High Commission of India in London (and consulates in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Belfast) issues emergency certificates if your passport is lost or stolen (report it to the police first and keep the report).
- It helps in arrests, hospitalisation, a death, or when a student is missing; families in India can raise a request on the MEA's MADAD portal.
- It cannot pay your bills, get you out of a legal case or intervene in visa decisions of the host country.
- Save the mission's emergency number from its website in your phone before you fly, and register any address change with it if asked.
QUICK ANSWERS
Your questions, answered.
Generally yes. Use normal city precautions, watch for phone theft in London, and be wary of calls claiming to be the Home Office. Call 999 in an emergency and 111 for urgent medical advice.
From your university's wellbeing or counselling service, through your GP and NHS talking therapies, or by calling Samaritans on 116 123 at any time.
WHERE TO GO NEXT
Keep going: the pages that help next.
Each card says what you will find there. Looking for something else? See every page on the site.
UK GUIDE
Health, bank & phone
Using the NHS as an international student, registering with a GP, prescriptions, opening a UK bank account and choosing a phone plan.
UK GUIDE
First weeks in the UK
After arriving in the UK: enrol, check your eVisa, register with a GP, open a bank account, get a SIM and a railcard.
FROM INDIA
Scams & emergencies abroad
Study abroad fraud warnings for Indian students: fake agents, offer letters and visas, forex and job scams, plus lost passports and emergencies abroad.
FROM INDIA
A guide for parents
Study abroad answers for Indian parents: true costs, loans and co-applicants, sending money, safety, health, visiting your child and checking an agent.
TOOL
Compare countries
Compare countries on fees, living costs, visa rules and post-study work, in one table.
FRANCE
Study in France
The full France guide: degrees, fees, Campus France, visa, housing and work, chapter by chapter.
COMING SOON
Support for the UK
opens soon.
Althéa’s personal support for the UK is coming soon. Today we help students coming to study in France, and everyone already living in France.
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