King's Residences
Moving to a new country can be exciting and challenging. At King’s we offer accommodation to Semester or Full year study abroad students.
King’s Residences applications for Autumn Semester/Full Year usually open in March and for the Spring Semester usually in November. While we don’t offer on-campus accommodation, most of the residences are a short distance on the public transport.
Visit King's Residences webpages to take a virtual tour of some of the rooms and read more information about the facilities available. Students can also find more about moving into their accommodation and what to bring. If you have any questions about securing a room through King’s, please get in touch with kingsresidences@kcl.ac.uk.
Spaces in different residences may be released in stages once booking opens. Only offer holders can book (48 hours after accepting offer).
Please make sure you understand the terms of your contract before signing it, including the non-flexible end date (January for Semester 1 and June for Semester 2 and Full Year).
For 2023/24, Full Year students will be guaranteed an accommodation as long as they complete their booking by 8th June (though it might not be in your preferred residence).
A place cannot be guaranteed for Semester-only students however.
Study Abroad students attending for the full year and who pay accommodation fees themselves and meet the other criteria, including income threshold, can apply for the King’s Affordable Accommodation Scheme.
Additionally, you can view the housing advice and take part in the King’s flatmate finder group once you have accepted an offer from King’s and completed your online enrolment (in August for September starters and December for January starters).
Watch this short film to get a small insight in to what it's like to study at King's College London.
Explore London
London is a vibrant city and has a lot to offer, whether you're interested in the arts, sport, food, shopping, the outdoors or music. Our Peer Advisors have put together a list of resources that you can use to research different activities.
General London advice and events:
Student deals and discounts in London:
Music:
Museums
As a student, you need to ensure that you have sufficient funds for your fees, accommodation, food, travel, books and other living expenses.Some of the key points to remember is to bring your King’s Student ID with you if you would like to get a discount. Alternatively, you can register to websites that verify your student status.
Students might benefit from opening a UK bank account. More information on how this can be done once you arrive in London can be found on Student Services and our web pages.
Help with calculating your living costs
Budgeting advice
- You can check the Living Expenses page for guidance on cost of living in London.
- The Student Advice Service offers guidance with budgeting and also support for students who are in financial hardship.Visit the Student Advice Service webpages for further information.
- The Advice Service also have a team of trained Money Mentors to provide further guidance to students on money matters. They can help students to make the most of their money, whatever their budget.Meet the team.
Travel in London
Did you know that Student Oyster Cards entitle you to a 30 per cent discount on travel?
Transport for London
- Visit Transport for London for everything you need to know about public transport in the city: maps, guides, London journey planner, schedules, route information and online tickets.
- Free maps and guides are available at all London underground (tube) stations.
London Underground (the Tube)
- The tube is the quickest and easiest way of travelling round London.
- A night tube service operates on some lines on Fridays and Saturdays.
Buses
Bus routes cover the entire city and are cheaper than the tube. To pay:
- use your Oyster card (see below)
- buy one-day and weekly bus passes from most stations and some newsagents.
Many buses run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Use journey planner to find your night bus home (much busier, and therefore safer, than in many cities).
Travelcards and Oyster Cards
- The smartest way to travel around London for your first few weeks at King's is with a weekly travelcard for central zones 1 and 2 (out of 9), available from any tube station. All of King's residences and campuses are in zones 1 and 2.
- Once you have enrolled in person at King's, you can apply for a Student Oyster card, which gives you a 30 per cent discount on travelcards (not on Pay As You Go). That applies even if you are here for only a semester.
- Oyster is the reusable travel smartcard for London. It can be used as a travelcard or for pay as you go or a combination of both. You can also use your contactless bank cards for Pay as You Go, but that may be subject to currency conversion fees from your overseas bank.
Safety in London
Many of the issues regarding safety in London are the same as in other major cities around the world, though overall London is one of the safest city.
We are happy to offer guidance about individual concerns and support is available through King’s College London Students’ Union (KCLSU). There are also external sources of news, help and guidance about general safety matters.
General safety tips
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Tell someone, a friend or flat mate for example, where you are going.
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Plan your route home before going out.
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Think twice about letting a stranger buy you a drink and never leave your drink unattended.
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Only London taxis (black cabs) can pick you up on the street. If a minicab driver approaches you, it is illegal (even with a Transport for London sticker). Any minicab journey that is not booked is illegal, uninsured and unsafe.
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Be careful at cashpoints and always keep your pin code hidden.
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Watch your possessions at all times.
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Avoid walking in unlit areas and taking short cuts through dark alleys or parks - take the bus instead.
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Look confident and purposeful when out walking.
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KCL Personal Safety