Arriving in the UK
We arrange a free Meet and Greet service from Birmingham Airport for new international students.Find further information below to help you plan your journey to the UK, arrive safely, and arrange to meet us when you arrive.
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Meet and Greet Service
We operate a free ‘Meet and Greet’ service at Birmingham Airport for new international students on a first come, first served basis. If you are not a new international student, you will not be able to book this service, please see “How to get to Birmingham” (Travelling to the UK and Birmingham | Birmingham City University) for further guidance.
Our team will be available to welcome you, answer any questions that you may have and, where you are eligible and have received a confirmation email, may help you arrange transportation by taxi or minibus from Birmingham Airport to your accommodation.
This free service is available from 8am-8pm, every day from Monday, 24 August 2026 to Sunday, 6 September 2026. If you arrive outside the Meet and Greet service dates and times, we will not be able to assist you with your transportation.
This service is offered on first come, first served basis, so please sign up as soon as you have all the information (including your flight details, student ID number and accommodation address) in hand and submit the application at least 5 days before you arrive at Birmingham Airport. If the available places are filled up, we will close this application process.
Once the application is submitted, we will send you an email within 5 working days to confirm whether you are eligible to use this service. If the email confirms that you are eligible, please bring a copy of this confirmation email on the day of arrival. If you cannot show a copy of the confirmation email to our team during the service dates and times, we may not be able to arrange transportation for you.
Meet and Greet Service Terms and Conditions
Please read the Meet and Greet Service Terms and Conditions before you submit your application. These terms explain the eligibility requirements, the scope and limitations of the service, circumstances in which the service may not be available, and important information about delays, changes, cancellations and liability. By submitting this application, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to the Meet and Greet Service Terms and Conditions.
The service is only available to:
- BCU’s newly enrolled international students whose studies commence in September 2026 and who have received a written booking confirmation. Unfortunately, we are unable to arrange transportation for accompanying friends or family members.
- The arrangement of transportation to your designated accommodation (e.g., shared house, private rental, university hall, etc) located within 16 miles of Birmingham Airport. This distance covers all accommodation listed on Student accommodation in Birmingham | Birmingham City University.
If you arrive outside of the Meet and Greet weekend dates and times
There is an Airport Taxi Rank located directly outside the airport building. All of the taxis are Black Cabs licensed by Birmingham City Council and operate a 24-hours a day.
Birmingham Airport is approximately 16 miles from Birmingham city centre and this journey will generally take around 30 minutes. This distance covers all accommodation listed on Student accommodation in Birmingham | Birmingham City University. The journey time may be longer during peak traffic hours. The taxi from Birmingham Airport to your accommodation (within 16 miles of Birmingham Airport) will generally cost approximately £40 - £55. All taxis from the Airport Taxi Rank accept major debit and credit cards, or you can pay with UK Pounds Sterling.
If you are not arriving at Birmingham Airport, see our Arriving in the UK page.
Please contact us at meet.greet@bcu.ac.uk if you have any questions relating to the Meet and Greet service.
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