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Getting your CAH3 and ATAS certificate

How to apply for ATAS clearance

To do some of our courses in science and technology, you need to have clearance under ATAS (the Academic Technology Approval Scheme).

You will not require an ATAS certificate if you are a national of EU countries, the EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the USA.

ATAS is a security check the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes. Once successful, you get an ATAS Certificate, which you need when you apply for your Student visa.

You will also require a new ATAS certificate if you need to extend your visa during your studies.

How to get an ATAS Certificate

If your course needs ATAS clearance, we let you know when we offer you a place. If you’re already in the UK on a student or non-student visa, you still need ATAS clearance before you start your course.

You can apply for an ATAS Certificate up to 6 months before the start of your course. Your ATAS Certificate is then valid for 6 months. This gives you enough time to apply for your Student Route visa, which you can apply from 6 months before the start of your course if you are applying outside the UK, or 3 months before the start of the course if you are in the UK.

For current students we recommend that you apply for a new ATAS Certificate from 4 months before your visa expires. You will need to have information about your new course end date to make the ATAS application for your visa extension application.

When to apply

Apply for your ATAS Certificate as soon as possible after we offer you a place. Applications can take at least 30 working days (6 full weeks) to process and there’s no ‘fast track’ option if you leave it late.

What you need to apply

As well as providing information about your studies and current or previous employment, you’ll need the offer letter we send you and your course’s ‘CAH3 code’.

You’ll find the CAH3 code for courses that need ATAS clearance, below. 

CAH3 codes

  • MPhil Civil Engineering and Surveying – CAH10-01-07 (civil engineering)
  • MPhil Computing – CAH11-01-01 (computer science)
  • MPhil Cosmology and Gravitation – CAH07-01-02 (astronomy)
  • MPhil Environment and Life Sciences – CAH07-04-01 (physical sciences - non-specific), CAH07-04-04 (natural sciences - non specific) or CAH-03-01-02 (biology - non specific)
  • MPhil Electrical and Mechanical Engineering – CAH10-01-08 (electrical and electronic engineering) or CAH10-01-02 (mechanical engineering)
  • MPhil Film, Media and Creative Technologies – CAH11-01-01 (computer science)
  • MPhil Mathematics – CAH09-01-01 (mathematics)
  • MPhil Organisations, Systems and People – CAH11-01-03 (information systems)
  • MPhil Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences – CAH02-05-03 (biomedical sciences – non-specific) or CAH02-02-03 (pharmacy)
  • MPhil Physics - CAH07-01-01 (physics)

Find out more about MPhils.

  • PhD Civil Engineering and Surveying – CAH10-01-07 (civil engineering)
  • PhD Computing – CAH11-01-01 (computer science)
  • PhD Cosmology and Gravitation – CAH07-01-02 (astronomy)
  • PhD Film, Media and Creative Technologies – CAH11-01-01 (computer science)
  • PhD Electrical and Mechanical Engineering – CAH10-01-08 (electrical and electronic engineering) or CAH10-01-02 (mechanical engineering)
  • PhD Environment and Life Sciences – CAH07-04-01 (physical sciences - non-specific), CAH07-04-04 (natural sciences - non specific), CAH03-01-02 (biology - non specific)
  • PhD Mathematics – CAH09-01-01 (mathematics)
  • PhD Organisations, Systems and People – CAH11-01-03 (information systems)
  • PhD Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences – CAH02-05-03 (biomedical sciences – non-specific) or CAH02-02-03 (pharmacy)
  • PhD Physics – CAH07-01-01 (physics)

Find out more about PhDs and PhDs by Publication.

More information about ATAS

You can see more information about ATAS and how to apply on the Gov.uk website.