Arrival Information for New Postgraduates

Please note: the information on this page may be updated as the start of term approaches, so please ensure you check it regularly.

Travelling to Oxford: The University’s ‘New Student’ website has lots of useful information about travelling to Oxford from across the UK and the globe.

Collecting Keys/Fobs:

Keys/Fobs can be collected from the Porters’ Lodge at the entrance to the main site. If you are living out, you should still collect a fob so that you can access College facilities such as the HCR and Library. The address of the main site is Brasenose College, Radcliffe Square, Oxford, OX1 4AJ.

The Porters’ Lodge is open 24 hours. The telephone number of the Porters’ Lodge is (+44) (0)1865 277830.

Radcliffe Square is closed to vehicles except for loading/unloading. If family/friends are bringing you by car, they can drive up to the barrier on Catte Street and wait while you collect your keys from the Lodge. Taxis will drop you off either at the Catte Street barrier, or by St Mary’s Church on High Street.

If you are staying in College accommodation, your graduate accommodation will be located at a separate annexed site. The locations of the graduate annexes in relation to the main site are shown here. The map shows the routes by car from the Catte Street barrier to the annexe sites, via Oxford’s one-way system. A more direct route can be taken if walking. Please note that you must collect your fob first from the main college site.

Registration and enrolment:

If you are going to be resident in Oxford, once you have settled in to your accommodation, please visit the College Office to enrol and collect your University Card. You will need to enrol yourself first through student self-service before this can be completed. Alternatively, if you need to enrol remotely, please book an enrolment appointment with the Graduate Administrator.

Please note that international students who have a student visa will need to bring their passport and biometric residence card to be scanned before enrolment can be completed. If you are an EU student please ensure that you have your share code ready as we will need this to enrol you (this includes students with pre-settled status).

The College Office is located on the first floor of staircase 12 on the main site, and we are open on week days from 09:30 – 11:45 and 13:15 – 16:30. If you have a previous Oxford University Card please bring this with you as you will need to return it in exchange for your new card.

Meeting other students:

The HCR is open 24 hours and you are welcome to use it at any time (access is with a fob which you will be given by the Porters). The HCR is located in Old Quad (figure 4 on this map). If you would like to get in touch with a member of the HCR please email: hcr-president@bnc.ox.ac.uk.

Meals:

From 22nd September, Graduate freshers can book available meals using the UPAY app. Please ensure that you have attended the IT induction meeting/watched the video and set this up before your arrival.

Details of meal provision for students from 22nd-29th September can be found here, and from 30th September – 13th October here.

When is the latest and earliest I can arrive?

Depending on your accommodation arrangements, you can arrive in Oxford whenever you choose, although please note that you may not be able to start enrolment processes and collect your University card until mid September.

There will be some events for new students being run by the HCR from the 21st of September, but the main ‘Freshers Week’ will not commence until 6th October. Our HCR (Graduate Common Room) will set up a Freshers Whatsapp chat group that you can join. Please see the HCR section here for the Freshers Week timetable and HCR Guide to Oxford.

We would strongly advise that you arrive in Oxford so that you are here by 6th October at the latest, but events for graduate students will also be held in the preceding week. Your Department should also be in touch about Departmental induction events.