Landing in Scotland for the first time? We've got you.
Arriving for your first semester after a long-haul flight is exciting — and a little daunting. You're jet-lagged, you've got everything you own in two suitcases, and you've never been here before. This is the calm, step-by-step guide we'd give our own family: exactly what happens from the moment you land to the moment you reach your hall in St Andrews.
Most international students land at Edinburgh, tired and looking for a familiar face. The single best thing you can arrange before you fly is how you'll get from the airport to your hall.
There's no train station in St Andrews, and after 24 hours of travelling, working out trains, a change at Edinburgh and a connection at Leuchars with all your luggage is the last thing you want. A pre-arranged meet-and-greet means someone is waiting for you by name, takes your bags, and drives you straight to your door.
Below is everything that happens between landing and arriving — so nothing catches you off guard.
Step by step, from the plane
1 · Immigration & border control
Have your passport, visa and university acceptance documents (your CAS and offer letter) easy to reach. Follow signs for the e-gates or the staffed desks as directed. It can be busy at peak times, so don't panic if it's slow.
2 · Baggage reclaim
Collect your checked bags from the carousel for your flight. Grab a free trolley — Edinburgh has them right there — it makes a huge difference with heavy term luggage.
3 · Customs
Unless you're carrying something to declare, follow the green channel straight through. Then you're out into the arrivals hall.
4 · Meet your driver
If you've pre-booked with us, your driver will be waiting in arrivals with your name, ready to help with your bags and walk you to the vehicle. No queueing for a taxi, no working out public transport while exhausted.
Sort these at the airport (or before you fly)
A few small things make your first days far smoother. Some you can do in the terminal; others are worth arranging from home before you travel.
A UK SIM or eSIM
Get connected before you leave the airport so you can message family and find your booking. An eSIM bought before you fly is often the easiest — you land already online.
A little local cash
Most of St Andrews is card- and contactless-friendly, but a small amount of British pounds is handy for your very first day. Card payment works fine for your transfer.
Your hall address & arrival slot
Keep your accommodation address and any allocated check-in time saved offline on your phone. Halls often have set move-in windows — share yours with your driver so the timing lines up.
Documents to hand
Keep your passport, visa/BRP details and university documents in your cabin bag, never in a checked case. You may need them on arrival and during your first week of registration.
Why a meet-and-greet is worth it
A familiar face when you need one
After a long flight in a new country, having someone waiting for you by name — who knows exactly where your hall is — turns a stressful arrival into a warm welcome.
Door to door with all your luggage
Two big suitcases and a backpack are no problem in our vehicles. We take you from the terminal straight to your hall entrance, not to a station where the journey continues.
We watch your flight
Give us your flight number and we track it. If you're delayed, we adjust — you won't lose your pickup because the plane was late.
Reassurance for family back home
Parents on the other side of the world can book and pay in advance, and know a vetted local driver is meeting their son or daughter. Many set up a parent account so every trip after that is just as easy.
Your first week in St Andrews
Once you're settled in your room, the rest falls into place quickly. Register with the university, pick up the essentials, and start finding your way around what is a wonderfully small, walkable town — most things are fifteen minutes apart on foot.
Our wider student guides cover groceries, budgeting, halls and getting around, plus the traditions you'll soon be part of. And whenever you fly home for the holidays, the same team that met you on day one can take you back to the airport.
Book your arrival before you fly.
Travelling a long way to start your studies? Pre-book a meet-and-greet transfer and we'll be waiting in arrivals with your name, ready to take you and your luggage straight to your hall. Calm, fixed-price, and tracked to your flight.
Arrange an airport pickup