ATAS Certificate to Study in the UK

The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is mandatory for international students and researchers, excluding exempt nationalities, who fall under UK immigration regulations and plan to pursue postgraduate studies or research in specific sensitive fields. These ‘sensitive’ fields deal with developing or delivering weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The scheme requires such students to get their ATAS certificate for UK. 

Entry clearance officers (ECOs) will request your ATAS certificate during your UK entry application. Additionally, caseworkers will require your ATAS certificate when applying for permission to stay in the UK. Under UK immigration law, universities cannot allow international students or researchers to engage in ATAS-relevant courses until they furnish the correct ATAS certificate.

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It is important to identify early in the study abroad journey whether you need an ATAS certificate. You can identify the same with the help of these things - 

• Whether your course requires ATAS depends on the CAH3* code that applies to your course.
• Your CAS and University offer letter will outline whether your program requires an ATAS certificate.
• If you are a national of the UK, EU, EEA, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the USA, you are exempt from ATAS.  

The ATAS certificate will mention the details of the course you are enrolling in and the Higher Education Institution (HEI)/ university or college of enrolment you have applied to for clearance. Therefore, if you have applied for more than one course or university, you will need separate ATAS certificates for each of the courses/universities. 

The ATAS certificate sample is shown below:

Few simple steps that can help you apply for an ATAS certificate successfully are - 

• Visit the official website of the Academic Technology Approval Scheme. You can do this by clicking here.
• On the main page, you will find three options. One will be to choose your CAH3 code. Next will be to answer the question “Are you a taught / research student or are you a researcher?” and lastly to choose your country. Once you fill all these fields you need to click on check. 
• A new page will open that will show whether you need an ATAS certificate or not. In case you need an ATAS certificate it will give you the option to create an account and fill out the online application form.
• The online application form will have ten sections that you are required to fill in as detailed manner as possible. You can use this guide to assist you in completing all the sections which is attached here.
• Once you have completed all the sections of the form you will see a final checklist of all the sections and a submit button. It is advisable to review all sections carefully to avoid errors before submitting the form. 

You are likely to get your ATAS certificate within 20 days if your application is accepted. There are some documents that you should keep handy while filling out the application form. These are - 

• University admit letter 
• Details about your program of study 
• Previous academic documents
• Previous and current employment documents
• Published papers
• Optional modules (if any)
• Your area of research and description 
• Contact details and full names of your references 
• The funding source for education   

There are no charges for getting an ATAS certificate. You will have to pay nothing to get an ATAS certificate. 

You can submit multiple ATAS applications for different courses/universities at the same time, but each application needs to be made individually.

The following do not need an ATAS certificate:

• Nationals of EU countries
• the European Economic Area (EEA)
• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• USA

Your ATAS application can get rejected, however, it is not a usual occurrence. But if you do not mention your research description and statement clearly and in detail, your application may be rejected. 

What to do if my ATAS certificate application is rejected? 

You can contact the FCO and ask them to review your ATAS application again. Or you could also forward your concerns to the university first. Check the website of the university you are enrolled in or contact their admissions office to know the requisite steps to be taken to re-apply for the ATAS certificate.