Applying from outside the EU
If you are/will be living outside the EU at the time of application to the University of Cambridge, you must submit a Cambridge Online Preliminary Application (COPA)1 in addition to your online UCAS application. This includes applicants applying from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
If you are/will be attending school/college/university in a country outside the EU at the time of application to the University of Cambridge, you need to submit a Cambridge Online Preliminary Application (COPA)1 in addition to your online UCAS application. This includes applicants applying from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
If your family home is outside the EU but you'll be attending school/college/university within the EU at the time of your application, you don't need to submit a COPA.
Applicants from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not required to submit a COPA.
For most students, the deadline for receipt of their UCAS application and COPA is 15 October 2013. However, if you'd like to be interviewed in one of the countries where we conduct overseas interviews, earlier deadlines may apply. For more details about the COPA and overseas interviews, please see the International Students section.
What happens once I have submitted both my online UCAS and COPA applications?
Once you have submitted your UCAS application, you will receive an email from us directing you to complete the Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) by a specific deadline. You must log in to the SAQ and enter the COPA Reference Number you received when you submitted the COPA. Your application to the University will not be valid until you have submitted the SAQ as well.
The application process looks like this:
1There is an overseas application fee associated with the COPA, as well as an interview fee for those who are interviewed overseas. See the information about COPA fees for details.
2Please note that it may take up to 24 hours for the email to come through. Please check your email inbox regularly as well as your 'junk'/'spam' folder.
3It will take a short time for your UCAS application to be processed, so you will not receive the email immediately after submitting your UCAS application. Please check your email inbox regularly as well as your 'junk'/'spam' folder.