How HOST Works
What is HOST?
- HOST is a voluntary organisation, with a small office in London.
- In every region of the UK, we have a volunteer Regional Organiser (RO), working at home. An RO will arrange your invitation.
- Every RO has a list of volunteer hosts in their region. A host will invite you for a visit.
Who can use HOST?
- All International students; including all scholarship holders, graduate fellows, Chevening Scholars and Research Fellows.
- You must be studying here full-time and your study period must be at least 3 months.
- Foreign Language assistants in schools, and international volunteers aged 18+ who will be staying here for at least 3 months may also apply.
- If your husband/wife and children are resident with you in the UK, they may accompany you on the visit.
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Who are the hosts?
- Our hosts are volunteers – they are not paid to invite you.
- They are friendly, hospitable people who enjoy meeting international students and helping you to feel at home here.
- They are interested in you, your country, and your ideas.
All sorts of people are hosts!
- Some are families with children at home; others are middle-aged and older couples; some live alone.
- Some are professional people; others work in business, trade, or manufacturing; some are artists and craftsmen. Hosts have all kinds of jobs. Many hosts are retired: they have time to spend with you, and lots of life experience to share with you.
Where will I go for my visit?
- We have hosts all over the UK, including England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- When you apply to HOST, you can request a visit 'near my place of study'. This will involve a journey of no more than 2 hours.
- Otherwise, you tell us how much you are prepared to spend on your travel, and we will find you a host somewhere in the UK within your travel budget.
- You will be surprised how many interesting and beautiful places there are in Britain, which you have never heard of before!
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When can I go?
- HOST arranges visits on every weekend of the year. A weekend visit normally starts on Friday and ends on Sunday, but it can be flexible.
- Christmas visits are very popular, enabling students to join in our most important family festival. At Christmas, most students stay 3 nights with their hosts.
- In a few regions it is also possible to have a one day visit (no overnight stay).
- When you apply for a visit, we ask you to give us a choice of dates, and we hope you will keep all those dates free, or inform us of any changes, until you have news of your invitation.
What will it cost?
- There is an application fee of £42.30. This contributes to HOST's administration costs. Many universities pay all or most of the application fee for you. Click here to find out whether your institution will pay this fee.
- You will pay for your travel to the host's nearest train or bus station.
- The HOST visit itself is FREE. You do not pay your hosts anything.
- You will probably want to take a small gift to say thank you to your host. And you may need a little money to pay your entrance fee to a place your host may take you to see.
There is a lot more information on our questions page.
If you are ready to apply, go to application process now.
