ATAS Certificate: Who Needs It and When to Apply from Sri Lanka
TL;DR: Yes, you can need an ATAS certificate. If your nationality is not on the UK's list of exempt nationalities and your master's or PhD falls under a listed subject code, you must get ATAS clearance before you apply for your Student visa. There is no fee. It takes at least 30 working days, longer from April to August, so apply as soon as your university gives you the course code.
ATAS, the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, is a UK security check for postgraduate study in sensitive science and engineering subjects. It sits between your offer and your visa. For engineering and science graduates, an ATAS certificate is often the step that quietly takes six weeks or more.
Planning an engineering or physics master's in the UK and unsure where ATAS fits? Check your eligibility with Prosper.
Who is exempt from ATAS
The GOV.UK ATAS guidance exempts nationals of 38 countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States and the EU member states. If your country is not on that list, ATAS can apply to you.
Dual nationals are exempt only if they hold a valid passport from an exempt country. People with indefinite leave to remain in the UK do not need ATAS either.
Which courses need ATAS
ATAS depends on your course's CAH3 code, a subject code your university assigns. Appendix ATAS of the Immigration Rules lists which codes need clearance. It applies to master's degrees, PhDs and other postgraduate study, and to some undergraduate courses with an integrated master's year. GOV.UK says a postgraduate diploma or PGCE does not need it.
For taught master's degrees, the list in Appendix ATAS is short:
CAH3 code | Subject |
|---|---|
CAH07-01-01 | Physics (including nuclear physics) |
CAH10-01-02 | Mechanical engineering |
CAH10-01-04 | Aeronautical and aerospace engineering |
CAH10-01-09 | Chemical, process and energy engineering |
CAH10-03-01 | Minerals technology |
CAH10-03-02 | Materials technology |
CAH10-03-07 | Materials science |
For research degrees such as a PhD, the list is much wider, covering codes across biological, physical, mathematical and computer sciences, engineering, technologies, veterinary sciences and subjects allied to medicine.
Do not guess from the course title. Your offer letter or the university's ATAS statement gives the exact code.
Not sure whether your chosen course carries one of these codes?
How to apply for an ATAS certificate
The application is online through GOV.UK and there is no charge. The University of Exeter notes it goes to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. You will need:
The CAH3 code and course details from your university, copied exactly as written.
Your full name, date of birth, current address and the passport you will use for your visa.
Details of your previous studies and any employment.
Details of any published papers.
Contact details for two referees you have ideally known for more than three years.
How your study in the UK will be funded.
Loughborough University asks taught students to list their optional modules and research students to include a paragraph on their research area. Surrey stresses that the text must match your offer letter word for word.
If your course content or supervisor changes, or your end date moves by three months or more, you need a new certificate.
If your background is in mechanical, aerospace, chemical or materials engineering, or in physics, your master's course may carry one of the taught codes above. If so, ask the admissions team for your ATAS statement the day you accept the offer, and choose two referees, such as a final-year project supervisor or a line manager, who can be reached quickly.
Timing ATAS against a September intake
GOV.UK says ATAS takes at least 30 working days, with longer waits from April to August. A certificate can be used for a visa application for six months from its issue date. The University of Exeter advises applying no more than six months before your course starts, and says it cannot issue your CAS until ATAS is granted.
Counting back from a September start:
When | Step |
|---|---|
By March | Accept your offer and get your CAH3 code from the university |
March | Submit ATAS, about six months before the course, ahead of the busy season |
May to June | Certificate expected, allowing for delays |
June to July | CAS issued. Keep your funds in the bank for 28 days in a row |
July to early August | Apply for your Student visa. GOV.UK says most decisions from outside the UK take about three weeks |
Early September | Travel and enrol before the course starts |
For a January start, shift every step four months later, so ATAS goes in around July. That falls in the busy season, so submit as soon as the six-month window opens. Our UK January intake timeline sets out the rest. Once your CAS is in, prepare for the UK student visa credibility interview that may follow your biometrics.
Applying from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is not on the GOV.UK list of exempt nationalities, so if you hold a Sri Lankan passport and your course carries a listed CAH3 code, you need ATAS clearance.
Sri Lankan graduates in mechanical, aerospace, chemical or materials engineering, and in physics, often choose master's courses carrying one of the taught codes above.
Frequently asked questions
Do students from Sri Lanka need ATAS for a UK master's? Only if the course's CAH3 code is on the Appendix ATAS list. Sri Lanka is not an exempt nationality.
Is there a fee for an ATAS certificate? No. GOV.UK says you do not pay for the application.
How long does ATAS take? At least 30 working days, and longer from April to August.
Can I apply for my UK visa before ATAS is approved? No. For a Student visa you need the ATAS certificate before you apply.
Where do I find my CAH3 code? In your offer letter or your university's ATAS statement. Ask the admissions team if it is missing.
PS: ATAS is simple on paper, but six weeks at the wrong moment can push you past your intake. If you want your course, CAH3 code and visa timeline checked together, check your eligibility with Prosper.
References
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS), GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme (accessed 27 September 2026)
Immigration Rules Appendix ATAS: Academic Technology Approval Scheme, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-atas-academic-technology-approval-scheme-atas (accessed 27 September 2026)
Student visa: apply, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/apply (accessed 27 September 2026)
Student visa: money, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/money (accessed 27 September 2026)
ATAS clearance, University of Exeter. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/international-students/visas/student/atas-clearance/ (accessed 27 September 2026)
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS), University of Surrey. https://www.surrey.ac.uk/international/visas-and-immigration/academic-technology-approval-scheme (accessed 27 September 2026)
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS), Loughborough University. https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/support/atas/ (accessed 27 September 2026)
