International Student App (UK)
Free digital self-care and settle-in support for international students in the UK
The International Student App is a trusted, free self-care and wellbeing support app used by UK colleges and universities to help international students settle in, stay well, and thrive.
It brings together clear, evidence-informed guidance on health, wellbeing, and everyday life in the UK - helping students feel more confident, find the right support earlier, and prevent problems escalating.
In doing so, it improves student experience, reduces repeated queries, and eases pressure on stretched staff and services.
UK universities and colleges can localise the app to highlight local services, support, and pathways - while retaining consistent, trusted core guidance.
Available free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. No account is required to download or use the app.
Why this app exists
Arriving in a new country is exciting - but it can also be overwhelming.
International students often face a unique combination of challenges, including:
- culture shock, loneliness, and homesickness
- academic pressure and unfamiliar teaching styles
- navigating healthcare, housing, finance, and everyday systems
- language barriers and uncertainty about where to turn for help
Information is frequently scattered across websites, emails, and printed materials that are hard to navigate - especially during periods of stress.
Staff want to help, but demand is rising, and capacity is limited. Without clear, accessible support, small issues can escalate into poor wellbeing, disengagement, or crisis. In the most serious cases, the risk of self-harm or suicide is tragically real.
A calm, practical way to support international students earlier
With the International Student App, you gain a simple, reliable way to support international students from arrival onwards.
The app adds a mobile layer to how you already share information - complementing induction programmes, websites, and face-to-face support by putting clear, reliable guidance directly into students’ hands, whenever they need it.
In practice, the app helps you to:
- support earlier adjustment and help-seeking
- reduce anxiety and confusion about UK systems
- answer common questions consistently, in one place
- complement existing services, not replace them
If you want to go further, you can localise the app with your own branded home page and service directory, helping students reach the right support first time.
Supporting international students across the care pathway
International students don’t move through support in a straight line. Needs change across the academic year and in response to academic pressure, health issues, immigration concerns, and life events.
The International Student App can support students at different points, including:
- Arrival and early transition – helping students understand UK life, healthcare, and support services.
- Periods of stress or isolation – offering practical wellbeing guidance and reassurance.
- While waiting for support – providing trusted information during gaps or delays.
- Alongside ongoing care or academic support – reinforcing messages from wellbeing, counselling, or international offices.
- After a crisis or setback – helping students regain confidence and know what to do next.
In each case, the app sits alongside existing university and NHS services - offering clarity, reassurance, and a safe starting point.
Why mobile apps work for international students
Support works best when it’s available at the moment it’s needed - without barriers.
International students already rely heavily on their phones to navigate daily life. Apps offer:
- privacy and discretion
- access across time zones and outside office hours
- support that works offline
- information that’s easy to revisit and understand
Once downloaded, the app:
- stays with students throughout their studies
- can be accessed anytime, anywhere
- provides one clear, trusted place to turn when something doesn’t feel right
This makes it particularly well-suited to students adjusting to a new country.
Who the app is for - and who it isn’t
You can think of the International Student App as a digital companion for settling into UK life, designed for:
- international undergraduate and postgraduate students
- students new to the UK healthcare and education systems
- professionals and teams supporting international students
The app is not a medical device and is not intended to:
- replace clinical care, counselling, or academic advice
- act as an emergency service
- collect or monitor personal data
Instead, it supports informed self-care, confident navigation of services, and appropriate help-seeking.
How the International Student App works in practice
Inside the app, students find clear, student-friendly content co-created with international students and support teams.
This includes guidance to help students:
- look after their physical and mental wellbeing
- understand what to do in a health or mental health crisis
- navigate accommodation, finance, and everyday UK systems
- manage study pressures and relationships
- find NHS services, helplines, charities, and university support
Everything is written in plain English and designed to be easy to return to - especially during periods of stress or uncertainty.
Safe, private, and free to use
So you can share the app with confidence, it has been designed with safety and accessibility at its core:
- entirely free for students and institutions
- no contracts, no sign-up, and no technical set-up
- no personal data collection, tracking, or profiling
- no ads or in-app purchases
- compatible with standard smartphone accessibility features
Students can use the app privately, on their own terms - even when offline.
Risk & assurance summary
Expert Self Care apps are designed to extend access to trusted self-care support while managing organisational risk responsibly.
- Not a replacement for services or safeguarding processes
- No personal data collection or monitoring
- Clinically led, evidence-informed, PIF TICK certified
- Independently assessed by ORCHA and compliant with NHS DTAC
- Free to use, with no contracts or operational burden
Together, this provides a safe, proportionate way to support international students at scale.
Governance note: Expert Self Care apps support self-care and appropriate help-seeking alongside existing university and NHS pathways. They do not provide diagnosis, treatment, or emergency response, and require no integration with local systems.
Proven quality and real-world impact
The International Student App is trusted and recognised across UK higher education:
- PIF TICK certified - the UK mark for trusted health information
- Co-created with international students and support teams at the University of Lincoln and University of the West of England
- Developed in partnership with Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity
This is established, quality-assured support - ready to use at scale.
Understanding the value for universities
The International Student App is a small, predictable investment of attention that can unlock meaningful value over time.
It can help universities to:
- improve student experience and belonging from day one
- reduce repeated queries by answering common questions in one place
- support wellbeing and retention, preventing escalation
- ease pressure on staff and services
- avoid the cost and risk of building a digital product
Ultimately, the value lies in making trusted guidance easy to find - early, consistent, and accessible.
Designed to support sustainability
The International Student App supports sustainability in practical ways:
- For students – smoother transitions, better wellbeing, and confidence
- For institutions – prevention, efficiency, and reduced avoidable demand
- For the planet – reduced reliance on printed materials and duplicated content
A simple digital intervention with long-term benefits.
Make the app locally relevant (optional)
Colleges and universities can localise the International Student App to:
- add a branded home page that builds belonging
- highlight wellbeing, academic, and support services
- tailor signposting when services are stretched
Helping international students find the right support faster - without the cost or complexity of building something new.
The difference the International Student App can make
When international students have access to clear, trusted support, they are more likely to:
- feel settled and confident sooner
- seek help earlier and more appropriately
- stay engaged with their studies
- thrive academically and personally
Giving students one trusted place for support can make everything feel lighter - for them, and for the teams supporting them.
Let’s start a conversation
If you’d like to explore how the International Student App could support your international students and staff, we’d be glad to talk.