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Step 1: Set up your Essex IT account

Once your student record is set up, you’ll get an email from us to confirm your Essex IT account (@essex.ac.uk) is ready for collection. This will be approximately six weeks before your course starts. Complete this step as soon as possible as it unlocks access to your University email account, as well as a range of other systems, including our Online Pre-Registration system. 

To set your Essex IT account up, you’ll need your Personal Record Identifier (PRID) and your passphrase. These are the same details as you used in the My Essex applicant portal. 

Step 2: Complete Online Pre-Registration

As a new student you'll need to complete Online Pre-Registration before your course starts. If you are joining us from January 2026, online Pre-Registration is now open.

Once in the portal, you'll be asked to complete key steps in the Pre-Registration area. We’ll ask you to provide a photo for your University ID card (known as a Registration Card), as well details on where you’ll be staying during term time and emergency contact details. These are all essential in enabling us to get your Student Record setup.

It's essential you complete this as soon as possible and before you attend your In-Person Registration appointment, as we won’t be able to confirm your registration without this.  

You should also take the time to familiarise yourself with our Registration Regulations. 

Step 3: Paying your tuition fees / Making sure your funding is in place

One of the compulsory steps of registration is ensuring the University is in receipt of the required amount for your tuition fees, before you can begin attending teaching and accessing other resources. 

Funded studies

If your studies are being funded by Student Finance England or another sponsor, make sure you have submitted any required application forms, evidence or returned any required agreements to them. Your funding should then be in place ready for you to complete registration.

We are notified if you are receiving funding when you enter the 'Fees' section of our Online Registration system. You will still be presented with the total annual fee for your course, as this will be the amount charged to any funding body, but you will not be asked to make payment of this amount in our system.

It is important to note that once you are registered and should your circumstances change, and any funding application is rejected at a later date for example, you will become liable for the tuition fees for your course.

Paying your own fees

If you are funding your own studies or receiving funds from a funding source that requires you to make payment to the University, you should ensure you have made arrangements to make this payment with adequate time for this to clear before the start of term. Further information can be found on our how to pay your fees page.

You can also pay your tuition fees in our  using our Webpay system to make credit or debit card payments. Or our Flywire system to make a tracked bank transfer. 

Step 4: Attend your In-Person Registration appointment

After completing Online Pre-Registration and paying your tuition fees, you’ll need to attend an In-Person Registration appointment. You’ll need to complete this step after you arrive on campus and before you attend any teaching events for your course. 

We must see you in-person to be able to confirm your registration as an official student (please note the only exception to this is if you are registering on a distance learning course or a modular course with no in-person teaching. In which case you’ll be supported with completing these steps remotely).

Depending on the time of year and location you are registering, you may need to pre-book an appointment to see us. You can find out how to pre-book an appointment in the information below for the term you're starting your course.

Completing your Right to Study Check

As a new student, you’ll need to complete a Right to Study Check before you can officially register for your course. This is so we can verify your identity and ensure where required, you have the correct immigration permissions to study with us.

The Right to Study Check consists of a review of your original ID/immigration documents and where required, these will be recorded on your student record

If eligible, you will be invited to upload your ID/immigration documents via the Right to Study Check area in our Online Registration portal. You should try to do this as soon as possible and where possible, before you arrive on campus.

If you are not eligible to upload your documents online, we just need to see these documents at your In-Person Registration appointment. Your Right to Study Check area will provide you with information to help you prepare the documents you need to bring with you. 

At your appointment, we’ll need you to bring your ID/Immigration documents (.pdf) with you and these must be original/hard copy documents. 

We will not confirm your official registration as a student until you have attended your In-Person Registration appointment and completed your Right to Study Check.

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Registration for Spring Term 2026 will open in December 2025.

Summer Term

Returning students

As a returning student you will need to complete Online Registration at the start of each academic year to ensure you can continue to access and teaching for the next stage of study on your course. 

You’ll also need to complete Online Registration if you are a student returning from a period of intermission.

Please note that in instances where you may have undertaken summer reassessment (i.e. in August or September), you will not normally be able to re-register for your course until your resit results have been published by the Board of Examiners. You may encounter an error code where you attempt to register before this. 

For further information on completing the registration process as a returning student, please visit our returning student registration page.