How to apply for accommodation

First year students (new students coming to SOAS for the first time - either UG, PG, Foundation, ICC, FDPS, Study Abroad programme) will require a unique accommodation code which will be sent out via email by the specific course Admissions teams. Students will not receive this code unless they have firmly accepted their place at SOAS.

This is usually received within 3 working days of 'firming' the offer. However, if this is not received within 7 working days, please email applyaccommodation@soas.ac.uk. First year students should not use a SOAS email address based on their applicant number on their application, as this email will not be activated until enrolled in September.

ICC, Foundation, and Study Abroad students should register on the portal as ‘Undergraduate’ students.

FDPS students should register on the portal as ‘Postgraduate’ students.

ELAS students should register on the portal as ‘Other form of study’ and select the appropriate length of contract.

Study Abroad Students (Partial year only) – students should ensure they select the contract length required (Term 1 only, or Terms 2 & 3 only). It is usual for students in this category to be allocated Dinwiddy House as their accommodation.

Pre-sessional students / IFCELS:

1. Students NOT progressing onto a full UG/PG course in September at SOAS: students only attending SOAS for a short course and not continuing in September, will be contacted by the IFCELS team with instructions and your discount code for the short term housing. Do not apply via the portal.
2. Students progressing onto a full UG/PG course in September at SOAS: you will need to make two separate bookings to ensure you have accommodation for both the pre-sessional part (summer) and the academic year part (from September 2023) of your course. If you do not book both parts you could be left with no housing for September onwards.​​​​​​​
   • Summer Booking: please book the summer pre-sessional part of your course by using the discount code and instructions sent to you by the IFCELS team for this part of your course and book directly with Dinwiddy House. 
   • September booking:
     • Students intending to continue studying at SOAS after their pre-sessional course, please follow the process for new first year students.
     • Depending on the course being taken in September, students should select “Undergraduate” or “Postgraduate” in the application portal.
     • Students will receive an accommodation code for the September part of their course from the IFCELS office (so they will have two codes). Should the student not progress into September at SOAS following the pre-sessional part of the course, the accommodation booking can be cancelled.
     • Every effort will be made to ensure the student remains in the same room for the duration of their stay, however this cannot be guaranteed

Postgraduate Research students will not receive an accommodation code but will need to upload a screenshot of their firm offer when prompted. This will be validated by the accommodation team.

Scholarship students should state the scholarship they have been awarded in the notes section of the application. This is to ensure the application is processed correctly. Please note an advance deposit to secure the accommodation is usually required.

Returning students / non-first year students (including those transitioning from our Foundation programme into Year 1) should enter their student ID on the application and can use their existing SOAS email address.