UK Student Visa

What Is the Student Visa?

The Student visa is for people aged 16 or over who want to study in the UK on a course with a licensed student sponsor. The applicant needs an offer of a place from that sponsor, enough money to pay for the course and support themselves, and English at the level the course needs. At 16 or 17, the applicant also needs their parents' consent (16 and 17 year olds may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead).

From age 18 the visa usually lasts up to 5 years for a course at degree level and up to 2 years below degree level. A student can arrive up to 1 week before a course of 6 months or less starts, or up to 1 month before a longer course, and must not travel before the start date on the visa.

Who This Route Is For

The Student visa fits applicants who can document:

• A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a licensed student sponsor, for an allowed course
• Money for the first year of course fees and for living costs, held under the 28-day rule
• English at CEFR level B2 for a course at degree level or above, or B1 below degree level
• Where they apply, an ATAS certificate, a TB test certificate, and parental consent for under-18s

How the Application Is Assessed

A Student visa is assessed largely on documents. The caseworker looks for:

1. A valid CAS from a licensed sponsor for an allowed course
2. Money for the first year's fees and up to 9 months of living costs, held for at least 28 days in a row
3. English at the level the course needs
4. ATAS, TB and consent documents where they apply

Courses and the CAS

The applicant needs an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed student sponsor (listed on the register of licensed sponsors). Allowed courses include:

• Full-time study below degree level (RQF 3, 4 or 5) with at least 15 hours a week of organised daytime study
• Full-time study at degree level or above (RQF 6, 7 or 8)
• Part-time study above degree level (RQF 7 or above)
• English language courses at CEFR B2 or above
• Some Erasmus+ and overseas-delivered programmes

Once it has offered a place, the sponsor sends a CAS reference number, which the applicant enters on the application. The application must be made within 6 months of receiving the CAS.

The Money Rule

The applicant must show money for one academic year (up to 9 months) of course fees, as shown on the CAS, plus living costs of £1,529 a month for a course in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to 9 months. The money must have been held for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date of application. See the financial means page for who may supply the money and which evidence is accepted.

Document Checklist

Visa Engine organizes Student visa readiness around these evidence areas:

1. Valid passport — for the applicant and each partner or child applying with them
2. Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) — from a licensed student sponsor
3. Money for course fees and living costs — held under the 28-day rule
4. Knowledge of English — B2 or B1, depending on the course
5. ATAS certificate — only if the course and nationality require it
6. TB test certificate — only if the applicant lives in, or has recently lived in, a listed country
7. Qualifications used for the offer — supporting; the Home Office may ask to see them

Depending on circumstances the application may also need parental or legal guardian consent and proof of the relationship for an applicant under 18, and written consent from a financial sponsor who paid course fees and living costs in the last 12 months.

Process Overview

1. Apply online on GOV.UK. From outside the UK the earliest application is 6 months before the course starts; from inside the UK it is 3 months before.
2. Pay the fee and the immigration health surcharge. The fee is £558 for each person (checked 2026-10-28); the surcharge is paid on top, and its amount depends on the length of the visa.
3. Confirm your identity with the UK Immigration: ID Check app, or by giving fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre.
4. Wait for a decision. From outside the UK a decision usually comes within 3 weeks; from inside the UK, within 8 weeks. UKVI may contact you if supporting documents need verifying or an interview is needed.

Partners and Children

A student can bring a partner or children only if they are a government-sponsored student on a course longer than 6 months, or a full-time student on a postgraduate course at RQF level 7 or above lasting 9 months or longer. For postgraduate courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, only a PhD or other doctorate (RQF 8) or a research-based higher degree qualifies. A partner can be a husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner, and a child must be under 18. A dependant's visa ends on the same date as the student's. Each partner or child needs money of their own under the funds rule.

Applying From a Listed Country

Applicants with a passport from certain countries and territories need not submit evidence of money or qualifications with the application. UKVI may still ask for it before deciding, so the evidence must exist. GOV.UK publishes the full list.

Common Misconceptions

• "A balance on the day I apply is enough." The money must have been held for at least 28 days in a row, and the evidence must be from no more than 31 days before the application.
• "Any relative's account will do." Only the applicant's own, a parent's (with a letter agreeing to the use), or a partner's account counts.
• "I do not need to submit funds, so I do not need to keep them." A listed passport means you need not submit the evidence, but UKVI may ask for it before deciding.
• "Shares or a pension count as money." Overdrafts, cryptocurrency, stocks and shares, pensions and accounts not regulated in the bank's country do not count.
• "An old CAS is fine." The application must be made within 6 months of receiving the CAS.

Disclaimer

This guide is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, not a guarantee of a visa, and not a substitute for the official guidance of the UK Home Office (UKVI) or a regulated UK immigration adviser. Rules, amounts and document requirements change, so always verify current requirements on GOV.UK before you apply.