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    Student visa guide

    United Kingdom student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Student visa costs $1,760 in fees nobody can skip, up to $3,010 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    How much does a United Kingdom student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in the United Kingdom on the Student Route (Tier 4) costs $1,760 in fees you cannot skip: Visa application fee (outside UK) ($725) and Immigration Health Surcharge, 1 year ($1,035). Situational extras (priority service, super-priority service, tuberculosis test (some countries) and biometrics enrollment) add up to $1,250 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

    Student visa cost breakdown

    Every line the United Kingdom application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

    Visa application fee (outside UK)$725
    £558
    Immigration Health Surcharge, 1 year$1,035
    £776/yr × full course duration; Master's typically 1 year
    Mandatory total$1,760
    What the Student visa costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Priority service$100
    Only some applicants are charged this.
    Super-priority service$1,000
    Only some applicants are charged this.
    Tuberculosis test (some countries)$100
    Only some applicants are charged this.
    Biometrics enrollment$50
    Only some applicants are charged this.
    If every extra applied$3,010
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. United Kingdom bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • IHS scales with course length. A 2-year MSc means £1,552 in IHS alone.
    • Switching to the Graduate Route from inside the UK has its own £822 fee.
    • Dependents (Student Dependant visa) pay the same application + IHS per person.

    How much bank balance do you need for a United Kingdom student visa?

    For the Student visa, the United Kingdom asks you to show GBP 10,539. The accepted form is Bank statements or a loan/sponsorship letter held for 28 consecutive days, and it covers Nine months of living costs for a course outside London, at the £1,171 a month GOV.UK requires. Courses in London need £1,529 a month, or £13,761 over the same nine months. Your course fees for the first year sit on top of this. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from GOV.UK: Student visa: Money you need, checked August 2026.

    GOV.UK: Student visa: Money you need · checked August 2026

    United Kingdom student visa requirements and documents checklist

    7 documents every applicant provides, 1 more depending on where you apply from.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)everyoneYour course provider must be a licensed student sponsor and must issue a CAS before you apply. The CAS also states the course fee the Home Office will expect you to cover. source
    Current passport or other valid travel documenteveryoneYou use this document to prove your identity and later link it to your UKVI account. source
    Proof of money for course fees and living costseveryoneYou need the first year's course fee (up to nine months' worth) plus £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, held for 28 consecutive days. source
    Proof of English language abilityeveryoneDegree-level courses require English equivalent to CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening; courses below degree level require CEFR level B1. source
    ATAS certificate where your course and nationality require oneeveryoneSome master's-level and above courses in sensitive subjects need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate before you can apply. source
    Written consent from a financial sponsoreveryoneIf someone has sponsored your course fees or living costs in the last 12 months, you must supply their written consent to your application. source
    Parental consent if you are 16 or 17everyoneApplicants under 18 must show consent from a parent or legal guardian and evidence of that relationship. source
    Tuberculosis test certificatefor students from 12 countries, India to IndonesiaRequired if you are coming for six months or more and have lived for six months or more in a listed country. India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Ghana, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Indonesia are all on that list. The certificate is valid for six months from the date of the chest x-ray. source

    How to apply for a United Kingdom student visa

    1. Get an offer and a CAS from a licensed student sponsor

      Your provider issues the CAS after you accept its offer. From outside the UK you can apply at the earliest six months before your course starts.

      source
    2. Hold your funds for 28 days and book your TB test

      Move the money into a qualifying account and leave it untouched for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of your application date. Book the chest x-ray at an approved clinic in good time, since the certificate must accompany the application.

      source
    3. Apply online and pay the fee and healthcare surcharge

      Applying from outside the UK costs £558, and you pay the immigration health surcharge in the same transaction. How much surcharge you pay depends on how long your visa lasts.

      source
    4. Prove your identity and get your eVisa

      You either attend a biometric appointment or use the ID check app, depending on your travel document. A successful application gives you an eVisa, an online record of your status that you access through a UKVI account.

      source
    5. Travel within your permitted arrival window

      For courses longer than six months you may arrive up to one month before the course starts; for shorter courses, up to one week. You must not travel before the start date printed on your visa.

      source

    United Kingdom student visa processing time

    Decisions usually take three weeks when you apply from outside the UK and eight weeks from inside it. A priority service is offered at some locations and you are told at the point of application whether you can use it.

    GOV.UK: Student visa · checked August 2026

    United Kingdom student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    Students on a full-time degree-level course with a sponsor that has a track record of compliance may work 20 hours a week during term time and full-time outside term time. Self-employment and work as a professional sportsperson or coach are not allowed.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Dependants

    Most students can no longer bring a partner or children. Dependants are limited to government-sponsored students on courses longer than six months, and to full-time students on a postgraduate course at RQF level 7 or above lasting nine months or longer. Each dependant pays the same application fee.

    source

    After graduation

    The Graduate visa lets you stay after finishing your course for two years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, or 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. PhD and other doctoral graduates get three years either way.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Language requirement

    You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to CEFR level B2 for a degree-level course, or level B1 for a course below degree level.

    source

    United Kingdom student visa requirements for Indian students

    The full United Kingdom visa guide for Indian students, with the fee in your currency.

    Full financial evidence goes in with the application

    India is not on the UK's differential evidence list, so you send the bank statements or loan letter with the application itself: £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London for up to nine months, plus the first year's course fee, held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of the date you apply.

    source

    A TB test certificate from an approved clinic

    India is on the tuberculosis testing list, so any application for a stay of six months or more needs a chest x-ray certificate from a Home Office approved clinic. The certificate is valid for six months, so book it once your CAS date is known.

    source

    Apply from six months before the course starts

    The earliest you can apply from outside the UK is six months before your course start date, and decisions usually take three weeks. Applying in the first weeks of that window leaves room for a priority service if one is offered at your centre.

    source

    United Kingdom student visa requirements for Nigerian students

    The full United Kingdom visa guide for Nigerian students, with the fee in your currency.

    Full financial evidence goes in with the application

    Nigeria is not on the differential evidence list, so the bank statements or sponsor letter travel with the application: £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London for up to nine months, plus the first year's course fee, held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of the application date.

    source

    A TB test certificate from an approved clinic

    Nigeria is on the tuberculosis testing list. A chest x-ray certificate from a Home Office approved clinic must accompany any application for a stay of six months or more, and it is valid for six months from the x-ray date.

    source

    Written consent from whoever paid in the last year

    If a sponsor covered your course fees or living costs in the last 12 months, their written consent to the application goes in with it. A family member paying from their own account counts.

    source

    United Kingdom student visa requirements for Pakistani students

    The full United Kingdom visa guide for Pakistani students, with the fee in your currency.

    Full financial evidence goes in with the application

    Pakistan is not on the differential evidence list, so you submit the statements with the application: £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London for up to nine months, plus the first year's course fee, held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of the date you apply.

    source

    A TB test certificate from an approved clinic

    Pakistan is on the tuberculosis testing list, so any application for six months or more needs a chest x-ray certificate from a Home Office approved clinic, valid for six months from the x-ray date.

    source

    Decisions usually take three weeks from outside the UK

    GOV.UK gives three weeks as the usual decision time for applications made from outside the UK, and you are told when you apply whether a priority service is available at your centre.

    source

    United Kingdom student visa requirements for Bangladeshi students

    The full United Kingdom visa guide for Bangladeshi students, with the fee in your currency.

    Full financial evidence goes in with the application

    Bangladesh is not on the differential evidence list, so the bank statements or sponsor letter go in with the application: £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London for up to nine months, plus the first year's course fee, held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of the application date.

    source

    A TB test certificate from an approved clinic

    Bangladesh is on the tuberculosis testing list. Any application for a stay of six months or more needs a chest x-ray certificate from a Home Office approved clinic, valid for six months.

    source

    United Kingdom student visa requirements for Chinese students

    The full United Kingdom visa guide for Chinese students, with the fee in your currency.

    You do not have to prove your funds up front

    China is on the UK's differential evidence requirement list, so Chinese nationals are not required to submit financial evidence with the application. The threshold itself still applies, £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London, and UKVI can ask you to produce the evidence before deciding, so keep the statements ready.

    source

    The TB test is still compulsory

    The differential evidence concession covers financial documents only. China is on the tuberculosis testing list, so a chest x-ray certificate from an approved clinic must still accompany any application for a stay of six months or more.

    source

    United Kingdom student visa requirements for Indonesian students

    The full United Kingdom visa guide for Indonesian students, with the fee in your currency.

    You do not have to prove your funds up front

    Indonesia is on the UK's differential evidence requirement list, so Indonesian nationals need not send bank statements with the application. You must still genuinely hold £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 in London for up to nine months, because UKVI may request the evidence before making a decision.

    source

    The TB test is still compulsory

    Indonesia appears on the tuberculosis testing list, and that requirement is separate from the financial evidence concession. Budget time for the chest x-ray at an approved clinic before you apply.

    source
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in
    New Zealand
    From $501 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the United Kingdom student visa fee?
    The Student Route (Tier 4) application charge is $725 (Visa application fee (outside UK)). Add the other mandatory items (Immigration Health Surcharge, 1 year $1,035) and the all-in mandatory total is $1,760. Optional extras add up to $1,250 on top.
    How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)?
    $1,035 for the Student Route (Tier 4), and it is mandatory. £776/yr × full course duration; Master's typically 1 year. It is already counted in the $1,760 all-in total.
    How much is the biometrics fee?
    $50 for the Student Route (Tier 4), and only when it applies to you. It sits on top of the $1,760 mandatory total.
    How much bank balance is required for a United Kingdom student visa?
    GBP 10,539, held as Bank statements or a loan/sponsorship letter held for 28 consecutive days, covering Nine months of living costs for a course outside London, at the £1,171 a month GOV.UK requires. Courses in London need £1,529 a month, or £13,761 over the same nine months. Your course fees for the first year sit on top of this. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. The money must sit in the account for at least 28 days in a row, and the 28-day period must end within 31 days of the date you apply. Students who have held a valid UK visa for at least 12 months do not have to prove it. Source: GOV.UK: Student visa: Money you need (August 2026).
    Can you work on a United Kingdom student visa?
    Students on a full-time degree-level course with a sponsor that has a track record of compliance may work 20 hours a week during term time and full-time outside term time. Self-employment and work as a professional sportsperson or coach are not allowed. Source: GOV.UK: Immigration Rules: Appendix Student (work conditions) (August 2026).
    How long does a United Kingdom student visa take?
    Decisions usually take three weeks when you apply from outside the UK and eight weeks from inside it. A priority service is offered at some locations and you are told at the point of application whether you can use it. Source: GOV.UK: Student visa (August 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a United Kingdom student visa?
    Most students can no longer bring a partner or children. Dependants are limited to government-sponsored students on courses longer than six months, and to full-time students on a postgraduate course at RQF level 7 or above lasting nine months or longer. Each dependant pays the same application fee. Source: GOV.UK: Student visa (August 2026).
    What's not included in the Student Route (Tier 4) fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified August 2026.