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    Student visa guide · Chinese students

    United Kingdom student visa for Chinese students: fee, requirements and processing time

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

    About ¥11,800 for the Student visa at the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026. The fee is charged in the destination's currency, so the exact amount moves with the exchange rate.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    What is different when you apply from China

    The general process is on the United Kingdom student visa guide. These are the parts that only apply to you.

    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.

    GOV.UK: Student visa: Money you need

    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.

    GOV.UK: Countries where you need a TB test for your UK visa application

    Tuberculosis test certificate

    Required 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.

    GOV.UK: Countries where you need a TB test for your UK visa application

    How much bank balance is required for a United Kingdom student visa from China?

    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 documents for Chinese applicants

    7documents every applicant provides, and 1 more for Chinese nationals, listed above.

    DocumentWhat it involves
    Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)Your 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 documentYou use this document to prove your identity and later link it to your UKVI account. source
    Proof of money for course fees and living costsYou 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 abilityDegree-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 oneSome 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 sponsorIf 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 17Applicants under 18 must show consent from a parent or legal guardian and evidence of that relationship. source

    United Kingdom student visa processing time from China

    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

    How to apply for a United Kingdom student visa from China

    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

    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.

    source

    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.

    source

    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 for other nationalities

    Student visas for Chinese students elsewhere

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much does a United Kingdom student visa cost for Chinese students?
    $1,760 in mandatory fees for the Student visa. About ¥11,800 for the Student visa at the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026. The fee is charged in the destination's currency, so the exact amount moves with the exchange rate. Situational extras can take it to $3,010.
    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).

    Official sources

    Proof of funds: GBP 10,539, GOV.UK: Student visa: Money you need.