UK student visa: requirements, fees and how to apply

Student visa, Child Student visa and Short-term study visa

This guide is for anyone planning to study in the United Kingdom: at a university, a college, an independent school, on a long English language course or on any programme that requires a student visa. You can apply from your country of nationality or from another country where you are lawfully resident. Unlike short visits, EU citizens also need a visa to study in the UK for more than 6 months.

1. Which visa do you need to study in the UK?

• Student visa: for applicants aged 16 or over who have an unconditional offer on a course with a licensed student sponsor and a CAS. This is the main route for universities, colleges and long academic programmes.
• Child Student visa: for children aged 4 to 17 studying at an independent school in the UK. It requires an unconditional offer, parental consent, arrangements for care and accommodation, and proof of funds.
• Short-term study visa: only for English language courses lasting more than 6 months and up to 11 months. It does not allow work, extensions or bringing dependants.
• Standard Visitor visa or ETA: for study of up to 6 months, if the course can be taken as a visitor. Suitable for short courses, not for full degree programmes. Visa nationals (for example Colombian, Bolivian, Ecuadorian or Venezuelan citizens) need a visitor visa; EU citizens and many Latin American nationals (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and others) travel with an ETA.

For full-time study in the UK, the Student visa is the most common option. It is for applicants aged 16 or over who have a place with a licensed student sponsor, hold a CAS and can prove their finances, English level and genuine intention to study.

2. Where you can apply from

You can apply from your country of nationality or permanent residence, or from a third country where you are lawfully present: with a residence card, a student card, work authorisation, a digital nomad permit, family residence or another lawful basis.

Important: UKVI looks at your whole profile, not only the documents of the country you apply from: nationality, travel and visa history, study plans, source of funds, ties to your country of residence and whether the chosen visa fits your plans. During the online application, the system will tell you whether you need to attend a visa centre for biometrics or can verify your identity with the UKVI ID Check app (an option available to many passport holders, including most EU citizens).

3. Where you submit your application

If you need biometrics, you attend a UK visa application centre in the country you apply from. You book the appointment after completing the online form and paying the fees. The visa fee is paid online in advance; the centre’s own service charges depend on the country and the service level you choose (standard or premium).

The available centre, dates, optional service prices and identity verification method are shown in your account once you have completed the application. Centre addresses, opening hours and services can change, so always confirm the final booking on the official booking page.

4. Main Student visa requirements

• Age: usually 16 or over. Children aged 4 to 17 at an independent school use the Child Student visa.
• CAS: a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies issued by a licensed UK student sponsor.
• Funds: enough money to pay your course fees and support yourself in the UK.
• English language: CEFR level B2 for degree-level courses and above, B1 for courses below degree level. You usually prove it with a Secure English Language Test (SELT) or, for universities, through the institution’s own assessment. Spanish and Portuguese speakers are not exempt; nationals of some English-speaking countries (for example Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize or Guyana) are.
• Parental consent: required for applicants aged 16 or 17 and for minors on the Child Student route.
• ATAS: may be required for some master’s and higher-level programmes in sensitive scientific and technical fields.
• TB test: required if you are applying for more than 6 months and live in a country on the official TB testing list. In Latin America and the Caribbean this includes Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Guatemala and Paraguay. The test must be done at a clinic approved by the Home Office.

5. Financial requirements

You must show funds to pay your course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months), unless your CAS shows they have already been paid. On top of that, you need living costs:

• London: £1,529 per month, for up to 9 months: £13,761;
• outside London: £1,171 per month, for up to 9 months: £10,539.

The money must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, and the end of that period must fall within 31 days of your application date. You can use your own funds, your parents’ funds with a consent letter, a partner’s funds in permitted cases, official financial sponsorship or a student loan. Cryptocurrency, shares, pensions, overdrafts and accounts with institutions not regulated by the financial authority of that country are not accepted.

Nationals of certain countries (for example Spain and other EU countries, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and the Dominican Republic) benefit from a simplified evidence rule: they usually do not have to submit financial documents with the application. They still need to have the funds, and UKVI may request the evidence at any time.

6. Documents for your application

• Personal documents: passport, previous passports if available, details of past travel and any refusals.
• Proof of lawful residence in the country you apply from, if it is not your country of nationality: residence card, residence permit or other proof; a local registration certificate (such as the padrón in Spain) can help as extra evidence.
• Studies: CAS, offer or admission letter, academic qualifications, proof of English level, ATAS if needed.
• Finances: bank statements and letters, proof of tuition payment, sponsor or parents’ documents, a letter of consent to use the funds.
• Family and children: birth certificate, parental consent, documents on accommodation and care if the applicant is a minor.
• Additional: TB test certificate if applicable; English translations of any documents not in English or Welsh; an explanatory letter if your history is complex.

Translations. Documents in any language other than English or Welsh must be translated. The translation must allow UKVI to understand the document fully: the applicant’s details, dates, amounts, signatures, stamps and the name of the authority, bank or educational institution.

7. Step-by-step application

1. Obtain your CAS from the UK institution and check that the details match your passport and programme.
2. Choose the right visa: Student visa, Child Student visa, Short-term study visa, or visitor status for a course of up to 6 months.
3. Gather your documents: passport, status in the country you apply from, finances, academic documents, translations, TB test if required, family or sponsor documents.
4. Complete the online application on GOV.UK, indicating the country you are applying from.
5. Pay the visa fee and the health surcharge (IHS), if required.
6. Verify your identity, either through the UKVI ID Check app or at a visa centre appointment.
7. Upload your documents online, or use the document upload assistance service if the centre offers it.
8. Attend your biometrics appointment with your passport and booking confirmation, if the system has assigned you a visa centre.
9. Wait for the decision. From outside the UK, it usually takes up to 3 weeks after you have applied and verified your identity.
10. Once approved, access your eVisa and check that it is linked to the correct passport.

8. Timing, fees and when to apply

• When to apply: from outside the UK, no earlier than 6 months before your course starts.
• Processing time: usually up to 3 weeks after the online application, identity check and documents.
• Student visa fee: £558 per applicant when applying from outside the UK. The Child Student visa costs the same; the Short-term study visa costs £228.
• Health surcharge (IHS): £776 per year for students and their dependants; the total depends on the length of your visa.
• Arrival before your course: up to 1 week before if your course lasts 6 months or less; up to 1 month before if it lasts longer than 6 months.

9. Tips for international applicants

Whatever your nationality, do not limit yourself to the minimum document list. UKVI looks not only at your CAS and funds but also at how convincing your overall study plan is.

• Explain your study logic: why this programme, this university or college, and why the UK.
• Document the source of your money: salary, business, savings, a sponsor, parents, the sale of property or a scholarship. Scholarships from your home government or institutions in your country count as official financial sponsorship if they meet the rules.
• If you apply from a third country, such as Spain, show your lawful status there: residence card (TIE), visa, registration certificate, rental contract or other documents.
• Do not hide refusals, trips or previous visas: your form must match your real history.
• Check whether you need a TB test, and book it early, as clinic appointments can be limited.
• If your profile is more complex (gaps in studies, a change of field or limited financial history), add an explanatory letter and strong financial evidence.

10. Can you bring your family?

Family members can only come with you in specific cases. As a rule, dependants are allowed if you are a government-sponsored student on a course longer than 6 months, or a full-time postgraduate student on a course at RQF level 7 or above lasting 9 months or more. If your course starts on or after 1 January 2024, it must be a PhD or other doctoral qualification, or a research-based higher degree. Taught master’s students can no longer bring dependants.

Eligible dependants are your spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner and your children under 18. The Short-term study visa does not allow dependants. Each family member must qualify in their own right and submit a separate application.

11. After your studies: the Graduate route

After successfully completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the UK, you can usually apply for a Graduate visa to stay and work. It lasts 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. PhD graduates get 3 years. This route is not available after a Short-term study visa.

12. Common mistakes

• Choosing the Short-term study visa for a programme that actually requires a Student visa.
• Applying without a CAS, or with errors in the CAS.
• Showing money without a clear source, or in an unsuitable account.
• Not translating key documents into English.
• Not proving lawful residence in the country you apply from, when it is different from your country of nationality.
• Forgetting the TB test when you live in a country on the list.
• Assuming that a CAS automatically means the visa will be granted.
• Not checking whether the chosen programme requires ATAS.

How Via Globally can help

We review your situation and check the visa type, your CAS, finances, status in the country you apply from and visa history. Then we prepare your document checklist, the application form, the structure of your financial evidence and an explanatory letter. The final decision always rests with the UK authorities.

Free consultation: WhatsApp +34 691 527 216 · viaglobally.com