How to Prepare for Life After University 💡
UK student visa: a complete guide for international students
About to start your UK visa application journey but not sure where to begin? We get it - the UK student visa process can seem daunting.
But no need to worry. We’re here to steer you in the right direction and arm you with everything you need to know. Whether you’ve got your sights set on a London university or heading up north to experience what Scotland has to offer, getting the visa admin sorted early can let you get back to being excited about your big move.
From visa requirements and fees to processing times and extensions, we’ve gathered all the essential info in one place. Use this complete guide to walk you through the process and start living your best student life as soon as possible.
TL;DR:
- UK student visa fees: £558 when applying from outside the UK.
- IHS: £776 per year will also likely need to be paid for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
- CAS: Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is needed from your approved student sponsor before applying.
- Proof of funds: You’ll need proof of your ability to pay tuition fees and living costs. In London, living costs are £1,529 per month for up to nine months, and outside London, it’s £1,171 per month.
- When: Apply up to six months before your course begins and arrive in the UK up to one month before.
Note: The information in this guide is correct as of September 2026.
The application process explained 💻
A continually popular place to study abroad, the UK attracts hundreds of thousands of international students each year — and it’s easy to see why. In the 2024/25 academic year, the House of Commons reported that there were 685,565 international students, all living their best lives and embracing what the UK has to offer.
This year is no different, so you’ll want to familiarise yourself with the UK student visa process to ensure a smooth transition. To make things easier, we’ve broken down the process into four simple steps below.
1. Confirm your eligibility
To be able to apply for a UK student visa and get the process started, you’ll firstly need to make sure that you’re eligible. The biggest eligibility requirement is that you must already have an unconditional offer from a course with a licensed UK student sponsor before you apply.
Once you have this, your university will send you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) - a unique 14-digit electronic reference number you'll use throughout your application journey.
Unless you’re from a majority-English-speaking country, you’ll most likely also need to prove you can speak, read and write English. To see which countries require proof of language proficiency and what qualifies as sufficient language proficiency, click here.
2. Prepare your documents
Next, you’ll need to get all the relevant documents ready for the application. We’ve provided a complete checklist of the required documents below, but to summarise, you’ll need your passport, CAS number, university offer and any specific documents that are required by your chosen university.
As part of the application, you’ll also need to prove you can afford to study and live in the UK. This typically involves holding your required tuition fees and living costs in a personal bank account for 28 consecutive days, without the balance dropping below the minimum required amount.
3. Apply online
As soon as you have your CAS reference and documents ready, you can go ahead and begin your online application on the UK government website. The application fee is £558 for students, and you can apply for your visa up to six months before your course begins.
You may also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at this point, which is £776 for every year you’ll study. This will be required if you’re applying from outside the UK for a course and visa lasting more than six months. Check your exact total by using the UK government IHS calculator.
4. Await the decision
And then, we wait. UK student visa decisions usually take around three weeks when applying from outside the UK. Once accepted, you’ll receive an eVisa, an online record of your immigration status containing the conditions of your stay.
Your UK student visa application must be completed and accepted before you arrive in the UK. And that’s it. Once you’ve had confirmation, your UK visa journey is complete! You can then start living your best life on campus at your chosen university.
UK student visa documents checklist ✅
That’s the application process in a nutshell, but what documents do you actually need to ensure it all goes smoothly? Well, look no further than our complete checklist:
- Passport: Make sure you have a current, valid passport ready.
- Academic documents: This will include your course offer for the university you’re attending as well as any relevant qualifications or transcripts.
- Proof of funds: You’ll need to provide bank statements that prove you can pay your tuition and living costs, or official financial sponsor consent if your studies are funded by a government or international scholarship.
- CAS reference: Keep your CAS reference number to hand (we’d recommend putting it in your notes app for safekeeping!).
- English speaking proof: A Secure English Language Test (SELT) is generally required as proof of language proficiency if you’re from a non-English-speaking country and don’t already have a qualification equivalent to UK degree level.
- ATAS: You may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate for certain postgraduate subjects, typically those in the STEM disciplines.
- TB test: Depending on where you’re travelling from, you may need to show a tuberculosis (TB) chest X-ray from a Home Office-approved clinic.
- Parental consent: If you’re under the age of 18 years old, you’ll need parental or legal guardian consent to apply for a UK student visa.
Proof of funds
It’s worth taking a closer look at proof of funds, as the required amount varies depending on where you’re going to study. Living costs are broken down into whether you’re based in London or outside of it:
- Inside London: £1,529 per month for up to nine months (£13,761)
- Outside London: £1,171 per month for up to nine months (£10,539)
You’ll also need to prove you can pay any unpaid tuition fees, which is usually the full tuition fee for your first academic year, taking away anything covered by CAS or already paid.
The 28-day minimum holding period
To prove you have the funds, you’ll be asked to keep the minimum amount in a personal bank account for 28 consecutive days. The final day of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of your visa application.
If your balance drops down, even by a small amount, the 28 consecutive days will begin again, so keep a watchful eye on your spending during this time.
Acceptable evidence | Unacceptable evidence |
✅ Bank accounts/savings accounts | ❌ Cash or cryptocurrency |
✅ Qualifying student loans | ❌ Credit card limits/overdrafts |
✅ Official financial sponsorships | ❌ Property value |
✅ Parents/legal guardian’s funds (with required consent evidence) | ❌ Shares/investments as substitute cash, or future salary/income |
Visa fees & the IHS
To apply for a UK student visa, you’ll have to pay a fee of £558, which applies whether you’re applying from inside or outside of the UK.
On top of this, if your visa is longer than six months, you’ll have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which allows you access to the NHS during your stay. The IHS fee is £776 per year and paid upfront as part of the application.
The IHS fee depends on your visa length, not just your course length, so in some cases the total can be more than £776 a year.
To break it down:
- Visa fee is paid when submitting your visa application and gives you permission to enter and stay in the UK.
- IHS fee is also paid as part of your application but gives you access to NHS healthcare while you’re here
Recent visa rule changes
There have been some changes to the UK student visa rules and thresholds to keep in mind when applying:
- eVisas: From January 2025 onwards, you must now register with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and apply for an eVisa, as physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) are no longer valid.
- Financial threshold has increased: The monthly living cost figures increased from £1,483 to £1,529 in London and from £1,136 to £1,171 outside London in October 2025 to account for cost-of-living increases and inflation.
- Dependents restriction: In January 2024, a big restriction was introduced for bringing dependents with you on a student visa. This means dependents can only join you if you’re studying research programmes such as PhDs and doctorates, research-based higher degrees or if you’re on a qualifying government-sponsored course.
- Sponsor requirements: Affecting universities more than students directly, the 2026 changes to student sponsors mean the visa refusal rate must now be below 5% (previously 10%), student enrolment rate must be at least 95% (previously 90%), while course completion rate remains at 85% for now.
UK student visa processing times ⏱️
The turnaround time for a UK student visa usually takes three weeks from outside the UK and eight weeks from inside the UK. To speed things up, you can select a priority service, which usually takes around five working days but costs an additional £500.
If you need a UK student visa urgently, you can choose a super priority Service from inside the UK or select locations abroad. This is an additional £1,000, but the decision is made by the end of the next working day, so it’s a handy emergency option if you’re still working out your plans.
Student visa success rates
Good news: the success rate for an international UK student visa is very high, at around 95.9, according to the Home Office statistics for 2025. This means UK student visa refusal rates stay below 5%, which is what the government now aims for each year (previously 10%).
Some of the most common reasons for visa refusal include missing documents (such as a TB test or parental consent letters), an incorrect CAS acceptance from a university, or financial errors such as failing the 28-day bank balance rule – all easily avoidable if you prepare correctly before applying!
Student visa duration & extensions 🗓️
Your UK student visa will last for the exact length of your course, plus an extra period of four months after you finish. In some cases, you’ll need to apply for an extension, such as if you require deadline extensions on certain assignments or need to delay part of the course due to personal reasons.
You can apply for a visa extension on the UK government website before your current visa expires. For degree-level courses, students aged 18 or over can usually stay for up to five years. For longer courses, such as medicine or veterinary science, exemptions apply, allowing a longer visa and more time to complete the course.
Switching courses on the same visa
As long as your new course meets specific UK visa and immigration rules, you can usually switch courses on the same visa without having to apply for a new one.
However, there are a few conditions around your new course, as it needs to be:
- The same or higher level as your previous course
- In a related subject
- Supporting your career goals
- Finished before your visa end date
- You must also have university approval
Staying in the UK with the graduate visa 🎓
Enjoying studying in the UK so much you’re not quite ready to go home yet? There’s plenty more the UK can offer, whether that’s relocating to a new city, branching out into a different career sector or finding a job near your university.
That’s why the UK government offers a graduate visa: a post-study work visa that lets international students stay in the UK to work or look for work after they finish their degree. It lasts for two years for bachelor’s or master’s graduates, while PhD graduates can stay for three years.
It’s a great way to let you work in any job, change jobs freely or be self-employed. The graduate visa is a one-time-only visa, so it can’t be extended, and you can only receive it once in your lifetime, so make sure the time is right before you apply.
When to apply for the graduate visa
The earliest you can apply is the day your university sends you confirmation of a successfully completed course. Be careful not to apply once you’ve finished exams or a dissertation; it has to be once you’ve received successful results of a completed course.
If you’re not sure of your plans yet, that’s okay too — the latest you can apply is before midnight on the expiry date of your current student visa. We recommend applying as soon as possible. That way, you can relax in the knowledge that you’re staying in the country and start to plan your next chapter.
Ready to find your accommodation? 🏢
Once you’ve finished the admin and you’ve received confirmation of your UK student visa, a big congratulations is in order! Welcome to the next chapter of your life. We’re confident it’s going to be a great one.
The next step in this exciting journey is making sure your student accommodation is all sorted before your big move. Wherever you’re staying in the UK, Yugo offers UK student accommodation across England, Scotland and Wales. Find your location and start browsing for your new home today.
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