UK Student Visa Financial Evidence
Applying for a UK Student visa often means showing that you can pay your outstanding course fees and support yourself while studying. The rules are specific: the amount, source, accessibility and history of your funds all matter. This guide explains the published financial requirements, including bank evidence, parental funds, student loans, sponsorship and exchange rates. It also covers the maintenance increase taking effect on 30 November 2026.
- Author:
- Tolu-Tom Adeyemo — Student Counsellor
- Last updated:
- 25 October 2026
How much money you need, how long to hold it and which documents UKVI accepts
- Before 30 November 2026: £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside London, for up to nine months.
- From 30 November 2026: £1,570 per month in London or £1,203 outside London, for up to nine months.
- 28-day rule: Where the rule applies, the required account balance must be maintained for 28 consecutive days.
- 31-day rule: Your latest qualifying financial evidence must normally be dated within 31 days before your application.
- Additional costs: The Student visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge are separate from the funds you need to demonstrate.
1. How much money do you need?
For most applicants, the calculation has two parts:
Outstanding course fees + required living costs (maintenance) = total funds to demonstrate.
Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) identifies the relevant course fees. Your maintenance requirement depends on the location and duration of your course.
For applications made before 30 November 2026
| Study location | Per month | Maximum for nine months |
|---|---|---|
| London | £1,529 | £13,761 |
| Outside London | £1,171 | £10,539 |
For applications made on or after 30 November 2026
| Study location | Per month | Maximum for nine months |
|---|---|---|
| London | £1,570 | £14,130 |
| Outside London | £1,203 | £10,827 |
The maintenance calculation normally covers every month of the course, up to nine months. For these rules, London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs. The course's study location matters, rather than simply where you choose to live.
If you board at a residential independent school, a separate rule applies to the relevant outstanding course and boarding fees rather than the standard monthly maintenance calculation.
The changes scheduled for 30 November 2026 are set out in the Home Office Statement of Changes HC 584.
2. How course fees affect the calculation
You normally need to demonstrate sufficient money for one academic year's course fees (up to nine months), as shown on your CAS. If the course is shorter, the relevant fees on your CAS apply.
Fees you have already paid to your Student sponsor can reduce the outstanding amount, provided the payment is recorded on your CAS or supported by a receipt from the sponsor.
Example:
- Relevant course fees on your CAS: £20,000
- Fees already paid and correctly evidenced: £7,000
- Outstanding fees to include: £13,000
Calculation: £20,000 − £7,000 = £13,000. You would then add the relevant maintenance amount for your course location and duration.
This deduction concerns course fees actually paid to the Student sponsor. Do not deduct payments that cannot be evidenced in the way the rules require, and do not confuse tuition payments with accommodation payments, which follow a separate rule.
3. How part-months are counted
If your course lasts part of a month beyond a whole number of months, that part-month is rounded up for the maintenance calculation.
For example, a course lasting six months and ten days requires maintenance for seven months, not six. The maximum remains nine months, even if the course is longer.
4. Can accommodation payments reduce the requirement?
Sometimes. Under Appendix Student, the accommodation offset applies where you have paid a deposit to your Student sponsor for accommodation arranged by that sponsor. Only an eligible deposit can reduce the required maintenance, and only up to the applicable limit. This is distinct from tuition fees you have already paid.
| Application date | Maximum accommodation offset |
|---|---|
| Before 30 November 2026 | £1,529 |
| On or after 30 November 2026 | £1,570 |
Private rent does not qualify for this specific offset. Rent paid directly to a private landlord cannot simply be subtracted from your maintenance requirement. Paying for other accommodation, even in advance, does not automatically qualify either.
Example: If you paid a £2,500 accommodation deposit to your university for accommodation arranged by that university, you cannot deduct the full £2,500. The maximum is £1,529 for an application before 30 November 2026, or £1,570 from that date. The remaining amount must still be covered by qualifying funds, unless another relevant exception applies.
5. The 28-day rule and 31-day evidence rule
When you use money held in a qualifying account, you must normally show that the full required amount was available for at least 28 consecutive days.
- The 28 days are counted back from the closing-balance date shown on your most recent qualifying financial evidence.
- The most recent evidence must normally be dated within 31 days before your visa application.
- The balance must not fall below the required amount at any point during the qualifying 28-day period.
- The evidence must cover the whole relevant holding period, not just the opening and closing balances.
The 31-day rule concerns the date of your most recent evidence; it does not replace the separate 28-day holding requirement. For example, a recently issued bank statement can still be insufficient if it does not demonstrate that the required balance was maintained throughout the relevant period.
Example: If you need £20,000 but your balance falls to £19,900 for one day, you have not held £20,000 continuously for that period. You would generally need a new qualifying 28-day period after the balance returns to the required level.
Consider keeping a sensible buffer rather than exactly the minimum, especially if your account is held in another currency. Different evidence rules apply to qualifying student loans and official financial sponsorship.
6. Whose money can you use?
Depending on your circumstances, permitted sources may include:
- An eligible account in your own name, including a joint account where you are a named holder.
- Your parent or legal guardian's eligible account.
- Your partner's eligible account, where the conditions in Appendix Finance are met — for example, if your partner is in the UK with permission or is applying at the same time.
- A qualifying student loan.
- Official financial sponsorship.
- An eligible combination of these sources.
Using a parent or legal guardian's funds
In addition to suitable account evidence, you must provide proof of your relationship and written consent from your parent or legal guardian confirming that you may use the funds for your studies.
Money held by a friend or another relative does not automatically qualify. The account holder must be permitted under the Immigration Rules.
7. Which accounts and funds are acceptable?
Funds held in an account must normally be immediately accessible, under the permitted account holder's control, and held with a suitably regulated financial institution that keeps electronic records and can be verified by UKVI.
Potentially acceptable personal accounts include:
- Current, savings and deposit accounts.
- Qualifying investment accounts where the money can be accessed immediately.
- Pension accounts where the money can be withdrawn immediately.
Funds that cannot normally be relied on
Examples include:
- Cryptocurrency.
- Overdraft facilities.
- Credit-card borrowing or credit limits.
- Shares or bonds as financial instruments, rather than accessible money in an eligible account.
- Investments that cannot be converted into immediately accessible funds.
- Pension funds that cannot be withdrawn immediately.
- Money held with a financial institution that does not meet the relevant regulation, electronic-record or UKVI verification requirements.
A useful distinction: Appendix Finance can permit immediately accessible funds in certain investment or pension accounts, even though simplified guidance may list pensions or investments among unacceptable sources. The actual account and accessibility conditions must be satisfied.
8. Funds earned or acquired in the UK
If the money was earned or acquired while you were in the UK, it must have been obtained lawfully and in accordance with the conditions of your immigration permission. Money earned through work that breached your visa conditions cannot be relied on as qualifying funds.
9. What documents can you use as evidence?
The acceptable documents depend on where your money comes from. They may include:
- Bank statements, including paper statements.
- Eligible electronic bank statements.
- Building society passbooks.
- Certificates of deposit.
- Letters from banks or building societies.
- Qualifying student-loan letters.
- Official financial sponsorship letters.
Account-based evidence should clearly show the account holder, financial institution, amounts held and relevant dates. Your documents must cover the required holding period where the 28-day rule applies. A document showing only a sufficient balance on one date may therefore be inadequate if no other evidence establishes the required history.
UKVI may contact the financial institution to verify the evidence. If it cannot complete satisfactory checks, your application may be affected.
10. What if your money is held in another currency?
UKVI normally converts foreign-currency balances into pounds sterling using the OANDA spot exchange rate applicable on the visa application date.
Currencies not available through OANDA
Where OANDA does not provide a relevant rate, Appendix Finance provides for the monthly Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Consular Exchange Rate. The rules specifically identify Syrian pounds and Mongolian tugrik under this provision.
Iranian rials
Iranian rials are covered by a separate express rule: UKVI uses the applicable monthly FCDO Consular Exchange Rate rather than OANDA. For applicants holding funds in Iranian rials, using an unofficial or market exchange rate to estimate the sterling equivalent could give a misleading result. Check the official FCDO consular exchange rates.
If exchange rates move before you apply, a balance that previously exceeded the minimum could become insufficient in pounds. Allowing a buffer may reduce that risk.
11. Using a student loan
A qualifying student loan may come from:
- A government.
- A government-sponsored student-loan company.
- An academic or educational loan scheme run by a financial institution appropriately regulated to provide student loans.
The loan letter must normally be dated no more than six months before the application. It must identify you as the borrower, name the lender, specify the loan amount and confirm that the lender meets the relevant regulatory conditions.
It must also explain when and how the funds will be made available: for example, before you travel, by direct payment to your Student sponsor with the living-cost portion available when you arrive, or, where your national government provides the loan, before your course begins. Conditions on release must stay within those permitted by Appendix Finance, including successful permission to study.
Qualifying student loans follow specific documentary rules rather than the ordinary 28-day bank-balance evidence rule. A general promise of financial help or an ordinary private loan does not automatically qualify.
12. Using official financial sponsorship
Official financial sponsorship can cover some or all of the financial requirement. Under Appendix Finance, permitted official financial sponsors include:
- His Majesty's Government or your national government.
- The British Council.
- An international organisation or international company.
- A university or independent school.
If your Student sponsor provides the financial sponsorship and the details are correctly recorded on your CAS, the CAS may serve as evidence. Otherwise, you normally need an official sponsorship letter.
The supporting evidence should identify the financial sponsor and its contact details, explain how long the sponsorship lasts, and state the amount provided or which course and living costs it covers. If your award covers only part of the required funds, you must account for the remainder through another permitted source.
13. When might you not need to submit standard financial evidence?
You have lived in the UK with permission for at least 12 months
If you are applying for permission to stay and have been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for 12 months or more on the application date, you normally meet the Student financial requirement without needing to show the standard funds.
You are applying as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer
The Immigration Rules contain a separate financial-requirement exception for applicants on this basis.
You qualify for differential evidence arrangements
Applicants with certain passports or nationalities may not need to submit financial documents with the initial application. However, they must still meet the underlying financial requirement, and UKVI may request evidence before deciding the application.
The qualifying list and detailed conditions can change. See the current GOV.UK financial-evidence guidance rather than relying on a permanent list here.
UKVI's published financial-evidence guidance also identifies an exception for some applicants studying as a doctor or dentist in training. This is a specific category, not a general exemption for anyone studying medicine or dentistry; applicants should check the applicable rule and evidence requirements.
14. Financial requirements for eligible dependants
Not every Student visa holder can bring a partner or child. Check eligibility under the Student dependant rules before calculating family funds.
Where a dependant must demonstrate maintenance, the published amounts are:
| Student's study location | Per dependant, per month | Maximum for nine months |
|---|---|---|
| London | £845 | £7,605 |
| Outside London | £680 | £6,120 |
The applicable period is normally up to nine months of the dependant's relevant permission, or the shorter period specified by the rules. These funds are additional to the student's own requirement. The announced 30 November 2026 increases to the main Student rates do not change these dependant rates.
15. Student visa application fee
The Student visa application fee is £558 per applicant as at 25 October 2026, whether applying from outside the UK or applying to extend or switch to Student permission inside the UK.
This is a separate payment. It does not count towards the course-fee and maintenance funds you must demonstrate.
16. Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
The published IHS rate for Students and their dependants is £776 per person per year.
The amount due depends on the length of immigration permission, which may include time before and after your course. Where applicable, part-years are charged in six-month increments. For example, permission lasting 16 months is charged as 18 months.
Home Office guidance also gives an example of a student applying from overseas for a 12-month course who receives 17 months of immigration permission, including the additional permission before and after the course. The IHS in that example is likewise payable for 18 months.
The IHS is separate from your visa application fee, outstanding course fees and maintenance requirement. The rules differ for shorter grants of permission: for example, an application from outside the UK for permission lasting six months or less does not attract the surcharge. Check the official IHS calculation guidance for your circumstances.
17. When can you apply?
- From outside the UK: Normally, up to six months before your course starts.
- From inside the UK: Normally, up to three months before your course starts. You must also apply before your current permission expires and meet any applicable switching conditions.
- After receiving your CAS: Your Student visa application must normally be made within six months of your CAS being assigned.
Work backwards from your intended application date. Where the 28-day rule applies, allow enough time for the holding period and for obtaining recent evidence. Remember that a university or CAS deadline may be earlier than your preferred visa-application date.
18. Practical financial examples
Example 1: London student with £8,000 in outstanding fees
A student will study in London for at least nine months and still owes £8,000 in qualifying course fees.
| Application date | Nine-month maintenance | Total including fees |
|---|---|---|
| Before 30 November 2026 | £1,529 × 9 = £13,761 | £8,000 + £13,761 = £21,761 |
| On or after 30 November 2026 | £1,570 × 9 = £14,130 | £8,000 + £14,130 = £22,130 |
Example 2: Outside London, with relevant fees fully paid
The course is at least nine months long, and qualifying tuition payments are correctly evidenced.
| Application date | Total maintenance required |
|---|---|
| Before 30 November 2026 | £1,171 × 9 = £10,539 |
| On or after 30 November 2026 | £1,203 × 9 = £10,827 |
Example 3: A six-month-and-ten-day course
The part-month is rounded up, so seven months of maintenance are required.
Example 4: A parent's savings account
A student using their mother's qualifying savings account needs suitable account evidence, proof of the parent-child relationship and the mother's written consent to use the funds.
Example 5: Funds in a foreign currency
A student needs £20,000 in sterling but holds the equivalent in another currency. Their balance is worth slightly more than £20,000 when the 28-day period begins. However, UKVI normally uses the relevant rate on the application date. A fall in the currency's value could reduce the sterling equivalent below £20,000, even where the original balance has not been withdrawn. An appropriate buffer can help reduce this risk.
Example 6: University accommodation payment
A qualifying £2,500 accommodation deposit paid to a Student sponsor for accommodation arranged by that sponsor does not permit a £2,500 deduction. The relevant maximum offset is £1,529 before 30 November 2026 or £1,570 from that date.
These examples illustrate the published rules; they are not assessments of an individual applicant's eligibility.
19. Common financial-evidence mistakes
Avoid these preventable problems:
- Starting the 28-day holding period too late.
- Letting your balance fall below the required amount during the qualifying period, even briefly.
- Using financial evidence whose closing-balance date is outside the permitted 31-day window.
- Using the London maintenance rate when your study location is outside London, or vice versa.
- Using the rate that applies before 30 November 2026 for an application submitted after the new rates take effect.
- Forgetting to include relevant outstanding course fees.
- Deducting private rent from the maintenance requirement.
- Assuming any accommodation payment qualifies, instead of checking whether it is an eligible deposit paid to the Student sponsor.
- Using an account from which the money cannot immediately be accessed.
- Relying on money from a person whose account is not permitted under Appendix Finance.
- Omitting required evidence of your relationship to a parent or legal guardian, or their written consent.
- Trying to rely on cryptocurrency, overdraft borrowing or another unacceptable source.
- Failing to allow for foreign-exchange movements or for UKVI verification of the financial institution.
- Assuming differential evidence arrangements remove the underlying financial requirement.
- Confusing the Student visa application fee or IHS with the amount you must show for fees and maintenance.
- Applying outside the permitted CAS or visa-application timeframe.
20. Financial-evidence checklist
Before applying, check the following against the latest official rules:
- CAS: Relevant course fees, payments already made and course dates are correct.
- Location: The London or outside-London rate has been selected correctly.
- Application date: The correct rate has been used for applications before or from 30 November 2026.
- Course length: Part-months have been rounded up and the nine-month cap applied.
- Funds: The full required balance has been maintained for 28 days where applicable.
- Evidence dates: Your most recent qualifying evidence meets the 31-day rule.
- Account: The funds are accessible, under a permitted holder's control and with a qualifying institution.
- Currency: The relevant exchange-rate rule and a possible currency buffer have been considered.
- Family funds: Required relationship evidence and consent are available.
- Loan or sponsorship: Supporting documents meet the applicable conditions.
- Other costs: You have budgeted separately for the visa fee and IHS.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to organise your next steps?
Understanding the published rules is one part of preparing for a UK Student visa. Study With FM can help you locate official guidance, plan administrative deadlines and organise documents you have obtained. We do not certify whether particular financial evidence legally meets UK immigration requirements or provide regulated immigration advice.