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UK Student visa cost: fee, health surcharge and funds

A UK Student visa costs £558 plus the health surcharge at £776 per year, and you must also show funds for your course fee and living costs: £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 elsewhere for up to 9 months. Those monthly figures rise on 30 November 2026.

The cost of a Student visa has three parts that are easy to confuse. There is the visa fee, which is paid to the Home Office. There is the Immigration Health Surcharge, paid at the same time. And there is the money you have to show you hold, which you do not pay to the Home Office but must have available in a permitted account for 28 days before you apply. Course fees and everyday living costs are separate again.

This guide sets out each part with the numbers as published, how the length of the visa changes the surcharge, which of the monthly figures are about to change and when, what dependants cost, and the other things the application asks for that carry their own costs. It uses GOV.UK's Student visa and healthcare surcharge pages, Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules (updated 8 October 2026), statement of changes HC 584 and the Home Office fee table dated 8 October 2026, all read on 10 October 2026.

It explains how the rules work. It does not say whether you will be granted a visa or how much you personally need, because that depends on your course, your sponsor and your circumstances.

The visa fee

GOV.UK says a Student visa costs £558 to apply from outside the UK and £558 to extend or switch to a Student visa from inside the UK. The fee table dated 8 October 2026 shows the same figure for "Student - main applicant and dependants" in both places, with no change from the previous table. A Child Student visa is also £558.

Each person who joins you pays the same fee: GOV.UK says "you must pay the visa fee for each person that joins you". If you ask to withdraw, GOV.UK says the fee is refunded only if UK Visas and Immigration has not started processing your application.

Short-term study on an English language course of more than 6 months but not more than 11 months has its own fee of £228 in the fee table. This guide covers the standard Student route.

There are faster services in the fee table: a £500 priority service and a £1,000 super priority service for in-UK applications, and the same amounts for outside the UK. GOV.UK says you may be able to pay for a faster decision and that you will be told if you can when you apply. The usual decision time is within 3 weeks outside the UK and within 8 weeks inside the UK.

The health surcharge

GOV.UK's healthcare surcharge page says students, their dependants and Youth Mobility Scheme applicants pay £776 per year, rather than the £1,035 most applicants pay. It gives the example of £1,552 for a 2-year visa.

The surcharge follows the length of the visa you are granted, not the length of the course. For parts of a year, GOV.UK says:

  • if the visa is 6 months or less and you apply from inside the UK, you pay half the yearly cost (£388 for students);
  • if it is more than 6 months but less than one year, you pay the cost of a full year; and
  • if it is more than a year, you pay "the yearly cost plus half the yearly cost, if it's for 18 months or less" and "the cost of 2 full years, if it's for more than 18 months but less than 2 years".

Permission under the Student route usually runs for the course plus extra time. Appendix Student (ST 25) grants permission for the course duration plus up to a month before the course starts, and, after the course ends, 4 months for a course of 12 months or longer and 2 months for a course of 6 months or longer but shorter than 12. A one-year course with a visa of about 17 months would therefore fall in the "18 months or less" band: £776 plus £388 = £1,164. That is a worked example of how the rule reads, not a quote. The surcharge is calculated on the application and shown before you pay. You pay it by debit or credit card and receive an IHS reference number.

GOV.UK also says:

  • the surcharge is not refunded if your visa is granted and you do not come to the UK;
  • a full refund is due if the visa is refused, you withdraw before a decision, or you paid twice for the same visa; and
  • full-time higher education students with an EHIC issued in an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, who do not work and do not plan to work while studying, may apply for a refund. The page sets out dates and conditions.

You still pay the surcharge if you have private medical insurance.

The money you must show

GOV.UK says you must have enough money for your course and to support yourself, unless you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months. The Rules (Appendix Student, ST 12) set two parts.

Course fees. Enough to pay any outstanding course fees as stated on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). GOV.UK says you need enough to pay for one academic year, up to 9 months. If you have already paid part of your fees to the sponsor, this must be confirmed on the CAS or a receipt.

Living costs. For each month of the course, up to a maximum of 9 months:

  • £1,529 a month for courses in London (the City of London and the 32 London boroughs); or
  • £1,171 a month for courses outside London.

If part of a month is included, the period is rounded up to the next full month. Over the full nine months that is £13,761 in London or £10,539 elsewhere, on top of any outstanding course fee. If you have paid a deposit for accommodation arranged by the sponsor, that deposit can be offset against the funds required, up to a maximum of £1,529 (ST 12.4).

The figures are changing. Statement of changes HC 584 (3 September 2026) amends Appendix Student so that the London figure becomes £1,570 and the outside-London figure £1,203, and the offset maximum £1,570. The Rules say these paragraphs take effect on 30 November 2026, and that an application made before that date is decided under the rules in force on 29 November 2026. The explanatory memorandum says the change matches the level to the maintenance loans available to home students for 2026/27. On the new figures, nine months is £14,130 in London or £10,827 elsewhere.

How the funds must be held. You must have held the required level for 28 days in a row, and the end date of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply. A student loan or official financial sponsorship from a loan or sponsorship company is treated differently and is evidenced with a letter. Appendix Finance has the rules on accepted accounts.

Countries on the "differential evidence" list. GOV.UK lists British nationals (Overseas) and nationals of a named list of countries and territories who do not need to prove living-costs funds at the application stage, with the warning that UKVI may ask for the evidence before deciding. Check the list on the GOV.UK page for your own passport.

Dependants: who can come and what they cost

Only some students may bring a partner and children. GOV.UK says you must be a government-sponsored student starting a course longer than 6 months, or a full-time student on a postgraduate-level course (RQF level 7 or above) lasting 9 months or longer. For a postgraduate course that starts on or after 1 January 2024, it must be a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8) or a research-based higher degree.

Each dependant pays:

  • £558 for the visa; and
  • the healthcare surcharge, at the student rate of £776 per year.

Each also has to show funds, in addition to the student's own: GOV.UK gives £845 a month for courses in London and £680 a month elsewhere, for up to 9 months, for a partner and also for a child. If the student and dependant apply together, funds are proved together. Appendix Student sets the same monthly amounts (ST 33.2 and ST 37.2); the paragraphs HC 584 changes are those for the student's own funds and the accommodation offset, and the dependant amounts are not among them.

A dependant's permission ends on the same date as the student's. Dependants in the UK can apply to extend or switch at the same time as the student or before their current visa expires, but not if they hold a visit visa, a short-term student visa, a Parent of a Child Student visa, a seasonal worker visa or a domestic worker in a private household visa.

Other costs the application can bring

The Home Office fee and the surcharge are the fixed items. The application can also require things that have their own price, set by third parties and not stated by GOV.UK.

  • English language evidence. GOV.UK says that unless you are from a listed English-speaking country or hold a qualifying degree, you must prove English. For degree-level study that is the equivalent of CEFR B2, for study below degree level B1. A higher education provider can assess its own students at degree level. A Secure English Language Test from an approved provider is needed if you have no qualification that proves it. The GOV.UK page does not state a test price, so check with the provider.
  • Tuberculosis test. GOV.UK says you need a TB test if you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and were living there within the last 6 months. The test is a chest X-ray at a Home Office approved clinic, and the certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the X-ray. The GOV.UK pages do not state a price, so check with the clinic.
  • ATAS certificate. If you are studying or researching sensitive topics at RQF level 7 or above, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.
  • Certified translations for documents not in English or Welsh.
  • Biometrics. If an appointment at a visa application centre is needed, GOV.UK says it could be in another country, so travel can add cost.
  • Financial sponsorship consent. If a sponsor paid your course fees and living costs in the last 12 months, written consent from them is required.

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies itself is issued by the provider, and the fee table lists £55 for each CAS under its sponsorship fees. That is a sponsor-side fee, mentioned here so it is not mistaken for an applicant's.

Timing and the nationality restriction

When you can apply. From outside the UK, the earliest is 6 months before the course starts. From inside the UK, it is 3 months before, and your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. GOV.UK says you can arrive up to 1 week before the course starts if it lasts 6 months or less, and up to 1 month before if it lasts longer, and must not travel before the start date on your visa.

A pause on four nationalities. Appendix Student, ST 3.3, says a person must not be applying for entry clearance as a Student as a national or citizen of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan. This is the "visa brake" introduced by statement of changes HC 1691 (5 March 2026). It applies to applications for entry clearance as a Student. Our article on the visa brake explains who is covered and the dates.

The Graduate visa afterwards. After successfully completing a course you may be able to switch to a Graduate visa, which costs £937 plus the surcharge and lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months from 1 January 2027. Our guide to the Graduate visa change sets out the arithmetic.

Work and benefits. Students cannot claim public funds or pensions, cannot be self-employed and cannot work in certain jobs such as professional sportsperson or sports coach. How much work is allowed depends on what you study and whether you work in or out of term time, and is set out in the permission you are granted.

Putting the numbers together

An example of how the three parts add up, using the rules as written today. It is an illustration, not a quote for anyone's case.

A single student on a 12-month master's course outside London, with a visa of about 17 months:

  • visa fee: £558;
  • health surcharge: £776 plus £388 = £1,164;
  • paid to the Home Office: £1,722;
  • funds to hold, in addition to any outstanding course fee shown on the CAS: 9 × £1,171 = £10,539 under the rules in force until 29 November 2026, or 9 × £1,203 = £10,827 for applications made on or after 30 November 2026.

If the student is accompanied by a partner who qualifies as a dependant, add £558 and £1,164 for the partner and the dependant's own funds of 9 × £680 = £6,120 (outside London). A child adds the same again.

The funds are not spent on the application. They have to be there, in the right form, for 28 days. The Home Office fee and surcharge are paid at the time of applying. Course fees and living costs are paid to the provider and in daily life. A regulated adviser can explain how a particular document, such as a sponsor's letter, is treated.

Finding a regulated adviser

Whether a particular person has enough funds, which evidence to use and whether dependants can apply are questions about a named person's case. Only an IAA-registered adviser (the Immigration Advice Authority, formerly the OISC), a solicitor or another authorised person may give that advice. GOV.UK explains how to find an immigration adviser.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

How much does a UK Student visa cost?

The visa fee is £558, whether you apply from outside the UK or extend or switch inside it. You also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge at £776 per year of visa, and you must show funds for your course fee and living costs.

How much money do I need for a UK Student visa?

Your outstanding course fee as shown on the CAS plus £1,529 a month for courses in London or £1,171 outside London, for up to 9 months. From 30 November 2026 those monthly figures are £1,570 and £1,203.

How long must the money be in my account?

GOV.UK says for at least 28 days in a row, with the end date of the 28-day period within 31 days of the date you apply. Student loans and official financial sponsorship are evidenced differently.

Do I pay the healthcare surcharge as a student?

Yes, at £776 per year of visa, unless you apply from outside the UK for 6 months or less. You pay it as part of the application, and it is refunded in full if the visa is refused.

Can I bring my partner and children on a Student visa?

Only if you are a government-sponsored student on a course longer than 6 months or a full-time postgraduate student on a qualifying course (RQF level 7 or above, 9 months or longer, and for courses starting from 1 January 2024 a PhD or research-based degree).

Which nationalities cannot apply for a UK Student visa at the moment?

Appendix Student ST 3.3 says applicants for entry clearance as a Student must not be nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan, under the visa brake introduced by HC 1691.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • UK Student visa refused: review or reapply — A refused Student visa can be challenged by administrative review because Appendix Student is on the list: £80, 28 days if you applied from outside the UK, 14 days if you applied in the UK. A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies that was used in a refused application cannot be used again (ST 7.2), so applying again needs a new CAS from the university. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan are barred from applying for entry clearance as a Student.
  • Graduate visa: 2 years now, 18 months from 2027 — The Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, with 3 years for a PhD. The application fee is £937, plus the health surcharge, and it is the date of application that decides the length.
  • The 2026 UK visa brake: who it affects — Since 26 March 2026, entry clearance applications for a Student visa are refused for main applicants who are nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan, and Skilled Worker applications for Afghan nationals. Other routes and nationalities are not affected, existing visas stay valid, and the Home Office describes the brake as an initial 18-month measure that will be reviewed.
  • Switching from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker visa — A Student visa holder in the UK can apply to switch to a Skilled Worker visa if the job and sponsor qualify and one of three course conditions is met: the course is finished, the job starts after it ends, or a full-time PhD is at least 24 months in. The in-UK fee is £943 for up to 3 years.
  • Graduate visa to Skilled Worker: timing and cost — A Graduate visa cannot be extended, but GOV.UK says holders may be able to switch to a Skilled Worker visa. The Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months from 1 January 2027, and total time on Graduate and Skilled Worker new entrant terms is capped at 4 years.
  • Administrative review of a UK visa refusal — Administrative review is a Home Office check of whether a refusal was caused by a caseworking error. It costs £80 and must be requested online within 14 days if you were in the UK, 28 days if you applied from outside, or 7 days if detained. It only covers routes listed in Appendix AR, usually ignores new evidence, and GOV.UK says results can take 12 months or more.