Show you can afford to study

Financial Requirements for Your Visa Application

Before applying for your visa, you must demonstrate that you have adequate funds to cover your remaining tuition fees and living expenses in the UK. This proof is also necessary before we issue a CAS number, particularly if you are requesting your CAS less than six weeks before your course begins or if you are applying to extend your stay on an existing course.

If you are from a country where UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) applies differentiation rules, you typically will not need to submit financial evidence with your visa application. However, we advise that you prepare the funds as usual to minimise risk. UKVI lists these countries in section 22.1 of the ‘Appendix Student’ of the Immigration Rules.

If you have been legally residing in the UK for 12 months or more when you apply, and you are applying from within the UK, you will not be required to provide proof of financial support for your studies.

A full overview of the financial requirements set by UKVI can be found in the Appendix Finance of the Immigration Rules.

Balance of Tuition Fees

You are required to show evidence of the balance of tuition fees for your first academic year. Any scholarships, bursaries, or discounts you receive are considered as fees already paid to the University for the purposes of your visa application.

Living Costs

UKVI calculates your required living costs (maintenance) at £1,023 per month for the duration of your course, up to a maximum of nine months. For example:

• For a six-month course, you would need £6,138.
• For a nine-month course, you would need £9,207.
• For a one-year course, the total required would also be £9,207, as this does not exceed nine months.

Evidence of Your Finances

The documents acceptable for proving your finances depend on your specific circumstances. You must ensure that the documents meet UKVI’s formatting criteria.

Bank Statements

The common method used to prove finances available to you is a bank statement. Bank statements must be recent, issued within the last month (31 days), and demonstrate that the required funds have been available in your account for at least 28 consecutive days before the date the statement was issued.

If the funds in your account drop below the required amount at any point during these 28 days, UKVI will refuse your visa application. If there is a risk of refusal based on your financial evidence, we cannot issue a CAS.

To aid your financial planning, you can use our financial self-assessment tool.

You may also use a bank statement from a parent or legal guardian, provided you submit written consent and a legal document confirming your relationship, such as a birth certificate or household register. Affidavits are not permitted.

If using bank statements from an overseas bank, you must ensure they align with the exchange rate published by Oanda on the day you submit and pay for your visa application. There are exceptions to the Oanda exchange rate for Syrian Pounds and Iranian Rials which are detailed in Appendix Finance, paragraphs Fin 1.1 to 1.3.

It is advisable to maintain a buffer in your account to account for potential fluctuations in the exchange rate.

UKVI will assess your student visa application using the exchange rate on the day you submit and pay for your application.

• If financially sponsored by a government or employer, a financial sponsorship letter is required.
• If funded through an educational loan, a confirmation letter from your loan provider is necessary.
• Documents not in English must be accompanied by a notarised translation.

Credibility of Funds

UKVI may deny your application if they suspect the funds shown as proof of financial means are not genuinely yours, such as in cases where money has been temporarily borrowed. To prevent this:

• Ensure that all financial evidence pertains to funds owned by you or your parents or legal guardians.

• If funds are provided by someone else, you must demonstrate that these are sustainable and accessible throughout the duration of your course.

Resources

To help you understand UKVI’s financial requirements on bank statements, we have provided the following resources for you: