UK Student Visa: Costs and Decision Timelines

The UK Student visa costs £558 to apply for from outside the UK, and £558 to extend or switch to from inside the UK. You will usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK, and within 8 weeks if you apply from inside the UK. You must also pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application, the amount of which depends on how long your visa lasts. The earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts if you are outside the UK, or 3 months before if you are inside the UK. This page sets out the costs and timelines you need to plan around, and what you must verify on the official GOV.UK pages before you submit your application.

The visa fee

The fee for a Student visa is £558. This applies whether you are applying from outside the UK, or extending or switching to a Student visa from inside the UK. You must pay the visa fee for each person that joins you, so if you are bringing dependants, each of them will also need their own fee paid.

There is no reduced fee for students under 18 or for shorter courses; the £558 figure applies across the board. You should budget for this amount in addition to the healthcare surcharge and any other costs such as tuberculosis (TB) tests or the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if they apply to you.

Healthcare surcharge

You will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. The official guidance does not specify the exact amount you will pay; it states only that how much you pay depends on how long your visa lasts. You should check the current surcharge rates on the official GOV.UK healthcare surcharge page before you apply, as the amount will vary with the length of your stay.

When you can apply

The earliest you can apply for a Student visa depends on where you are applying from:

Where you are applying from	Earliest you can apply
Outside the UK	6 months before your course starts
Inside the UK	3 months before your course starts

If you are applying from inside the UK, you must apply before your current visa expires. Your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. This means you cannot simply wait until your current visa runs out; you need to submit your application before it expires and ensure your new course start date falls within that 28-day window.

How long the decision takes

You will usually get a decision on your visa within:

• 3 weeks, if you are outside the UK
• 8 weeks, if you are inside the UK

These are typical timelines, not guarantees. You may be able to pay to get a faster decision, but you will only be told if you can when you apply. There is no way to know in advance whether the faster service will be available to you, so you should plan on the standard timeline when making arrangements.

How long you can stay

How long you can stay depends on the length of your course and what study you have already completed in the UK. If you are 18 or over and your course is at degree level, you can usually stay in the UK for up to 5 years. If your course is below degree level, you can usually stay for up to 2 years.

The official guidance says you should read the guidance to find out exactly how long you can stay, because the length of stay can vary depending on your individual circumstances and prior study in the UK. The figures above are the usual maximums, not automatic entitlements.

When you can travel to the UK

You can arrive before your course starts, but the amount of time depends on the length of your course:

• up to 1 week before, if your course lasts 6 months or less
• up to 1 month before, if your course lasts more than 6 months

You must not travel to the UK before the start date given on your visa, no matter when your course starts. The visa start date is the controlling date, not the course start date, so you should check the date on your visa carefully before booking travel.

What you can and cannot do on a Student visa

You can study and work as a student union sabbatical officer. You may be able to work, but how much depends on what you are studying and whether you are working in or out of term-time. You cannot claim public funds (benefits) and pensions, work in certain jobs such as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, be self-employed, or study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school).

If your application is successful, you will be told what you can and cannot do on a Student visa. You should read the conditions on your visa carefully, because breaking the conditions of your visa may mean you cannot come to the UK again.

What to do next and what to verify

Before you apply, you should check the current healthcare surcharge rates on the official GOV.UK page, as the official guidance does not state the exact amount. You should also check the full guidance to confirm exactly how long you can stay based on your course level and prior study, and check whether you need a tuberculosis (TB) test or an ATAS certificate if you are doing a masters degree or above.

You should also review the documents you can use as evidence and how to prove your knowledge of the English language, as these are part of the application requirements. The GOV.UK Student visa overview page is the authoritative source for all the information above, and you should rely on it rather than any third-party summary.