Proof of funds for a UK Student visa: what you must show

To get a UK Student visa you must prove you have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course. The amount varies with your circumstances, and the Home Office will not accept a simple bank balance statement in every case. The rules are set out in the official Student visa guidance, and the specific figure you need to show depends on where you are studying, how long your course lasts, and whether you have already been living in the UK on a valid visa.

The basic requirement

The Student visa route requires you to show that you have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course. The GOV.UK overview page states this as one of four core eligibility conditions, alongside holding an offer from a licensed student sponsor, meeting the English language requirement, and having parental consent if you are 16 or 17.

The exact amount is not published as a single flat figure on the overview page. It is described as varying depending on your circumstances. That means you cannot rely on a round number quoted in a forum post or by a third party; you must calculate the figure from the official guidance that applies to your specific situation.

If you have been in the UK with a valid visa for less than 12 months, the extension guidance says you will need to prove you have enough money to support yourself in the UK. This is a separate and additional requirement to the maintenance evidence you may already have provided for your first visa.

When you must show the money

The timing of your proof of funds matters as much as the amount. For a first application from outside the UK, the earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts. For an application from inside the UK, the earliest is 3 months before your course starts. You must apply before your current visa expires, and your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.

For an extension, you must also apply within 6 months of getting your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). The CAS is issued by your licensed student sponsor and confirms your unconditional offer of a place.

The practical consequence is that your proof of funds must be valid and available at the point you submit the application, not merely at the point you receive an offer. If your funds are held in a way that does not meet the Home Office rules on access and control, your application may be refused even if you have the money.

What counts as proof

The GOV.UK Student visa pages do not list the specific documents that are accepted as proof of funds. They direct you to a separate page: “Check what documents you can use as evidence.” That page is the authoritative source for the document types, the format requirements, and the rules on who can hold the money.

The overview page also tells you to check whether you need a tuberculosis (TB) test and, if you are doing a masters degree or above, whether you need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. These are separate evidence requirements, not proof of funds, but they are part of the same evidence bundle you will assemble before applying.

You should also be aware that the Home Office may ask for evidence that the money has been held for a specified period, and that it is in your name or in the name of an approved third party. The exact rules are in the evidence guidance, not on the overview page.

Amounts and duration of stay

Your proof of funds must cover two things: your course fees and your living costs. The amount you need for living costs depends on where you will be studying and how long your course lasts. The GOV.UK pages do not give the per-month figures, so you must check the current guidance.

Your course length also affects how long you can stay, which in turn affects how much money you may need to show. If you are 18 or over and your course is at degree level, you can usually stay for up to 5 years. If it is below degree level, you can usually stay for up to 2 years. A longer course means a longer period of maintenance to cover.

The fee for the visa itself is £558 for an application from outside the UK, and £558 to extend or switch from inside the UK. You must also pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Neither of these is part of your proof of funds, but you will need the money to pay them at the point of application.

If you are extending your visa

If you are already in the UK on a Student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa, you may be able to extend. To do so you must have an unconditional offer from a licensed sponsor, shown by a CAS, and you must show academic progress unless an exception applies.

The extension guidance states that if you have been in the UK with a valid visa for less than 12 months, you will need to prove you have enough money to support yourself. If you have been here longer, you may not need to resubmit maintenance evidence, but you should still check the guidance because the rules depend on your individual history.

Your partner and children cannot be included in your extension application. They must apply separately, either at the same time as you or at any time before their current visa expires. Each person who joins you must pay the £558 visa fee, and you must pay the healthcare surcharge for each of them.

What you cannot do on a Student visa

Understanding the conditions of your visa is part of planning your finances. 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. You cannot work in certain jobs, for example as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. You cannot be self-employed. You cannot study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school).

These restrictions mean you cannot rely on benefits to top up your maintenance, and you cannot supplement your income through self-employment. Your proof of funds must therefore cover your full course and living costs without assuming you will earn money in the UK.

What to check on the official page

The GOV.UK Student visa overview page is the starting point, but it does not contain the full financial evidence rules. To get the exact amount you must show and the documents that are accepted, you need to check two specific pages:

• The “Check what documents you can use as evidence” page, which is linked from the Student visa guide and sets out the document types and format rules.
• The full Student visa guidance, which is linked as “Read the guidance” and contains the detailed maintenance figures and the rules on who can hold the funds.

You should also check the page for your specific route: the overview page for a first application, and the “Extend your visa” page if you are already in the UK. The extension page contains the 12-month rule and the academic progress requirement.

Do not rely on a figure quoted by a friend, a forum, or a commercial website. The Home Office updates these rules, and the amount you need changes with your course, your location, and your visa history. The only reliable source is the official GOV.UK guidance as it stands on the day you apply.