UK Student Visa Costs and Processing Times

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 also pay the immigration health surcharge as part of your application. Decisions are usually made within 3 weeks for applications from outside the UK and within 8 weeks for applications inside the UK. These figures come directly from GOV.UK’s Student visa guidance and apply to the visa itself, not to sponsorship licences held by institutions.

What the visa fee covers

The fee for a Student visa is a flat £558, whether you apply from outside the UK or extend or switch from inside the UK. You must pay this fee for each person who joins you, so if you bring dependants, each dependant’s application carries its own £558 charge.

The fee does not include the healthcare surcharge, which you also pay as part of the application. The amount of the surcharge depends on how long your visa lasts, so it varies from applicant to applicant. The official guidance does not state a fixed surcharge figure on the pages cited here; you will need to check the current rate when you apply.

There is no separate fee for having your biometric information taken when you extend your visa. The guidance for extensions states that you will need your fingerprints and a photo taken, and that there is no fee for this.

Item	Cost	Source
Student visa application from outside the UK	£558	GOV.UK Student visa overview
Student visa extension from inside the UK	£558	GOV.UK Student visa overview and extension guidance
Switching to a Student visa from inside the UK	£558	GOV.UK Student visa overview
Healthcare surcharge	Varies by visa length	GOV.UK Student visa overview
Biometrics for an extension	No fee	GOV.UK Student visa extension guidance

How long a decision takes

If you apply from outside the UK, you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks. If you apply from inside the UK, whether to extend or switch, the usual decision time is 8 weeks.

You may be able to pay for a faster decision. The guidance says you will be told if this option is available when you apply. It does not state the cost or the guaranteed time for a priority service on the pages cited here.

If your application is complex, it can take longer. The extension guidance lists reasons: your supporting documents need to be verified, you need to attend an interview, or your personal circumstances are involved, for example if you have a criminal conviction. You will be contacted if this applies to you.

When you can apply

Your application window depends on where you are applying from.

• From outside the UK: the earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts.
• From inside the UK: the earliest you can apply is 3 months before your course starts.
• If extending inside the UK: you must apply before your current visa expires, and your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.
• If extending inside the UK: you must also apply within 6 months of getting your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

The extension guidance gives a concrete example: if your visa expires on 1 December, you must apply for a new visa before 1 December, and your new course must begin by 29 December.

What you must show to extend

To extend a Student visa, you must be in the UK on a Student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa. You need an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed student sponsor, shown by your CAS. You also need to show that your studies are at a higher academic level than your current course, unless an exception applies.

The exceptions where you do not need to show a higher level include resitting exams or repeating modules, applying to a new institution to complete a course started at an institution that lost its sponsorship licence, applying after working as a student union sabbatical officer to complete a qualification, completing a PhD or other doctorate started under your last visa, continuing a medical, dentistry or medical science degree after an intercalated course, and extending to complete studies because of a work placement or study abroad programme.

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. The guidance does not state the amount on the pages cited here; you will need to check the current financial requirement when you prepare your application.

Travel restrictions while you wait

If you apply to extend your visa from inside the UK, you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do.

You can stay in the UK until you get your decision. If you applied for an administrative review because your application was refused, you can stay in the UK until you get your review decision.

What you can and cannot do on a Student visa

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 your visa.

After your course: the Graduate visa route

After successfully completing your course, you may be able to switch to a Graduate visa. This allows you to stay in the UK for 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. If you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the Graduate visa allows you to stay for 3 years.

What to check on the official pages

The figures and rules above come from GOV.UK’s Student visa guidance. Before you apply, check the following on the official pages:

• The current healthcare surcharge rate, which varies by visa length and is not stated in the pages cited here.
• The financial requirement amount if you have been in the UK for less than 12 months, which is also not stated in the cited pages.
• Whether a priority service is available to you and what it costs, which the guidance says you will be told when you apply.
• The exact length of stay you will be granted, which depends on your course length and prior study in the UK; the guidance directs you to read the full guidance for this.

These details change and are set out in the official guidance rather than in the overview pages. Checking them before you submit will help you avoid an application that is missing required evidence.