UK Student Visa Application: How to Apply and What You Need

To apply for a UK Student visa, you must apply online through GOV.UK. There is no separate downloadable PDF form; the application is completed and submitted digitally, and you will be directed to prove your identity as part of the process. You can apply from outside the UK up to 6 months before your course starts, or from inside the UK up to 3 months before your course starts, and the fee is £558 in either case. The application requires you to have an offer from a licensed student sponsor, evidence of English language ability, and proof of funds, and you will receive an eVisa if your application is successful.

The UK Student visa application process

The Student visa application is made online. There is no paper form to download and post; GOV.UK directs you to apply online, and you will be told what you need to do when you start. As part of the application, you must prove your identity. How you do this depends on where you are from and the type of passport or resident permit you have. You will either use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document — and create or sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account — or have your fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point.

If you are applying to extend your visa from inside the UK, the same online route applies. You must apply online, prove your identity, and pay the fee. There is no fee for having your biometric information taken.

Eligibility: who can apply

You can apply for a Student visa if you are 16 or over and you:

• have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
• have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course — the amount varies depending on your circumstances
• can speak, read, write and understand English
• have consent from your parents if you are 16 or 17 — you will need evidence of this when you apply

If you are 16 or 17 and want to study at an independent school in the UK, you may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead. The Student visa has replaced the Tier 4 (General) student visa.

When to apply and how long it takes

The earliest you can apply depends on whether you are applying from inside or outside the UK.

Where you apply from	Earliest you can apply	Usual decision time
Outside the UK	6 months before your course starts	3 weeks
Inside the UK	3 months before your course starts	8 weeks

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. For 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. You must also apply within 6 months of getting a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

You may be able to pay to get a faster decision — you will be told if you can when you apply.

Fees and costs

The visa fee is £558. This applies whether you are applying from outside the UK to come to the UK, or extending or switching to a Student visa from inside the UK. You must pay the visa fee for each person who joins you.

You will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. How much you pay depends on how long your visa lasts. If you are extending, you pay the healthcare surcharge in addition to the £558 visa fee.

Documents and evidence you need

The evidence you need falls into several categories. GOV.UK lists the following as part of the application steps:

• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) — an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed student sponsor, shown by your CAS. If you are extending, you must have this.
• English language evidence — you must prove your knowledge of the English language.
• Financial evidence — you need enough money to support yourself and pay for your course. If you have been in the UK with a valid visa for less than 12 months and you are extending, you will need to prove you have enough money to support yourself.
• Parental consent — if you are 16 or 17, you need evidence of consent from your parents.
• Tuberculosis (TB) test — check if you need one.
• ATAS certificate — if you are doing a masters degree or above, you may need to apply for the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.

For extensions, you must also show that your studies are at a higher academic level than your current course, unless an exception applies. Your new course must be at a higher academic level, or at the same level and related to your previous course or career aspirations (and at degree level or above at a Higher Education Provider), or intercalated to a medicine, dentistry or medical science course you started under your Student visa.

Extending your visa

You may be able to extend your Student visa to stay longer and continue your course or study a new course. This includes if you currently have a Tier 4 (General) student visa. To extend, you must be in the UK on a Student visa or a Tier 4 (General) student visa, have an unconditional offer shown by a CAS, and show academic progress unless an exception applies.

There are exceptions to the academic progress requirement. You do not need to show your studies are at a higher level if you are:

• resitting exams or repeating modules
• applying for the first time to a new institution to complete a course you started at an institution that lost its student sponsorship licence
• applying after working as a student union sabbatical officer to complete a qualification you started under your last Student visa
• completing a PhD or other doctorate that you started under your last Student visa
• continuing your medical, dentistry or medical science degree after completing an intercalated course
• applying to extend your stay to complete your studies because you have done (or want to do) a work placement or study abroad programme

Your partner or children will need to apply separately to extend their visa. They can apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires.

After you apply

If you are extending from inside the UK, you must not travel outside of 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, including if you applied for an administrative review after a refusal.

You will be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example because your supporting documents need to be verified, you need to attend an interview, or because of your personal circumstances (such as a criminal conviction). If you need to change something in your application after you have sent it, contact UKVI. You can ask to withdraw your application by contacting UKVI; your fee will only be refunded if UKVI has not started processing your application.

If your application is successful, you will get an eVisa — a digital record of your identity and immigration status. Your decision email or letter will tell you how to get access to your eVisa, and you will need to create a UKVI account. You will need to link your travel document to your UKVI account, and you may have to prove your immigration status when you travel to the UK.

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.

What to do next

Before you apply, check the current GOV.UK Student visa guidance in full, because the exact evidence requirements and the amount of money you must show depend on your circumstances. Confirm the fee and the healthcare surcharge on the official page, and check whether you need a TB test or an ATAS certificate. If you are extending, verify the academic progress rules and the exceptions that apply to you. Apply online at GOV.UK and do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while your extension application is pending.