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UK Student visa · Indian applicants
Your UK Student visa.
A plan for
what comes next.
Understand your CAS, financial evidence, health surcharge and application documents. Prepare each stage with guidance that keeps your own course and circumstances in view.
Selected sources reviewed October 18, 2026
The UK Student visa process
From course choice to your eVisa.
Start at the stage that matches your progress. Open each stage for the actions and preparation checkpoint.
01Course & applicationChoose the course and prepare your admission file.
Apply to suitable courses
Check the course requirements and Student sponsor status. Prepare academic records, English evidence and any course-specific materials.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 2 What to have ready
Keep your shortlist, entry criteria, course dates and academic records together.
02Offer & depositUnderstand the offer and payment conditions.
Review your offer conditions
Read the academic, English and document conditions. Check the response deadline and how the course fits your goals.
Understand your deposit terms
Confirm the deposit amount, refund conditions and sponsor’s CAS process. Keep payment records and check any fees recorded as paid.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 3 What to have ready
Review conditions, deadlines and refund terms. Keep records of payments to your university.
03CAS checksReview the sponsor's course and personal details.
Check your CAS details
Review your personal details, course, dates and fee information with your sponsor. Resolve errors before using the CAS in your application.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 4 What to have ready
Check your CAS against your passport and offer, and resolve any errors with the sponsor.
04Funding evidencePrepare evidence that meets the applicable rules.
Organise financial evidence
Check required course fees and location-based maintenance. Follow the applicable holding-period and document-timing rules, or the evidence requirements for qualifying loans and sponsorship.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 5 What to have ready
Check the required amount and document dates. Plan the holding period or evidence for a qualifying loan or sponsorship.
05Application & checksSubmit your file and complete required checks.
Prepare and submit your visa application
Use the current application instructions, provide truthful information and pay the applicable visa and health-surcharge amounts.
Complete identity and other checks
Follow instructions for proving identity, biometrics and any requested interview or additional records. Check whether TB or ATAS evidence is required before submitting.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 6 What to have ready
Keep confirmations and payment records. Follow identity, biometrics, interview and any additional instructions.
06Decision & eVisaCheck your permission and plan your arrival.
Review your decision and eVisa
Follow your decision instructions, access your eVisa and check the linked travel document. Plan travel within your permission dates and complete the university’s enrolment requirements.
Preparation checkpoint
Discuss my next steps What to have ready
Access your eVisa, check your linked passport and permission dates, and confirm university arrival arrangements.
Some preparation happens in parallel. Follow the school’s sequence and your application instructions. Admission, CAS sponsorship and the visa decision are separate steps. Plan travel using your permission dates.
UK Student visa document checklist
Prepare the file that fits your case.
Mark the items you have ready. Some documents depend on your course, nationality, residence history and individual instructions.
0 of 10 marked ready
A preparation aid for the documents that apply to you. Follow your personalised application instructions. Your selections last while this page is open.
Financial evidence & application costs
Know what each amount is for.
Keep course fees, maintenance funds and visa-related payments separate. Check the evidence rules and any exemption that applies to your case.
Maintenance funds · where required
Your study location matters.
London · per month£1,529
Outside London · per month£1,171
For up to nine months, plus the course fees you must evidence. This is a visa requirement, not an estimate of your actual living costs. Check any exemption before calculating your evidence.
Understand the 28-day evidence rule
For funds subject to the holding rule, the money must be held for at least 28 consecutive days. The period must end within 31 days before applying. Qualifying loans and financial sponsorship use their own evidence requirements.
Check your CAS, the accepted account or funding arrangement, and the required supporting documents before submitting.
Reference: GOV.UK Student visa money guidance.
Budget for the application separately.
Student visa · per applicant£558
Student health-surcharge rate · per year£776
The total health surcharge depends on your visa duration and the applicable charging rules. Your visa may last longer than your course, so do not use course length alone to calculate it.
Allow separately for travel, any required tests or certificates and optional services. Confirm the final payable amounts when applying.
Review funding evidenceReferences: GOV.UK Student visa overview and immigration health surcharge guidance.
The details that matter
Find the answer for your next decision.
Explore sponsor checks, English evidence, family eligibility, work conditions and the Graduate visa application-date rules.
CAS details and sponsor checks
Review your personal details, course, dates and fee information with your sponsor. Resolve errors before using the CAS in your application.
Your sponsor will explain its CAS checks and any conditions to complete. The CAS is separate from a visa decision.
Review the application roadmapAdmission and a visa: who decides what?
University admission
- Course-specific academic qualifications and subject requirements
- Accepted English evidence and any exemptions
- Personal statement, references or course-specific assessment
- Offer conditions, deposits and scholarship decisions
Student visa application
- CAS from a licensed Student sponsor
- Financial evidence or applicable exemption
- English evidence under the applicable visa requirements
- TB, ATAS, consent and other documents where required
- Identity checks and truthful, consistent information
The university sets admission criteria. Your sponsor confirms the CAS and English assessment route; the visa application has separate evidence requirements.
Explore UK admission requirementsEnglish tests, sponsor assessment and exemptions
Confirm accepted evidence and any exemption with your sponsor. A Medium of Instruction certificate or academic waiver is not automatically sufficient for every course or visa application.
Check the required test and version before booking, and confirm the evidence your sponsor will use.
Explore test preparationParent funds, education loans and sponsorship
- Check whose funds can be used and which relationship or consent documents are required.
- For an education loan or official financial sponsorship, check that the arrangement and letter meet the applicable requirements.
- Keep sponsor, payment and application details consistent.
Explaining education gaps
- Explain your study and employment timeline honestly.
- Keep supporting records consistent with your application and CV.
- Discuss how the course fits your previous study and future goals.
Graduate visa and the 2027 change
- For eligible applications made on or before December 31, 2026, the Graduate visa lasts two years.
- Eligible applications from January 1, 2027 receive 18 months; PhD or other doctoral graduates receive three years.
- Check course completion reporting, location, current permission and application timing before applying.
- The Graduate visa cannot be extended; another route requires its own eligibility checks.
- A degree or visa does not guarantee a job or settlement.
Work conditions while studying
| Work while studying | Check your permission conditions and the rules for your course and sponsor. |
|---|---|
| Term time and vacations | Allowed hours can differ; ask the university which dates count as term time. |
| Self-employment | Student visa holders cannot be self-employed. |
| Placements and later work | Check the applicable permission before starting a placement or changing your work arrangements. |
Partners, children and dependant eligibility
- Eligibility to bring a partner or children depends on your course and circumstances. Do not assume every postgraduate course permits dependants.
- Check the current Student dependant criteria and the documents each person needs.
- Family members can have separate financial, application-fee and health-surcharge requirements.
- Review each person’s immigration and work conditions before making plans.
Processing delays and deferral planning
- Use current processing information for applications from inside or outside the UK.
- Allow time for sponsor checks, funding preparation and any required additional evidence.
- Faster decision services depend on eligibility and availability; do not assume they will be offered.
- Contact your university promptly if your start date is at risk.
Consistent documents and refusal decisions
- Check your CAS and funding evidence before applying.
- Use genuine records and consistent names, dates and explanations.
- Provide required TB, ATAS, consent or translation documents where applicable.
- Prepare to discuss your own study plan honestly if asked.
- If refused, read the official decision and any review instructions before deciding your next step. A new application does not guarantee approval.
Graduate visa: the application date matters
For eligible applicants, the Graduate visa lasts two years for applications made on or before December 31, 2026, or 18 months for applications from January 1, 2027. PhD or other doctoral graduates receive three years. This depends on the Graduate visa application date, not when you start your course. A visa does not guarantee employment or settlement.
Reference: GOV.UK Graduate visa overview.
Your questions, answered
Before you submit.
Common questions about your CAS, funding and Student visa preparation.
How much money do I need to show for a UK Student visa?
Where the financial requirement applies, allow for the course fees you must evidence plus maintenance of £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside London, for up to nine months. Check exemptions and the accepted evidence for your circumstances.
What is the 28-day rule?
For funds subject to the holding rule, the required money must be held for at least 28 consecutive days. That period must end within 31 days before your application. Qualifying loans and official financial sponsorship have their own evidence requirements.
What are the visa fee and health surcharge?
The published Student visa application fee is £558 per applicant. The published student health-surcharge rate is £776 per year, with the total based on visa duration and applicable charging rules. Check the final payable amounts rather than multiplying only your course length.
Do I need IELTS or another English test?
Confirm your English evidence with your Student sponsor. An accepted test, sponsor assessment or exemption may apply under the relevant rules. An academic waiver is not automatically sufficient for every visa application.
Will I need TB or ATAS evidence?
Check the requirements for your residence history, course, nationality and application. Where a certificate is required, follow the official instructions and confirm its timing before applying.
Can my partner or children join me?
Eligibility is restricted and depends on your course and circumstances. Check the current dependant criteria, each person’s documents and the additional costs before making family travel or work plans.
How is the Graduate visa changing?
Eligible Graduate visa applications made on or before December 31, 2026 receive two years, while applications from January 1, 2027 receive 18 months. PhD or other doctoral graduates receive three years. The application date matters, and eligibility conditions still apply.
What should I do if my visa is delayed or refused?
If your start date is at risk, contact your university about arrival or deferral options. For a refusal, read the decision and any review instructions before deciding how to proceed. Do not assume another application will receive a different result.
Your profile. Your preparation.
Make the next step
a considered one.
Discuss your CAS, funding evidence, required documents and application preparation with Ratnas Overseas.
Selected sources reviewed October 18, 2026: GOV.UK Student visa instructions, financial evidence, English and document guidance, the immigration health surcharge and Graduate visa overview. Confirm the requirements for your circumstances and application date.