The Student visa needs a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from a licensed sponsor, money for the first year's fees and living costs held for 28 days, and English at B2 for degree-level study. The fee is £558 plus the £776-a-year health surcharge, and a decision from India usually takes three weeks.
Who qualifies for a UK Student visa? A student aged 16 or over with an unconditional offer and a CAS from a licensed student sponsor, enough money for one year of course fees plus £1,529 a month (London) or £1,171 a month (elsewhere) for up to nine months, English at CEFR B2 for degree-level courses (B1 below degree level), a TB test certificate from an approved clinic in India, and no adverse immigration history. UKVI can also interview you on the genuineness of your study plan.
What does it cost? £558 for the visa plus the immigration health surcharge of £776 for each year of the visa (so £1,940 for a one-year master's granted for 16 months, charged in six-month blocks). Add the TB test (about INR 3,000 to 4,000), the English test if required, and any VFS add-ons. Dependants pay £558 and £776 a year each.
How long does it take from India? The service standard is three weeks from biometrics and UKVI has met it for most Indian student applications in 2026, with peaks in July and August. You can apply up to six months before the course starts, and must apply within six months of the CAS being issued; priority decisions (£500) are available at Indian centres for most of the year.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa | Student visa (Appendix Student), issued as an eVisa |
| Government fee | £558 per person (same for dependants) |
| Health surcharge | £776 per year of the visa for students and their dependants |
| Maintenance, London | £1,529 per month for up to 9 months, held 28 consecutive days |
| Maintenance, outside London | £1,171 per month for up to 9 months, held 28 consecutive days |
| English | CEFR B2 for degree level, B1 below; SELT or sponsor assessment |
| Processing from India | About 3 weeks after biometrics; priority about 5 working days |
| Work | Up to 20 hours a week in term at degree level, full time in vacations |
You need a CAS from a sponsor on the register of licensed student sponsors for a full-time course at RQF level 3 or above (or a part-time course at level 7 or above), issued within the last six months. The CAS states the course, the fees for the first year and any money already paid; the figures on it drive the maintenance calculation. Courses in sensitive science and engineering subjects at postgraduate level need an ATAS certificate before you apply.
The financial requirement is first-year tuition (less any payment shown on the CAS) plus living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere for the length of the course up to nine months. The money must have been held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of the application date, in your own name or a parent's with a consent letter and birth certificate, in a bank UKVI accepts; education loan sanction letters and official financial sponsorship letters are accepted in place of cash.
Since January 2024 only students on PhD and research-based postgraduate courses, and government-sponsored students on courses over six months, can bring a partner or children. UKVI applies a genuine student test: the course must follow logically from your record, you must know what you will study and why in the UK, and your funding must be credible. Credibility interviews are more common for applicants with large gaps, a change of field or a course below their current level.
| Item | GBP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa | 558 | Per person, outside or inside the UK |
| Immigration health surcharge | 776 per year | Charged for the visa length rounded up in 6-month blocks; refunded if refused |
| Priority service | 500 extra | About 5 working days where offered |
| Maintenance, London | 1,529 per month | Up to 9 months: £13,761 maximum |
| Maintenance, outside London | 1,171 per month | Up to 9 months: £10,539 maximum |
| Dependant maintenance | 845 or 680 per month | London or elsewhere, per dependant, up to 9 months |
| Graduate visa after the course | 937 | Plus health surcharge of £1,035 per year |
Tuition shown as paid on the CAS reduces the amount you must hold. A sponsor letter from an Indian bank for an education loan must state the amount, that it is disbursable before travel and the course it covers. Applicants from India are not on the differential evidence list, so upload the financial evidence with the application rather than waiting to be asked.
| Month | Milestone |
|---|---|
| March to May | Offer accepted, deposit paid, English test taken |
| May to June | Funds parked for the 28-day window, TB test done, CAS requested |
| June to July | CAS issued; apply as soon as it arrives, within six months of issue |
| July to August | Decision in about three weeks; priority 5 working days |
| September | Travel up to one month before the course start date |
January intakes run the same sequence from September. Applying in the last two weeks of August leaves no time for a document request, and most universities will not accept late arrival beyond the first two weeks of term.
Degree-level students can work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time in vacations; students below degree level get 10 hours. Self-employment, professional sport and permanent full-time roles are excluded. Breaching the hours is a ground for cancellation and refusal of the next visa. Police registration ended in 2022; you must instead keep your UKVI account details current.
After completing the course you can switch to the Graduate visa (£937 plus £1,035 a year surcharge) for two years if you apply by 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027; doctoral graduates get three years. Switching to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK is possible at any point with a sponsor, and time on the Student and Graduate routes does not count towards settlement.
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| CAS reference from a licensed sponsor | Issued within the last six months; the course, fees paid and sponsor licence number appear on it |
| Academic qualifications listed on the CAS | Degree certificates, mark sheets and class 12 results exactly as the sponsor used them |
| ATAS certificate where required | For postgraduate research and some taught courses in listed subjects; apply at least six weeks before |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Bank statements covering 28 consecutive days | Closing balance never below the required total; end date within 31 days of applying |
| Education loan sanction letter | From a regulated bank, stating the amount, the course and that funds are available before travel |
| Parent's consent and relationship proof | Letter of consent and birth certificate when the funds are in a parent's account |
| Official financial sponsorship letter | Government or international scholarship on letterhead with amount and duration |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| SELT result or degree taught in English | IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, LanguageCert or sponsor assessment at B2 for degree level |
| TB test certificate | From an IOM-approved clinic in India, valid six months |
| Passport and previous passports | Valid passport; old passports with visas and travel stamps |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Marriage and birth certificates | Registered certificates with certified translations |
| Dependant maintenance | £845 (London) or £680 (elsewhere) per month per dependant for up to 9 months |
| TB test for each dependant | Same clinic rule as the student |
The balance dipped below the required figure during the 28-day window, the statements were not in an accepted format, or the end date fell more than 31 days before the application.
The fix. Park the full amount early, do not touch it for a month, apply within 31 days of the closing date, and use bank statements or a bank letter that show the account holder, account number and every day's balance.
The officer doubted you intended to study: a course unrelated to your record, weak knowledge of the course or institution, or a step down in level.
The fix. Prepare a short study plan that connects past study and work to the course and to a career outcome, learn the modules and the sponsor's details, and address any downward move directly.
The CAS was used, expired, issued by a sponsor whose licence was suspended, or the details did not match the documents.
The fix. Ask the sponsor for a new CAS and reapply; keep qualification names and grades exactly as the CAS records them.
A non-SELT IELTS, an expired test or a degree not confirmed as taught in English through Ecctis.
The fix. Use a SELT at an approved centre or obtain the Ecctis statement; sponsor-assessed English only works at degree level with a Higher Education Provider.
An undeclared refusal from any country, a forged bank letter, or previous overstaying. Deception brings a ten-year ban.
The fix. Declare everything with the letters attached, use documents the issuer will confirm, and take advice before reapplying after a deception finding.
First-year tuition less any amount paid on the CAS, plus £1,529 a month for up to nine months in London (£13,761) or £1,171 a month elsewhere (£10,539), held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of applying. Education loan sanction letters count in place of cash.
Yes. The immigration health surcharge is refunded automatically when a visa is refused or withdrawn; the £558 application fee is not.
Only if you are on a PhD or other research-based postgraduate course, or a government-sponsored student on a course over six months. Taught master's students cannot bring dependants under rules in force since January 2024.
Up to 20 hours a week in term time for degree-level courses and 10 hours below degree level, and full time during official vacations and after the course ends while the visa is valid.
Yes. Vistolane files Student visa applications with a guaranteed filing date, checks the 28-day funds window before submission and books the VFS appointment; study-abroad consultants run whole intakes through the same workspace.