Student visa for Indian students in 2026: fees, funds, processing times and work rights in 17 countries compared

Key facts

• Cheapest visa fees: France EUR 50 (EEF), Italy EUR 50, Ireland EUR 60, Germany EUR 75, Spain EUR 80
• Most expensive: Australia AUD 2,500, New Zealand NZD 850 incl. levy, UK GBP 558
• Funds to show: Canada CAD 23,448 a year; Germany EUR 11,904 blocked account; France EUR 877.50 a month; Ireland EUR 10,000; NZ NZD 20,000
• Fastest decisions: Netherlands about 2 weeks; Singapore 1 to 2 weeks; France about 15 days
• Slowest decisions: Germany 4 to 12 weeks; Switzerland 8 to 12 weeks; Ireland about 8 weeks; Canada about 7 weeks
• Part-time work: 20 hours a week in the UK, Canada (24), Australia (48 a fortnight), NZ, Ireland and Germany terms vary by country
• Post-study work: UK Graduate visa; Canada PGWP up to 3 years; Australia 485; NZ up to 3 years; Ireland Stamp 1G
• Verified: 17 route pages re-read 29 to 30 October 2026

Overview

The student visa fee for Indian students runs from EUR 50 in France and Italy to AUD 2,500 in Australia, and the money you must show from EUR 7,200 a year in Spain to CAD 23,448 a year in Canada on top of tuition, with published decision windows from about 2 weeks in the Netherlands to 8 to 12 weeks in Switzerland. The visa itself is rarely the hard part: the funds rule, the institution's licence and the timing around the course start date decide most files.

This is the long version of the student visa hub, written from the 17 verified student route pages. Each page carries the fee table, the funds calculation, the checklist and the refusal reasons for that country.

Student visa for Indian students: fees and funds in 17 countries

The spread in fees is noise next to the spread in funds. A student choosing between Canada and Germany is comparing CAD 23,448 of living costs with EUR 11,904 in a blocked account, not CAD 150 with EUR 75.

How much money do Indian students need to show, and how?

Every authority tests three things about money: the amount, how long it has been held and whose it is. The UK wants the balance held for 28 days before the statement date and Canada 4 months of bank history or a GIC of CAD 23,448; Germany wants the full EUR 11,904 deposited in a blocked account that then pays out EUR 992 a month; France asks for EUR 877.50 a month for the year, shown as a bank balance, a sponsor's guarantee or a scholarship; Ireland wants EUR 10,000 in your own account or a sponsor's and the tuition already paid to the college.

Parents' money is accepted everywhere with a sponsorship or affidavit and the parent's own statements, but a third party outside the family needs a stronger explanation. Education loans count in Canada, the UK, Australia and Ireland when the sanction letter shows the disbursed or disbursable amount. Fixed deposits count if they can be liquidated; shares and property usually do not count toward the liquid figure. On every route page the most common refusal reason is a funds file that fails the holding period or arrives as an unexplained lump sum.

How long does a student visa take, and when should you apply?

Published windows run from the day the file is complete. The Netherlands and Singapore decide in 1 to 2 weeks because the institution files for you as a recognised sponsor; France decides in about 15 days after the VFS appointment but the Campus France EEF interview comes first; the UK takes about 3 weeks after biometrics; Spain about a month; Italy 2 to 6 weeks; New Zealand 6 to 8 weeks for most Indian files; Canada about 7 weeks; Ireland about 8 weeks; Germany 4 to 12 weeks and Switzerland 8 to 12 weeks because the canton approves first. Japan's Certificate of Eligibility takes 1 to 3 months before the 5-day visa step.

Work backwards from the course start date and the institution's latest arrival date, add the appointment wait at the visa centre and the funds holding period, and you reach the real deadline. For a September intake that means statements in order by May and the application lodged in June for Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Canada, and by July for the UK, France and the Netherlands. The United States runs on interview availability, and the F-1 can be issued up to 365 days before the I-20 start date.

Can Indian students work during and after the course?

Term-time work is capped in hours: 20 a week in the UK, Ireland, Germany (or 140 full days a year), France (964 hours a year), New Zealand and Japan (28 hours, with permission), 24 a week in Canada and 48 a fortnight in Australia; the Netherlands allows 16 hours a week or full time in June to August with a work permit held by the employer; Singapore allows 16 hours a week at approved institutions. Dependants are the sharper dividing line since 2024: the UK admits them only for postgraduate research, Canada only for master's and doctoral students, while Australia and the United States still admit them on most degree-level courses.

Post-study work is often the real reason to choose a country. The UK Graduate visa, Canada's PGWP (up to 3 years), Australia's 485, New Zealand's Post Study Work Visa (up to 3 years for degree graduates), Ireland's Stamp 1G, Germany's 18-month job-seeker permit, France's APS and the Netherlands' orientation year each give a window to find a sponsor. Compare the work-rights window before the tuition fee: it decides whether the degree converts into a work visa.

Why student visas get refused, and the fix

Four patterns repeat across all 17 route pages. Funds held for fewer days than the rule or in a third party's name without a sponsorship letter. A course that is not a clear progression from the last qualification, or a gap in study with no explanation. The wrong course level for the route, for example a diploma where the route needs a degree. And a late application that misses the course start date. The fixes are mechanical: season the money, write the progression in one paragraph of the statement of purpose, match the course level to the route and file in the month the route page recommends. The student visa refusal page groups every reason by theme with the evidence that answers it.

How to choose between two countries for study

Decide in this order: post-study work window, total first-year cost (tuition plus the funds figure, since you must hold it anyway), dependants, then the visa fee and decision time. The Canada vs UK student visa comparison and the Australia vs Canada comparison show the figures side by side, and the free eligibility check scores your profile for the destination before you pay a fee.

Questions, answered