UK Student Visa for Indian Students: 2026 Fees, Funds & Checklist

Who can apply for a UK Student visa?

The Student visa is for eligible applicants aged 16 or over who have an offer from a licensed student sponsor, can meet the financial and English-language requirements, and have parental consent where required for a 16- or 17-year-old. It replaced the Tier 4 (General) student visa.

Admission and immigration are separate decisions. A university offer does not guarantee a visa, and a visa does not guarantee entry at the border. Build the application around the exact course, sponsor, dates, fees, and evidence stated in your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), and recheck the live GOV.UK guidance before submitting.

Get the CAS right before you apply

Your education provider issues the CAS after it is ready to sponsor your application; it is an electronic record with a reference number rather than simply an offer letter. Check your name, passport details, course title, level, start and end dates, tuition fees, payments already made, English assessment, and any ATAS requirement as soon as you receive it.

Ask the university to correct a material error before you apply. Payments toward tuition can reduce the outstanding course-fee amount only when they are recorded on the CAS or supported by a receipt from the sponsor. If sponsor-arranged accommodation has been paid, only the amount permitted by the current immigration rules can be offset, so do not subtract private rent or an unrecorded payment yourself.

How much money must you show in 2026?

For an application reviewed on 24 September 2026, the financial calculation is the outstanding course fees for one academic year shown on the CAS, plus living costs of £1,529 for each month of the course in London or £1,171 for each month outside London, up to nine months. A partial month is rounded up to a full month. London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.

For a course lasting at least nine months, the living-cost component is therefore £13,761 in London or £10,539 outside London. These are visa-evidence thresholds, not promises that they will cover your real expenses. Prepare a separate budget for tuition, accommodation, deposits, food, transport, flights, winter clothing, emergencies, the visa fee, and the healthcare surcharge.

Follow the 28-day and 31-day evidence rules

Where the maintenance requirement applies, the required balance must be held for at least 28 consecutive days. The closing-balance date on the most recent financial evidence must be no more than 31 days before the online visa application date. A balance that falls below the required amount during the 28-day period can break the calculation.

Permitted funding can include your own money, a parent’s money with their consent, qualifying funds held by a partner in the circumstances allowed by the rules, an eligible student loan, or official financial sponsorship. Personal current or savings accounts must allow immediate access and be held with a regulated institution that uses electronic records. Overdrafts, cryptocurrency, stocks and shares, and pensions cannot be used as the required funds.

Plan the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge

The current Student visa application fee is £558 for an application made outside the UK. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is separate and is currently £776 per year for students. The exact IHS total depends on the length of immigration permission, which may extend beyond the course dates, and the online application calculates the amount due.

Do not convert these charges to a fixed rupee promise. Card exchange rates and fees vary, while government charges can change. Keep sufficient headroom on the payment method and verify both GOV.UK fee pages on the day you apply. Optional visa-centre or faster-decision services, where available, are not part of the standard application fee and do not guarantee approval.

Prepare the UK Student visa document checklist

Every applicant must provide a current passport or other valid travel document and the CAS reference. The rest of the file depends on the applicant, course, funding, age, and application instructions. Documents not in English or Welsh need a translation that meets the current requirements.

• Current passport and CAS reference, with all personal and course details checked
• Compliant financial evidence, parent consent and relationship evidence, loan letter, or sponsorship letter where applicable
• Tuberculosis certificate from a Home Office-approved clinic when the TB rules apply
• ATAS certificate if the course and nationality require one
• Evidence of English ability in the form required for the course and visa route
• Written consent from a recent official financial sponsor where required
• Parental or legal-guardian consent and relationship evidence for an applicant under 18
• Certified translations and any additional evidence requested by UKVI or listed for the application

TB tests and ATAS: two checks Indian students can miss

An applicant coming to the UK for six months or more generally needs a TB test if they have lived in India for six months or more and were living in India, or another listed country, within the previous six months. The test must be completed at a Home Office-approved clinic. The official India clinic page changes as locations, hours, and charges are updated, so book only through its current details.

ATAS applies to certain overseas students taking sensitive technology-related subjects, mainly at postgraduate level. The university and CAS should indicate whether it is required, but the applicant remains responsible for obtaining a valid certificate before the visa application when the rules apply. Start early; do not submit on the assumption that ATAS can be added after a decision.

When and how to apply from India

You can apply from outside the UK up to six months before the course starts. Complete the online form using facts that match your CAS, passport, academic history, funding evidence, and previous immigration record. You will be told whether to prove identity through the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre.

GOV.UK currently says an outside-UK Student visa decision usually takes three weeks after identity and documents are provided, but verification, an interview, case complexity, or seasonal demand can make it longer. Do not book non-refundable travel before the decision. If successful, you receive an eVisa and should link the passport you will use for travel to your UKVI account.

Dependants and work rights need individual checking

Most taught master’s students cannot bring dependants under the current rules. A partner or child may qualify where the main applicant is a government-sponsored student on a course longer than six months, or a full-time postgraduate student on an eligible course lasting at least nine months; for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, that postgraduate course must be a PhD, other doctorate, or research-based higher degree. Each eligible dependant has a separate application, fees, IHS, and financial requirement.

Work permission depends on the course, sponsor, and the conditions attached to the visa. Some eligible degree-level students can work up to 20 hours a week during term time, but that is not a universal allowance. Student visa holders cannot normally be self-employed and face other work restrictions. Read the conditions on the eVisa and ask the sponsor before accepting work rather than treating part-time income as guaranteed funding.

A practical pre-submission sequence

• Confirm that the provider is a licensed student sponsor and accept the correct course offer.
• Check every field on the CAS and resolve errors with the university.
• Calculate outstanding first-year tuition plus the correct London or outside-London maintenance amount.
• Choose an allowed source of funds and complete the 28-day holding period without a shortfall.
• Arrange the TB test, ATAS, English evidence, translations, and any under-18 documents early.
• Recheck the visa fee, IHS, finance rules, and document instructions on GOV.UK.
• Complete the online form consistently, pay the charges, and follow the identity instructions.
• Keep a complete copy of the application and supporting evidence, then wait for the decision before booking non-refundable travel.
• After approval, access the eVisa, link the travel passport, and verify the visa conditions before departure.