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Student visa financial document checklist

When you apply for a Student visa, you must have enough money to pay for your course fees, living costs and the living costs of any dependants accompanying you to the UK. This is called the financial requirement.

The funds to meet the financial requirement can come from one or more of the following sources:

  • Cash funds held in a personal bank or building society account belonging to you, your parents, or (if they are applying with you) your partner. You must hold the required funds for at least 28 consecutive days before the date you apply.
  • Official financial sponsorship or scholarship.
  • A student loan from a government, government-sponsored loan company, or a regulated student loans scheme.

Calculate how much money you need

You need to have enough money to pay your outstanding course fees for the first academic year (or, if you are continuing your course, the next academic year) and your living costs (maintenance).

The amount you need to show for living costs depends on when you submit your visa application. The amounts given are for study outside of London.

  • For applications submitted before 30 November 2026, show £1,171 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months (£10,539).
  • For applications submitted on or after 30 November 2026, show £1,203 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months (£10,827).

If you are studying for less than nine months, you only need to show the amount for the number of months you are studying. If your course includes part of a month, you must round the course length up to the next full month. For example, a course lasting six months and 10 days counts as seven months.

Please note that these figures are set by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and do not reflect the true cost of living in the UK, and so you must not rely on these figures as an estimate of how much you will need to spend per month. Before travelling to the UK you should research the cost of your accommodation, travel, and other expenses, and plan your budget accordingly. Find more information about living costs and budgeting.

If you have already paid some or all of your course fees, you can deduct this from the overall amount. For example, for a course longer than nine months:

  • If your course fees are £33,700 and you paid £2,000, you must show £31,700 for course fees plus the living cost amount that applies on the date you submit your application. For an application submitted on or after 30 November 2026, this would be £42,527 in total.
  • If you have paid all your course fees, you only need to show the money for your living costs.

Any course fees you have paid must be shown on your CAS. If they are not shown on the CAS, provide a receipt issued by the University confirming the amount paid.

If you have paid a deposit for accommodation provided by the University of Leeds, you can deduct this from the living cost amount you must show, up to the maximum below. The payment must be recorded on your CAS:

  • For applications submitted before 30 November 2026, the maximum deduction is £1,529.

  • For applications submitted on or after 30 November 2026, the maximum deduction is £1,570.

You cannot deduct payments made to a private landlord, letting agent, or any other third party accommodation provider.

If your CAS does not show the fees that you have already paid, then you must submit a copy of the payment receipt from the University with your visa application. 

If your money is in a foreign currency, UKVI will convert it to British pounds using the exchange rate on OANDA.com as of the date the visa application form was submitted (the date that you submitted the online form and paid the visa application fee). Check the OANDA exchange rate before you apply. However, if your money is in Iranian Rials (IRR), Syrian Pounds (SYP) or Mongolian Tugrik (MNT), UKVI will not use the OANDA rate and will instead use the latest FCDO consular exchange rate.

Costs for dependants

If you have any family members that are applying to come with you to the UK, you will need to show that you have enough money for their living costs as well.

For each dependant that will live with you in the UK you must show a minimum of £680 per month for the duration of the visa, up to a maximum of 9 months. This is in addition to the amount you need for your own living costs.

Find more information about visas for dependants.

Applications submitted inside the UK

If you are applying for permission to stay as a Student from inside the UK and you have been living in the UK with valid immigration permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, you will automatically meet the financial requirement and you will not need to submit any proof of funds. Holidays and short absences from the UK will not break this 12-month period. However, if you have not been in the UK for a significant part of the 12 months, for example for at least 3 months, then you may be required to provide evidence showing that you meet the financial requirement.

Evidence you can provide

Cash funds held in a personal bank or building society account

You can use funds held in personal savings accounts, current accounts, deposit accounts, investment accounts and pensions savings, if the funds are immediately accessible. This means the funds can be withdrawn as cash with no notice period. Other types of accounts or financial instruments such as stocks and shares, bonds, overdrafts, credit cards, cryptocurrency and pension funds that cannot be accessd immediately are not acceptable.

You can use a personal account in your own name, including a joint account. You can also use a personal account held in the name of your parent. You may use your partner’s funds only if they are applying at the same time as you or already has permission to be in the UK.

You cannot use funds or accounts belonging to any other relative or family member. This means you cannot use money that is held in an account belonging to a grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle.

You cannot use a business account, even if the business is owned by you or a parent. A business account can only support your application where the business is acting as, and meets UKVI’s requirements for, an official financial sponsor (see below).

Your bank statement or bank letter must show the following information:

  • Your name, your parent’s name, or your partner’s name if your partner is present in the UK or applying for their visa at the same time as you
  • Bank name
  • Full account number
  • The balance in your account. This amount must be enough to cover your course fees and living costs.
  • The document must confirm that the full amount of money that you need has been held for 28 consecutive days before the date you submit the application.
  • The document must be no older than 31 days before the date you submit the application.
  • If you are using your parent’s account, you must also submit:
    • Proof of your relationship (e.g. your birth certificate, certificate of adoption or government-issued household register)
    • A letter from your parent confirming that they are funding your studies in the UK and that you have their permission to use their funds
  • Certified translations will also be required if your documents are not in English

Electronic bank statements are accepted. Bank statements do not need to be stamped by the bank.

If the origin of the funds in your bank statement is not clear (for example if there are recent large deposits), or if UKVI have concerns that the money isn’t genuinely held by you to be used in the UK, you may be asked to provide additional information or evidence explaining where the money in the account came from. This may delay the processing of your visa application; hence, although not mandatory, it may be useful to include a cover letter with your application that explains the source of your funds.

If the source of your funds is unclear, especially if there are recent or large deposits, it can be helpful to provide a covering letter and supporting evidence with your explanation that explains where this money has come from. This is not a mandatory requirement of the Immigration Rules, but it will reduce the chance that UKVI will delay your application to contact you with a request for additional information.

UKVI have confirmed they will accept funds that are in a certificate of deposit. The certificate must be dated with 31 days of the date you submit the visa application form and must confirm that the funds have been held for a 28 day period and that the funds can be accessed at any time.

Holding funds for 28 consecutive days

You must hold the total amount of funds you need for 28 conscutive days before you apply. The balance in your account must not go below the required amount at any point during the 28-day period.

UKVI calculates the 28-day period by counting back from the closing balance date and then they will assess your application using the lowest balance during that period.

Do not take the required money out of the account you are using for evidence while you are waiting for the decision. UKVI may check with your bank to verify that the funds are still there. If your funds fall substantially below the required level UKVI may seek evidence that the money has been spent on course fees, an accommodation deposit or other costs associated with your planned study.

Official financial sponsorship

The following providers are recognised by UKVI as official financial sponsors:

  • UK Government sponsored programmes (eg Marshall Scholarship, Chevening Scholars, Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme)
  • your national government
  • the British Council
  • an international organisation
  • an international company
  • a University

If you are paying your costs through official financial sponsorship, you must provide a letter from the sponsor including:

  • Your name
  • The name and contact details of your official financial sponsor
  • The date of the letter
  • The length of your sponsorship
  • The amount of money the sponsor is giving to you or a statement that your official financial sponsor will cover all of your fees and living costs.

If the University of Leeds is your official financial sponsor then the details of the financial sponsorship can be confirmed on your CAS. Please check your CAS carefully as your CAS may not include details of scholarships or course fee discounts you have received from the University of Leeds. If you have received a scholarship from the University of Leeds and the details are not stated on your CAS, then you must submit separate evidence containing the scholarship details with your application.

If your financial sponsorship covers only part of the amount you need, you must provide evidence of the remaining amount (see ‘Cash funds held in a personal bank or building society account’).

A student loan

If you are paying for your studies using a student loan, you must provide a letter from the loan provider confirming:

  • Your name
  • Date of the letter (which must be no more than six months old before the date of application)
  • The amount of money available as a loan
  • That the loan is provided by either the relevant government, a government-sponsored student loan company or an academic or educational loans scheme
  • There are no conditions on release of the loan funds other than a successful application to study
  • The funds will be available to you, or paid directly to the sponsor, before you begin your course

The loan must be for you. Loans provided to your parent cannot be used.

If you wish to use money from any other type of loan, you must transfer the funds to your personal bank account first and wait until the funds have been held for at least 28 days before you submit your visa application.

Differential evidence requirement

Nationals of certain countries can apply for a Student visa under the differential evidence requirement, which means they do not need to submit their financial documents with their application. Check if your nationality is exempt using the following list. You must also be applying from your country of nationality, the country you are living in, or in the UK.

If your dependant is applying at the same time as you and their nationality is also listed under the differential evidence requirement, then they will also be not need to submit their financial evidence. However, if your dependant is applying for their visa separately they must submit their financial evidence even if their nationality is listed under this requirement.

However, even if you are eligible to apply under the differential evidence requirement, you must still make sure that you have enough money to meet the requirements explained on this page, and you should still prepare your proof of funds evidence meeting these requirements, as UKVI reserve the right to ask any applicant to provide their financial evidence when processing the visa application. If UKVI asks for your financial evidence, this must show that you met the requirements (including the 28-day requirement) as of the date you submitted your visa application form. If your evidence does not meet the requirements your application will be refused.

Nationalities that do not need to provide financial evidence at the point of application

If you are a national of one of these countries, and if you are applying from the UK or the country you are living in, you do not need to provide your financial evidence unless UKVI contacts you to request it:

  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahrain
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Cambodia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • China
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kuwait
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Serbia
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
  • Tunisia
  • United Arab Emirates
  • USA

You also do not need to provide financial evidence unless the decision maker requests it if you have any of these passports:

  • British National (Overseas) passport
  • Hong Kong SAR passport
  • Macau SAR passport
  • Taiwan passport, including the number of your Taiwanese identification card

Verification checks

UKVI may contact your bank, financial institution or official financial sponsor to do verification checks on your evidence. If UKVI cannot verify that your evidence and funds are genuine (for example, because your bank does not respond to UKVI’s verification request), your application may be refused.

UKVI will normally verify documents through a financial institution’s head office or another central contact point. They not be able to use personal or local branch contact details.

You could inform your bank or financial sponsor that you are applying for a UK Student visa and that UKVI may contact them to verify the bank documents you are going to submit.

Further information

Find more information about the financial requirements for your Student visa application, and the evidence you need to provide, on GOV.UK.

You can also find useful advice and information about the financial requirement on the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website.