In short: To study in United Kingdom as an international student you apply for: Student visa. Apply online from outside the UK, as early as 6 months before the course, then complete the identity check as instructed. £558 from outside the UK; the same £558 to extend or switch from inside the UK. Usually 3 weeks for applications from outside the UK (8 weeks inside the UK). Every line on this page was read on an official page, which is linked beside it; the facts were last checked on 6 October 2026.
| Visa or permit | Student visa |
|---|---|
| Application fee | GBP 558 (gov.uk) |
| Money to show | GBP 1,529 per month, up to 9 months (gov.uk) |
| Processing time | Usually 3 weeks for applications from outside the UK (8 weeks inside the UK). (gov.uk) |
| Where you apply | Apply online from outside the UK, as early as 6 months before the course, then complete the identity check as instructed. (gov.uk) |
| Last checked |
Authority: UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office). Official portal: GOV.UK - Visas and immigration.
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference from a licensed student sponsor; enter it on the application and apply within 6 months of receiving it.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Show money for course fees for 1 academic year (up to 9 months); the amount is shown on your CAS. Loans/sponsorship need evidence from the provider.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
£1,529/month in London or £1,171/month outside London, up to 9 months, held 28 consecutive days. Some nationalities and 12-month UK residents are exempt.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
£558 from outside the UK; the same £558 to extend or switch from inside the UK.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
| Charge | Amount | What the official page says | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa fee (government) | GBP 558 | £558 from outside the UK; the same £558 to extend or switch from inside the UK. | gov.uk, 15 September 2026 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | GBP 776 per year of visa | Immigration health surcharge paid with the application. A period over 6 months but under a year is charged as a full year: GBP 776 per year of visa. | gov.uk, 15 September 2026 |
Apply online from outside the UK, as early as 6 months before the course, then complete the identity check as instructed.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
The Student visa is applied for online on GOV.UK. As part of the application you prove your identity, either with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or by giving fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre.
GOV.UK apply to visit or stay in the UK (UK Visas and Immigration online application): apply-to-visit-or-stay-in-the-uk.homeoffice.gov.uk
Source: gov.uk · checked on
The visa application fee is paid online at the end of the application form. The immigration health surcharge is paid first, also online, by debit or credit card.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
An interview is not a standard step, but UKVI may contact you to attend one if your application is complex, which makes the decision take longer.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
If you apply from outside the UK you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks (8 weeks from inside the UK). You may be able to pay for a faster decision.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
A successful applicant gets an eVisa, a digital record, and the decision email or letter explains how to access it through a UKVI account. If you need a visa centre appointment, you take your passport there and collect it the same day.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
If your supporting documents need to be verified or your case is complex, UKVI contacts you and the decision takes longer. To change something after sending the application, you contact UKVI.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Usually 3 weeks for applications from outside the UK (8 weeks inside the UK).
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Applicants must prove identity and provide biometrics (fingerprints and photograph).
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Immigration health surcharge paid with the application. A period over 6 months but under a year is charged as a full year.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
No police certificate requirement is stated on the Student visa pages checked.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Degree level needs English equivalent to CEFR B2, shown by an approved SELT, UK qualification or English-taught degree; listed nationalities are exempt.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Documents not in English or Welsh need certified translations.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
The Student visa pages checked do not state an apostille or legalisation requirement; certified translations are required instead.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Degree-level students may work 20 hours a week in term time and full time outside term. A Graduate visa post-study route exists.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Only government-sponsored students or postgraduate students on PhD/research degrees can bring dependants; each needs £845/month (London) or £680/month (elsewhere), up to 9 months.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
Status is issued as an eVisa (online record); no physical vignette is described on the page.
Source: gov.uk · checked on
We did not find these on the official pages we read for United Kingdom: a medical examination. That means "not stated on the pages we read", not "not required": ask the authority above, or check the official portal, before you apply.
The official pages say more for applicants in: Pakistan.
ForiForeign prepares your student visa application with you and guides you through each step: the documents, the forms and the order to do them in. You file the application yourself with the authority named above, and that authority decides. ForiForeign is not a visa office or an agent of United Kingdom, and no one can promise a visa. Rules, fees and dates change: confirm each one on the official page linked beside it before you pay or travel.
The same facts for software and AI assistants: /facts/visa/gb.json.
ForiForeign.com · admin@foriforeign.com · WhatsApp +92 310 5048760 · Information drawn from official sources shown on each rule; not legal advice.
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