UK Student Visa: CAS, Money Rules, Health Surcharge and the Graduate Route
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Since Brexit, most international students, Europeans included, need a Student visa (the "Student route") for a UK degree. This guide follows GOV.UK as of October 2026.
Who needs a Student visa
- British and Irish citizens need nothing. Irish citizens live, work and study in the UK freely under the Common Travel Area.
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme do not need a visa.
- Everyone else, including EU citizens without that status, needs a Student visa for a full degree course.
Do not confuse this with the electronic travel authorisation (ETA). An ETA (£20, about €24) covers visits of up to six months, such as an open day, not a degree.
The conditions
You must be 16 or over and have:
- an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor (see the register of student sponsors);
- a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), a reference number from the university. Apply within six months of receiving it;
- enough money for your course and living costs;
- English at CEFR level B2 for a degree course;
- parental consent if you are 16 or 17.
The money you must show
You need the course fee for the first academic year (up to nine months), as stated on your CAS, plus living costs:
| Where you study | Per month | For 9 months |
|---|---|---|
| London (City of London and the 32 boroughs) | £1,529 (about €1,816) | £13,761 (about €16,342) |
| Anywhere else in the UK | £1,171 (about €1,391) | £10,539 (about €12,516) |
The money must have been in your account for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that period must fall within 31 days of your application. Student loans and official sponsorship count, with a letter from the lender or sponsor.
Under the differential evidence requirement, nationals of a listed set of countries do not have to submit financial evidence with the application. The list includes all EU and EEA countries, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, China and others. You must still have the money: UKVI can ask for proof.
English
You can pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider, or, for degree courses, the university may assess your English itself at B2 level. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries such as Ireland, Malta, the USA, Australia and Canada are exempt. See IELTS and TOEFL for universities.
ATAS and TB tests
- ATAS: an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate is needed for sensitive subjects, mainly in science and technology, at master's level or above. That includes integrated master's degrees such as an MEng. Nationals of the EU, EEA, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are exempt.
- Tuberculosis test: needed if you have lived for six months or more in a listed country, for example India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan or Ukraine. It must be done at a Home Office approved clinic, and the certificate is valid for six months.
Fees and health surcharge
- Application fee: £558 (about €663) from outside the UK.
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £776 (about €922) for each year of your visa, paid upfront for the whole visa. A part year over six months counts as a full year, and up to six months counts as half a year. It gives NHS access from the visa start date (prescriptions and dental care are still charged) and is due even with private insurance. See health insurance for students.
Applying and the eVisa
- Apply online from outside the UK. The earliest is six months before your course starts.
- Prove your identity with the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app or at a visa application centre.
- A decision usually takes three weeks; faster paid services exist in some countries.
- If you are approved, you get an eVisa instead of a sticker or card. No BRP cards have been made since 31 October 2024. Create a UKVI account, link your passport and use share codes to prove your status.
For a degree, the visa usually covers the whole course, up to five years in total.
Work and family
At a university with a track record of compliance, degree students may work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time in the holidays. You cannot be self-employed. See working while studying.
Undergraduates cannot bring a partner or children. Since 2024 only students on PhDs or other research degrees, and government-sponsored students on courses longer than six months, can bring dependants.
After graduation: the Graduate route
The Graduate visa lets you stay and work, or look for work, after a UK bachelor's or higher degree. It lasts two years if you apply by 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027 (three years after a PhD). Anyone starting a bachelor's degree now falls under the 18-month rule. You apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires. The fee is £937 (about €1,113), plus the health surcharge at £1,035 a year.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in the United Kingdom
- How much it costs to study in the United Kingdom
- Document recognition for the United Kingdom
- Student housing in the United Kingdom
- All 17,679 programmes in the United Kingdom
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Student visa (all sections)
- GOV.UK: how much the immigration health surcharge costs
- GOV.UK: Graduate visa
- GOV.UK: Academic Technology Approval Scheme
- GOV.UK: TB test for your visa application
- UKCISA: working during your studies
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.