Studying in the UK as an international student: costs, visa money rules and budgeting

Unless you're exempt, you must show your unpaid course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months), as stated on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), plus a fixed monthly amount for living costs. 'London' means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs. For a course shorter than 9 months, multiply by its length, rounding part-months up.

A change to the Immigration Rules laid on 3 September 2026 (HC 584) raises the living-cost amounts for applications made on or after 30 November 2026, to match home students' maintenance loans for 2026/27. Applications made before then use the current figures.

You must have held the money for at least 28 days in a row, ending no more than 31 days before you apply, in your own account or a parent's or legal guardian's with their written consent. Overdrafts don't count. Foreign currency is converted at the OANDA spot rate on the day you apply, so keep a margin in case your currency falls. An official student loan or sponsorship can count instead.

You don't need to show living-cost money if you've been in the UK with a visa for at least 12 months. Nationals of countries on GOV.UK's 'differential evidence' list, such as Canada, China, Malaysia and the USA, don't normally have to submit it, but UKVI can ask. Only postgraduate research students and some government-sponsored students can bring family; each dependant needs £845 a month in London or £680 elsewhere on top. Our partner site CourseToJob explains the wider Student visa rules, from CAS to family members*.

The Student visa fee has been £558 since 8 April 2026, and the Home Office fee table shows no change on 8 October 2026. You also pay the immigration health surcharge (IHS) with your application: £776 for each year of the visa. You can then use the NHS free of charge from the day your visa starts, though you may still pay for things such as prescriptions and dental treatment.

The surcharge follows the length of the visa, not the course. For a course of 12 months or more, the visa usually starts up to 1 month before the course and ends 4 months after it. A visa of more than 12 and up to 18 months costs a year and a half of surcharge.

Worked example: a 12-month master's outside London, applying from abroad before 30 November 2026. The visa runs about 17 months (1 + 12 + 4), so the IHS is £776 + £388 = £1,164. Add the £558 fee and the fixed government charges come to £1,722. You must also show £1,171 × 9 = £10,539 for living costs, plus any unpaid tuition on your CAS. In London the living-cost figure is £13,761.

Your university sends you a CAS reference once it has made you an unconditional offer, and you need it to apply. The CAS must show your course fees, any accommodation the university provides and anything you've already paid, which is how UKVI works out the tuition you still need to evidence. If you've paid fees, the CAS must confirm it or the university must give you a receipt. You must apply within 6 months of receiving your CAS.

A deposit paid to your university for accommodation it arranged can be deducted from the living-cost money you show, up to £1,529 (£1,570 from 30 November 2026). Universities set their own tuition fees and deposit rules. CourseToJob gathers dated examples of published international course fees*, and its study guides for applicants from each country cover entry and costs for places such as India, Nigeria and China.

Pay tuition and deposits only through the payment routes your university publishes, and be wary of anyone selling a CAS, a fee discount or a 'guaranteed' visa.

Your work limit depends on your course and your sponsor, and you're told your conditions when the visa is granted. On any Student visa you can't be self-employed, work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or fill a permanent full-time vacancy.

Working 20 hours at the National Living Wage for people aged 21 and over (£12.71 an hour since April 2026) earns 20 × £12.71 = £254.20 a week before deductions. Income Tax applies to student earnings above the £12,570 Personal Allowance unless a tax treaty with your country says otherwise, and Scotland has different tax bands.

In England and Wales, a home where everyone is a full-time student doesn't pay council tax, but you usually have to apply for the exemption. A full-time course lasts at least a year with at least 21 hours of study a week. A student's non-British partner or dependant whose visa bars them from working or claiming benefits is treated like a student. A single non-student sharing only with students still gets a bill, but with 25% off.

In Scotland, you don't pay if everyone in the home is a full-time student or you live in halls. Students aged 20 or over count as full-time with at least 21 hours a week on a course of at least 24 weeks a year. Northern Ireland has domestic rates instead, and landlords pay the rates on many rented homes, including houses in multiple occupation and homes valued at £150,000 or less.

Council Tax Reduction, the means-tested help for low incomes, is on the Home Office list of 'public funds' that Student visa holders can't claim. The student exemption and discounts aren't on that list.

Banks must verify your identity under money-laundering rules and, by law, check that you're not in the UK without the immigration permission you need. Each bank decides which documents it accepts and whether international students can have its student account or overdraft, so check first; our guide to student overdraft rules explains how they work.

If a bank turns you down, the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015 give anyone legally resident in the UK a right to a fee-free basic bank account, with no overdraft, from the nine largest providers, if you don't already have a UK account with the same basic features. The bank must decide within 10 business days and explain any refusal in writing.

GOV.UK says foreign students usually don't pay UK tax on foreign income or gains used for course fees or living costs, though HMRC may ask you to account for living costs over £15,000 in a tax year (excluding fees). Our guide to international money transfer costs shows how to compare fees and exchange rates.

Treat the visa figures as a minimum you must evidence, not a budget: the Home Office sets them to match home students' maintenance loans, and your own costs depend on your city, housing and course. Start with fixed costs (rent, tuition instalments, phone, travel), add weekly spending and one-off arrival costs such as deposits and kitchen items, and allow for exchange-rate swings. Our student budget guide has a monthly template, and CourseToJob's UK study budget and application planner* works out a personal budget without an account.

Student visa holders can't claim most benefits, so if money runs short, ask your university early what help it offers. Refuse 'easy money' offers to pass payments through your account: that's money muling, and the National Crime Agency's economic crime centre says many mules are groomed at college or university.

The Graduate visa lets you stay and work after successfully completing an eligible UK course, such as a bachelor's or master's degree, without needing a job offer. You apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires, once your university has told the Home Office you've completed. A change already in the Immigration Rules (HC 1333, October 2025) shortens it for applications made on or after 1 January 2027. The surcharge is £1,035 a year. GOV.UK's Graduate visa page shows £1,152.50 for 18 months, which doesn't match its own rule of a year and a half, so you'll be told the exact amount when you apply.

You can't extend a Graduate visa, but you may be able to switch to another route such as the Skilled Worker visa. If you plan to work back home instead, our partner site CourseToJob Global explains how recognition of a foreign degree works*.