Estimate your study and visa budget.

Enter amounts in pounds sterling. This estimate uses the published Student-route rates checked on 19 October 2026. Dependants must qualify separately.

Planning estimate only. Maintenance thresholds are used as a living-cost allowance; actual costs may be higher. Flights, priority services, appointments, document costs and other spending are excluded. Funds-evidence exemptions, accommodation deductions, sponsorship and differing family permission lengths are not calculated. Visa fees and healthcare payments are separate from the 28-day funds requirement. Your entries are calculated in this page and are not submitted by this calculator.

How much money must you show?

Where financial evidence is required, the current Student visa living-cost amounts are:

Add the outstanding course fees required for your first academic year, as shown on your CAS and supported by accepted payment evidence. London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.

If you have held valid UK permission for at least 12 months at application, you may be exempt from showing funds. Differential-evidence applicants can still be asked for evidence. Loans and official sponsorship have their own evidence requirements.

These are visa evidence thresholds; budget separately for your actual spending. Check the financial requirements and exceptions.

Graduate visa: the 2027 change.

The relevant date is when you apply for the Graduate visa, rather than when you started your course.

You must apply from inside the UK, hold Student or Tier 4 (General) permission, complete an eligible course and meet the required UK study period. Your provider must report successful completion to the Home Office. Apply before your Student permission expires; you do not need to wait for a graduation ceremony.

The Graduate visa cannot be extended. A later switch, such as to Skilled Worker, requires you to meet that route’s conditions. Read the Graduate visa requirements.

Can your partner or children join you?

Student dependants are generally limited to qualifying government-sponsored students on courses longer than six months, or eligible full-time postgraduate students on courses lasting at least nine months. For courses beginning from 1 January 2024, the postgraduate course must be a PhD, other doctorate or research-based higher degree. A taught master’s does not normally qualify through this category.

Where required, each dependant needs £845 monthly in London or £680 outside London, for up to nine months, in addition to the student’s funds. Nine-month totals are £7,605 or £6,120 per dependant.

Check Student dependant eligibility and evidence.

Budget for visa fees and healthcare.

The health surcharge depends on the immigration permission granted, which can extend beyond course dates. Check the application’s final calculation and current fees before paying. Student fees · Graduate fees · Healthcare surcharge.

Example budget including visa fees and healthcare.

These illustrations use £16,000 first-year tuition, the nine-month maintenance amounts above and an assumed 16-month visa for each person. They assume standard Student-route applications, no fee or surcharge exemption, no accommodation deduction, and eligible dependants applying together.

Student applying alone

Student, partner and one child

Budget totals and funds evidence are different. Visa fees and the surcharge are paid as part of applying; adding them here does not turn them into extra 28-day bank-balance requirements. The earlier tables show the tuition and maintenance evidence calculation.

A deposit is money already spent, so it reduces the remaining amount to budget, not the overall cost. These examples cover nine months’ maintenance only, even though the assumed permission is longer. Add living costs for the remaining months, flights, priority services, appointments or document costs where charged, and other household spending. They are planning examples, not a complete quotation for your stay.

Check the current fee for each applicant, confirm dependant eligibility and use your actual visa length before making payments.

English, digital status and future work.

Course admission does not guarantee a visa, a job or settlement. Check the rules actually in force for your application rather than relying on proposals or older headlines.

Before you apply.

For personal planning only; checklist answers are not submitted or stored.

If you already live in the UK, check your permission to study, fee status and Student Finance eligibility separately. Explore our UK-resident study guide.