KnightonEducation ConsultancyUK student visas. Plan with the current rules.
Financial evidence, Graduate visa dates and family requirements: the key points to check for your UK study plans in 2026–2027.
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.
The remaining budget subtracts your tuition deposit and confirmed scholarship/aid from total costs, with a minimum of zero. Use only awarded funding that covers the entered costs and check disbursement dates and tuition-only restrictions. Loans remain repayable. Other payments are assumed unpaid. Aid is not automatically deducted from visa funds evidence; confirm accepted sponsorship or loan evidence with your university.
For the funds-evidence estimate, living-cost months should match the required course/permission period. Evidence is capped at nine months; budgeting can cover longer. All family members are assumed to have the same visa duration and living-cost period.
Choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print window to download your current estimate.
- Outstanding tuition
- Living-cost budget for all applicants
- Visa application fees
- Healthcare surcharge for all applicants
- Total estimated budget, including tuition already paid
- Confirmed scholarship / financial aid
- Still needed after deposit and aid
- Indicative funds evidence after deposit (aid not deducted)
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:
| Study location | Per month | Maximum 9 months |
|---|---|---|
| London | £1,529 | £13,761 |
| Outside London | £1,171 | £10,539 |
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.
Tuition plus living costs: what is the total?
Illustrations for one student who needs to show financial evidence, with at least nine months of study, no dependants and no accommodation deduction. The £16,000 first-year tuition fee is an example, not a course quotation.
| Calculation | London | Outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Sample first-year tuition | £16,000 | £16,000 |
| Living costs for 9 months | £1,529 × 9 = £13,761 | £1,171 × 9 = £10,539 |
| Total if no tuition is paid | £29,761 | £26,539 |
| Example tuition deposit already paid | £4,000 | £4,000 |
| Outstanding tuition after deposit | £12,000 | £12,000 |
| Funds still to show after deposit | £25,761 | £22,539 |
Formula: required outstanding tuition + applicable living-cost requirement = funds to demonstrate.
Deduct a tuition payment only when evidenced as required, for example on the CAS or by a receipt from the sponsor. Use your actual CAS tuition amount and required study period. For a shorter course, the living-cost calculation changes.
The deposit reduces outstanding tuition, not the total cost of study. These figures exclude visa application fees, the immigration health surcharge, travel and any additional real-life spending; budget for those separately.
Check GOV.UK’s financial requirements and confirm your evidence with your university’s authorised team.
The 28-day and 31-day rules
Funds must normally be held for at least 28 consecutive days. The end of that period must fall within 31 days before your visa application.
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.
| Qualification / application date | Visa duration |
|---|---|
| Eligible non-doctoral application by 31 December 2026 | 2 years |
| Eligible non-doctoral application from 1 January 2027 | 18 months |
| PhD or other doctoral qualification | 3 years |
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.
Student, partner and one child: total funds.
These examples assume all three apply together, both dependants qualify, financial evidence is required for everyone, and nine months of living costs must be shown. The £16,000 first-year tuition fee is illustrative. No accommodation deduction is assumed.
Check eligibility first: these examples do not mean every student can bring dependants. Confirm that your course, sponsorship and family circumstances meet the Student dependant rules.
| Calculation | London | Outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Sample first-year tuition | £16,000 | £16,000 |
| Student living costs: 9 months | £1,529 × 9 = £13,761 | £1,171 × 9 = £10,539 |
| Partner living costs: 9 months | £845 × 9 = £7,605 | £680 × 9 = £6,120 |
| One child’s living costs: 9 months | £845 × 9 = £7,605 | £680 × 9 = £6,120 |
| Total family living-cost requirement | £28,971 | £22,779 |
| Total funds if no tuition is paid | £44,971 | £38,779 |
| Example tuition deposit already paid | £4,000 | £4,000 |
| Outstanding tuition after deposit | £12,000 | £12,000 |
| Funds still to show after deposit | £40,971 | £34,779 |
Use the actual outstanding tuition amount on your CAS and accepted payment evidence. A tuition deposit reduces outstanding tuition only; the family living-cost requirement remains unchanged. The same money cannot be counted twice across family members.
Each applicant’s financial evidence must meet the applicable holding-period and evidence rules. Different permission lengths, separate applications or exemptions may change the calculation. These totals exclude each person’s visa fee, healthcare surcharge, travel and additional household costs.
Check the student financial rules and dependant financial rules with your university’s authorised team before applying.
Graduate visa family rules
Partners normally need to have been dependants on your current Student or Tier 4 visa. Children have specific rules, including for children born in the UK during your current Student or Graduate permission. Check each family member’s eligibility.
Budget for visa fees and healthcare.
| Cost | Current published amount |
|---|---|
| Student visa application | £558 per applicant |
| Graduate visa application | £937 per applicant |
| Student immigration health surcharge | £776 per year |
| Graduate immigration health surcharge | Usually £1,035 per year |
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.
How the healthcare surcharge is calculated
The Student rate is £776 per year per person, including a partner and child on Student dependant permission. In this example, 16 months is charged as 18 months: £776 × 1.5 = £1,164 each. A different visa length may change the amount. Check the official surcharge guidance and the calculation in your application.
Student applying alone
| Budget item | London | Outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Sample tuition + 9 months’ maintenance | £29,761 | £26,539 |
| Student visa fee | £558 | £558 |
| Healthcare surcharge: assumed 16-month permission | £1,164 | £1,164 |
| Total example budget | £31,483 | £28,261 |
| Remaining to budget after £4,000 tuition paid | £27,483 | £24,261 |
Student, partner and one child
| Budget item | London | Outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Sample tuition + 9 months’ family maintenance | £44,971 | £38,779 |
| Visa fees: 3 × £558 | £1,674 | £1,674 |
| Healthcare surcharge: 3 × £1,164 | £3,492 | £3,492 |
| Total example family budget | £50,137 | £43,945 |
| Remaining to budget after £4,000 tuition paid | £46,137 | £39,945 |
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.
English evidence for your course.
Student visa English is generally B2 for degree-level study or above and B1 below degree level. Evidence routes and exemptions differ. Ask your sponsor which evidence it can accept; admission-test acceptance alone does not settle every visa requirement. Check Student English guidance.
Your eVisa and travel document.
Successful Student applicants receive an eVisa. Set up access through your UKVI account and link the passport or travel document you will use for travel. Follow the official eVisa steps.
Moving into sponsored work.
Skilled Worker normally requires an eligible job, an approved sponsor and salary of at least £41,700 or the occupation’s going rate, whichever is higher. Lower-pay, healthcare, education and transitional provisions have separate conditions. Check job and salary eligibility.
New Skilled Worker applicants and people switching from another route generally need B2 English. Some existing holders with permission before 8 January 2026 have transitional rules. Check the English requirement for your application.
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.
Official sources and review date.
Reviewed 19 October 2026. Recheck these sources before applying; individual eligibility depends on the full rules and your circumstances.
Plan your UK study with clearer information.
Knighton can help you compare courses and prepare questions for your university. For advice on an individual immigration case, use an authorised university team or regulated immigration adviser.