Visas and Immigration for study in the UK

Financial requirements

When you apply for a Student Visa, you'll need to prove to UKVI that you have enough money for your tuition fees and living expenses.

As part of your Student Visa application, you must show that you have enough money to meet the financial requirements. The amount of money you need to have is calculated from your tuition fees and living expenses (sometimes called 'maintenance').

You must show that you have had the required money for at least 28 consecutive days before you apply for your visa.

For guidance on the documents you will need to provide with your student application as evidence of your finances, see our information on demonstrating your finances.

At the time you make your visa application, if you have held a valid visa for 12 months, you may be exempt from demonstrating any evidence of your finances. See the gov.uk information on finances for a student visa application.

Tuition fees

You must show that you have enough money to pay for any outstanding tuition fees for the whole academic year ahead.

Money that has already been paid to the university can be deducted from the balance. Your CAS will state your tuition fees for the current academic year, and how much you have paid towards this.

If you are unsure of how much your programme costs, please check the cost of your fees or your offer letter.

Living expenses (maintenance)

In addition to the tuition fees, you need to show that you have enough money for your living expenses. The exact amount of money you need depends on the campus where you will study.

  • If you are studying at our campuses in Greenwich or Avery Hill, you must show that you have at least £1,334 per month
  • Students at our Medway campus must have at least £1,023 per month

Please note that it does not matter where you live - this requirement is based on your campus.

Calculating your living expenses

The amount of money you need to have for your living expenses depends on the length of your programme. It is calculated in months.

  • Your CAS will show a start date and an end date. Use this to calculate the length of your programme in months
  • Multiply the number of months by either £1,334 or £1,023 (depending on your campus)
  • The maximum amount that you will need to show for your living expenses is capped at 9 months (which is £12,006 or £9,207 depending on your campus)

Examples

New Students
  • Student at Greenwich or Avery Hill campus making a visa application for a one-year MA programme: 9 x £1,334 = £12,006
  • Student at Medway campus making a visa application for a three-year BEng programme: 9 x £1,023 = £9,207
Continuing Students
  • Student at Greenwich campus making a visa extension application for an additional 6 months of study: 6 x £1,334 = £8,004
  • Student at Medway campus student making a visa extension application for an additional 3 months of study: 3 x £1,023 = £3,069

Applications with dependants

If you are applying with dependants (such as a spouse, partner, or children), you will need to show additional money for each dependant. Please see our guidance on applying with dependants.

Bank statements and other financial evidence

For guidance on the documents you will need to provide with your Student Visa application, see our information on demonstrating your finances.

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