Tell the page whether you will study in London, how long your course runs and what fees you still owe. It works out how much money you have to show for your Student visa, then adds the visa fee and the health surcharge you pay on top.
Work out the funds you need
Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
The funds you need
Your funds show up here once you pick where you will study and enter your course length.
What to enter
- Where your course is
- London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs. If more than half of your course is at a London site, the London amount applies. It depends on where you study, not where you live.
- Course length
- The length of the course in months. A part month is rounded up, so 6 months and 25 days counts as 7. Living costs are counted for up to 9 months, even if the course is longer.
- Course fees to pay
- The fees you still owe for the first year, as shown on your CAS. If you have paid some already, the CAS or a receipt from your university shows what is left.
- Deposit, dependants and visa length
- All optional. A deposit paid to your university for its accommodation can be taken off, up to a limit. A dependant adds a monthly amount. The visa length sets the health surcharge.
The monthly amounts
| London | Outside London | |
|---|---|---|
| You, for living costs | £1,529 | £1,171 |
| Each dependant | £845 | £680 |
A worked example
Here is a made-up student on a 12-month course in London. The fees still to pay are £18,500, which is on their CAS. Living costs are counted for 9 months, even though the course runs 12.
£1,529 × 9 months is £13,761. Add the £18,500 of fees and the student must show £32,261. On top of that they pay the visa fee of £558 and a health surcharge of £776.
A second made-up student studies outside London for 6 months and 25 days, with £9,000 of fees. The part month is rounded up to 7 months, so living costs are £1,171 × 7 = £8,197, and the funds to show come to £17,197. The health surcharge for a 7-month visa is £776. A visa of 6 months or less has no surcharge when you apply from outside the UK.
Now take the first student, add a partner, and say they paid a £1,529 deposit to the university. The partner adds £845 × 9 = £7,605. The deposit comes off, up to £1,529. The funds to show are £38,337. The visa fee doubles to £1,116 and the health surcharge, for a 16-month visa, is £2,328.
| London, 12 months | Outside London, 6 months 25 days | London, with a partner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course fees | £18,500 | £9,000 | £18,500 |
| Living costs | £13,761 | £8,197 | £13,761 |
| Dependants | £0 | £0 | £7,605 |
| Deposit taken off | £0 | £0 | -£1,529 |
| Funds to show | £32,261 | £17,197 | £38,337 |
| Visa fee and surcharge, spent | £1,334 | £1,334 | £3,444 |
How the funds are calculated
- The course length is rounded up to a whole month. Living costs are counted for that many months, up to 9.
- Living costs are £1,529 a month for a London course and £1,171 a month outside London.
- Each dependant adds £845 a month for London or £680 a month outside London, for up to 9 months.
- The funds you show are the course fees still to pay, plus living costs, plus dependants, minus any accommodation deposit paid to your university (up to £1,529).
- The visa fee (£558 each) and the Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 a year) are paid on top, for you and each dependant.
Funds to show = course fees + (monthly amount × months, up to 9) + dependants – deposit
Assumptions to keep in mind
- The amounts are the ones on GOV.UK and in the Home Office caseworker guidance on the date shown below. The Home Office changes them from time to time.
- The page assumes you apply from outside the UK and that you have not been in the UK on a valid visa for 12 months or more. If you have, you do not need to show this money.
- Some nationalities do not have to provide evidence of funds under the differential evidence rules, but should still hold the money. GOV.UK has the list.
- The health surcharge uses the published rules for visas up to two years. For a longer visa it applies the same pattern, which GOV.UK does not spell out, so use its own calculator for a long visa.
- Dependants for the same period as you are assumed, up to 9 months. Only some students can bring dependants, and the page cannot check that you qualify.
Mistakes that leave you short
Choosing London because you live there
The rule follows where your course is taught, not where you live. If more than half of your course is at a London site, the London amount applies.
Counting every month of a long course
Living costs stop at 9 months. A three-year degree needs 9 months, not 36.
Forgetting that fees count
The money you show covers your outstanding course fees as well as living costs. The amount to pay is on your CAS.
Not holding the money for long enough
You need the funds for at least 28 days in a row, and the period must end within 31 days of your application. A last-minute deposit does not meet this.
Forgetting the costs on top
The visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge are paid as part of the application and are not part of the money you hold. Plan for them separately.
Questions students ask
How much money do I need for a UK student visa?
You need your outstanding course fees for the first year, plus £1,529 a month for a course in London or £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. The page adds them up and takes off any accommodation deposit paid to your university.
How long do I need to hold the money?
For at least 28 days in a row. The end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply. A student loan or an official financial sponsor is shown in a different way, so ask your university what it needs.
Do I need extra money for a partner or children?
Yes, if they come with you, and only some students can bring dependants. Each one adds £845 a month for a London course or £680 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. Students on courses under 6 months cannot bring dependants.
Does my accommodation deposit count?
Only a deposit paid to your university for accommodation it provides, and only up to £1,529. The amount is read from your CAS. Payments to a private landlord or any third party do not count.
What other costs are there?
The Student visa costs £558 from outside the UK, and you pay it for each person who joins you. You also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is £776 a year for students. For the full picture of what a year costs, the study abroad calculator adds tuition and living costs.
