This guide is for internationals who have just moved to the United Kingdom, or are about to, and want to understand how the Student visa works. By the end, you will know who can apply, what the visa costs, when to apply, what work and other activities the visa allows, and how people stay on after their course.
- Who can apply for a Student visa
- Applying, decisions and arrival
- What the Student visa costs
- Work and other activities on a Student visa
- How long you can stay and staying longer
- FAQ
Who can apply for a Student visa
According to the official GOV.UK Student visa page, you can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if you are 16 or over and you:
- have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
- have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course
- can speak, read, write and understand English
- have consent from your parents if you are 16 or 17, with evidence of this when you apply
The official page does not give one figure for the money requirement. It says the amount varies depending on your circumstances. Applicants aged 16 or 17 may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead, and under-18s who want to study at an independent school in the UK are directed to that route. The Student visa replaced the Tier 4 (General) student visa.
Before applying, the official process lists several pieces of evidence to check: which documents can be used as evidence, how to prove your knowledge of the English language, and whether you need a tuberculosis (TB) test. Anyone doing a master’s degree or above may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. All applicants need to prove their identity as part of the application.
Applying, decisions and arrival
When you can apply depends on whether you are applying from inside or outside the UK:
- From outside the UK: the earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts.
- From inside the UK: the earliest you can apply is 3 months before your course starts. You must apply before your current visa expires, and your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.
A decision usually takes up to 3 weeks if you are outside the UK and up to 8 weeks if you are inside the UK. You may be able to pay for a faster decision. Whether that option is open to you is confirmed when you apply.
A successful application gives you an eVisa, which is an online record of your immigration status. You get access to it by setting up a UKVI account and linking your travel document to that account. This should be the travel document you use to come to the UK. You may have to prove your immigration status when you travel.
You can arrive before your course starts, within these limits:
- up to 1 week before, if your course lasts 6 months or less
- up to 1 month before, if your course lasts more than 6 months
You must not travel to the UK before the start date given on your visa, no matter when your course starts.
What the Student visa costs
The application fee is the same whether you apply from abroad or from within the UK:
- £558 to apply for a Student visa from outside the UK
- £558 to extend or switch to a Student visa from inside the UK
The visa fee must be paid for each person who joins you. On top of the fee, you also pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. The amount depends on how long your visa lasts. The official Student visa page does not list a surcharge figure.
The money you need to show for living costs and course fees is a separate requirement from these payments. As noted above, the official page says this amount varies with your circumstances and does not state it.
You may be able to bring your partner and children, referred to as dependants. The official page links to a separate eligibility check for dependants and does not set out those conditions itself.
Work and other activities on a Student visa
On a Student visa you can:
- study on a further or higher education course
- work as a student union sabbatical officer
- do a traineeship through the Erasmus+ programme with a participating licensed student sponsor
- study through the Erasmus+ programme at a participating academy or local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school)
Paid work is possible for some students. The official page says that how much you may work depends on what you are studying and whether you are working in or out of term-time. It does not state weekly hour limits. If your application is successful, you will be told what you can and cannot do on your Student visa, and those conditions are the ones that apply to you.
On a Student visa you cannot:
- claim public funds (benefits) and pensions
- work in certain jobs, for example as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
- be self-employed
The consequences of a breach are serious. The official page states that if you break the conditions of your visa, you may not be able to come to the UK again. A question about whether a particular job or arrangement fits your own conditions is a matter for a regulated immigration adviser registered with the OISC or a solicitor regulated by the SRA.
How long you can stay and staying longer
How long you can stay depends on the length of your course and on any study you have already completed in the UK. The official page gives these general limits:
- if you are 18 or over and your course is at degree level, you can usually stay for up to 5 years
- if your course is below degree level, you can usually stay for up to 2 years
The exact period for an individual case is set out in the Home Office guidance linked from the official page.
The official page describes three ways to stay longer, subject to eligibility:
- extend your Student visa, for example to continue your studies in the UK
- switch to a Student visa from another visa if you are already in the UK
- switch to a Graduate visa
A Graduate visa allows you to stay in the UK after successfully completing your course. The length depends on when you apply:
- 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026
- 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027
- 3 years if you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification
FAQ
How many hours can I work on a Student visa?
The official GOV.UK page does not give a number of hours. It says that how much you may work depends on what you are studying and whether you are working in or out of term-time, and that successful applicants are told what they can and cannot do on their visa. Self-employment and certain jobs, such as professional sportsperson or sports coach, are not allowed.
Do I pay the visa fee again for my partner and children?
Yes. The official page states that the visa fee must be paid for each person who joins you. The fee is £558 whether the application is made from outside the UK or from inside it. The healthcare surcharge is also paid as part of each application, and the amount depends on how long the visa lasts.
How early can I travel to the UK before my course?
You can arrive up to 1 week before your course starts if it lasts 6 months or less, and up to 1 month before if it lasts more than 6 months. In every case, you must not travel to the UK before the start date given on your visa, no matter when your course starts.
Can I do freelance work or run a business while studying?
No. The official page lists being self-employed among the things you cannot do on a Student visa. Breaking visa conditions may mean you cannot come to the UK again. For a question about a specific arrangement, the right contact is an OISC-registered adviser or an SRA-regulated solicitor.
Official sources: gov.uk
Last verified: 18 October 2026 against the official pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the official page always wins.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Immigration advice in the UK may only be given by advisers regulated by the OISC or by solicitors regulated by the SRA.
Sources
- gov.uk: Student visa, accessed 18 October 2026
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