# UK Student visa financial requirements — the money rules explained

> Show unpaid first-year tuition plus living costs in an acceptable account for a continuous 28 days. Confirm amounts on GOV.UK.

The UK Student visa financial requirement asks you to prove you can pay your unpaid first-year tuition plus living costs. For applications made on or after 11 November 2025 that is £1,529 a month in London (up to £13,761) or £1,171 elsewhere (up to £10,539), for up to nine months. The money must sit in an acceptable account for a continuous 28-day period ending no more than 31 days before you apply, and must never dip below the total. Sponsors, parental funds and certain low-risk nationalities follow specific rules. UKVI reviews these amounts — confirm on GOV.UK.

## Quick facts
- **What you show:** Unpaid first-year tuition + living costs
- **Living costs (from 11 Nov 2025):** £1,529/mo London (max £13,761) · £1,171/mo elsewhere (max £10,539) — confirm on GOV.UK
- **Hold period:** Continuous 28 days; closing balance ≤31 days before applying
- **Acceptable funds:** Cash savings, some loans, official sponsor — not shares/pensions
- **Source:** Amounts set by UKVI — confirm on GOV.UK

## Key takeaways
- You must show unpaid first-year tuition plus a set monthly living-cost amount (up to nine months).
- Funds must be held for a continuous 28-day period, closing no more than 31 days before you apply.
- The balance must never drop below the required total during that 28-day window — not even once.
- Official financial sponsors and parental funds follow specific documentary rules (sponsor letter / consent letter + proof of relationship).
- Some 'differentiation' nationalities need not submit the evidence up front but must still hold and be able to produce it.

## What 'meeting the financial requirement' actually means
UKVI wants proof you can pay for your course and support yourself without relying on public funds. That means two figures added together: your unpaid first-year tuition (the course fee on your CAS, minus any deposit or scholarship already paid), plus living costs — a fixed monthly maintenance amount set by UKVI, multiplied by the length of your course up to a maximum of nine months. For applications made on or after 11 November 2025 that maintenance figure is **£1,529 a month for courses in London** (up to **£13,761** across the nine-month maximum) and **£1,171 a month for the rest of the UK** (up to **£10,539**). UKVI reviews these amounts, so confirm the current figure on GOV.UK at the time you apply rather than trusting one you saw last year.

## The 28-day rule — where most refusals are made
The money must sit in an acceptable account as cash for a continuous 28-day period, and the closing balance on your evidence must be dated no more than 31 days before the date you apply. The decisive detail: the balance must not fall below the required total on **any single day** of those 28 days. A one-day dip — a transfer in and straight back out, an unexpected debit — resets the clock and is one of the most common refusal causes. Investments, shares, pension funds and (usually) overdraft facilities do not count; the funds generally have to be cash you can withdraw immediately, in an account in your name, your parents' names (with consent), or held by an official financial sponsor. An approved loan can also count — for example from a national government, a government-backed student-loan scheme, or your university — evidenced by a loan letter rather than a bank balance, provided it meets UKVI's loan rules; not every loan qualifies, so confirm yours on GOV.UK.

## Sponsors, parental funds and 'differentiation' nationalities
If a recognised official financial sponsor — a government, the British Council, your university, or an international company — is funding you, you provide a sponsor letter instead of bank statements, and the requirement is treated differently. If a parent or legal guardian is funding you, you can use their account provided you include their bank evidence, a letter of consent confirming they will fund you, and proof of your relationship (such as a birth certificate). Separately, nationals of certain low-risk countries on UKVI's differentiation arrangement do not have to submit financial (and academic) documents with the application — but they must still genuinely meet the requirement and be able to produce the evidence if asked. Study UK Now checks your exact situation, account type and 28-day window against the live UKVI rules before you submit — the single point where most preventable refusals are caught. Unlike a generic checklist, we test your evidence against the rules in force now, not last year's.

## Frequently asked questions
### What are the UK Student visa financial requirements?
You must show enough money to cover your unpaid first-year tuition plus living costs. For applications made on or after 11 November 2025 the living-cost figure is £1,529 a month for London (up to £13,761) or £1,171 a month for the rest of the UK (up to £10,539), for up to nine months — held as cash in an acceptable account for a continuous 28-day period, with the closing balance dated no more than 31 days before you apply and never dropping below the required total. UKVI reviews these amounts, so always confirm the current figure on GOV.UK.

### Can I use my parents' bank account for the UK Student visa?
Yes — you can rely on a parent's or legal guardian's funds if you include their bank evidence, a signed letter of consent confirming they will fund you, and proof of your relationship (such as a birth certificate). The same 28-day and account-type rules apply. Confirm the current requirements on GOV.UK.

### What accounts and funds are not accepted for the financial requirement?
Generally, investments, shares, pension funds, and money you cannot withdraw immediately are not accepted, and overdraft facilities do not count toward the balance. The funds usually need to be cash held in an account in your name, your parents' names (with consent), or with an official financial sponsor. Always check the accepted forms on GOV.UK.

## Sources
- [GOV.UK — Student visa: money you need](https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/money) — GOV.UK, 2026-06-04
- [GOV.UK — Student visa](https://www.gov.uk/student-visa) — GOV.UK, 2026-06-04

Canonical: https://studyuknow.com/guides/uk-student-visa-financial-requirements
Verified: 2026-06-16