UK Student Visa IELTS Requirements: A Nepali Family's Guide
What IELTS score does a UK student visa actually need? The honest answer, the funds rule, the document list, and where Nepali students get refused.
The direct answer
The UK Student visa itself does not set one fixed IELTS score. The Home Office requires "English language evidence" as part of your application, but the actual number — 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, or no IELTS at all — is set by the university and the specific course, and it is recorded on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). There is no single "UK student visa IELTS requirement" figure to memorise; there is only the figure your chosen course asks for, confirmed before you pay a deposit.
That single sentence causes more confusion among Nepali applicants than almost anything else in the process. Families search for one number and the honest answer is: it depends on the CAS, not the visa rules.
Why there's no fixed IELTS number for the visa
The visa rules ask for "English language evidence" as one of the standard requirement categories. Universities then set their own threshold per course, and some institutions accept alternatives to IELTS altogether. Two in this guide's network — University of West London and London Met — publish approved-qualification lists specifically for Nepal, meaning a student may be able to use an accepted national qualification instead of sitting IELTS, if the course allows it.
This matters practically: before assuming you need to book IELTS, check what the specific institution's offer letter and CAS actually ask for. The requirement lives in that document, not in a general visa rule.
What actually gets checked at visa stage
Even though the exact score is course-specific, the visa application itself is built around a short list of supporting documents. These are the ones that get scrutinised:
| Document | What it needs to show |
|---|---|
| CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) | Issued after deposit; carries the course, fee, and amount already paid — everything else is checked against it |
| Bank statements (28-day rule) | Maintenance amount held for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of the application date — the single most common refusal point |
| Academic transcripts and certificates | NEB/+2 or bachelor's results; Nepalese documents may need official translation |
| English language evidence | IELTS/PTE/TOEFL as the course requires, or an approved national qualification where the institution accepts one |
| TB test certificate | Required for Nepalese applicants on courses longer than 6 months, from a UKVI-approved clinic |
| Passport | Valid, with enough remaining validity for the course |
| Sponsor documents (if funds aren't in the student's name) | Relationship proof, sponsor's consent letter, and sponsor's bank statements |
| ATAS certificate (if applicable) | Required for some sensitive science/engineering postgraduate subjects |
Of all of these, the 28-day bank statement rule is the one that trips up the most Nepali applicants — not the English test. Money has to sit untouched for 28 consecutive days, and that 28-day window has to end within 31 days of the day you submit the visa application. Arrange the statements around your application date, not months in advance.
The money you'll actually need to show
Alongside English evidence, the visa checks that you can fund your stay. This is separate from, and in addition to, the tuition fee shown on your CAS.
| London | Outside London | |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance (per month) | £1,483 | £1,136 |
| Maintenance (up to 9 months) | £13,347 | £10,224 |
| Student visa application fee | £558 | £558 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £1,035 per year of stay | £1,035 per year of stay |
| TB test | Required for courses over 6 months (fee varies by clinic) | Required for courses over 6 months (fee varies by clinic) |
Maintenance is capped at 9 months regardless of how long the course runs, and it sits on top of the tuition fee on the CAS, not instead of it. Whether your course counts as "London" or "outside London" for this purpose is a Home Office classification tied to where the institution is based — not how the city feels — and it's worth confirming, since it changes the monthly figure.
One more thing worth flagging early: for postgraduate courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, dependants (a spouse or children) are permitted only on a PhD, other doctorate, or a research-based higher degree — or for a government-sponsored student on a course over 6 months. A taught master's does not qualify. If a family is planning around bringing a spouse, this needs to come up before anything else is booked.
Work rights while you study
Paid work is allowed during study, but the permitted hours depend on your course level and whether it's term-time or vacation — this is set out on the CAS itself, so check it rather than assuming a fixed number of hours applies to every course. It helps cover living costs. It does not pay UK tuition fees, and budgeting on the assumption that part-time work will cover fees is a mistake families make too often.
Steps in order
- Offer and CAS — accept the offer, pay the deposit, receive the CAS.
- Hold the maintenance funds for 28 days — the amount depends on London vs outside London, as above.
- Apply for the visa — earliest 6 months before the course starts from outside the UK, at £558.
- Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge — £1,035 per year of stay, paid as part of the application.
- Book the TB test — required for Nepal, for courses over 6 months, from a UKVI-approved clinic, before the application.
- Arrive and enrol by the institution's deadline — attendance is monitored and reported, and a compliance breach risks both your place and your visa.
Before comparing specific universities or working out which course actually fits your IELTS score, fee budget and entry grades, it's worth running the numbers through the free Master Reckoner tool — it matches course, cost and English requirements in one place rather than you checking each university page separately. For a wider look at UK study options, see the UK study hub, and for more guides like this one, browse the full guide library.
Common questions
Do I need IELTS for every UK student visa application?
Not necessarily — the visa rules require English language evidence, but some institutions accept an approved national qualification instead of IELTS for Nepali applicants. London Met and University of West London both publish such lists. Whether IELTS is mandatory for you depends on the specific course and institution named on your CAS, so check that document rather than assuming.
What is the 28-day rule and why does it cause refusals?
The maintenance money (£1,483/month in London or £1,136/month outside London) must sit in the account for 28 consecutive days, and that 28-day period must end within 31 days of your visa application date. Applying too early or too late relative to when the funds were deposited is one of the most common reasons Nepali applications are refused — it has nothing to do with English test scores.
How much money do I need in total for a UK student visa?
You need the tuition fee on your CAS, plus maintenance on top of it — £13,347 for a London course or £10,224 outside London, covering up to 9 months. These are two separate figures; the maintenance amount does not replace or reduce the tuition fee, it sits alongside it.
Can my spouse come with me while I study a master's in the UK?
No, not for a taught master's starting on or after 1 January 2024. Dependants are only permitted for a PhD, other doctorate, or research-based higher degree, or for government-sponsored students on courses over 6 months. This is worth settling before applying, not after.
Official sources
- University of West London — https://www.uwl.ac.uk/
- London Met is referenced via its published approved-qualification list for Nepal (see institution's own admissions pages)
- University of Huddersfield — https://www.hud.ac.uk/
- University of Huddersfield, London campus — https://london.hud.ac.uk/
- Ulster University — https://www.ulster.ac.uk/