UK Visa Fee for International Students: 2026 Breakdown
UK student visa fee, IHS, TB test and proof-of-funds figures for Nepali applicants, with the 28-day rule that causes most refusals.
UK visa fee for international students: the direct answer
A UK Student visa application costs £558. On top of that you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at £1,035 per year of your visa, and a TB test at £65 if your course is longer than 6 months and you're applying from Nepal. None of these three figures include your tuition fee or your living-cost funds — they sit on top of the number on your CAS.
The three visa charges, side by side
| Charge | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa application fee | £558 | Paid when you submit the application |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) | £1,035 per year | Covers NHS access for the length of your visa; a longer visa means more years charged |
| TB test | £65 | Required for Nepalese applicants on courses over 6 months, from a UKVI-approved clinic |
These are the visa-side costs only. Your tuition is separate and is confirmed on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), issued by the institution after you pay your deposit. For reference, published tuition at the institutions covered on our UK hub ranges from £15,700 for a Bradford classroom-based master's to £31,200 a year for an Exeter science or engineering bachelor's — use the free Master Reckoner to match a course, its fee, and what it asks of you in one place.
Proof of funds: what actually gets checked
The visa fee is the smaller number. The bigger one is the maintenance (living-cost) money the Home Office requires you to hold before you apply.
| Where you'll study | Monthly minimum | Months required | Total the Home Office checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £1,483 | 9 | £13,347 |
| Outside London | £1,136 | 9 | £10,224 |
Maintenance is capped at 9 months regardless of how long your course actually runs, and it is in addition to the tuition already shown as paid on your CAS — it is not a substitute for tuition. Whether you count as "London" or "outside London" is a Home Office definition tied to your specific campus, not how the city feels. Two campuses with the same university name can sit on different sides of that line, and it is worth £347 a month either way — confirm which campus your offer names before you calculate anything.
The 28-day rule
The maintenance amount must sit in the account, undisturbed, for 28 consecutive days, and the end of that 28-day window must fall within 31 days of your visa application date. This is the single most common refusal point for Nepalese applicants — not having too little money, but holding the right money for the wrong dates, or in an account that doesn't match the applicant's or sponsor's name on the paperwork.
Documents you'll actually be asked for
| Document | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| CAS | Issued after your deposit. It carries the course, the fee, and what you've already paid — everything else is checked against it |
| Bank statements | Must satisfy the 28-day rule above |
| Academic transcripts and certificates | NEB/+2 or bachelor's 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 | From a UKVI-approved clinic, for courses over 6 months |
| Passport | Valid, with enough remaining validity for the course |
| Sponsor documents | If funds aren't in the student's own name — relationship evidence plus the sponsor's consent letter and statements |
| ATAS certificate | Only for certain sensitive postgraduate science and engineering subjects |
Check whose name the bank account is in before you submit anything. A parent's or uncle's account without the matching sponsor letter is a fixable problem if caught early and an unfixable one after the application is in.
A catch families often miss: dependants
The data shows separate maintenance figures for dependants (£845 a month in London, £680 outside) — shown here for completeness only. For a taught master's starting on or after 1 January 2024, dependants are not permitted at all. The only routes that still allow a spouse or child are a PhD, another doctorate, a research-based higher degree, or government sponsorship on a course over 6 months. If a family is budgeting around bringing a spouse to the UK on a one-year MSc or MBA, that conversation needs to happen before any fee is paid, not after.
Official sources
- Institution fee and CAS information: University of Exeter, Ulster University, University of Huddersfield, University of Bradford
- Visa fee, IHS, TB test and maintenance figures are Home Office (gov.uk) Student visa requirements, current as cited in this guide.
For course-by-course detail beyond this cluster, see our UK study guide and the wider guide library.
Common questions
How much does a UK student visa cost in total, excluding tuition?
You pay £558 for the application and £1,035 per year of visa for the Immigration Health Surcharge, plus £65 for a TB test if your course runs over 6 months. These are separate from — and additional to — the tuition fee shown on your CAS and the maintenance (living-cost) funds you must hold.
Do I pay the Immigration Health Surcharge every year?
The IHS is charged at £1,035 per year of your visa, so a longer visa means more years are charged at the point of application — it is paid upfront as part of the visa process, not billed annually afterwards. Check the exact total for your visa length on your application.
What happens if my funds don't meet the 28-day rule?
This is the most common reason Nepalese applications get refused. The required amount — £1,483 a month for London, £1,136 a month outside it — must sit untouched in the account for 28 consecutive days, and that window must end within 31 days of your application date. Money that arrives late, or is moved before the 28 days are up, resets the clock.
Can my spouse or children join me on a UK master's?
Not on a taught master's starting on or after 1 January 2024. Dependant rights are restricted to PhD and other doctoral or research-based higher degrees, or government-sponsored study over 6 months. Raise this before paying any deposit if bringing family is part of the plan.