What documents do I need to apply for a UK Student visa?
Depending on your programme of study and where you are applying from, you may need different documentation for your visa application. All of your documents must be ready and meet current UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) requirements before you submit your visa application.
The most common documents:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from the course start date
- Qualifications (as listed on your CAS)
- Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate (please check your offer letter to find out if you need it)
- Tuberculosis test results (if you need it and if you are applying outside the UK and intend to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months)
- Police registration certificate (if you have it and when applying from inside the UK)
- English language certificate used to meet your English language requirement
- An up-to-date sponsor letter (if you are an officially-recognised sponsored student)
- Personal bank statement/s, Certificate of Deposit (if you are self-funded or partially sponsored) that meet UKVI requirements
- A consent letter from your parents/legal guardian if you are under 18 years old when making your visa application
- Birth certificate and your parents’ consent letter if relying on your parents’ personal bank statements/Certificate of Deposit
- Educational Loan letter that meets UKVI requirements if relying on your country’s national educational loan
- Other relevant evidence depending on your personal circumstances
Further information
You can find more information on the UKCISA and UK Government websites.
Differential evidence requirement
If you are a national of one of the countries listed in The Immigration Rules: Appendix Student ST 22.1, UKVI may process your visa application under their ‘differentiation arrangements’. This means that you will not be required to provide evidence of your qualifications and finance at the time of your visa application.
However, you must prepare all of your documents, including your qualifications and financial evidence. UKVI may request these documents as part of processing your visa application. If you are unable to provide this evidence, your visa application is at risk of being refused.
Financial Evidence and Student visa application inside the UK
If you have lived in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months before submitting your online visa application and you intend to submit your visa application inside the UK, you do not need to submit evidence of finance in support of your visa application.