Planning to study in the UK? You’ll need to show more money for your visa as living-cost rules rise

Indian students planning to study in the UK will need to show more money for living expenses when applying for a Student visa from Nov 30 under revised UK immigration rules.

The monthly maintenance requirement will increase from £1,529 to £1,570 for students studying in London and from £1,171 to £1,203 for those attending institutions outside the capital. The revised amounts apply for up to nine months, depending on the duration of the course.

For students required to demonstrate funds for the full nine-month period, the amount will rise to £14,130 in London, compared with the existing £13,761. Outside London, the maximum requirement will increase from £10,539 to £10,827.

The increase forms part of the UK government's annual revision of the Student visa maintenance requirement. According to the explanatory memorandum accompanying the September 2026 changes to the Immigration Rules, the revised figures align the financial requirement with the maintenance loans available to domestic students for the 2026-27 academic year.

What students need to show for a UK Student visa

The maintenance requirement is intended to demonstrate that international students have sufficient funds to support themselves while studying in the UK. It is separate from tuition fees, which applicants must also be able to pay.

Students must demonstrate that they have enough money to cover any outstanding course fees for one academic year, as stated in their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), along with the required living expenses.

The amount depends on where the institution is located. Students studying in London must meet the higher monthly requirement, while those enrolled at universities and colleges outside London are subject to the lower rate.

The financial requirement is calculated for each month of the course, up to a maximum of nine months. Any part of a month is counted as a full month under the immigration rules.

Applicants must generally have held the required funds for 28 consecutive days before submitting their visa application. The end of this 28-day period must fall within 31 days of the application date.

When will the new requirement apply?

The revised maintenance amounts will apply to Student visa applications submitted on or after Nov 30. Applications submitted before that date will continue to be assessed under the existing financial requirements.

This means that the date of submitting the visa application, rather than the date of receiving an admission offer or beginning the course, determines which maintenance figures apply.

For example, an Indian student applying for a Student visa on Nov 29 will be assessed under the existing requirement of £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside London. An application submitted on Nov 30 will be subject to the revised amounts of £1,570 and £1,203, respectively.

The rules also provide exemptions from the financial evidence requirement in certain circumstances. Students applying to extend their permission to stay in the UK who have already lived there with valid permission for at least 12 months generally do not need to demonstrate the required funds again.

UK universities notify international applicants

Universities have begun informing prospective international students about the revised financial requirements ahead of the Nov 30 implementation date.

The University of Bath, in an update published in September, said applicants submitting Student visa applications from Nov 30 would need to meet the higher maintenance requirement. It also clarified that students applying before the deadline would not be affected by the change.

The University of Edinburgh has similarly updated its student immigration guidance, listing the revised monthly and nine-month maintenance amounts for applications made from November 30.

The increase comes as international applicants prepare for the next academic intake and assess the financial requirements of studying in the UK. Students planning to apply close to the implementation date will need to check the applicable maintenance rate and ensure that their financial documents meet the required conditions.