Applying for a Student Visa

If you are an international student (including EU, EEA & Swiss students) and your course it is a full-time degree course based on-campus, you will usually need to apply for a Student VisaLink opens in a new window sponsored by the University (unless you already have another type of UK Immigration permission that permits study).

This page will help you understand the requirements, the costs, and how to apply.

Jump to category

Application Checklist

General Documents

Financial Requirements

Conditions, Errors & Evisas

Student Visa at a glance

Overseas

If applying for a Student Visa from outside the UK, you must apply in the country where you are living.

This means that you hold its nationality or have the right to live in the country long-term.

Once you have received a Student Visa, you must enter the UK on or after its start date to "activate" it.

Here is what you need to know:

Visa application fees & time

£490

(standard service, 3 weeks decision-making time)

You may be able to pay for a faster decisionLink opens in a new window (subject to availability). However, it can still take longer if the Home Office requires more information from you.

Decision-making times are as follows:

Priority service: 1 week
Super Priority service: next working day

(these times start from the day after you upload your documents or attend a Visa Application Centre appointment).

IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge)

You will need to pay the IHS feeLink opens in a new window as part of your Student Visa application. The amount charged depends on the length of the visa you will get.

Length of the visa:

6 months or less (No charge)
More than 6 months but less than one year (Pay the cost of a full year)
More than one year, the charge will be calculated per 6-month block.
- e.g.18 months or less (Pay one and half the yearly cost)

Note: No previous IHS fees will be refunded, even if you already held a UK visa that overlaps your proposed new visa.

Are you from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein? You might be eligible for a refund if you do not intend to work in the UK while you study. Please click here to see more informationLink opens in a new window

Calculate your immigration health surcharge

CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)

To make a Student Visa application, you must have a CAS number from the University of Warwick.

A CAS can only be used once and is valid for six months from the date it is generated. You cannot re-use a CAS that you have used in a previous application, even if you are now seeking to extend your visa for the same course.

Request a CAS

Financial Requirements

You need to show that you have enough money to pay for your course fees and your living costs. The UKVI has very precise requirements for this evidence. We have included detailed guidance regarding how to show that you meet the requirements in the sections further down this page.

Please check your evidence carefully before submitting your application as incorrect or incomplete financial evidence is by far the most common reason for a Student Visa to be refused.

Please note: You are not required to provide financial evidence with your application if you are a national of a country listed under the 'differential evidence requirementLink opens in a new window'. However, you must still have the required funds as the UKVI decision maker reserves the right to request you to provide the evidence later in the process as a spot-check.

TB (Tuberculosis Test Certificate)

The TB certificate must be from a UK Government approved clinic.Link opens in a new window

You must provide a valid TB certificate (that remains in-date on your intended travel date to the UK) if you have been continuously present in a country or countries listed at Immigration Rules Appendix Tuberculosis (TB)Link opens in a new window for six months or more and any part of that period (of six months or more) overlaps with the six months before the date of application

If you are applying from a country where TB testing is required, and are unsure if the above applies to you, we recommend you obtain a TB certificate. This is because the immigration rules are unclear.

Online application form step-by-step guides

UK

If applying for a Student Visa from inside the UK, you must hold a valid UK visa that allows you to extend/switch to a student visa, and that expires no sooner than 28 days before your course start date.

You cannot travel outside the UK while your visa application is pending. If you do, the application will be treated as withdrawn.

Here is what you need to know:

Visa application fees & time

£490

(standard service, 8 weeks decision-making time)

You may be able to pay for a faster decisionLink opens in a new window (subject to availability). However, it can still take longer if the Home Office requires more information from you.

Decision-making times are as follows:

Priority service: 1 week
Super Priority service: next working day

(these times start from the day after you upload your documents)

IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge)

You will need to pay the IHS feeLink opens in a new window as part of your Student Visa application. The amount charged depends on the length of the visa you're given.

Length of the visa:

6 months or less (Pay half the yearly cost)
More than 6 months but less than one year (Pay the cost of a full year)
More than one year, the charge will be calculated per 6-month block.
- e.g.18 months or less (Pay one and half the yearly cost)

Note: Time is counted from the date you make your application, or from the day after your current visa expires if you are applying to extend your visa for the same course. Periods of overlapping payment will be refunded only if they are in excess of 6 months. The refund will be made after the application is decided, within 6 weeks.

More details can be found in the IHS RefundsLink opens in a new window Policy.

Are you from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein?

You might be eligible for a refund if you do not intend to work in the UK while you study.

Please click here to see more informationLink opens in a new window

Calculate your immigration health surcharge

CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)

To make a Student Visa application, you must have a CAS number from the University of Warwick.

The University will assess if you can make the application inside of the UK before issuing a CAS.

Request a CAS

Financial Requirements

If you are applying inside the UK, and have been living in the UK with a valid visa for the previous 12 months, you will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds. You may not meet this requirement if you have been absent from the UK for more than 3 months in total in that time.

If you've not been living in the UK for the previous 12 months:

You need to show that you have enough money to pay for your course fees and your living costs.

The UKVI has very precise requirements for this evidence. We have included detailed guidance regarding how to show that you meet the requirements in the sections further down this page.

Please check your evidence carefully before submitting your application as incorrect or incomplete financial evidence is by far the most common reason for a Student Visa to be refused.

Please note:

You are not required to provide financial evidence with your application if you are a national of a country listed under the 'differential evidence requirementLink opens in a new window'.

However, you must still have the required funds as the UKVI decision maker reserves the right to request you to provide the evidence later in the process as a spot-check.

Academic Progress

If you have previously been granted a UK Student Visa or Tier 4 (General) Visa at any point in the past, even if it is not your current visa, you must show Academic Progress from, and that you have successfully completed, the course of study for which you were last granted a Student Visa. Your new course of study should normally be at a higher level, or if it is at the same level it must be related to your previous course, or the two courses combined must support your genuine career aspirations.

If you are a continuing student at Warwick, you are exempt if:

You have or will be resitting or repeating examinations or modules; or
You are a PhD Student in extension and require more time to complete the course; or
You have added a study abroad programme or work placement to your course; or
You are beginning, or returning to studies following, a period as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer.

It is vitally important that you carefully detail any previous UK Student Visas you have been granted when completing your CAS request so that the University can accurately assess whether you meet, or are exempt from, the Academic Progress requirement before it issues a CAS to you.

If you cannot meet the Academic Progress requirement, you will need to submit your application from outside of the UK.

Online application form step-by-step guide

Ready to start?

1 - Get a new CAS 2 - Online Application Form (UK)

Search for your query

On the below FAQs please select the ' >>' widget next to the section title to unhide the text so it becomes visible to the screen reader.

1 - How much money do I need to show?

Unless you are applying in the UK and have been living in the UK for the previous 12 months. You must prepare financial evidence before making your visa application. You must show that you have enough money to cover:

Course fees (the first year's tuition fees for any new period of study, as shown in your CAS email), plus
Living costs (9207 GBP in total if your course is 9 months or longer, or 1023 GBP per month if your course is shorter)

Use the course start and end dates on your CAS to calculate the length of your course. If the length of your course includes a part of a month, include the full month. E.g. if your CAS has a course start date of 30 May and end date of 1 October, this covers dates in 6 calendar months, so we would recommend you show 6 months of living costs.

Unless you have a letter from an Official Financial Sponsor or in the form of a Student Loan for sufficient money, you must show that you have held the required amount in a personal bank account for a minimum consecutive 28-day period. This 28-day period is calculated by counting back from the closing balance date of your statement, which itself must be before, but no more than 31 days before, your application date.

The account must be:

In your name, or
In the name of a parent or legal guardian (You must provide proof of relationship, usually a birth certificate, and a consent letter to use funds)

Deductions from the amount that needs to be shown:

You can deduct the following from the total amount of money required above, if it is shown on your CAS:

Course fees that you have already paid for the next period of study (Your CAS will confirm if you have paid all or part of these fees to the University).
If you make any further payments after receiving your CAS, you should wait for these to be updated on your CAS before proceeding with your visa application. Remember that funds will take time to fully clear. You will receive an email confirmation from the Student Finance Team when your CAS is updated
If you have paid a deposit to the University of Warwick for accommodation we are providing, this deposit, up to a maximum of £1,334, can be offset against the Living Costs funds required(your CAS must confirm this). Please note that any other type of housing, including if you will be living with a relative at no cost to you, cannot be deducted.

1 - My visa application has been refused/rejected, what should I do now?

If you have received a Student Visa refusal, please complete a Student Visa refusal notification and new CAS request form. You will need to upload your UKVI refusal notice, we will need to check and assess whether we can assign a new CAS for you to make a new Student Visa application.

1 - When is the earliest I can apply for a Student Visa ?

You can apply for a Student Visa once:

You have received a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number from either your Admissions Team (if you are starting a new course, having received and accepted an unconditional offer) or the Student Visa Advice Service (if you are a current student resuming or continuing your course);
It is no more than 3 months before the ‘Course Start Date” on that CAS (if you are applying for your visa inside of the UK);
You meet the Student Visa eligibility requirements and have prepared any required documents.

2 - I have been invited to a credibility interview - what is it?

UKVI may invite you to attend a credibility interview as part of your visa application process. It is by invitation only hence not all students are required to have an interview.

Invitation to the credibility interview is usually sent via email so you should be checking your email inbox (including the junk folder) regularly. Your application is likely to be refused if you fail to attend an interview that you were invited to without providing a valid reason or reasonable justification for not attending.

The interview will normally last for 30 minutes and it will be conducted via video link with a Home Office member of staff in Sheffield in the UK. We have collected a list of common types of questions asked.

During your interview, a staff member from the Home Office will ask you about your course, where you want to study and your reasons for studying in the UK. The report of the interview will be sent to the caseworker who decides your Student Visa application. They must be satisfied that you are a genuine student and that your English language ability is at the correct level, otherwise, you might be called for a further interview and/or your entry clearance application may be refused.

If at any point during the interview, there is an issue with hearing the questions clearly, e.g. via the video link, you should ensure that you raise this so that they are aware that it is a technical issue, not one of comprehension.

2 - What evidence do I need to provide?

If you are eligible to apply inside the UK, and you have been living in the UK with valid permission for 12 months or more on the date of application, you will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds. Please note, if you have been absent from the UK for a significant period (holidays and short absences of less than 3 months do not break the 12-month period), in which case you should prepare financial evidence as you may be asked to provide it.

You can find the government rules which define how the Financial Requirement can be met in Immigration Rules Appendix FinanceLink opens in a new window

You can provide the following financial documents to show that you meet the requirements:

Personal bank statements (in your name or the name of your parent or legal guardian)

This can be a Fixed-term deposit statement; Bank transaction statement; Bank letter or Certificate of deposit. It must show that you have held the required funds for a minimum consecutive period of 28 days. The start of this 28-day period is calculated by counting back from the closing balance date of your statement, which itself must be before, but no more than 31 days before, your application date.

If you are using funds in the name of your parent or legal guardian, you must provide proof of relationship e.g. birth certificate / a court order of legal guardianship and a consent letter from them for the use of the funds

A full scholarship letter - this must be from an "Official Financial Sponsor", which is defined as a national government, international company, international organisation, or University. It cannot be an individual, e.g. your parent.
A partial scholarship letter - this must also be from an "Official Financial Sponsor". You will need to provide further evidence of your remaining course fees and/or living costs.
A educational loan letter in your name

If you are not using bank statements to meet the financial requirement it is important to check that your evidence meets the specification in the Immigration Rules for an official financial sponsor or student loans letterLink opens in a new window.

Where money is held in one or more foreign currencies, this will be converted into pounds sterling (GBP) using the spot exchange rate which appears on www.oanda.comLink opens in a new window for the date of application (the date you pay the application fees.

Please note: you can use one or multiple bank accounts or types of evidence shown above to meet the requirements. If your evidence is complex in this way, we recommend you include a cover letter to explain how those pieces of evidence combined meet the requirements.

All the documents must be an original digital copy or a clear scan or photo of the original. If any documents are not in English, you must include official translations.

The UKVI utilises Electronic Bank Checks, therefore, once you have submitted your application, you should not use the evidenced funds until you receive your visa, unless they are for costs specifically associated with your course of study, i.e. paying course fees or a deposit for accommodation.

If you do use funds for these costs, you should keep the receipts, as you may have to provide this evidence to UKVI upon request.

Examples of acceptable evidence:

2 - When is the latest I can apply for a Student Visa?

If you are applying overseas:

You must apply for your student visa in time to receive your visa and travel to the UK before your course start date.

Once you have completed the application and attended a Visa Application Centre Appointment (if you are required to), standard service applications normally take around 3 weeks for the UK Home Office to make its decision. You will need an additional 1-2 weeks for your passport to be returned to you if applicable.

It is normal for some new students to not receive their results and meet the conditions of their offer until close to their course start date. If you are applying for a new course, the University cannot issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), and you will not be able to submit a student visa application, until you have met the conditions of your offer and accepted your offer. If this applies to you, check the VFS websiteLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window or TLS websiteLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window (depending on the country you are living in) to see if user-pay expedited services are available (Priority and Super-Priority services).

You must not attempt to enter the UK until your visa has been granted and until its start date has passed. You will not be able to start your course until you have entered the UK within the validity of your Student Visa.
Your 'Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)' email will show a “Latest Start Date”. This is the deadline by which you must have arrived in the UK to start or resume your course this academic year. However, you should ensure you arrived by your “Course Start Date” wherever possible if this is different.

If you are applying within the UK, you must:

Submit your visa application (pay the immigration health surcharge and application fee) on or before your current visa expiry date – this is called making an 'in-time application' and means your legal status in the UK is protected until the application is decided.
Receive the new visa before your Course Start Date if your current visa type is 'Graduate' or 'High Potential Individual' (you will not be able to start your course until you have received your Student Visa because these types of visa do not allow study).
Submit your visa application (pay the application fee) before your course start date if your current visa type is 'Student', issued for a different course or institution. You will not be able to start your course until you have provided evidence (payment receipt, document checklist, or copy application form) showing that you have submitted an application using a Warwick CAS.

Visa Conditions and Errors

Visa duration

How long will my Student Visa be?

The length of your Student visa will depend on your course dates and level of study. Your visa will cover the length of your course plus an additional period after the completion of your course (known as a ''wrap-up period''). During the "wrap-up period" you can remain in the UK for travel, work (within your student visa conditions), leisure purposes, to attend your graduation or make a new visa application.

Use the information below to check your visa decision email or letter carefully when you receive it in case UK Visas and Immigration have not granted the correct length of visa to you.

Visa Start Date

If you are applying for your visa from overseas, the earliest your visa will start is 1 month before your course start date. If your visa is granted less than 1 month before your course start date, the UKVI will instead use a start date based on the "intended travel date" you entered on the visa application form (7 days before this date).

You should check your visa start date when it is granted as the UKVI caseworker might use a different date and you cannot travel before the start date of your Student visa.

Visa Expiry Date

Note: If you are applying for a further visa for the same course, your course length is calculated from the date you originally started the course.

Type of course	Length of course	Expected visa expiry date
Degree level and above	12 months or more	Course end date + 4 months
	6 to 12 months	Course end date + 2 months
	Less than 6 months	Course end date + 7 days
Below degree level (International Foundation Programme or Pre-Sessional English courses)	6 to 12 months	Course end date + 2 months
	Less than 6 months	Course end date + 1 month

Visa errors

Do you have an error on your visa?

What should I check?

Once your visa is granted, you will receive the following or some of the following: a decision letter/email; vignette/sticker (non-EU nationals); BRP card (received once in the UK - non-EU nationals applying before October 2024); eVisa.

You should carefully check the following:

Visa start/expiry date (please refer to our guidance) - this is the most common error
Personal details (your name, nationality, date of birth)
The University of Warwick sponsor number (C5MQDFPD0)

Visa conditions (the number of hours you can work - 20 hours per week during term-time for courses at degree level or above. Otherwise, 10 hours per week)

Vignette

Note: if you apply for a Student visa inside the UK or you are an EU national and use the 'UK Immigration: ID check' app, you will not receive a vignette or BRP card and instead will have a digital immigration status.

If the full length of your student visa is less than 6 months, you will be issued a vignette (sticker in your passport) with the full length of your visa and you will not receive a BRP card.

If your visa length is more than 6 months, you will be issued a 90-day temporary travel visa vignette because you will collect a BRP card on arrival to the UK. Please check carefully that the start and end dates of the travel visa are correct (90 days in length). This is to make sure the visa has not been issued too early or too late for you to travel. You must travel within your visa validity dates. Errors need to be corrected before you travel to the UK.

If you've identified any errors, you should correct the error by contacting your UK visa application centre immediately or you can click here to contact the UKVI for helpLink opens in a new window

If you have already travelled to the UK, please contact us for advice by completing our contact form straight away. Please explain the error and attach a copy of your visa.

BRP card

BRP cards will no longer be issued from late October 2024 and will be replaced by a digital immigration status (also known as an eVisa. Until 1 January 2025, if you have been issued with a BRP card, you are still required to carry it with you when attempting to re-enter the UK.

If you are coming to the UK for more than 6 months, are a non-EU national, and applied before October 2024, you will most likely still be issued a BRP card.

If your BRP card is delivered directly to the University, you should check for any errors when collecting your BRP card. If you think there is an error on your card, please contact us and highlight the error. We will then get in touch with you to confirm if it is an error, and help you correct it. If we identify an error before your BRP collection, we will request a new corrected card from the UKVI and notify you when it arrives.

If you collected your BRP card from a post office or it was delivered to your own address and there is an error, you will need to correct the error by reporting it to UKVI:

Applied outside the UK; All errors

Click here to Report onlineLink opens in a new window within 10 working days of receipt of your BRP; Free.

Applied inside the UK;

Spelling or date of birth error

Click here to Report onlineLink opens in a new window within 10 working days of receipt of your BRP; Free.

Applied inside the UK;

Length of visa or work permission errors

You must normally apply for an Administrative ReviewLink opens in a new window within 14 days of getting your BRP;

It costs £80 (refunded if the Home Office agree there was a mistake)

You should not travel outside of the UK once the error has been reported until the new BRP card has been issued, as the existing BRP will become invalid as soon as a new one is issued.

eVisa

If you are an EU/EEA or a Swiss national, or if you applied for your visa in the UK using the UK Immigration: ID Check app, you will be issued with a digital Immigration status (eVisaLink opens in a new window) straight away. If you have been issued a BRP card and our visa has started, register for an eVisa showing the full length of your visa on the UKVI websiteLink opens in a new window.

You should receive a letter or email from UKVI confirming the successful outcome of your visa application. You should check if all the details are correct (e.g. visa length, conditions of your visa). If you already have an eVisaLink opens in a new window, you can also view and prove your status onlineLink opens in a new window. If there are any errors, you will be given instructions on how to report the error via your online account when you receive your application decision email.

If there is an error with your digital status, you will need to contact UKVI for helpLink opens in a new window or Contact UKVI if you cannot get into your UK Visas and Immigration accountLink opens in a new window.

Visa conditions

Visa Conditions

Your Student Visa will be subject to certain conditions. Breaching any of the conditions whilst you are in the UK can have serious consequences for both your current Student visa and any future immigration applications you may make.

Conditions include:

Study - you must continue studying your course at the University of Warwick. Changing your course will only be possible using the same visa under certain specific circumstances.
Work - there are restrictions on the hours and types of work you can do. Please check the detailed guidance for working on a Student visa.
Public funds - you cannot claim public fundsLink opens in a new window of any kind. (please note: using the National Health Service, sending your child to a state school, or being exempt from the Council Tax, do not count as accessing 'public funds')

You must also fully engage with your studies. To protect your Student visa, you will need to be aware of your Immigration responsibilities.

eVisa

UKVI are developing a digital immigration system to replace physical documents with eVisasLink opens in a new window (online immigration status).

You should know that...

Digital proof of a person's immigration status and the conditions of their permission to enter or stay in the UK will replace these physical documents:

biometric residence permits (BRP)
biometric residence cards (BRC)
passport endorsements, such as indefinite leave to enter wet ink stamps
At some point in 2025 - vignette stickers in passports, such as entry clearance or visa vignettes

Please note, until the end of 2024 you will need to continue to carry your physical document (e.g. BRP) when you travel, if you have one.

What do I need to do?

If your visa has already started and you currently hold physical immigration documents (e.g. a travel vignette or BRP), you can register for your eVisa now. Watch the UKVI's video guideLink opens in a new window to help.

Get access to your eVisa

Once you have access to your eVisa, you can generate a "share code" to prove your ongoing immigration status. Download one (as a PDF) for the purposes of your course/education and then provide it to the University.

View and Prove your Immigration Status

Contact Us

Need support with your visa?

Don't hesitate to contact us!

Get advice or make a request

A-Z of Visa Terms

Not sure what something means?

Check our list of common visa-related terminology.

Browse our glossary

Student Visa Advice Service

Applying for a Student Visa