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UK Study Requirements: A Course-by-Course Checklist for Qualifications, English and Funding

TL;DR

To verify UK study requirements, check three things for every course on your list: the qualification level and subject entry, the English language evidence, and the funds for tuition and living costs. You normally prove English with a degree taught in English, a UK school qualification begun before you turned 18, or a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider; your university can also assess your level itself and may ask for a different test. On money, you must cover course fees for one academic year (up to nine months) as stated on your CAS, and you must hold living-cost funds for 28 consecutive days, with that 28-day period ending within 31 days of the date you apply. Some applicants are exempt from proving English or funds, including people from listed countries, certain US study-abroad students, and anyone who has held a valid UK visa for at least 12 months. Exact scores, amounts and deadlines are set by your university, GOV.UK and UCAS, so use this as a course-by-course checklist and confirm every figure against your CAS and the official pages before you apply.

Check the course level and entry requirements first

A UK Student visa is for further or higher education courses if you are 16 or over. If you are under 18 and want to study at an independent school in the UK, you may need a Child Student visa instead. Academic entry requirements and subject prerequisites are not specified in the visa sources used here, so confirm them on the university course page. If your course is a postgraduate programme in a sensitive subject, it may also fall under the Academic Technology Approval Scheme: the ATAS is an essential part of the UK’s commitment to counter proliferation and is designed to ensure that postgraduate applicants in certain sensitive subjects do not acquire knowledge that could potentially be used in Advanced Conventional Military and. You must get an ATAS certificate if your course or employment requires one, and the certificate must cover the period of any planned study in the UK.

Prove your English: routes, scores and exemptions

There are several ways to meet the English requirement. You can rely on a degree-level qualification taught in English; if the degree was taught in English but not awarded by a UK institution, you will need an Ecctis code confirming it is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or higher and was taught in English. A qualification from a UK school you began when under 18 also works if it is a Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English. If you have none of these qualifications, you must pass a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider, proving you can read, write, speak and understand English to the required CEFR level.

IELTS for UKVI is a SELT accepted by UKVI as proof of English for study, work or living in the UK, and UKVI will only accept the test when taken in person at an official test centre. The score you need depends on the visa and its CEFR level: visas requiring CEFR B1 in four skills need an IELTS score of 4.0 in all four components, B2 needs 5.5 in all four, and C1 needs 7.0 in all four. IELTS for UKVI Life Skills A1, A2 and B1 are the tests used for A1, A2 and B1 in two skills, assessed in Listening and Speaking. The IELTS page lists “IELTS for UKVI Life Skills B1 – Pass” against the GOV.UK Student visa overview, while also giving the four-skill scores above; because GOV.UK and your university set the actual level, and your university may assess you itself, confirm which test and score your course requires.

You do not need to prove English if you are from a listed country or territory, or have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in one of them. Other exemptions cover applicants coming to the UK for a study-abroad programme as part of a university degree course in the USA, and applicants who already proved their level of English in a previous visa application.

Money you must have: fees, living costs and timing

You must have enough money to pay for your course and support yourself in the UK. For the course itself, you need to cover one academic year of fees, up to nine months, and the amount you must pay will be on your CAS. Maintenance, or living costs, depend on where you will be studying, and you will need extra money for each family member you bring.

The key timing rule is the 28-day rule: you must hold the money for at least 28 days in a row, and the end date of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply. If you apply on 1 January, for example, you would need to show the funds were in your bank account for at least the 28-day period ending on 1 December. Your financial documents must not be more than 31 days old on the date you submit the online Student visa application. If you have a student loan or financial sponsorship, you must provide evidence of it from the loan or sponsorship company.

The University of Westminster’s guidance gives worked examples of the amounts. If you start a three- or four-year undergraduate degree in September 2026, you must hold £1,529 for each of nine months, which is £13,761 for living costs; if your first-year tuition is £17,600 and you have paid a £5,500 deposit, your remaining tuition is £12,100, so the total to hold is £13,761 plus £12,100, which is £25,861. If you have paid up to £1,529 to the University for a room in one of its owned halls of residence (Harrow, Marylebone Road or Alexander Fleming) and this is confirmed in your CAS, you can deduct up to £1,529 from the living-cost amount you need to show; the deductible amount increases to £1,570 for Student visa applications made on or after 30 November. For a current student applying before 30 November 2026 who is not exempt, you must hold £1,529 for each month and part of a month of the remaining course, up to nine months; if four months and 20 days remain you need five months, or £7,645, and with £2,000 remaining tuition the total is £9,645.

You do not need to prove the maintenance money if you have been living in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months before the date of your Student visa application, or if you are applying as a student union sabbatical officer.

Documents: CAS, ATAS and your eVisa

The course-fee amount you need to pay is stated on it, and for current students it will include new start and end dates reflecting the remaining period of your course. If ATAS applies, you must upload your ATAS certificate as part of your visa application documents. The certificate is valid for six months for use in a visa application from its date of issue, and if it is a condition or requirement of your visa you cannot study or conduct research in the UK without it. If you are joining a joint research programme delivered or awarded at more than one higher education institution or research institution, you should submit one ATAS application form but list all institutions on it. To check whether you need ATAS, the service asks for your subject code and whether you are a taught or research student or a researcher.

UCAS applications and deadlines

For most undergraduate courses you apply through UCAS, and its search tool displays 2026 entry courses. Undergraduate applications open for 2026 entry and you can register and start your application in your UCAS Hub; completed undergraduate applications can then be submitted to UCAS. The equal consideration date for applications for most undergraduate courses is 18:00 UK time, and UCAS applications must be with UCAS by 18:00 UK time to meet the final deadline for 2026 entry courses. Some courses have different deadlines, often long in advance of the course start, so you must check which deadline applies to your chosen course. If you apply through a school or college, follow that school or college’s own deadline so it has time to check your qualifications, write your reference and submit the application.

For 2027 entry, UCAS applications open and its search tool displays 2027 entry courses; the PGCE teacher training application date for courses in Wales is 18:00 UK time, and applications must be with UCAS by 18:00 UK time to meet the final deadline for 2027 entry courses. If you do not meet the main deadline you can still apply for many courses, apprenticeships have employer-set deadlines, and part-time study requires contacting the provider directly because options vary by duration, mode and location. UCAS publishes a key dates timeline for 2026 and 2027 entry; because the sources here do not state the specific calendar dates, confirm the exact dates on UCAS before you plan. UCAS also hosts advice for international students on visas, English language skills and what your qualifications mean in the UK.

About StudyGB

StudyGB provides UK university application and student life information, and is positioned as an independent UK study information guide. The approved services are limited to those areas, and this article is an information checklist rather than a ranking or recommendation.

Reader questions on UK study requirements

Do I always need to take an English test for a Student visa?

No. You do not need to prove English if you are from a listed country or territory, or hold a qualification equivalent to a UK degree from one of them. Exemptions also cover people coming for a study-abroad programme as part of a US university degree and people who proved their English in a previous visa application. A UK school qualification begun under 18, such as a Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, or a degree taught in English can also prove your level, though a non-UK degree taught in English needs an Ecctis code. Otherwise you must pass a SELT from an approved provider.

Which IELTS score is required for a UK Student visa?

It depends on the CEFR level. For four skills, B1 requires IELTS 4.0 in all components, B2 requires 5.5, and C1 requires 7.0. IELTS for UKVI Life Skills A1, A2 and B1 cover A1, A2 and B1 in two skills, in Listening and Speaking. UKVI accepts IELTS for UKVI only when taken in person at an official test centre. Confirm the level with your university and GOV.UK, because the university may assess your level itself.

How much money do I need, and how long must I hold it?

You must show course fees for one academic year, up to nine months, as stated on your CAS, plus living costs that depend on where you study. The living-cost funds must be held for at least 28 consecutive days, with the 28-day period ending within 31 days of your application date. Financial documents must not be more than 31 days old when you submit. Westminster’s example for a September 2026 undergraduate start is £13,761 for nine months of living costs, and £25,861 in total when £12,100 of tuition remains after a £5,500 deposit.

What is a CAS, and what does it show?

A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies is your university’s record of your place, and the course-fee amount you must pay is on it. For current students, the CAS also shows new start and end dates that reflect the remaining period of your course. It can also confirm any university accommodation payment used to reduce the living costs you must show.

When are the UCAS deadlines for UK undergraduate entry?

UCAS sets an equal consideration date for most undergraduate courses and a final deadline for 2026 entry courses, both at 18:00 UK time, but the calendar dates are not stated in these sources, so check the UCAS key dates timeline. Some courses have earlier deadlines, and if you apply through a school or college you must meet its internal deadline. For 2027 entry, the PGCE teacher training application date for Wales is also 18:00 UK time.

Sources and dates used