Study Spectra
Study Spectra
You need an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, which sends you a CAS reference. You then apply online, show the required money (as published, held for 28 days in a row), prove English, add a TB test result if required, pay the visa fee and health surcharge, and prove your identity. GOV.UK says most decisions from outside the UK take about 3 weeks.
How do I get a UK Student visa from India?
You need an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, which sends you a CAS reference. You then apply online, show the required money (as published, held for 28 days in a row), prove English, add a TB test result if required, pay the visa fee and health surcharge, and prove your identity. GOV.UK says most decisions from outside the UK take about 3 weeks.
As shown by the GOV.UK Student visa page in October 2026, you can apply if you are 16 or over and you have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor, have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course, can speak, read, write and understand English, and (if you are 16 or 17) have parental consent. The licensed sponsor is the university or college; it is the one that issues your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
Everything else on this page hangs off those four points. If you are still choosing a country, start with our study abroad overview and the UK study page, then use this guide for the visa itself. The wider picture of how visas differ by country is on our student visas hub. Confirm every figure below on the linked GOV.UK pages before you act, because fees and thresholds change.
| Item | What GOV.UK says (October 2026) | Where to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Offer and CAS | Unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor; the provider sends a CAS reference number. You must apply within 6 months of receiving your CAS. | GOV.UK Student visa: your course |
| When to apply from outside the UK | Earliest 6 months before your course starts. | GOV.UK Student visa: overview |
| Decision time | Usually within 3 weeks if you are outside the UK. You may be able to pay for a faster decision and are told on application. | GOV.UK Student visa: overview |
| Visa fee | £558 to apply from outside the UK, payable for each person who joins you. | GOV.UK Student visa: overview |
| Course fee money | Enough to pay your course for 1 academic year (up to 9 months); the amount is on your CAS. | GOV.UK Student visa: money you need |
| Living money | £1,529 per month (up to 9 months) for courses in London, or £1,171 per month (up to 9 months) outside London. | GOV.UK Student visa: money you need |
| How long funds are held | At least 28 days in a row; the end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply. | GOV.UK Student visa: money you need |
| English | Usually must be proved; degree-level study is equivalent to CEFR B2, below degree level B1. Your higher education provider may assess its own students at B2. | GOV.UK Student visa: knowledge of English |
| TB test | Required if you are coming for 6 months or more and have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more. India is on the list GOV.UK shows. | GOV.UK TB tests for visa applicants |
| Health surcharge | £776 per year for students (for example £1,552 for 2 years); part-years follow separate rules. | GOV.UK immigration health surcharge |
GOV.UK says you must provide a current passport or other valid travel document and your CAS. Depending on your circumstances you may also need proof of money, an ATAS certificate, your TB test results, and written consent from a financial sponsor if you received sponsorship for fees and living costs in the last 12 months. Applicants under 18 need parental or guardian consent and proof of relationship. The page adds that you may need further documents and points to the full guidance, so read that list for your own case.
Our document readiness checklist helps you organise scans, name matching and bank statement dates before you start the form. Whether a particular bank statement format or sponsor letter is accepted is for UKVI to decide, and we cannot confirm that for you in advance.
The money page has two parts. First, enough to pay for your course for one academic year (up to 9 months); the figure is on your CAS. Second, living money: £1,529 per month for up to 9 months for courses in London, or £1,171 per month for up to 9 months outside London, as shown by GOV.UK in October 2026. 'London' means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs. You need extra money for each family member who comes with you.
Rates change. A number of consultancy pages still show older monthly amounts, so always use the live GOV.UK page and your CAS. Our costs and proof-of-funds guide covers how to think about budgeting across countries without treating one country's number as universal.
The page lists countries whose nationals do not have to prove they meet the living-money requirement under the 'differential evidence requirement'. India does not appear in that list on the October 2026 page, and the page also says applicants from listed countries can still be asked for the evidence. If you have a student loan or financial sponsorship, you provide evidence from that lender or sponsor.
TB test clinic fees, English test fees, document attestation and courier charges are set by third parties and are not listed on the Student visa page, so we do not quote them. Ask each provider for its current price in writing.
| Cost | Amount as published | Source (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa from outside the UK | £558 | GOV.UK Student visa |
| Immigration health surcharge, student | £776 per year; more than 6 months but under one year is charged as a full year | GOV.UK immigration health surcharge |
| Partner or child visa | £558 each, plus the healthcare surcharge | GOV.UK Student visa: your partner and children |
| Biometric appointment fee | GOV.UK states no fee for biometric information for dependants; service charges at a visa application centre are set by that centre | GOV.UK; confirm with the centre |
| ATAS certificate | The ATAS guidance page lists no fee in the text we read, so check it before you apply | GOV.UK ATAS guidance |
The Student route conditions in the Immigration Rules say a full-time student at degree level or above with a sponsor that has a track record of compliance may work 20 hours per week in term-time, and full-time outside term-time. A full-time student below degree level may work 10 hours per week in term-time. Other study, including part-time study, carries no permission to work. Self-employment, working as a professional sportsperson or coach, working as an entertainer and filling a permanent full-time vacancy are not allowed (with a limited exception for graduate or skilled worker applications). Your visa decision tells you what you can and cannot do, and that decision governs.
GOV.UK says that, if you are 18 or over and your course is at degree level, you can usually stay up to 5 years, and up to 2 years if it is below degree level. It also says you may be able to switch to a Graduate visa after your course: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, with 3 years after a PhD. That change is a reason to confirm the date rules on GOV.UK. For how the UK compares with other countries, see post-study work visas compared.
Dependants are limited. GOV.UK says your partner and children may only come if you are a government-sponsored student on a course longer than 6 months, or a full-time postgraduate student on a course of 9 months or more, and for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024 it must be a PhD or other doctorate or a research-based higher degree. Dependants have their own money requirement of £845 a month in London or £680 a month outside London (up to 9 months).
Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP. We provide information and document-preparation support; immigration, visa and admission decisions rest solely with the relevant authorities and institutions. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and we do not place people into overseas jobs. Look at our services, the tools you can use for budgeting, the prep page for test and interview preparation, or contact us with a question. For other destinations compare Canada, Ireland and Australia, and read how the Canadian study permit and the Irish student visa differ from the UK route.
Last reviewed 2026-10-21. Information only, not legal advice.
A Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies is a reference number your education provider sends once it has offered you a place on a course. GOV.UK says you must enter it on your visa application and apply within 6 months of receiving it. The course fee for the first academic year is shown on it.
As shown by GOV.UK in October 2026, you need enough to pay your course for one academic year (the amount is on your CAS) plus £1,529 per month for up to 9 months for courses in London or £1,171 per month for up to 9 months outside London. Check the live page, because the amounts change.
GOV.UK says you must have 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. Count back from your planned application date rather than from when you opened the account.
GOV.UK's list of countries where a TB test is needed includes India. You need the test if you are coming for 6 months or more and have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, including in the last 6 months. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the x-ray date.
GOV.UK says a decision is usually made within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK, and you may be able to pay for a faster decision. Some applications take longer. Do not book flights until you have a decision.
GOV.UK shows £558 to apply from outside the UK, as of October 2026, plus the immigration health surcharge at £776 per year for students. The visa fee is payable for each person who joins you. Other costs such as tests and courier services are not set by the Student visa page.
It depends on your course. The Immigration Rules allow a full-time degree-level student at a sponsor with a track record of compliance to work 20 hours per week in term-time, and a full-time student below degree level to work 10 hours. Other study carries no permission to work. Your visa decision states your own conditions.
Only if your subject is in scope and your nationality is not exempt. GOV.UK says some students at RQF level 7 or above need an ATAS certificate before applying for the visa. The guidance says processing takes at least 30 working days and there is no fast-track service, so start early if your university tells you it applies.
Only in limited cases. GOV.UK says dependants are allowed if you are a government-sponsored student on a course longer than 6 months, or a full-time postgraduate on a course of 9 months or more that, for courses starting from 1 January 2024, is a PhD or other doctorate or a research-based higher degree.
No. Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP. We provide information and document-preparation support; immigration, visa and admission decisions rest solely with UK Visas and Immigration and the institutions. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and we do not place people into overseas jobs.