UK Student Visa from Pakistan: Money, Documents and Steps

Applying from Pakistan? Here's how much money you need for a UK Student visa, the 28-day bank rule, the £558 fee, the TB test and every step to a decision.

Quick answer To get a UK Student visa from Pakistan you need:

• an unconditional offer and a CAS from a licensed UK university
• proof you can pay your first-year course fees
• living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to 9 months, held for 28 days in a row
• the £558 application fee
• the Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 a year for students)
• a TB test certificate

You can apply up to 6 months before your course starts. Decisions usually take about 3 weeks from outside the UK. (GOV.UK)

Who needs a Student visa

You need a Student visa if you're 16 or over and coming to the UK for a course with a licensed student sponsor. You must have been offered a place, have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course, and be able to speak, read, write and understand English. (GOV.UK: Student visa)

Your university confirms your place with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), a reference number you enter on your visa application. You must apply within 6 months of getting your CAS. (GOV.UK: your course)

How much money you need

You must show you can pay for:

1. Course fees for one academic year (up to 9 months). The amount you still need to pay is shown on your CAS.
2. Living costs (the "financial requirement"):
   • £1,529 a month for courses in London (the City of London and the 32 London boroughs)
   • £1,171 a month for courses outside London
   • for up to 9 months

(GOV.UK: money you need)

Worked examples (living costs only):

Add the course fees shown on your CAS to get your total. Every CourseOptions course page shows the international fee, so you can estimate this before your CAS arrives.

Students from Pakistan must send this financial evidence with their application. Pakistan isn't on GOV.UK's list of nationalities that can skip submitting evidence upfront. (GOV.UK: financial evidence)

The 28-day bank balance rule

• The money must have been in the account for at least 28 days in a row.
• The 28 days are counted back from the closing balance date on your most recent statement.
• The end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply.

GOV.UK's example: if you apply on 1 January, you'd have to show the funds were in your account for at least the 28-day period ending on 1 December. (GOV.UK)

In practice: plan ahead. If the balance drops below the amount you need on any day in those 28 days, the period doesn't count.

What counts as evidence, and what doesn't

You can use:

• your own money in an account you control
• your parent's money, with a letter from them confirming you can use it
• your partner's money (if they're in the UK or applying with you)
• official financial sponsorship
• a qualifying student loan

Evidence can be bank statements (paper or electronic), building society passbooks, certificates of deposit or a letter from your bank. It must show your name, the bank's name and the amount.

You can't use:

• overdrafts
• cryptocurrency
• stocks and shares
• pensions
• accounts not regulated by the financial regulator in that country
• accounts that don't keep electronic records

If your money is in Pakistani rupees, UKVI converts it to pounds using the OANDA spot exchange rate on the day you apply. UKVI may check your evidence with your bank. If it can't be verified, your application may be refused. (GOV.UK: financial evidence)

Other costs: visa fee and health surcharge

• Visa application fee: £558 from outside the UK. (GOV.UK)
• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £776 a year for students. It is charged on the length of your visa, which can be longer than your course. If your visa runs more than a year, you pay half the yearly amount for any extra period of up to 6 months, and the full yearly amount for anything longer. (GOV.UK: how much you pay)

GOV.UK sets these fees in pounds. What they cost in rupees depends on the exchange rate on the day you pay, so we don't quote a PKR figure.

Documents checklist

• Your current passport
• Your CAS reference number
• Proof of money (see above)
• A tuberculosis (TB) test certificate. You need one if you're coming to the UK for 6 months or more, have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and were living there in the last 6 months. Pakistan is on the list. The test must be done at a Home Office–approved clinic, and the certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray. (GOV.UK: TB tests)
• Written consent from your financial sponsor, if you've been sponsored in the last 12 months
• An ATAS certificate, only if your course and nationality require one
• If you're under 18: parental consent and proof of your relationship

(GOV.UK: documents you must provide)

Step by step: from offer to decision

1. Accept your offer and meet its conditions (grades, English).
2. Get your CAS from the university.
3. Check your money has been in the account for 28 days in a row before you apply.
4. Book your TB test at an approved clinic in Pakistan.
5. Apply online, no earlier than 6 months before your course starts, and pay the fee and the IHS.
6. Prove your identity, either with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre. You'll be told which when you apply.
7. Wait for a decision, usually within 3 weeks from outside the UK.
8. Travel. If your course is longer than 6 months, you can arrive up to 1 month before it starts, but not before the start date on your visa.

(GOV.UK: Student visa)

Bringing family (dependants)

Most taught master's students can't bring dependants. You can only bring a partner or children if you're a government-sponsored student on a course longer than 6 months, or on a postgraduate course of 9 months or longer that is a PhD, doctorate or other research-based higher degree. Each dependant needs £845 a month in London or £680 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. (GOV.UK: family members)

After you graduate: the Graduate visa

The Graduate visa lets you stay in the UK after you complete your course. You can stay for:

• 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026
• 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027
• 3 years after a PhD

If you're starting a course in 2027, plan around 18 months. (GOV.UK: Graduate visa)

FAQs

How much bank balance do I need for a UK Student visa from Pakistan? Your first-year course fees (shown on your CAS), plus £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, for up to 9 months. The money must be in your account for 28 days in a row.

Can I use my parents' bank account? Yes, if they give you a letter confirming you can use the money. The account must be one they control.

How long does a UK Student visa take from Pakistan? GOV.UK says you'll usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK.

How much is the UK Student visa fee? £558 from outside the UK, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 a year.

Do I need a TB test? Yes, if you've lived in Pakistan for 6 months or more, were living there in the last 6 months, and are coming to the UK for 6 months or more. Use a Home Office–approved clinic.

Next step

Work out your real total. Find your course, check its international fee, then add the living costs above.

• Search postgraduate courses
• Search undergraduate courses
• Find scholarships open to Pakistani students
• Read next: UK scholarships for Pakistani students

Figures checked against GOV.UK on 1 October 2026. CourseOptions is a course research and comparison tool, not immigration advice. Always confirm the requirements on GOV.UK before you apply.