UK student visa fees 2026-27 for Indian students: visa fee, IHS, funds from 30 November and the 18-month Graduate Route

UK student visa fees 2026: what you pay the Home Office

The IHS covers your whole visa, which outlasts the course: for a course of 12 months or more, ST 25.3 adds up to 1 month before and 4 months after, so a 12-month master's means about 17 months. The gov.uk IHS rules charge more than 12 and up to 18 months as one year plus half: £776 plus £388, or £1,164. The form calculates it from your course dates.

How much money do you need to show for a UK student visa?

Under ST 12.3 you show any first-year course fees still unpaid on your CAS, plus living money for each month of the course, up to 9 months. "London" means the City of London and the 32 boroughs.

HC 584 (APP ST8 to ST10) brings in the new figures on 30 November 2026; earlier applications are decided under the Rules in force on 29 November. A deposit paid to your university for housing it arranged counts, up to £1,529 (£1,570 from 30 November).

January intake UK 2027: apply before or after 30 November?

You can apply up to 6 months before the course start date on your CAS (ST 4.1), so many January 2027 students can choose. Applying on or after 30 November 2026 means showing £369 more for London or £288 more elsewhere over 9 months. If you apply in December, your 28-day balance must already meet the higher figure, and your CAS must be no more than 6 months old (ST 1.2).

The 28-day funds rule

From the gov.uk money page and Appendix Finance:

1. Hold the money for at least 28 days in a row (ST 12.6).
2. The 28 days must end within 31 days of the date you apply. gov.uk's example: apply on 1 January, show the 28 days ending on 1 December.
3. The money must be withdrawable at once. Shares, bonds, locked pensions and overdrafts do not count (FIN 3.1, FIN 8.2).
4. A parent's account works with proof of the relationship and their written consent (FIN 5.3).

An education loan counts with a regulated lender's letter dated within 6 months (FIN 9.2); an official scholarship, with the sponsor's letter or the CAS (FIN 9.1). For Chevening and Commonwealth awards, see our study abroad scholarships guide.

Total upfront cost for a one-year master's in the UK

From official figures only: visa fee, IHS for a 12-month taught master's and 9 months of funds. Tuition varies and is left out; any unpaid first-year fee on your CAS is shown on top.

Only the fee and IHS (£1,722) go to the Home Office; the funds stay yours for living costs. UKVI converts rupee balances at the OANDA spot rate on the day you apply (FIN 1.1), so keep a margin.

UK student visa requirements and how to apply from India

1. Get an unconditional offer and your CAS. Apply within 6 months of its issue; a CAS used in a decided application cannot be reused (ST 7.2).
2. Get ATAS clearance if your CAS says so. Some sensitive science and technology subjects need an ATAS certificate; India is not exempt. Allow at least 30 working days.
3. Meet the English level. CEFR B2 for degree-level study, B1 below (ST 13.1). Your university can assess you and record it on the CAS.
4. Hold your funds for 28 days.
5. Take a TB test. India is on the gov.uk list; the certificate lasts 6 months from the x-ray.
6. Apply online up to 6 months before the course and pay £558 plus IHS.
7. Prove your identity by the ID Check app or at a visa application centre, as instructed.
8. Get your decision, usually within 3 weeks, and an eVisa in your UKVI account.

Can I bring my spouse on a UK student visa?

Only if you are a government-sponsored student on a course of 6 months or more, or a full-time postgraduate on a course of 9 months or more that is a PhD, other doctorate or research-based degree (for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024), under ST 31.1. A one-year taught master's does not qualify. Each allowed dependant pays £558 plus IHS and needs £845 a month in London or £680 elsewhere, for up to 9 months.

How many hours can international students work in the UK?

You cannot be self-employed or fill a permanent full-time vacancy, except under ST 26.6, for example after finishing your course and applying for the Graduate visa.

PSW visa UK: the Graduate Route drops to 18 months from 1 January 2027

The Graduate visa is the UK's post-study work visa. Under Appendix Graduate (GR 8.1) its length depends on when you apply:

• On or before 31 December 2026: 2 years after a bachelor's or master's.
• On or after 1 January 2027: 18 months.
• PhD or other doctorate: 3 years.

You apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires, once your university reports completion. A one-year master's starting in September 2026 or January 2027 ends after 1 January 2027, so it leads to 18 months. The visa cannot be extended and is not a route to settlement, but you may be able to switch to Skilled Worker.

Cost: £937 plus IHS at £1,035 a year: £1,552.50 for 18 months, £2,489.50 in all. The Graduate visa page prints £1,152.50 for 18 months, which does not match its own yearly rate; the payment screen shows what you pay.

The international student levy: a draft, from August 2028

The Department for Education's consultation response and draft law (13 July 2026) propose that universities registered in England pay £925 per international student per year from 1 August 2028, subject to Parliament, and the government intends each provider's first 220 students to be exempt. Universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are outside it. Universities pay it, not students; the response does not say whether fees will rise.

What are the new rules for UK student visa 2026?

The visa brake covers Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan; the 5% limit is in the student sponsor compliance guidance.

How many Indian students get UK student visas?

Home Office statistics for the year ending June 2026 (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, published 27 August 2026):

• 82,523 sponsored study visas to Indian main applicants, 23% of the total, down 16%. China had 86,368.
• 383,455 sponsored study visas across all nationalities, down 11%.
• 64,495 Graduate route extensions to Indians, the most of any nationality.

The Vis_D02 dataset for that year shows 82,438 Student visas issued to Indian main applicants and 3,628 refused: about 96 grants in 100 decisions, against about 97 a year earlier (CareerBox calculation). The 8 October 2026 monthly release shows main-applicant study applications down 19% in the year ending September 2026, with no country split.

Applying from Gujarat: visa centre, TB clinics and funds

• Visa application centre: gov.uk's Find a visa application centre page sends India applicants to VFS Global. A British Deputy High Commission Ahmedabad story of 21 March 2017 records a VFS-run UK visa centre opening in Ahmedabad; check its current address on the VFS India page before booking.
• TB test clinics: the gov.uk list for India (updated 21 September 2026) names Apollo Hospitals International (Bhat GIDC Estate, Ahmedabad), KD Hospital (S.G. Road, Ahmedabad) and Apollo Clinic (Adajan, Surat). The last two list ₹2,500 for applicants aged 11 and above.
• Funds in a Gujarat bank: the bank must be regulated, keep electronic records and allow UKVI to verify the statement (FIN 2.1).

Where to go next

• Paying for it: Chevening, Commonwealth and other scholarships for Indian students
• Another option: study in Germany: cost, APS and blocked account
• The US: what the $100,000 H-1B fee means for Indian students
• English test: IELTS exam guide
• Choosing a course: MBA course guide and M.Sc. course guide
• Latest updates: CareerBox News