United Kingdom guide 路 verified 2026-07-04
United Kingdom Student Visa: Process, Documents and Funds
Student visa
Indian students apply online for the Student visa (a points-based route: a valid CAS, proof of funds, and English ability together score the required points) via the UK government's online application, then attend a VFS Global Visa Application Centre in India for biometrics. There is no in-person interview at a British mission for most applicants, the process is document- and biometrics-based.
Visa type
MandatoryStudent visa (points-based system)
Visa fee
Mandatory拢558 (2026, from outside the UK)
Increased from 拢524 to 拢558 on 8 April 2026. Paid online in GBP during the application; always confirm the current fee before applying, as Home Office fees are revised roughly annually.
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
Mandatory拢776 per year of visa duration (standard student rate, 2026)
Paid in full, upfront, for the ENTIRE visa duration as part of the online application, not spread monthly. Part-years and durations under a year are pro-rated (e.g., roughly half the annual rate for 6 to 12 months). This is separate from the visa fee and is commonly under-budgeted.
Where biometrics happen
MandatoryVFS Global Visa Application Centre (India)
VFS Global is UKVI's outsourced partner across India (standard and Premium centres in most major and several tier-II/III cities). Book online after submitting the visa application; applicants generally have a window of several months to attend.
Application window
Up to 6 months before course start (from outside the UK)
Applications to extend/switch from inside the UK can be made up to 3 months before the course start.
TB test certificate (India)
MandatoryMandatory for courses of 6 months or more
India is on the Home Office's list of countries requiring a TB test. Take the chest X-ray at a Home-Office-approved clinic in India; the resulting certificate is valid for 6 months from the X-ray date and must still be valid when the visa is decided.
Confirm eligibility and gather the CAS
MandatoryCore eligibility: an unused CAS reference from a licensed Student sponsor, proof of funds for maintenance (and tuition if unpaid), and evidence of English ability (SELT or qualifying university assessment) unless exempt. Under-18 applicants need additional parental consent documents.
Take the TB test at an approved clinic (mandatory for applicants from India)
MandatoryIndia is on the Home Office's list of countries where anyone applying for 6 months or more must have a tuberculosis test, almost all Bachelors/Masters/PhD courses qualify. Book a chest X-ray at a Home-Office-approved clinic in India (several dozen locations including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad); an unclear X-ray may require a follow-up sputum test. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the X-ray date, so time it to stay valid through the visa decision.
When: Before applying, allow time for an appointment and, if needed, a repeat testYou get: A TB certificate to upload with the visa application.A certificate that expires before the visa is decided is a preventable, common cause of delay.Secure the maintenance funds and hold them for 28 days
MandatoryDeposit at least the required amount (see Money & proof of funds) in an acceptable account and keep it there for 28 consecutive days, with the 28-day period ending no more than 31 days before the visa application date. Funds shown too early, too late, or that dip below the required balance during the 28 days can trigger a refusal.
The 28-day rule is a frequent, entirely avoidable refusal reason, plan the deposit date backward from the intended application date.Apply online and pay the visa fee + IHS
MandatoryComplete the Student visa application on gov.uk, upload documents (passport, CAS, financial evidence, English test/exemption evidence, tuberculosis test certificate if from a listed country, ATAS certificate if required), and pay the visa fee plus the full Immigration Health Surcharge for the visa's duration in one transaction.
Cost: 拢558 visa fee + 拢776/year IHS (2026)Give biometrics at a VFS Global centre
MandatoryBook and attend an appointment at a VFS Global Visa Application Centre in India to submit fingerprints and a photograph, and hand in (or upload in advance via the VFS portal) supporting documents. Priority (faster decision) and Super Priority services are available for an extra fee.
Cost: Included in visa fee; optional Priority (~拢500) or Super Priority (~拢1,000) services extraYou get: Biometrics captured; application forwarded to UKVI for decision.Wait for the decision and receive the eVisa
Standard processing is typically around 3 weeks from India, though official guidance is to allow longer in peak season (July, September). On approval, most applicants now receive a digital eVisa rather than a physical vignette or BRP, the applicant must create/use a UKVI account to view and later prove their status.
When: Allow at least 3 weeks; apply as early as the 6-month window allows
The IHS is a mandatory, separate charge from the visa fee, 拢776 per year of the visa (2026 student rate), paid in one lump sum for the WHOLE course duration at the time of application, not spread out. For a typical one-year Masters this alone is roughly 拢776, 拢1,164 depending on exact course length; for a 3 to 4 year Bachelors it can exceed 拢2,300, 拢3,100. It buys full NHS access on the same basis as a UK resident. Build it into the total cost estimate given to families up front, it is one of the most commonly under-quoted costs of studying in the UK.
Certain sensitive-subject postgraduate research routes (Masters by research, PhD, and some research-linked taught Masters) in fields like physics, most engineering disciplines, materials science, and some computing/AI topics require a free ATAS certificate, MANDATORY where it applies, before the visa can be granted. Processing takes at least 30 working days (longer April, August) and, for research degrees, the required CAH3 subject code is tied to the specific research topic, so it can only be confirmed once a supervisor assigns it. Build this into the timeline separately from the English test.
Since the Home Office stopped issuing biometric residence permits to most new applicants and stopped putting visa vignette stickers in passports (from 1 July 2026), an approved Student visa is a digital eVisa linked to a UKVI account. Advise students to create their UKVI account promptly, check the eVisa record for accuracy, and keep passport details updated in it before every trip, airlines and UK Border Force check the digital record, not a physical document.
Sources
- Student visa, Overview, UK Home Office / UK Visas and Immigration (gov.uk)
- Student visa, Money you need, UK Home Office / UK Visas and Immigration (gov.uk)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Student, UK Home Office (gov.uk)
- Healthcare for visa applications, how much you pay (Immigration Health Surcharge), UK Home Office (gov.uk)
- VFS Global, UK visa services in India, VFS Global (outsourced partner for UK Visas and Immigration in India)
- Tuberculosis (TB) test for a UK visa, who needs one, UK Home Office (gov.uk)
- Countries where you need a TB test to enter the UK (India listed), UK Home Office (gov.uk)
Where this fits
This is one step of the full United Kingdom journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on United Kingdom
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.