UK Student Visa Document Checklist

You must provide all the mandatory documents along with your UK Student visa application according to the Student visa document checklist 2024 listed below.

You will find here a general document checklist required for the UK Student visa application and you might need to provide additional documents depending on your personal circumstances.

Please contact our immigration lawyer on 0161 989 9370 or fill in the enquiry form to take the first step towards your successful UK Student visa application.

Table of Contents

• What documents are required to apply for a UK Student visa?
• Rules & requirements for a Student visa
• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
• Bank statement for student visa
• UK Student visa 28-day rule
• English language requirement
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Need legal advice or help from an immigration lawyer?

What documents are required to apply for a UK Student visa?

You will need to provide the following supportive documents along with your UK Student visa application:

• your current valid passport
• a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) letter
• financial evidence such as bank statement
• proof of you meet English language requirements
• a valid ATAS certificate (if required)
• parental consent (if you're under 18)
• your tuberculosis test results

Rules & requirements for a Student visa

For a successful UK Student visa application, the applicant must meet the requirements of Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules.

• you have been offered a place on a course by the Home Office approved institution
• You must have enough money to pay the course fee and support yourself during your stay in the UK
• You need to meet the Student visa English language requirement to prove that you can speak, read, write and understand English

Read the guidance for the full list of eligibility requirements for UK Student visa applications.

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

If you are applying for a UK Student visa, you must have a valid CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) certificate.

According to Immigration Rules, the student must satisfy the following requirements for the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to be valid:

• The CAS must have been issued by a student sponsor whose licence is still valid on the date on which the application is decided;
• The CAS must not have been issued by the student sponsor more than 6 months before the date of application;
• The CAS must not have been used in a previous application which was either granted or refused (but could have been relied upon in a previous application which was rejected as invalid, made void or withdrawn);
• The student sponsor must not have withdrawn the offer to the applicant after the date that the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) was issued;
• The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies must contain the necessary information to confirm all the following requirements are met:
  • the course requirement
  • the Approved qualification requirement
  • the level of study requirement
  • the place of study requirement
• The CAS must state the cost of accommodation and fees (and any payment already made) so that the financial requirement can be assessed;
• The CAS must show how the English language requirement has been met, and where the sponsor has assessed the applicant’s language ability and must include the information in ST 13.3. and ST 13.4.
• The student sponsor must provide all the following information about the course of study on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies:
  • title of the course
  • the academic level of the course
  • course start and end dates
  • hours of study per week, including confirmation on whether the course, is part-time or full-time
  • the address of the main place of study
  • the cost of accommodation and fees
  • if the student sponsor has assessed the applicant by use of one or more references, the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies Checking Service entry must include details of the references assessed
  • if the course involves a work placement, details of any work placement relating to the course
  • if the course will be provided by an education provider that is not the student sponsor, details of the partner institution; and
  • if the ATAS requirement in Annex ATAS applies
  • confirmation if the course is a recognised Foundation Programme for postgraduate doctors or dentists, and requires a certificate from the Postgraduate Dean
  • a statement of how the student sponsor has assessed the applicant’s English language ability including, where relevant, the applicant’s English language test scores in all four components (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
  • if the course is part of a study abroad programme, the name and address of the partner institution
  • if the applicant is applying for a full-time, salaried, elected executive position as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer and is part-way through their studies or being sponsored to fill the position in the academic year immediately after their graduation
  • if it was issued for the Doctorate Extension Scheme, that it was issued within 60 days of the expected end date of a course leading to the award of a PhD and the applicant is sponsored by a higher education provider with a track record of compliance
  • if the applicant has previously been granted permission as a Student, confirmation that the new course meets requirements concerning academic progress as from the previous course of study undertaken as required by ST 14.1. to ST 14.5.

Bank statement for student visa

The bank statement(s) or evidence you use to show funds have been held for 28 days must be from the 31 days before you submit your application. The 28 days is calculated by counting back from the date of the closing balance on the most recent financial evidence.

UK Student visa 28-day rule

You must show the funds have been held for 28 days unless you are relying on a student loan or official financial sponsorship.

English language requirement

At least CEFR level B2 is required if you are applying for a UK Student visa to study in the UK and your course is at the UK bachelor's degree level or above.

CEFR level B1 is a minimum requirement for a UK Student visa if you are studying a pre-sessional course or a course below UK Bachelor's degree level.

If the student sponsor has assessed that the Student meets the English language requirement, they must state this and the method of assessment on the CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies).

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)