UK Student Visa Finances, ATAS and the Graduate Route Explained
UK student visa money rules for 2026–27: £1,529/£1,171 a month, IHS £776 a year, the 28-day rule, ATAS and the Graduate route explained.
Financial evidence, ATAS and post-study permission are separate parts of planning a UK degree. Read the current requirements for your course and application date, and budget beyond the minimum visa evidence.
The 2026–27 money numbers, calculated
The maintenance figures caseworkers check are £1,529 per month for courses in London and £1,171 per month outside London, counted for up to nine months. That produces the maximum amounts most applicants plan around: £13,761 in London and £10,539 outside, always on top of any unpaid tuition fees shown on the CAS. Part months round up, so a course of six months and three weeks is assessed as seven full months. These are Home Office arithmetic figures, not estimates of real living costs, and they apply whether your city is cheap or expensive.
The second fixed cost is the Immigration Health Surcharge, charged at £776 per year for students. A nine-month master's pays one year (£776), a twelve-month master's pays for two years (£1,164 under the rounding rules), and a full-time PhD is charged £3,492 by the time the course length plus post-study months are counted. Add the £558 application fee and the totals below are what a compliant application must actually fund.
View as table
| Label | Value (£/month) |
|---|---|
| London rate | £1,529/month |
| London rent | £793/month |
| UK avg rent | £575/month |
| Outside rate | £1,171/month |
Evidence mechanics that decide refusals
Three mechanical rules cause most financial refusals, and none involve spending more money. The 28-day rule first: the balance must stay above the required figure for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of your application, so a one-day dip below the line restarts the clock. Next, the account itself must be acceptable - cash deposits made just before the window, cryptocurrency and most mobile wallets are not accepted evidence. Finally, the maths must be visible on the statements: the caseworker adds unpaid CAS fees to nine months of maintenance and checks the lowest running balance, so the page showing that lowest balance is the page that decides the outcome.
Differential evidence changes the picture for some applicants. Nationals of a long list of countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, China and most of the EU, do not have to submit financial documents with the application - but UKVI can request them before a decision, with a short reply deadline. The safe strategy is to hold compliant funds regardless, and to keep the funds in the same account from the moment you receive the CAS.
Financial evidence and your everyday budget are differentGOV.UK sets minimum financial evidence for Student visa applications. Your CAS records course-fee information, while a separate requirement can apply to living costs. The amount and evidence rules depend on your circumstances, including whether an exemption applies.
As checked in October 2026, the published living-cost requirement is £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside London, for up to nine months. These are visa-evidence figures, not a forecast of what every student will spend. Recheck the official page when preparing your application, particularly for a later intake.
Build a separate budget for rent, insurance or healthcare-related charges, transport, food and initial moving costs. Check how scholarship payments align with deposits and expenses that arrive before the course starts.
Check whether you need ATAS
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme applies to specified study or research subjects and applicants covered by its rules. It is not required for every master's or PhD. Your university can help identify the course information needed, but you must check the official guidance for your nationality and circumstances.
Where ATAS is required, follow the instructions for the research description and course details. Allow time in your application plan and ask the university before changing information that may affect an existing certificate.
Understand the Graduate route separately
The Graduate visa is a separate application after successful completion of an eligible course. It is not included automatically with a Student visa. Under current published guidance, non-doctoral applicants applying on or after 1 January 2027 receive 18 months; a PhD or other doctoral qualification has a three-year period.
Eligibility, timing and application conditions still apply. Temporary permission to work is not a guarantee of later sponsorship or settlement. Some scholarship conditions also require recipients to return home, so read the funding agreement before planning to stay after graduation.
Keep the sources close to your application
Check official requirements again before submitting, rather than relying on a saved article or an older intake guide. Your university's international student advisers can help interpret the steps relevant to your course. Immigration decisions depend on the rules and evidence for the individual application.
Keep the three decisions separate
Admission, visa approval and permission to remain after graduation are different decisions. An academic offer does not confirm your immigration outcome, and an available post-study route does not change your current Student conditions. Make one checklist for financial evidence, another for ATAS if applicable, and a third for any later route you may consider. Use the relevant official pages for your application date. If the university gives guidance that appears inconsistent with the government instructions, ask its immigration team to clarify the exact rule and circumstances before you act.
Build three checklists with different deadlines
Financial evidence, ATAS and the Graduate route concern different stages. Financial evidence supports the relevant Student application. ATAS, where required, concerns specified study or research and applicants covered by the scheme. The Graduate route is a later application after successful completion of an eligible course. Keeping them in one vague visa checklist makes it easier to confuse a future option with a present requirement.
For every item, record the official source, the action required and the date by which you need it. Ask the sponsoring university about course-specific information, such as the research description needed for ATAS. Do not shorten or alter a technical description without checking whether it must match the university's approved information.
A financial-evidence example using the published amounts
At the time checked, GOV.UK lists £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside London, for up to nine months where the living-cost requirement applies. Multiplying gives £13,761 and £10,539 respectively for nine months. These figures are living-cost evidence only: course fees and other application costs must be considered separately. Recheck the official amount for your actual submission date, particularly for a later intake.
| Item | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| CAS fee information | Course and fee details recorded by the sponsor | That every visa requirement is already satisfied. |
| Financial evidence | Compliance with the applicable evidence rules | That the minimum amount will cover your actual lifestyle. |
| ATAS certificate, if needed | Approval under that scheme for the relevant study or research | A Student visa or an academic funding award. |
| Graduate-route eligibility | A possible separate application after completion | A guaranteed job, sponsorship or permanent residence. |
Where ordinary cash evidence is used, check the applicable holding-period and document-date rules. If support comes from a scholarship or student loan, read the evidence requirements for that category instead of assuming a personal bank statement is always the right document.
Do not budget a future route as current income
An available Graduate route can create time to seek work, but it does not fund the degree you are starting. Keep the course budget based on confirmed resources. If a scholarship includes conditions about returning home or accepting other funding, read those terms alongside your post-study plans.
Under the published Graduate guidance, non-doctoral applications from 1 January 2027 have an eighteen-month period, while qualifying doctoral graduates have three years. The application and eligibility conditions still apply. Use the current official page when you reach that stage, rather than relying on the duration advertised when you first considered the course.
Is ATAS required for every PhD?
No. Check the subject and applicant rules with the official guidance and the university's international team. A doctoral title alone does not answer the question.
Are visa maintenance figures university cost estimates?
No. They are application-evidence requirements. Build a separate city-specific budget for rent, bills, transport and the costs of moving before deciding whether the course is affordable.
Questions applicants often ask
How much money do I need for a UK student visa in 2026?
£1,529 per month in London or £1,171 outside, for up to nine months — £13,761 or £10,539 — plus any unpaid first-year tuition fees from your CAS. The funds must sit in an acceptable account for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of your application.
How much is the UK student visa fee and health surcharge?
The application fee is £558. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £776 per year: about £776 for a nine-month master's, £1,164 for a twelve-month course and £3,492 for a full-time PhD including the post-study period.
Official sources and further readingRequirements and policies should be checked for your programme and application date.
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Official sources and further reading
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