Making your Student visa application
Advice and guidance on how to apply for a student visa overseas and in the UK. Student visa regulations may change, please check the latest UK student visa application guidance on the UKVI website
Step-by-step guide to preparing your UK Student visa application
Read all the information below before applying for your Student visa online. When you're ready to start filling in your application, we encourage you to use either one of the following guides for assistance:
If you're an EU, EEA, or Swiss student, please refer to our visa information for EU, EEA and Swiss students before proceeding.
1. Check when and where you can apply
You'll need to make your Student visa application overseas if:
- you're currently outside of the UK and don’t have a valid UK visa
- you've taken a break in study / you’re repeating without attendance and you're applying for a new visa to resume your studies
- your current visa expires 29 days or more before the start of your course at NTU
- you've changed courses and need extra time to complete your current course
- your course end date has changed, due to coursework deadline extensions and you need extra time to complete your current course.
Visa Brake
In March 2026, the UK Government announced a visa brake affecting nationals and residents of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan. From 26 March 2026, any nationals or citizens of these countries who apply for a Student visa from outside the UK will automatically have their visa applications refused. UKCISA have published some FAQs with further guidance. As a result of this, NTU will not issue a CAS to any student from these countries who needs to apply for their visa from outside the UK. Current students should contact the International Student Support Service if they have further questions.
If you are starting a new course at NTU, you can make your Student visa application in the UK or overseas if:
- Your visa expires 28 days or less before the course start date
- your visa expires after the start date of your course at NTU.
If you are a continuing student and you need extra time on your student visa to complete your course, you may also be eligible in certain circumstances, to make your Student visa application from inside the UK. Please refer to our CAS pages for further guidance.
You can make your Student visa application a maximum of six months before your new course start date if you are applying outside the UK, and three months before your course start date / visa expiry date if you are applying from inside the UK. If you are applying from outside the UK, the earliest your visa can start, is one month before your course start date.
2. Check what documents you need
All students will be expected to submit the following with their UK visa application:
- A valid CAS
- Your current passport.
Some students may also be asked to provide the following:
- Evidence of funds to pay your tuition fees and living costs, e.g. bank statements or a sponsorship letter. This is unless you are applying in the UK and have been here for at least 12 months prior to applying for your student visa, or you qualify for differentiation arrangements. (Please refer to our Financial Evidence for Student visa application pages for further guidance).
- ATAS certificate if you are studying specific postgraduate courses at NTU.
- Students who are aged 16 or 17 will need signed letter from your parents consenting to your study and living arrangements, and evidence of your relationship, such as a birth certificate. You should also refer to our Admissions policy for minors.
- Students who have previously received official financial sponsorship from a government or international scholarship agency for a course you completed in the last 12 months prior to applying for your visa and this covered both your tuition fees and living costs, you will need to provide a letter from your sponsor. This should confirm that they give unconditional consent to you applying to re-enter or stay in the UK.
- A valid tuberculosis (TB) clearance certificate (if you are applying overseas from a country that requires a TB test certificate). See the GOV.UK webpages to check if you need to provide a TB certificate.
Any documents which you are required to provide as part of your application, which are not in English, must be accompanied by a professional translation.
3. Prepare your financial evidence
We recommend that you carefully read through our Financial Evidence for student visa applications pages, to check if you need to provide financial evidence for your visa application and to ensure that you fully understand the financial requirements including how much money you need and the correct format of your documents.
4. Submitting your UK Student Visa Application
To submit your Student visa application, you must complete the online visa application form. There are three similar forms, make sure you choose the right one:
Please see our step by step guides to completing the application forms.
1. Paying your application fee
The online application fee for a UK student visa is £558 per applicant and applies to students (and their dependants) applying both inside and outside of the UK.
Fees for overseas applicants are charged in local currency according to regional payment hubs, at conversion rates set by the UKVI. The gov.uk website confirms which currency you will be required to use. Priority and super-priority visa services (for faster processing) may be available at an additional cost for overseas applicants. Students applying overseas can check for availability and the cost of these services at their local visa application centre.
N.B. If you are applying from inside the UK, you must submit your application online and pay your application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge before your Student visa expires.
2. Paying your Immigration Health Surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge is a compulsory fee which enables visa holders to use the UK National Health Service (NHS) on the same basis as UK residents. It is payable in addition to your Student visa application fee.
If you are applying for your student visa from outside the UK, you will be required to pay the IHS fee if you are applying for a visa that is more than 6 months in length. If you are applying for your visa from inside the UK, you must pay the IHS fee regardless of the length of visa you are applying for.
The IHS fee is calculated according to the length of visa you are applying for. This includes the extra time at the end of your course. The fee is £776 per person per year, plus £388 per part year.
3. Book and attend an appointment (if applicable)
EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals and BNO (British National Overseas) citizens who hold a biometric passport can verify their identity through the the Immigration ID check app.
Other nationals will be invited to book an appointment after submitting their visa application online. Outside the UK this will be at a local Visa Application Centre (VAC).
For applications made inside the UK:
If you cannot use the app, after paying your application fee and IHS online, you will receive emails from both GOV.uk and TLS Contact asking you to register your details on the TLS Contact website to book your biometric appointment online. You will be instructed if you need to scan and upload your supporting documents to the TLS portal prior to your appointment. Your application will be rejected as invalid if you do not book an appointment within 45 days of submitting your visa application.
On the day of your appointment, you will be required to take your passport and any physical copies of documents you have uploaded on the TLS portal.
5. Attend a credibility interview
As part of the UK visa application process, you may be asked to attend a credibility interview online. These interviews ensure only genuine students can receive permission to study in the UK. The answers you give will influence the outcome of your visa application.
Where the credibility interview will take place
The interview will be conducted via a video call, e.g. Microsoft Teams, by telephone or occasionally in person at a Visa Application Centre. If you are required to attend an interview, you'll receive an email giving you all the details including the date and time. During the interview, the person asking the questions, will take a typewritten transcript, and this will be considered alongside your application and supporting documents by the person making the decision.
Who will interview you
The interviews are conducted by a member of UKVI staff. The interviews are always conducted in English. It's very important that you attend the interview at the appointed date and time. Failure to do so is likely to result in your visa application being refused.
What you'll be asked about
We've put together some guidance to help you prepare:
- You'll need to carry out further research of your own, and think about your personal situation.
- You need to give specific and detailed answers.
- If your answers are incomplete or vague, the interviewer won't ask further questions.
- It's your responsibility to give the most comprehensive answers you can.
- Do not memorise model answers for your interview. You must be able to talk genuinely and naturally about your study plans in your answers.
Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the interview. You may like to talk through your answers to the example questions we've given here with a member of your family or a friend so you are more confident in the interview.
Make sure you have a good understanding of the following:
- The financial commitments of your studies.
- The expectations of your course at university.
- The terms and conditions of your visa including your attendance commitments and requirements to leave the UK once your visa ends (unless you apply to extend your Student visa or apply for another route).
Think about your answers to all the questions covered in these 3 sections below.
Education history, study and post-study plans
| Questions you might be asked | How you can prepare |
|---|---|
Why did you choose NTU? Why did you choose to study in the UK? Did you consider any other universities? | Think about what attracts you to study at NTU compared to other UK and global universities. Be prepared to give specific information about why you chose NTU and why you didn’t choose other universities. |
Why did you choose your course? | Research your course. What modules does it include? How will you be assessed? Does it include a work placement? What are the future employment prospects? Which campus is your course based at? How do the modules support your future career? |
What do you know about NTU, Nottingham, and the campus you are studying at? | Speak to our representatives in your country if possible. Learn about your campus facilities and location, how you will get there, etc. Read about starting at NTU. |
What was the last course you studied and when? How does your course choice fit with your previous study? What are your future plans for work or study, and how does your course relate to that? | Think about your personal situation, your previous studies and your career aspirations. If you’ve had a visa previously or studied in the UK or other countries, be ready to explain this. If you’ve had a break in your education, be ready to talk about why. Be prepared to speak about the possible employment or promotion opportunities back home once you have completed your studies, including future earnings. How does this new course at NTU fit into this? How will your NTU course support your academic progression or career aspirations? Your plans can change in the future, but you'll need to show you've thought about it. |
Financial circumstances
| Questions you might be asked | How you can prepare |
|---|---|
How much are your tuition fees? | Your CAS will state how much your tuition fees are and how much you have paid already. Find out more about tuition fees and fee payment arrangements. |
Who will be responsible for paying your tuition fees and living expenses? How do you plan to finance it? For example, will it be through work or savings, or by some other means? | You need to provide suitable financial evidence as part of the visa application. Find out more about financial evidence for Student visa applications. Be ready to give further information about:
|
Where are you going to be living in Nottingham? How much will your accommodation fees be? Who will you live with? Will your accommodation be on or off campus? How will you travel to your campus, and how much will this cost? | If you have booked your accommodation, be prepared to talk about it. We recommend you have accommodation booked before you arrive at university. If you haven’t booked yet, be ready to explain where you plan to stay when you arrive and which accommodation you plan to book. Our accommodation pages give information on NTU and private-sector accommodation. Be able to explain your finances and how you have budgeted for your monthly costs. Our managing your money pages give information on budgeting and day-to-day costs. |
Personal circumstances
| Questions you might be asked | How you can prepare |
|---|---|
Do you have family in the UK? Are you bringing dependants to the UK with you? | UKVI will be looking to determine that your main purpose of coming to the UK is for your studies. If your main purpose is something else, you should look for a more appropriate visa category. Examples include joining family members in the UK, or for dependants to work, etc. |
6. Receiving the outcome of your visa application
When the UKVI have made a decision on your visa, they will email you. Remember to check your emails regularly, including junk folders whilst your application is being processed. If your application is successful, please check your decision notification carefully to note the following;
- Your student visa details are correct including your visa expiry date and work conditions.
- Instructions on how to view and access your eVisa
- The visa start date to reconfirm when you can travel to the UK (if you applied from outside the UK)
It is important that you keep the letter/email in a safe place and you bring this with you to the UK (if you applied outside the UK).
If your visa application is unsuccessful, please contact us immediately.
eVisa
Your will receive your new Student visa as a digital status known as an e-visa which you use to travel to the UK and which you can use to view and prove your immigration status online. You can access this through your UKVI account. Alternatively, your decision email/letter will provide you with guidance on how to set up a UKVI account and view your eVisa if you do not already have one.
If you are unsure about your eVisa and how to access it or you need assistance with troubleshooting a problem, visit the UKCISA eVisa webpages for a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.
Length of visa granted
Your eVisa and your decision email from the UKVI, will clarify the length and conditions of your Student visa. Please check these carefully.
Your visa should be granted for the full length of your course as indicated on your CAS, plus an additional wrap-up period past your course end date, as follows:
- Courses of 12 months or longer – the length of your course + four months.
- Courses of 6 months or longer but shorter than 12 months – the length of your course + 2 months.
- A pre-sessional course of less than 6 months – the length of your course + 1 month.
- A course of less than 6 months which is not a pre-sessional course – the length of your course + 7 days
The maximum period of immigration permission granted to you before your course start date indicated on your CAS, is one month. If you applied for your student visa from outside of the UK and you indicated your intended travel date as less than a month prior to your course start date, your Student visa will start seven days before the intended travel date provided on your visa application.
Reporting errors on your eVisa
If you see any errors on your eVisa, including your work condition or your personal details, you should report these to the UKVI online.
Travelling to the UK with your eVisa
Before you travel to the UK, we recommend that you complete the following steps with your eVisa:
- Check your UKVI account to ensure that it has your current passport and personal details. Use the link to update your details if necessary.
- View your eVisa to ensure that your visa details are correct
- Check that your UKVI account details match the passenger information that you provide to your transport carrier, e.g. your airline.
- Check the start date on your visa. You cannot enter on your student immigration permission before the “valid from” date on your student visa.
- Check the start and latest course start date on your CAS. You must be in the UK and fully enrolled on your course no later than the latest start date on your CAS. If you cannot complete these steps by this date, do not travel and seek advice.
- Watch the UKVI video on How to Travel with your eVisa. This provides helpful tips and guidance on ensuring a smooth journey to the UK. Further information on using your eVisa can be found here.
Please note that if you attempt to enter the UK before your Student visa start date, you may be refused entry, or you may be granted permission to enter in another category (e.g. visitor), which will not permit study. You cannot activate a Student visa from within the UK. You would be required to leave the UK and Common Travel Area and re-enter the UK after your visa start date in order to activate your immigration permission as a student.
Providing NTU with an update on your UK immigration status
As part of your NTU enrolment, you will need to provide your passport, your visa and evidence of your last entry to the UK (if you applied for your visa overseas). You will need to ensure that you provide Academic Registry with an update of your passport and UK immigration status each time you renew your passport or apply for a new visa. Failure to do so could result in you being withdrawn from your course and having your UK Student visa cancelled. Please ensure that you check our International Student Enrolment pages for further details.
Visa application fees
Visa application fees are non-refundable. This applies if:
- your application is refused
- you change mind and withdraw your application
- you do not use your visa
- you do not stay in the UK for the full duration of your visa.
Outside the UK standard application
- £558 payable in local currency, plus the immigration health surcharge. Priority and super-priority visa services are available at an extra cost. Check your local application centre website for details.
Inside the UK Standard application
- £558 application fee, plus the immigration health surcharge. You may be able to pay to get a faster decision. You’ll be told if you can when you apply.
Please note the fee is charged per person included in the application. If you have dependants, multiply the fee by the number of people included.
You may be charged for the biometric appointment for your application if you're asked to book it in the UK. This depends on the timings and locations. Please check the UKVCAS website for further information.
Immigration health surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge is a fee for using the National Health Service (NHS). It is payable in addition to your Student visa application fee.
You'll be directed to the payment page before you pay your visa application fee.
Once you've made the payment, a reference number will be generated. This will appear on your visa application cover sheet. This is different to your NHS number, which you can get when you register with a doctor when you arrive in the UK.
The fee is calculated according to the length of visa you are applying for. This includes the extra time at the end of your course. The fee is £776 per person per year, plus £388 per part year. Please note this is a reduced fee for students (the full fee for work visas for example is £1035 per year)
You can use the immigration surcharge tool on the Home Office website to check how much you will have to pay.
You are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge if you are:
- applying to come to the UK (entry clearance application) for six months or less.
Dependants
Applying from outside the UK
If you have family members and you want them to join you in the UK while you study, you must check they are eligible to do so.
Your dependants are:
- your spouse or partner
- your children under the age of 18.
See the UKCISA guidance to find out if you are able to bring family members with you to the UK. Please note that for students starting a course on or after 1 January 2024, you can only bring dependants if you are studying a PhD, or other doctoral qualification, of 9 months or longer, or you are receiving a scholarship or sponsorship from your government, and your course is at least 6 months in length.
Your dependants can either apply at the same time as you, or after you provided you have already been granted your student visa.
Each eligible family member must complete a separate application form online for an entry clearance visa to come to the UK. Further guidance on the documents and requirements is on the gov.uk website.
Applying from inside the UK
Check the UKCISA guidance to ensure that your family member — spouse, partner or child — is entitled to remain the UK as your dependant before you submit your application.
If your dependant is allowed to apply from inside the UK, they can make an online application through the UKVI website, using the links to the application forms for partners or children applying inside the UK.
Visit our Bringing your Family webpages for further information on staying in the UK with your family. If you need further advice about the visa requirements for dependants, please contact us.