How many hours can I work on a UK Student visa?
Up to 20 hours a week during term time if your course is degree level or above (10 hours if it is below degree level), and full-time during official vacations. You cannot be self-employed, work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or fill a permanent full-time vacancy.
Reviewed 17 September 2026 · 1 min read
Short answer: The term-time limit for degree-level students is 20 hours a week; below degree level it is 10. Outside term you can work full-time. Self-employment and professional sports are not allowed.
The limit is a condition of the visa, printed on your eVisa, and employers check it against the university's published term dates.
What counts as term time
Your university's official term dates, not your own timetable. Reading weeks and exam periods are term time. Vacations between terms and the summer after your final year (for undergraduates, until your Student visa ends) are not.
What counts as work
Paid and unpaid work both count towards the 20 hours; volunteering for a charity does not. Work placements that are an assessed part of your course do not count either.
What you cannot do
- Be self-employed or run a business (including freelance or gig-platform work)
- Work as a professional sportsperson or coach, or as an entertainer
- Take a permanent full-time job (a fixed-term contract during vacations is fine)
After you graduate
Once your university reports your completion and you switch to the Graduate visa, the hours limit disappears. Read the Graduate visa guide.
Sources
General information, not regulated immigration advice. Rules change; check the source before you act, and speak to an IAA-registered adviser about your case.