What documents do I need for a UK Student visa?
The documents a Student visa application needs: passport, CAS, financial evidence meeting the 28-day rule, English evidence, TB certificate where required, and what to carry when you travel.
Reviewed 28 September 2026 · 1 min read
Short answer: A valid passport, your CAS number, bank statements showing the required money held for 28 consecutive days, evidence of your English level unless the CAS records it, a TB test certificate if you are applying from a listed country, and payment of the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge.
For the application
- Passport valid for the whole stay, with a blank page.
- CAS number from your university. The CAS records the course, fees, any deposit paid and how your English was assessed.
- Financial evidence: statements showing living costs (£1,529 a month in London, £1,171 elsewhere, for up to nine months) plus any first-year tuition still owed, held for 28 consecutive days, on a statement dated within 31 days of applying. A parent's account, a student loan letter or official sponsorship also count.
- English evidence, unless the CAS says the university assessed it: a SELT certificate, an Ecctis assessment or a UK school qualification in English.
- TB test certificate if you are applying from a country on the Home Office list and coming for more than six months. Valid for six months.
- Fee and health surcharge: £558 and £776 per year, paid online.
At the border
Carry the passport, CAS letter, financial evidence and TB certificate in hand luggage; Border Force can ask for any of them. Since 2025 your status is an eVisa, not a card, so set up your UKVI account when asked. The first 30 days checklist starts from landing.
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.