Student Visa Maintenance Requirement Change Effective January 2025

The amount of money that international students require when applying for a Student visa to cover their living costs (referred to as the Student visa maintenance requirement) increased on 2nd January 2025 as follows: 

• From £1,334 to £1,483 per month if studying in London 

• From £1,023 to £1,136 per month if studying outside London. 

The Student visa maintenance only applies for up to a maximum of 9 months. This means that international students studying on a course in the UK of 9 months or more will need evidence that they have £13,347 (£1,483 x 9 months) in total available funds if studying in London or £10,224 (£1,136 x 9 months) outside London. It is imperative that student visa applicants demonstrate that they can meet the revised maintenance requirement unless they are exempt from doing so (please see below for more details). 

To verify that you meet the updated Student visa maintenance requirement, please speak to one of our expert student visa immigration law Solicitors, who will be glad to assist you. 

What is the Student visa maintenance requirement? 

The Student visa maintenance requirement is intended to ensure that prospective international students coming to the UK have sufficient money to support themselves comfortably for each month of their course (up to nine months).  

Why has the Student visa maintenance requirement increased in 2025? 

The student visa maintenance requirement has increased because it has not increased since 2020. When the requirement was first introduced, it was set at an amount that was equivalent to the maintenance loans available to domestic students. As such, the increase is to reflect the increase in the maintenance loans for home students in the 2024-25 academic year.  

What is the current maintenance requirement for dependants? 

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are currently reviewing the maintenance requirements for student dependants; hence, it is possible that this will also increase later in 2025. The current maintenance requirements for dependants are as follows: 

• £680 per month up to a maximum of 9 months for dependants of students studying outside London 

• £845 per month up to a maximum of 9 months) for dependants of students studying inside London. 

How can I prove that I meet the Student visa maintenance requirement? 

The Student visa maintenance requirements can be met in a number of ways, including: 

• A student loan (e.g. from a government, government-sponsored loan company, or a regulated student loans scheme). It is important to ensure that the student loan letter you provide with your application is dated no more than 6 months before you apply for a Student visa and that it confirms there are no conditions on the release of the funds to you. It must also set out the amount of the loan and that it is for you specifically and will be paid to you or your sponsor before you start your course.  

• Financial sponsorship (e.g. from an official source such as your national government or university). Your sponsorship letter must include the date, name, and contact information of your sponsor, as well as the duration and value of the sponsorship. 

• Your own savings – This must be money that you control and is available to you in a personal bank or building society account. Evidence typically includes bank statements, a letter from the bank, or certificates of deposit. It must also show that you have held the funds for at least 28 days in a row from the date of the closing balance on the most recent evidence you provide. If the money is held in the form of a foreign currency, UK Visas and Immigration will convert it into British pounds using the spot exchange rate on the OANDA website on the date of the application to ensure it meets the maintenance requirement. 

• Funds from your parents – if you are relying on funds from your parents, you will need to ask them for a letter stating that they agree to fund your maintenance fees while you live in the UK or 

• Funds from your partner if they are in the UK or they are applying for a visa at the same time as you 

UK Visas and Immigration will not accept funds held in the form of overdrafts, cryptocurrency, investments (e.g. shares), or pensions. They will also not accept money held by banks that are not properly regulated or do not use electronic record keeping. 

Who does not need to provide evidence that they meet the student maintenance requirement? 

According to the student visa rules, you will not be asked to provide evidence that you meet the student visa maintenance requirement as long you are from one of the following countries (you must still meet the requirement; however, even if you do not provide evidence): 

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, or USA. 

The same applies if you have one of the following types of passports: 

• British National (Overseas) passport 

• Hong Kong SAR passport 

• Macau SAR passport 

• Taiwan passport 

In this case, you will only need to submit evidence that you have enough money to support yourself while studying if you are asked to do so by UK Visas and Immigration.    

If you are unsure if you need to meet the new 2025 Student visa maintenance requirement, whether you meet the threshold, and if you have the necessary evidence, please don’t hesitate to speak to one of our friendly and highly experienced student visa immigration law Solicitors. Taking the time now to check that you meet the requirements and you have the required evidence before you apply can save you considerable inconvenience and disappointment at a later date.