UK Student Visa Bank Balance: New £1,570 London Figure from 30 November 2026

For a UK Student visa you must show you can pay your first year’s course fees plus living costs for up to 9 months. For applications made on or after 30 November 2026, living costs rise to £1,570 a month in London and £1,203 a month outside London, so the 9-month totals are £14,130 and £10,827. You must hold the money for 28 days in a row, ending no more than 31 days before you apply.

Key points

• Before 30 November 2026: £1,529 (London) and £1,171 (outside London) a month (GOV.UK).
• From 30 November 2026: £1,570 and £1,203 a month, under Statement of Changes HC 584.
• The date that matters is the date you apply, not your course start date.
• Course fees are taken from your CAS, minus anything already paid.
• Some applicants do not need to show money at all.

Old and new figures side by side

The increase brings the requirement in line with home students’ maintenance loans for 2026/27, according to the HC 584 explanatory memorandum.

	Applications up to 29 Nov 2026	Applications from 30 Nov 2026	Increase
London, per month	£1,529	£1,570	+£41
London, 9 months	£13,761	£14,130	+£369
Outside London, per month	£1,171	£1,203	+£32
Outside London, 9 months	£10,539	£10,827	+£288

HC 584 states that applications made before 30 November 2026 “will be decided in accordance with the Immigration Rules in force on 29 November 2026.” If you apply on 29 November, the old figures apply even if your course starts in January.

GOV.UK’s main Student visa money page may still show the old figures until it is updated. The Statement of Changes is the legal source. Check GOV.UK again on the day you apply.

What counts as “London”?

London means studying at an institution (or a campus) in the City of London or the former Metropolitan Police District, which covers the 32 London boroughs. If your course is split between sites, ask your university which rate it has used on your CAS. Universities with a central London campus and a campus elsewhere often apply different rates to different courses.

How the total is calculated

Your total is:

(Monthly figure × number of months, up to 9) + (first-year course fees − fees already paid)

The number of months is the length of your course, rounded up to the next full month, with a maximum of 9. A course shorter than 9 months needs fewer months of living costs.

You may also be able to deduct money already paid to your university for university-arranged accommodation, up to a maximum set in the Rules. HC 584 also raised that maximum, but the memorandum does not state the new figure, so check your CAS and the Student route guidance for the amount that applies to you.

Worked examples (applications from 30 November 2026)

These examples use the new figures. They are illustrations, not advice on your own case.

Example 1: one-year master’s in London

• Course length: 12 months, so living costs for 9 months
• Living costs: £1,570 × 9 = £14,130
• First-year tuition on CAS: £24,000, deposit already paid: £5,000
• Fees still to show: £19,000
• Total to hold for 28 days: £33,130

Example 2: three-year bachelor’s outside London

• Living costs: £1,203 × 9 = £10,827
• First-year tuition on CAS: £18,500, with nothing paid yet
• Total to hold: £29,327

Example 3: six-month pre-sessional course outside London

• Living costs: £1,203 × 6 = £7,218
• Tuition fully paid (shown on CAS)
• Total to hold: £7,218

Example 4: PhD student in London with a partner

From the family members page, each dependant needs an extra £845 a month in London (£680 outside), for up to 9 months. HC 584 did not change these figures.

• Student living costs: £1,570 × 9 = £14,130
• Partner: £845 × 9 = £7,605
• Tuition paid in full by a funder (an official financial sponsor letter is needed)
• Total to hold: £21,735

The 28-day rule explained

GOV.UK sets two timing rules:

1. Hold the money for 28 consecutive days. The balance must not fall below the required amount on any of those days, even briefly.
2. The 28-day period must end within 31 days of your application. Your bank statement’s closing date must be no more than 31 days before the date you submit.

For example, if you plan to apply on 10 December 2026, your 28-day period must end on or after 9 November 2026. The money would need to be in place from mid-October at the latest.

A practical tip: if your application could fall either side of 30 November, hold enough for the new, higher figure. That way a delay does not leave you short.

Acceptable evidence

Evidence usually means bank statements or a letter from your bank in your name (or a parent’s or legal guardian’s name, with proof of the relationship and their consent). Loans from an official government or regulated student loan provider, and official financial sponsorship, can also count. The Student route guidance lists the exact requirements, including what the statement must show. If funds are in a foreign currency, UKVI converts them using the OANDA rate on the date you apply, so leave a margin for exchange rate changes.

Who does not need to show money

According to GOV.UK, you do not need to prove the course fee or living costs if:

• you have held a valid UK visa for at least 12 months on the date you apply
• you are a student union sabbatical officer
• you are a British National (Overseas)
• you are from one of the countries or territories covered by the “differential evidence requirement” (UKVI may still ask you for the evidence before deciding)

Even if you are exempt, you must still have the money. Do not empty your account.

Common mistakes

• Applying a day after the 31-day window closes
• A balance that dips for one day because of a card payment or exchange rate change
• Using an account in a sibling’s or friend’s name, which is not accepted (check the guidance for whose accounts can be used)
• Forgetting that the living costs figure is based on where you study, not where you will live
• Assuming the GOV.UK summary page has already been updated after 30 November

For the wider application process, see our UK Student visa guide, and for family rules see Student visa dependants.

What to do next

1. Work out your likely application date and whether it is before or after 30 November 2026.
2. Calculate your total using your CAS figures and the correct monthly rate.
3. Move the full amount into an eligible account now and leave it untouched for at least 28 days.
4. Download statements that show the full 28-day period and your name, account number and bank details.
5. Check the UK hub and updates page for any later changes. If you are unsure about evidence, ask your university’s visa team or an OISC-regulated adviser.