The UK government has raised the amount of money international students must show for living costs when they apply for a Student visa. The change was laid before Parliament on 3 September 2026 in a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 584, and applies to applications made on or after 30 November 2026.
Applicants will need £1,570 a month if they study in London, up from £1,529, and £1,203 a month elsewhere in the UK, up from £1,171. As before, you show the money for up to nine months, depending on the length of your course: up to £14,130 in London or £10,827 elsewhere. This is on top of any course fees you have not yet paid.
If you have paid your university a deposit for accommodation it arranges, the most you can count against the required funds also rises, from £1,529 to £1,570.
The date you apply decides which amount you need, not the date your course starts. Applications made before 30 November 2026 are decided under the rules in force on 29 November, so the old amounts still apply to them.
The same Statement of Changes exempts Erasmus+ participants studying at a UK sponsor from the usual limits on how long a work placement on their course can last.
Our United Kingdom guide covers the other visa costs, including the Immigration Health Surcharge, and the work rules. Full scholarships such as Clarendon at Oxford and Gates Cambridge pay a living allowance on top of fees.
