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UK Student Visa in 2026: CAS, 28-Day Funds, TB Test, Fees and Applying from Russia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia

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To study at a UK university for more than six months you need a Student visa. It is issued for a specific course: your licensed sponsor gives you an unconditional offer and a CAS number, you apply online no earlier than six months before the course starts, pay the $738 (£558) fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of $1,026 (£776) for each year of the visa, and prove your identity. Applicants who have lived in a listed country such as Russia or Kazakhstan need a TB certificate from an approved clinic, and most nationalities — Russians included — must show funds held for 28 consecutive days. The monthly living-cost figure rises on 30 November 2026, from $2,021 (£1,529) to $2,076 (£1,570) in London and from $1,548 (£1,171) to $1,590 (£1,203) elsewhere. A decision on an application from outside the UK usually takes three weeks.

This guide sets out the timeline from offer to arrival, the funds and document rules, English, TB and ATAS, where to apply, the genuine student assessment, what happens after approval and after a refusal. Rules were checked against GOV.UK, the Immigration Rules (Appendix Student and Appendix Finance) and UKVI caseworker guidance on 24 September 2026. Dollar amounts use the ECB cross rate of that date, £1 ≈ $1.322. For choosing a course before the visa stage, see studying in the UK and applying to UK universities.

Bright airport hall with Passport control and UK Border signs, glass railings and travellers
The UK Border passport control area at London Heathrow Airport. Photo: Eric Fischer / source, CC BY 2.0.

Requirements at a glance

Requirement What exactly Who confirms it
A place on a course Unconditional offer and CAS from a licensed student sponsor University
Money Unpaid first-year tuition plus monthly living costs, up to 9 months: $2,021 (£1,529) in London or $1,548 (£1,171) elsewhere if you apply by 29.11.2026; $2,076 (£1,570) or $1,590 (£1,203) from 30.11.2026 You and your bank; UKVI checks
English CEFR B2 for degree level and above, B1 below degree level University or a SELT
TB Certificate from an approved clinic if you lived in a listed country Clinic on the GOV.UK list
ATAS Clearance for some master's and PhD courses in sensitive fields Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Parental consent For applicants aged 16–17 Parents or guardians
Charges $738 (£558) plus the surcharge for the whole visa Paid online

If you are 16 or 17 and going to an independent school rather than a university or college, you may need a Child Student visa instead.

Timeline from offer to arrival

When What to do
Autumn–winter before entry Apply to universities; check whether your master's or PhD needs ATAS
After the offer Meet the offer conditions; apply for ATAS straight away if needed (30+ working days)
3–4 months before applying Move the required funds into the account and leave them untouched
1–3 months before the course Pay any deposit, receive the CAS, take the TB test, get a fresh bank statement
No earlier than 6 months before the course Apply online on GOV.UK and pay the fee and surcharge
Within days of applying Visa centre appointment or identity check in the UK Immigration: ID Check app
About 3 weeks later Decision; access your eVisa through a UKVI account
Up to 1 month before the course Travel (courses over 6 months), never before the visa start date

The practical difficulty is fitting the deadlines together: the TB certificate lasts six months, you must apply within six months of receiving the CAS, and the bank statement must be dated within 31 days of the application.

The CAS

The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies is an electronic record with a reference number. Your university creates it after you accept an unconditional offer, often after a deposit. It shows the course and dates, first-year fees and what you have paid, any university accommodation deposit, how your English was assessed, whether ATAS is needed and which qualifications were used to offer you a place.

Check the CAS before applying: name, passport number, dates and payments. If a payment is missing, UKVI will expect you to show the full fee. Only the university can correct it.

For degree-level study at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance you do not need to submit the qualifications used to obtain the offer (rule ST 20.1). For Foundation and other below-degree courses you do, with certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.

Funds: how much, whose account, how long

  1. Unpaid tuition for the first year, as shown on the CAS.
  2. Living costs for each month of the course, up to nine. Part months round up. The rate depends on the date you apply, not on the course start date:
Application date London, per month Elsewhere, per month Maximum for 9 months
11.11.2025 to 29.11.2026 $2,021 (£1,529) $1,548 (£1,171) $18,191 (£13,761) or $13,932 (£10,539)
From 30.11.2026 $2,076 (£1,570) $1,590 (£1,203) $18,679 (£14,130) or $14,313 (£10,827)

The new amounts come from Statement of Changes HC 584 (3 September 2026). If you are applying for a January 2027 or autumn 2027 start, plan around the second row.

28-day rule. The money must stay at or above the required level for 28 consecutive days, and the end of that period must fall within 31 days of your application date.

Whose account. Yours, or a parent's or legal guardian's with proof of the relationship and their written consent. Other relatives' accounts do not count.

Which accounts. Current, savings or deposit accounts where the money is immediately accessible. Shares, bonds, credit cards and locked deposits are not accepted. Foreign-currency balances are converted at the OANDA rate on the application date, so keep a margin.

Which bank. Appendix Finance (FIN 2.1) disregards funds in an institution that UKVI cannot verify, that is not regulated in its country, or that does not keep electronic records.

What reduces the amount. Tuition already paid and an accommodation deposit paid to the university for university-arranged housing, up to $2,021 (£1,529), or $2,076 (£1,570) for applications from 30.11.2026.

Loans and official sponsors. A regulated education loan or an official financial sponsor (government, international scholarship agency or the university) is evidenced by a letter. If a sponsor has paid both your fees and living costs in the last 12 months, you need its written consent.

Kazakhstan and other differentiation countries. Nationals on the list who apply from the country where they live do not submit financial evidence or qualification documents with the application but must still meet the requirement and may be asked for evidence. Russia is not on the list.

If your balance falls substantially between application and decision, the caseworker will want to see that the money went on fees, an accommodation deposit or other study costs (ST 12.7). Realistic budgets are in our cost of studying in the UK guide.

English

Degree-level study needs CEFR B2; below degree level, B1.

  • Universities teaching at degree level may assess your English themselves, so a test on the university's own list — for example standard IELTS Academic — can be enough. The University of Glasgow states that for degree programmes all tests on its entry list meet the visa requirement.
  • Foundation, pre-sessional English and other below-degree courses need a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from a Home Office-approved provider, taken at an approved centre.
  • No test is needed if you hold a UK degree taught in English, or an English-taught degree from elsewhere confirmed by Ecctis.

As of September 2026 the Home Office list has no SELT centres in Russia; the nearest are in Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Turkey and the UAE. Details are in our guide to English tests for the UK Student visa.

TB test

You need a certificate if you are coming for six months or more and have lived for six months or more in a listed country, having been there within the last six months. The list includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The test is a chest X-ray (sometimes a sputum sample) at a Home Office-approved clinic; the certificate is valid for six months from the X-ray.

Country Approved clinics Fee shown on GOV.UK
Russia IOM Moscow, Adamant Medical Clinic (St Petersburg), Avis Med (Novosibirsk), Health 365 (Yekaterinburg) Moscow $130 for age 11+, paid in roubles at the UN rate; St Petersburg 7,820 roubles
Kazakhstan IOM Almaty, IOM Astana See clinic page
Kyrgyzstan No approved clinic; test in Kazakhstan —

Appointments usually come within days, but waits can reach 10 days in the June–September peak.

ATAS

The Academic Technology Approval Scheme applies to many non-exempt nationals — including Russians and Kazakhs — on master's and PhD courses in sensitive science and technology subjects, identified by the course's CAH3 code. It is free, has no fast track and takes at least 30 working days; the certificate is valid for six months for a visa application. Apply as soon as you hold an offer.

Where to apply

You apply online on GOV.UK and then prove your identity either with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre, where fingerprints and a photo are taken and your passport is returned the same day. GOV.UK's list of visa centres links to VFS Global for Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia, Serbia and Turkey; addresses and opening hours are on those pages.

You may apply from any country where you live lawfully. If your country has no centre you choose one elsewhere; if you do not choose, the most accessible centre is assigned. Kazakh nationals benefit from the differentiation arrangement only when applying from the country where they live.

Payments are made online during the application; if you are paying from Russia, see how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.

Fees, processing times and visa length

Item Amount or timing
Visa fee, outside the UK $738 (£558) per applicant
Surcharge $1,026 (£776) per visa year; half a year for up to 6 extra months, a full year above that
Earliest application 6 months before the course
Decision Usually within 3 weeks
Faster decision May be offered for an extra fee when you apply
Arrival Up to 1 month before courses over 6 months; up to 1 week for shorter courses
After the course 4 extra months for courses of 12 months or more; 2 months for 6–12 months
Maximum study time Usually up to 5 years at degree level, 2 years below

A one-year master's usually costs $1,539 (£1,164) in surcharge; a three-year bachelor's $3,590 (£2,716). If you withdraw, the fee is refunded only if processing has not started.

Genuine student assessment

The caseworker must be satisfied that you are a genuine student and may invite you to a credibility interview. Caseworker guidance says an applicant should not normally be refused on genuineness grounds without an interview, and any refusal must set out the reasoning. Expect questions on why this course and university, what you know about the course and living arrangements, how you are funding your studies, your immigration history and your plans.

After approval

You receive an eVisa rather than a biometric residence permit; your decision letter explains how to access it through a UKVI account. Link the passport you will travel on. You may not enter before the visa start date. Police registration ended on 4 August 2022, although older guides still mention it.

Work and family

  • Work: degree-level students at a university with a track record of compliance may work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time in official vacations; below degree level, 10 hours. Self-employment is not allowed. After the course you can switch to the Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years after a PhD. See working while studying and the Graduate Route.
  • Family: for postgraduate courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, dependants are allowed only for PhDs, other doctorates or research-based higher degrees, or for government-sponsored students on courses over six months. Each dependant pays $738 (£558) plus the surcharge and needs $1,120 (£845) a month in London or $900 (£680) elsewhere, up to nine months.

If you are refused

The refusal letter gives reasons. If you believe UKVI made a mistake, you can apply for administrative review as the letter explains. If evidence was missing, it is often quicker to fix it and reapply with a new fee — check that your CAS is still valid or ask for a new one.

Common mistakes

  • Depositing the money a week before applying.
  • Using an account belonging to a relative who is not a parent or guardian.
  • Not checking that the CAS shows your deposit.
  • Taking the TB test too early.
  • Forgetting ATAS on an engineering or science master's.
  • Paying for IELTS for UKVI when the university accepts IELTS Academic — or arriving for a Foundation course without a SELT.
  • Booking a flight before the visa start date.
  • Relying on guides that quote a $650 (£490) fee or monthly funds of $1,760/$1,350 (£1,334/£1,023) or $1,960/$1,500 (£1,483/£1,136), which are out of date — and from 30 November 2026 even $2,021/$1,548 (£1,529/£1,171) is no longer enough.

FAQ

$738 (£558) from outside the UK, plus the surcharge of $1,026 (£776) per visa year paid upfront: typically $1,539 (£1,164) for a one-year master's and $3,590 (£2,716) for a three-year bachelor's.

Unpaid first-year tuition from your CAS plus living costs for up to nine months: $2,021 (£1,529) a month in London or $1,548 (£1,171) elsewhere if you apply by 29 November 2026 (up to $18,191 or $13,932, i.e. £13,761 or £10,539), and $2,076 (£1,570) or $1,590 (£1,203) from 30 November 2026 (up to $18,679 or $14,313, i.e. £14,130 or £10,827), held for 28 consecutive days in your or a parent's account.

Not always. For degree-level study the university may accept standard IELTS Academic or another test on its list. A SELT is required for Foundation, pre-sessional and other below-degree courses.

Online on GOV.UK, then an identity appointment at a visa centre; for Russia GOV.UK links to VFS Global. You can also apply from another country where you live lawfully. The English test, if you need a SELT, has to be taken outside Russia.

If you apply from outside the UK, you will usually get a decision within three weeks of proving your identity and providing your documents. Cases that need extra checks can take longer. You may be offered a faster decision for an extra fee when you apply, and you can submit the application up to six months before your course starts.

Only on a PhD or research-based degree, or as a government-sponsored student on a course over six months.

Up to one month before a course longer than six months, and not before the start date of your visa.

Sources

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