UK Student Visa Bank Balance: How Much, How Long and Whose Money

How much you need to show

You need two things: the first year's tuition still unpaid (as shown on your CAS, minus any deposit you've paid) and living costs for up to nine months. The living-cost rate depends on where you study.

Rupee amounts use the ECB reference rate of 11 Nov 2026 (£1 = ₹124.67) and are rounded.

A worked example

Say you're starting a one-year master's in Birmingham (outside London) with £18,000 tuition, and you've paid a £3,000 deposit. You must show £15,000 of tuition plus £10,827 for living costs — £25,827 in total, about ₹32.2 lakh. If your accommodation deposit is paid to the university, up to £1,570 of it can be deducted.

Your own course, university and deposit will change these numbers, so check the figures on your CAS.

The 28-day and 31-day rules

The full amount must be in the account for 28 consecutive days, counted back from the closing balance on your statement. If it dips below the required amount for even one day, the 28 days restart.

The most recent statement must be dated no more than 31 days before you apply. Overdraft money doesn't count, and the bank must be regulated and keep electronic records.

Whose money can you use?

• ·Your own account.
• ·A parent's or legal guardian's account — with proof of the relationship (for example your birth certificate) and a signed letter of consent from the parent.
• ·An education loan from a bank regulated for student loans in India — the loan letter must be dated within 6 months of your application, show the amount, and say the money is released once you get the visa (no other conditions). The 28-day rule doesn't apply to a qualifying loan.
• ·An official financial sponsor, such as a government or your university.
• ·Not accepted: a relative's or friend's promise of future support, or money in someone else's account (other than a parent's).

Indian applicants must submit the evidence

Some nationalities can skip financial documents at the application stage. India is not on that list, so you must upload your statements or loan letter with your application.

Mistakes that lead to refusals

• ·The balance dropped below the required amount during the 28 days.
• ·The statement is older than 31 days when you apply.
• ·Using a grandparent's, uncle's or friend's account.
• ·A loan letter older than 6 months, or one with extra conditions.
• ·Large unexplained deposits just before the 28 days — expect questions in your credibility interview.

What we see at AimBritz: funds not "matured" and unclear cover letters

Two money problems come up again and again with our students.

Funds not matured. Students apply before the money has completed its 28 days. It's usually a timing mistake: the money arrives late — after the sale of land, the closing of a fixed deposit, or family transfers — and the application date doesn't move. Work backwards from the day you plan to apply. To apply on 15 July, have the full amount in the account by 12 June and don't touch it. A statement dated 10 July then shows 28 days (13 June to 10 July), and it is less than 31 days old when you apply.

No clarity in the cover letter. The visa form has no official cover letter, but a short one helps the caseworker follow your money. The weak ones don't say whose money it is, how that person is related to you, or where large deposits came from. A clear one answers those three things in a few lines, and every claim is backed by a document in your application.

• ·Whose money: your own, or your parent's (attach the birth certificate and the parent's signed consent letter).
• ·Where it came from: salary savings, a closed fixed deposit, the sale of property or an education loan — with the matching document.
• ·Amount and dates: the total held, and the 28-day period it covers.
• ·Keep it short and true — the caseworker checks it against your statements.