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Financial evidence

To be able to apply for a PBS Student visa you must meet a minimum financial requirement.

The UKVI require that you are able to pay for your programme fees and your living expenses (maintenance) for the first year of your programme.

You will need to show the following:

  • your first/current year’s tuition fees; and
  • maintenance of £1,334 a month for each month of your course up to a maximum of nine months (if your course is one year or more in duration this will be £12,006).  

You can show you have the funds in the following ways:


Using your own bank statements

If you are self-financed and using your own bank statements for your visa application, you will need to show the following:

  • That you have the total amount of money in cash funds in a bank account in your name (you can also use joint accounts where your name appears)
  • That the money has been in your bank account at all times for a period of at least 28 days (the UKVI will use the most recent entry on your bank statement and count back 28 days)
  • That your bank statement is dated within a month of your application (i.e. no more than 30 days old)
  • That funds are in a 'cash' form. Shares, bonds, cryptocurrencies and property will not be accepted
  • The financial institution must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or, in the case of overseas account, the home regulator

If the funds are in your local currency, please check and include the exchange rate on the OANDA website.

You can supply the above information either using a bank statement or a letter from the bank. Whichever one you use, it must state the following information:

  • Your name
  • The account number
  • The date of statement/letter
  • The financial institution's name, logo and address.
  • The amount of money available
  • Confirmation that funds have been held for at least 28 days (if providing a bank letter)

If you are using a Certificate of Deposit, it will only be accepted if it meets all the following requirements:

  • The certificate of deposit must have been issued within 31 days of the date of application
  • At least 28 days must have elapsed between the date of the deposit and the date of issue of the certificate
  • There must be no wording on the document which indicates the funds are frozen or otherwise inaccessible

Using your parents' bank statements

If you are self-financed and using your parents' bank statement for your visa application, you must meet the same guidelines as stated above and in addition you must also provide the following:

  • Your original birth certificate
  • A letter of parental consent confirming that this money will be used for your studies

Official translations of these documents must be included if not in English.

The financial instituition of your parents' bank statement must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or, in the case of overseas account, the home regulator

If the funds are in your local currency, please check and include the exchange rate on the OANDA website.


Using a loan

If you are providing a loan letter as evidence of maintenance, you can only obtain a letter from a regulated financial institution confirming that you have a loan that is provided by the national government, the state or regional government or a government sponsored student loan company or that is part of an academic or educational loans scheme.

The loan must be held under your own name and the loan letter must be dated no more than 6 months before the date of your application. There must be no conditions on the release of the loan funds to you, other than your making a successful Student visa application.

If you are applying from overseas, the loan funds must be available to you before you travel to the UK, unless the loan is an academic/student loan from your country's national government; and will be released to you by your national government or your education provider when you arrive in the UK.


Obtaining a financial sponsorship

If you are financially sponsored by your government, an international company or another scholarship agency, you must provide a letter on official letter-headed paper or stationery of the organisation of the official financial sponsor which must have the official stamp of that organisation on it.

This should confirm the following details:

  • Your name
  • The name and contact details of the official sponsor
  • The date of the letter
  • The length of sponsorship
  • The amount of money the sponsor is giving to the student or a statement that the student's official financial sponsor will cover all of his/her fees and living costs

If your “official financial sponsor” is providing all of the funds for your course fees and maintenance, you do not have to provide separate evidence of your savings.

If your sponsor(s) will only pay SOME of your costs, you will need a letter from them AND proof that you have enough money yourself to meet the rest of the Maintenance Requirement, for example your personal bank statements.

Consent of current or previous official financial sponsor, if they are a government or an international scholarship agency

If you have an official financial sponsor for your proposed studies, and the sponsor is a government or an international scholarship agency, their sponsor letter (which you will need for evidence of your money, see above) should specifically state that they consent to your visa application.

If you have previously received financial sponsorship from a government or international scholarship agency for your studies, and the sponsorship ended less than 12 months ago, you must also obtain and include a letter of consent from this financial sponsor.