Tier 4 visa maintenance requirements
When you apply for a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you will be asked to provide evidence that you (or your parent/guardian) have enough money to pay for your course and your living expenses. If you or your family are funding your studies, this page will help you work out what documents you need to submit to UKVI with your visa application and answer the following questions:
How much money do I need?
Firstly, you will need to show that you have sufficient ‘maintenance’ funds for your stay in the UK. This is to cover living expenses whilst you are studying.
If you are studying in Greater London*, you must have at least £1,265 per month of your course. If you are studying outside of London, you will have to show £1,015 per month of your course.
You will only have to show a maximum of 9 months of funds, even if your course is longer.
*The following centres are in London, so you will need to have at least £1,265 per month of your course if you are going to study at:
INTO London World Education Centre
What else do I need to show?
As well as your maintenance funds, you need to show you have enough money to pay the full tuition fees for your course. If you will be studying a course which is more than one year long, you will only need to provide evidence that you can pay for your first year's fees.
Any tuition fees that you have already paid to INTO will be taken into account. This means that if you have paid £1,000 towards your tuition fees, the amount that you need to have available will be reduced by £1,000.
What if my funds are held in a different currency?
UKVI will accept funds held in any currency. If the account is not in British Pounds (GBP), they will convert your available funds into GBP. To calculate this, UKVI will check the exchange rate using the Oanda Currency Converter.
They will always use the exchange rate from the day that you submit your visa application to UKVI, so when depositing money you must be aware that the exchange rate can fluctuate. After converting to GBP, you may have less money available on your visa application date than you had originally expected.
What documents can I use to prove that I have the required funds?
The funds can be held in your own bank account or your parent/legal guardian’s bank account. If you are using a parent/guardian’s account, you must provide additional documentation as proof of your relationship and to show that you have permission to use their account to fund your studies.
It is not possible to use a bank account held by any other member of your family or a company.
Not all banks and financial institutions around the world will be accepted by UKVI. The Home Office keeps a list of institutions that can or cannot be accepted here. You will need to make sure that the bank account used is from an acceptable bank.
Need help? Contact usThe UKVI requirements will be different depending on the type of documents used. What the documents must show are as follows:
If using a bank statement in the student’s name, the statement must:
- Have the student’s name as the account holder
- Show that the required funds are held for a consecutive 28 day period – the account balance cannot drop below the minimum amount needed at any time during the 28 day period
- Have an official bank stamp on every page, or be printed on bank letterhead
- Have been printed no more than 30 days ago – it should be as recent as possible, to give you the most time to submit it as part of your application
- Display the currency that the funds are held in
- Show the account’s opening balance. A closing balance is also necessary if multiple transactions occur on the statement
- Online statements may be used if every page is stamped by the bank
If using a bank statement in parents’ name(s), the statement must:
- Show the parent’s names as the account holder
- Show that the required funds are held for a consecutive 28 day period – the account balance cannot drop below the minimum amount needed at any time during the 28 day period
- Have an official bank stamp on every page, or be written on bank letterhead
- Have been printed no more than 30 days ago – it should be as recent as possible, to give you the most time to submit it as part of your application
- Display the currency that the funds are held in
- Show the account’s opening balance. A closing balance is also necessary if multiple transactions occur on the statement
- Be accompanied by a letter written and signed by the account holder confirming that the student can use the funds in the account for their UK studies and living expenses. The letter must show the full names of the account holder and student, and must be signed and dated.
- Be accompanied by legal documentation showing the relationship between the account holder(s) and student, such as a birth certificate. This should be translated (and stamped by the translator) if the original is not in English
If using a bank letter, the letter must:
- Be written on bank letterhead
- Be dated no more than 30 days before the visa application
- Have an official bank stamp on every page
- State that the name of the account holder is either the student or their legal guardian(s). If the latter, a letter and legal documentation are required as for a bank statement in the parent/guardian’s name
- Clearly state that the required funds have been present in the account for 28 consecutive days
The above information is INTO’s interpretation of the UKVI guidance, and is correct to the best of our knowledge. This information is for reference purposes only. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure they meet all requirements before submitting a visa application. UKVI’s full guidance on maintenance requirements can be found on the official UK government website.