From 30 November 2026, the money you must show for a UK Student visa is going up. For courses in London the living-cost figure rises from £1,529 to £1,570 a month, and for courses outside London it rises from £1,171 to £1,203 a month, for up to nine months. The change is set out in the Home Office's Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 584, published on 3 September 2026, and is confirmed on GOV.UK's Student visa money page.

The new figures in full

Over a full nine-month course, the living-cost total becomes £14,130 if you study in London, up from £13,761, an increase of £369. Outside London it becomes £10,827, up from £10,539, an increase of £288. The maintenance money sits on top of your course fees, which are shown on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). If you have paid an accommodation deposit to your university for housing it arranged, up to £1,570 of it can be offset against the requirement from 30 November, up from £1,529 before that date.

Your application date decides which rate applies

What matters is the date you apply, not your course start date or the date your CAS was issued. Applications made before 30 November 2026 are decided under the rules in force on 29 November 2026, using the current lower amounts. Applications made on or after 30 November 2026 must meet the new, higher figures, even if your CAS was assigned or your course deposit was paid before that date. Students planning to apply around the end of November therefore need to check which side of the deadline their application will fall on.

The 28-day rule still applies

Unless an exception applies, the full required amount must normally be held continuously for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that 28-day period must fall within 31 days of the date you apply. That means anyone applying on or just after 30 November needs to have held the new, higher balance for the full 28 days, not just topped it up at the last moment. GOV.UK defines London as the City of London and the 32 London boroughs for this purpose.

Where the change comes from

The uplift was announced in the Statement of Changes HC 584 on 3 September 2026, which aligns the requirement with Department for Education maintenance loans for 2026/2027. It is a routine annual-style uplift, but it lands alongside other student-route changes: for Graduate visa applications made on or after 1 January 2027, the Graduate route lasts 18 months instead of two years. The Student visa fee from outside the UK is £558, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 per year.

Check before you apply

Immigration rules change, so check the official GOV.UK Student visa pages for the figures that apply on your planned application date before you move money or submit. This article is general information, not personal immigration advice; if your situation is complex, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor.