Going to the UK to study at a university, college or school? We complete your forms, translate and organise your documents, check your money evidence against the 28-day rule, and book your VFS appointment — so your application is accurate and ready to submit.
A UK student visa lets you go to the UK to study a full-time course at a university, college or school. Before you can apply you need a confirmed place — a written offer from a licensed UK school or university, recorded on a reference number called a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies).
You also need to show you can pay your course and living costs, prove your English, and — because you are coming from Thailand for more than 6 months — pass a tuberculosis (TB) test.
This page is a complete, plain-language guide to the 2026 rules: how much money to show, the all-important 28-day money rule, whose money counts, the English test, the TB test, whether you can work, whether your family can come, ATAS for sensitive subjects, the Graduate visa that lets you work in the UK after you finish, the new digital eVisa, the real cost in baht, and exactly what we prepare for you.
Confirmed place (CAS), an approved English test (B2 for degree level) and a TB test certificate required. Below-degree courses: 10 hrs/week term-time.
You cannot apply for a student visa until your school or university has given you a CAS. A CAS is a reference number that confirms you have an unconditional place on a course and have met the school's entry conditions (including English).
It records your course, dates, fees and any money already paid. Everything in your visa application must match your CAS exactly — your name, date of birth, course and dates — so check it carefully the moment you receive it.
You must apply for your visa within 6 months of the date the CAS was issued, so do not request your CAS too early.
You must show two things: the money for your course fees, and the money for living costs. For course fees you show the first year of tuition (or whatever is still left to pay if you have already paid some).
For living costs the figures are fixed: £1,529 per month if you will study in London, or £1,171 per month outside London — for up to a maximum of 9 months. So the living-cost part is up to £13,761 in London, or up to £10,539 outside London, on top of your tuition.
If your school has already noted some of these costs as paid on your CAS — for example a tuition deposit or up to £1,334 of accommodation — that amount can be deducted. We work out your exact figure and check your bank evidence against it before you apply.
This is the rule that trips up the most applicants, so here it is in plain language. Your required money must sit in the account, and never dip below the amount you need, for 28 days in a row.
The 28 days are counted back from the closing balance on your most recent statement, and that statement (or bank letter) must be dated no more than 31 days before the date you actually apply.
In short: do not move the money in and out, do not let the balance drop even for one day, and apply soon after the 28 days finish. We check your statements line by line so the dates and the lowest balance both pass.
Your money must stay in the account, never dipping below the amount you need, for 28 days in a row — do not let the balance drop even for one day.
The money can be your own, held in an account you control, or your parents' or legal guardian's money. If you use a parent's money you must also include a short letter of consent from them, plus your birth certificate or other proof of your relationship (we translate and certify these for Thai documents).
A partner's money only counts if they are applying to come with you as your dependant. What does NOT count: money you cannot take out straight away (for example money tied up in shares, property, a pension, or a fixed deposit you cannot break early), an overdraft, money in a business or company account, and money you cannot show was obtained legally.
The money must be held as cash you can withdraw immediately. We check exactly which of your accounts can be used before you apply.
You must be able to read, write, speak and understand English to a set level. For a course at degree level or above the level is CEFR B2 (an upper-intermediate, working level of English). For courses below degree level it is usually B1 (intermediate).
There are two ways to meet it. First, if you are studying at degree level your university is often allowed to assess your English itself — it may accept your IELTS, your previous study taught in English, or its own check, and write this on your CAS, so you may not need a separate government test.
Second, if your school does not assess you, you must pass an approved Secure English Language Test (a SELT, such as IELTS for UKVI) at the right level. A SELT result is valid for 2 years. Always check on your CAS or with your school which route applies to you before you book a test.
Because you have lived in Thailand and your course is longer than 6 months, you must include a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate with your application. You must use a clinic approved by the UK Home Office — a certificate from any other clinic will be rejected.
In Thailand the main approved provider applicants use is the IOM (International Organization for Migration) Migration Health Assessment Centre in Bangkok, on Silom Road; the chest X-ray is taken at Bangkok Christian Hospital. The test is a chest X-ray (and, if anything needs checking, a sputum test).
Children under 11 usually do not have an X-ray, and pregnant women can ask for a shielded test or to defer. The certificate is valid for 6 months, so do not take the test too early. Always check the current approved clinic on the gov.uk page 'tuberculosis test clinics in Thailand' before you book — the approved list can change.
A small number of sensitive science, engineering and technology courses need an ATAS certificate (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) before you can start. This mainly affects master's, PhD and research courses (RQF level 7 and above) in subjects such as advanced engineering, materials, certain physics and computing fields.
Your university tells you whether your course needs ATAS and gives you the subject code to apply with — it is free, but it can take several weeks (sometimes longer for some subjects), so apply as soon as you have your offer. An ATAS certificate is valid for 6 months for use in a visa application. Most students do not need ATAS; your CAS or admissions team will confirm.
Tick off your pack below — it saves on this device and prints. Items that need a certified translation are tagged.
The all-in cost below covers the government fee, the UK NHS health fee (IHS), optional certified translation, and our service fee — in pounds and live baht. The NHS health fee is charged for every year of your course at the student rate of £776 a year and is paid up front when you apply (so a 3-year course is 3 × £776).
You do not pay the IHS for a course of 6 months or less. Remember to also budget separately for your tuition, living costs, the TB test and your English test.
It depends on the level of your course. If you study a full-time course at degree level or above, you can usually work up to 20 hours a week during term-time, and full-time during the holidays. If your course is below degree level, the term-time limit is usually 10 hours a week.
The exact number of hours is printed on your visa, so always read your own conditions. You cannot be self-employed, run a business, work as a professional sportsperson or coach, or take a permanent full-time job.
Some study situations do not allow any work at all. We make sure you know exactly what your visa allows before you accept any job.
This is the route most Thai students ask about. The Graduate visa lets you stay in the UK to work, or look for work, after you successfully finish an eligible UK degree — and you do NOT need a job offer or a sponsor to get it. You apply from inside the UK, before your student visa ends, once your university has told the Home Office you completed your course.
The Graduate visa lets you stay in the UK to work after your degree with no job offer and no sponsor needed — 2 years for a bachelor's or master's (applications up to 31 December 2026).
For applications made up to 31 December 2026 the visa lasts 2 years for a bachelor's or master's degree. For applications made on or after 1 January 2027 it lasts 18 months for a bachelor's or master's, and 3 years for a PhD or other doctorate.
On a Graduate visa you can work in almost any job, including full-time, but you cannot bring in new family members or claim most benefits, and it cannot be extended — many people use the time to find an employer who will sponsor them on a Skilled Worker visa. Because the length is changing, always check the current rule on gov.uk before you rely on it.
Only some students can bring family (called 'dependants'). The two main groups are: students on a postgraduate research course such as a PhD or other doctorate lasting 9 months or more; and government-sponsored students whose sponsorship covers a course of 6 months or more. Most other students — including most taught master's students — can no longer bring a partner or children.
Each dependant pays the £558 government fee and their own NHS health fee (IHS), and you must show extra money for them (an extra living-cost amount per person, again held for 28 days). A child's IHS is £776 a year and children are exempt from the English test. If you think you qualify, we will tell you exactly what each family member needs.
The order matters. First you accept your place and receive your CAS from the school; then you sort your English (or your school assesses it); then you book and take your TB test; then you hold your money for 28 days; then you apply.
From outside the UK you can apply up to 6 months before your course start date, and a decision usually comes within about 3 weeks (around 15 working days) counted from your VFS biometrics appointment. Use the planner below to count back from your course start date and work out when to begin each step.
The UK has switched to a digital visa, called an eVisa. When your application is approved you will NOT get a sticker (vignette) in your passport, and you will not get a plastic card. Instead, you receive an email after the decision and use it to set up a free online UKVI account on gov.uk.
No passport sticker — your permission to study is a digital eVisa on your phone, proven with a share code.
Your permission to study lives in that account. To prove your status — to an airline, a landlord, an employer or your university — you sign in and create a 'share code', which is valid for 90 days.
When you travel to the UK, carry your passport and your decision/approval letter, and make sure you can sign in to your UKVI account. Keep the email address and phone number on the account up to date, because that is how you will access it.
For Thai students the most common reasons are money mistakes — the balance dipping below the required amount during the 28 days, statements dated outside the allowed window, using money that cannot be accessed immediately, or showing the wrong living-cost figure — and details that do not match your CAS. A missing or wrongly-dated TB certificate, or English evidence that does not meet the level, also cause problems.
You must also declare any previous UK or other-country visa refusals honestly; hiding a refusal (deception) can lead to a long re-entry ban. We complete your forms, translate and organise your documents, and check your money evidence line by line against the published gov.uk rules first.
This is document preparation — it improves completeness and accuracy; it is not a guarantee of the outcome, which only the Home Office decides.
Our service fee is separate from the government fee and NHS health fee above.
Last reviewed: June 2026. The figures and rules on this page come from public gov.uk sources and can change at any time — always confirm the current fees, living-cost amounts and rules on gov.uk before you apply. This is general information, not regulated immigration advice.
Tell us about your course and start date and we'll come back with a clear plan and a price — no obligation.
Your details are kept private (PDPA / UK-GDPR). General information, not regulated immigration advice.
