Question 1

How much money do I need to show for a UK student visa in 2026?

Accepted Answer

For applications made on or after 11 November 2025 the maintenance requirement is £1,529 a month for courses in London and £1,171 a month outside London, for a maximum of nine months — so £13,761 or £10,539 in total. On top of that you must show any course fees still outstanding on your CAS; money already paid to the university comes off that figure. The funds must sit in a qualifying account without dipping below the required amount for 28 consecutive days, and that 28-day period must end within 31 days of the date you apply. These figures rose from £1,483 and £1,136, so any checklist written before November 2025 is short — and being short is a refusal, not a request for more evidence.

Question 2

What exactly is the 28-day rule and how do I not fail it?

Accepted Answer

Your bank balance must stay at or above the required amount for 28 consecutive days, and the last day of that 28-day period must fall within 31 days of your application date. Both ends matter. A single day below the threshold — a standing order, a fee, a transfer to a relative — resets the entire count to zero. A statement that is more than 31 days old when you apply is rejected outright, so you cannot bank a perfect 28 days months in advance and sit on it. The practical approach is to move the full amount in one transfer, stop using that account entirely, and apply about a week after the 28 days complete. The account must be yours or a parent's; a parent's account needs your birth certificate and a written consent letter.

Question 3

When should I do the TB test for a UK student visa from Nepal?

Accepted Answer

Nepali applicants staying more than six months must have a TB test at a Home Office approved clinic — currently the IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre in Kathmandu and Norvic International Hospital, per gov.uk. The certificate is valid for six months and must be valid on the day you apply, so there is a window rather than an 'as early as possible'. Results usually take three to five working days, but if the chest X-ray is unclear you can be sent for sputum tests that add several weeks. Only clinics on the gov.uk list count — an X-ray from any other hospital in Kathmandu, however reputable, will not be accepted.

Question 4

How much does a UK student visa cost from Nepal?

Accepted Answer

The application fee from outside the UK is £558, up from £524 on 8 April 2026. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £776 per year for students and is paid upfront for the whole length of the visa — which for a one-year master's is normally longer than twelve months, so budget above £776. Add the TB test clinic fee and VFS Global's service charges in Kathmandu, both of which are set locally and are not published on gov.uk. On the Nepal side, the MoEST NOC is NPR 2,000, online police clearance is free, and your bank charges a 3% education service fee on forex purchases, refundable on visa refusal if you keep the refusal letter.

Question 5

How early can I apply for a UK student visa, and how early can I arrive?

Accepted Answer

You can apply up to six months before your course start date from outside the UK, but you also need your CAS in hand, which is usually the real constraint. UKVI's published service standard is a decision within three weeks, though peak-season processing from Nepal is commonly reported at three to eight weeks and a credibility interview adds time. On arrival, you can enter the UK up to one month before your course starts for courses longer than six months, or one week before for shorter courses — and your entry vignette will show its own start date, which beats the general rule.

Question 6

Is the UK Graduate route still two years?

Accepted Answer

For now. Applications made on or after 1 January 2027 will be granted 18 months instead of two years for bachelor's and master's graduates; PhD and other doctoral graduates keep three years. What matters is the date you APPLY for the Graduate route, not the date you graduate, so a student finishing in late 2026 who applies before the new year still gets the full two years. If post-study work is central to why you are choosing the UK, plan your course end date and your Graduate route application with that boundary in mind.

Question 7

Do I need an NOC from MoEST to study in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The NOC is required before any tuition money leaves Nepal and before your visa application, and for the UK that puts it ahead of the tuition deposit — which is usually what unlocks your CAS. So the order is offer, NOC, forex and remittance, deposit, CAS, then the visa. Your NOC covers one institution, one course and one intake, so changing university, deferring, or being refused and reapplying all require a new one, and your bank will not move funds without the matching certificate. Published MoEST processing times conflict, so confirm at noc.moest.gov.np and plan for the worst case. MoEST works Sunday to Friday and this planner counts working days that way.

Question 8

Is my checklist saved anywhere?

Accepted Answer

Only in your own browser, on the device you are using. Nothing is uploaded to any server and there is no account. If you clear your browser data, switch device or use private browsing, the plan is gone — export it to a spreadsheet, calendar file or text file to keep a copy.