UK Student visa requirements | IDP Vietnam

You want to study in the UK but think that applying for a UK student visa is very difficult,... Is that really true? What do you need to prepare for a UK student visa? Please follow the article below to understand better!

1. Types of UK student visas

There are 4 main types of UK student visas: Student visa, Child student visa, Standard visitor visa, and Study English in the UK.

1.1. Student Visa (formerly Tier 4 General Student - Applicable to students over 16 years old)

Suitable subjects: Student visa is for subjects aged 16 and over, who want to study Foundation, University, Master's, or PhD programs in the UK.

The most suitable time to apply for a Student visa is 3-6 months before starting school. International students can go to the UK 1 month in advance if their course lasts more than 6 months, or 1 week in advance if their study time is less than 6 months.

1.2. Child Student Visa (Applicable to students aged 4 to 17)

Suitable subjects: A child student visa is for those under 18 years old who want to study at a private secondary school in the UK.

The most suitable time to apply for a Child student visa is 3 months before starting school, provided that you receive an invitation letter from a UK school and have a sponsor.

Similar to a Student visa, international students applying for a Child student visa can go to the UK 1 month in advance if their course lasts longer than 6 months, or 1 week in advance if their study period is less than 6 months.

1.3. Standard Visitor Visa (Short-term study visa for 6 months)

Suitable subjects:

Standard visitor visa is for those who want to participate in a short-term course, English certificate, or summer camp for a maximum period of 6 months.

The most suitable time to apply for a Standard visitor visa: is usually applied for at least 3 months before starting school.

1.4. Visa for English courses of 6 - 11 months (Study English in the UK - Short-term study visa)

Suitable for:

Short-term study visa for international students taking short-term English courses in the UK.

The best time to apply for a visa is 3 months before starting your journey to the UK. You can stay here for the duration of your course plus 30 days, as long as your total stay in the UK does not exceed 11 months.

If you want to apply for a UK student visa, you must meet at least 3 criteria below:

• Receive CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) from a valid UK institution and have a licensed sponsor.

• Prove your financial ability to cover tuition fees and living expenses during your studies
  Living costs 2025: £1,483/month in London; £1,136/month elsewhere.

• Meet academic and English language requirements (IELTS for UKVI or a UKVI-recognised certificate).
  New note 2025: Some postgraduate courses require an ATAS certificate; Graduate Route Visa applies a stay of 18 months for undergraduate degrees, 3 years for PhDs.

3. Application for a UK student visa

You should invest your time and enthusiasm when applying for a student visa in the UK, as well as any other country. If your application is unlucky enough to be rejected, it will be difficult to be accepted for the second time.

Here are 10 important documents needed when applying for a UK student visa:

1 - A passport or travel document that is valid for at least 6 months at the time you want to enter the UK and has at least 2 white pages on which the visa is affixed.

2. Savings book, ensuring the amount of tuition fees and minimum living expenses for the first year of study. Accompanying the passbook will be a Certificate of Passbook Balance (taken when the passbook has been opened and the necessary amount proves that it has been maintained sufficiently and for 28 consecutive days).

4 - Letter of support for visa application from CAS school, relevant qualifications, and transcripts.

5 - Academic records such as degrees, grades, school reports, and certificates of completion of courses/provisional graduation certificates as required by the school according to CAS.

6 - Visa application and related documents.

7- Confirmation of biometrics and relatives: For international students participating in a course lasting more than 6 months, this is a particularly important document for the purpose of avoiding falsification of documents and preventing illegal entry crimes. International students usually provide fingerprints and a digital photograph taken at the designated institution.

8 - IELTS certificate or similar English language certificate (minimum 4.5 or 5.0, depending on the application).

9. Student's birth certificate and financial guarantee letter if the passbook is in the parents' name.

10 - Receipt confirming payment of 100% of the UK visa application fee.

For international students under the age of 18, it is necessary to add a "Letter of Consent," a letter of consent from the student's parents to send their child to study in the UK, with the arrangement of the school and the content of authorization for the student's legal sponsor.

4. The process of applying for a UK student visa

After preparing all the documents for the application, international students move on to the steps of making an appointment and interviewing for a visa:

Step 1—Fill out the online application for a UK student visa:

• Fill out the visa application form as instructed. You need to check the application code that appears on the last page of the declaration and sign the confirmation on this page.

• Once you have downloaded and sent your visa declaration, the application code starting with GWF will be sent to the email you provided.

• Print all pages of the declaration and submit it to the application center.

Step 2—Make an appointment and come to submit your visa application: You make an appointment online and then come to submit your application online at the Application Reception Center in Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi/Da Nang. Documents to bring: the appointment form at the Application Reception Center and the required documents in the UK student visa application list are mentioned in the section above.

Step 3—Visa Interview: The visa interview is not mandatory for all international students, but during the visa processing process, the visa processing officer of the immigration department can randomly call directly by phone or email to arrange a face-to-face interview with the student at the VFS visa reception center's office.

Details you can refer to: Basic steps to apply for a UK student visa to succeed

5. Experience in applying for a UK student visa

In the process of applying for a UK student visa, you need to pay attention to the following issues:

5.1. Experience in preparing applications to study in the UK

The application to study in the UK must meet the following criteria:

• The documents in the dossier must be on A4 paper, unstapled, clipped, not injected with plastic, flat and the words on the paper must be clear and easy to read.

• Financial records, academic records, and certificates need to be translated and notarized at reputable centers.

5.2. Interview experience

If the embassy sees your desire to experience a real education in the UK, it will be easier to obtain a visa. Therefore, you need to prepare the following criteria for the interview process to go smoothly:

• International students need to know information about the school they want to attend in the UK, their parents' financial situation, future career orientation, etc., to answer the embassy's questions about the purpose of studying in the UK.

• When asked about your future career direction, you should avoid emphasizing your plans to apply for a job and settle in the UK after completing the course.

• Answers should be concise and honest, and must ensure sufficient content is is provided on the school's website, avoiding curt yes or no answers that cause disapproval.

• One of those notes is that when asked about your immigration history and the times you have been granted or denied a visa, you should share it honestly.

The best time to apply for a UK student visa is 3-6 months before admission.

The average processing time for a UK student visa is about 3-8 working weeks. You can use the "Priority Visa" approval form, and the visa processing time will be 1 working week. During the processing period, students should pay attention to calls or emails from the immigration department; visa processing officers can contact them at any time to review, verify, and supplement the necessary documents for visa processing.

7. Fees for applying for a UK student visa

When applying for a UK student visa, you need to pay two mandatory fees:
1. Visa application fee (Student visa)

For the student visa: £524 (applicable for both applications from abroad or within the UK when renewing/changing types).
If you choose the fast-track service:
Priority Service: +£500 (total £1,024)
Super Priority Service: +£1,000 (total £1,524)

For the standard visitor visa group (6 months): The cost is £127.
For the short-term study visa group: The cost is £214.

2. Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

£776/year for international students and dependents under 18 years old.

Note: Amount to pay = £776 × number of visa years (including study time + visa extension time before/after course)

8. Duration of UK student visa

The UK Graduate Route Visa is a great opportunity for international students who want to stay and develop their careers after completing their studies. With this visa, you can stay in the UK for 2 years if you have graduated from an undergraduate degree and up to 3 years if you have completed a doctoral program. The post-graduation visa period will be valid from the date your application is approved. This is a great opportunity for you to gain experience and develop yourself while working in an international environment.

To learn more and more details about the job opportunities that the Graduate Route Visa offers, you can check out the IDP's detailed article here: Graduate Route Visa: Opportunities to work in the UK after graduation.

9. Reputable and highly qualified UK student visa application support unit

Preparing documents and applying for a visa is a difficult first step in the journey to conquer ancient England. If you are wondering about the requirements for a UK student visa, do not hesitate to contact IDP for answers as soon as possible with free support.

With over 56 years of experience, IDP Education has accompanied more than 900,000 students to realize their dream of studying abroad in many countries, such as the UK, Australia, the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. IDP currently has 210 offices in 35 countries and is the official admissions representative of more than 1,000 prestigious universities. In particular, IDP is also a co-founder of the IELTS exam, providing comprehensive support from test preparation to applying for a UK student visa.

IDP currently has a network of 170 international admissions offices in 30 different countries and is the official admissions representative of more than 600 prestigious schools in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. Besides, IDP is also the co-founder and organizer of the IELTS test worldwide, which will best support you to have a great study abroad experience!

Hopefully, the above article has given you a brief overview of preparing the application for a UK student visa. Since then, international students who cherish many plans and ambitions when coming to the UK can be more fully prepared in terms of knowledge and spirit before starting a journey to explore a new land.

See more:

• How much money does it cost to study in the UK?

• 8 UK student visa interview experiences