Documents you need for your Student visa application

Check what documents you need before you apply for your Student visa.

When you apply for your Student visa, you must provide:

Some students may also need:

Start preparing your documents early, as some can take time to get.

Confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS)

You must have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number before you apply for your Student visa.

Passport

You must have a valid passport when you apply.

Your passport only needs to be valid on the date of your application. It does not need to cover the full length of your course.

If you get a new passport after you receive your CAS, contact the Student Visas Team, so we can update your CAS with your new passport number.

Financial evidence

You must show you have enough money to pay your course fees and support yourself.

You may not need to do this in some cases. Check if you need to provide financial evidence.

If you are applying under the differential evidence requirement (Gov.uk), you may not need to submit financial documents with your application. However, you must still be able to provide financial evidence if UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) ask for it.

If you are sponsored, read our sponsored students guidance

Evidence of your qualifications

You do not usually need to provide qualification documents if you are applying for a degree-level course or above (for example, a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree).

Only provide qualification documents if:

  • your CAS says you must
  • UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) ask you to

If you are applying for a foundation programme or pre-sessional course, you may need to provide your qualifications. Check your CAS for details.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate 

You may need an ATAS certificate before you can apply for a Student visa. This usually applies to postgraduate courses.

You will need your ATAS certificate before we can issue your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

Tuberculosis test results

If you are applying from outside the UK and your country requires tuberculosis (TB) testing, you must provide your TB test certificate.

Translations

If your document is not in English or Welsh, you must provide a certified translation.

Your translation must include:

  • confirmation that it is an accurate translation
  • the date it was translated
  • the translator’s name and signature
  • the translator or translation company’s contact details
  • details of the translator’s qualifications or credentials

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