Quick Answer to UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule: 7 Essential Facts on Maintenance Funds, Explained
The UK student visa 28 day rule means you must hold your unpaid first-year tuition plus living costs (at the time of writing £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 elsewhere, for up to 9 months) for 28 consecutive days, with the closing balance dated within 31 days of applying. Funds can be in your own, a parent's or a legal guardian's name, with a consent letter and birth certificate. Qualifying education loans and deposits paid to the university change the amount. India is not on the differentiation list at the time of writing.
"Our money is in the bank. Why does the date matter so much?" Parents ask us this almost every week, usually while holding a passbook with a perfectly healthy balance. The answer is the UK student visa 28 day rule. UK Visas and Immigration does not only want to see that the money exists. It wants to see that the money sat in the right account, at or above the right level, for a full 28 days in a row, and that this period ended recently enough before you applied.
Below I explain what the UK student visa 28 day rule says, the amounts at the time of writing, whose accounts count, how loans and deposits change the sum, and a worked example with a timeline. A myth versus fact section closes it.
The funds check is only one part of the wider UK student visa process, which starts with your offer and CAS. If you would rather have someone plan your funds with you from the start, our UK student visa consultant team in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot does this every intake.
What the UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule Actually Says
According to GOV.UK, you must have held the required money for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that period must fall within 31 days of the date you apply. So the UK student visa 28 day rule contains two separate tests.
- The 28 day test: the balance must never fall below the required amount on any day in those 28 consecutive days. One day under the line breaks the period.
- The 31 day test: the closing balance date on your statement, which is the last day of the 28-day period, must be no more than 31 days before your application date.
Appendix Finance adds the detail. The 28 days are counted back from the closing balance date, the evidence must cover the whole period, and the funds must be immediately accessible. Overdrafts, shares, bonds and locked pensions do not count.
The UK student visa 28 day rule is really about proof of stability. A balance that jumps up the week before your appointment proves very little.
Photo: Eliza Diamond on Unsplash
How Much Money the UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule Asks You to Show
Under the UK student visa 28 day rule you hold two amounts together: unpaid first-year course fees and living costs, often called maintenance.
| Where you study | Per month (at the time of writing) | Maximum months | Maximum living cost total |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (City of London and the 32 London boroughs) | £1,529 | 9 | £13,761 |
| Outside London | £1,171 | 9 | £10,539 |
These are the GOV.UK and Appendix Student figures at the time of writing. Confirm them on the official GOV.UK Student visa page before you fix your target. For a course shorter than nine months, multiply by the course length instead.
For fees, you need your first year of tuition (or the full fee if the course is shorter), as stated on your CAS. Anything you have already paid to the university reduces that figure, which is why the CAS matters so much. For a full picture of tuition, the visa fee and the health surcharge together, see our guide to UK student visa cost.
If you hold funds in Indian rupees, UKVI converts them using the spot exchange rate on oanda.com for the date of your application. The rupee can move during your 28 days, so we always suggest a buffer above the exact pound figure.
Whose Account Counts Under the UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule
This is where Gujarati families get caught most often, because family money is usually spread across relatives. For a Student applicant, the funds must be in:
- your own name, or
- your parent's or legal guardian's name, or
- your partner's name, where your partner is applying with you or already has permission.
If you use a parent's account, you must also give proof of the relationship and written consent from that parent to use the money. Home Office caseworker guidance accepts a birth certificate that shows your parent's name as proof of relationship. The consent letter should confirm the relationship and that you may use the funds for your UK studies.
Money held by an uncle, grandparent, elder sibling or family friend does not count under the UK student visa 28 day rule, however close the family is. If that person wants to help, the money has to move into your account or a parent's account first, and then the 28 days start again from the day it lands.
The bank matters too. UKVI rejects funds held with an institution it cannot verify, that is not properly regulated, or that keeps no electronic records.
Education Loans, Deposits and the UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule
Not every rupee has to sit in a savings account. Two things change how the UK student visa 28 day rule applies to you.
Education loans. A student loan from a government, a government-sponsored company, or a regulated educational loan scheme can be used, and the 28-day holding period does not apply to loan funds in the same way. The loan letter must confirm the loan amount, that it is in your name, that the money will be available before you travel or start the course, and that there are no conditions on releasing it other than a successful visa application. A sanction letter that says "subject to collateral" or "subject to further documents" is the kind of wording that causes trouble, so ask your bank to check it against these points before you apply.
Deposits paid to the university. Tuition you have paid to your sponsor comes off the fee part, as long as it appears on your CAS or you have the university's receipt. If the university provides your accommodation and you paid it an accommodation deposit, up to £1,529 of that deposit can also be offset against the money you need, at the time of writing.
Question about your own numbers? We can check your CAS, statements and loan letter line by line. Book a free counselling session or call 75740 33366.
A Worked Example of the UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule
Everything in this example is illustrative: the student, the fees and the dates are made up to show the method. Use your own CAS figures and the current GOV.UK amounts.
Imagine a student from Vadodara starting a one-year master's in Birmingham, which is outside London. Her CAS shows first-year tuition of £18,000 and a £6,000 deposit already paid. She has no accommodation deposit with the university and no loan.
| Item | Illustrative figure |
|---|---|
| First-year tuition on CAS | £18,000 |
| Less tuition deposit already paid | minus £6,000 |
| Tuition still to show | £12,000 |
| Living costs: £1,171 x 9 months | £10,539 |
| Total to hold for 28 days | £22,539 |
Her father's rupee savings account holds the money. She converts £22,539 at the current rate, adds a small buffer, and the balance stays above that figure every day.
Now the dates. Her father gets a statement with a closing balance date of 1 August. Counting back 28 days including that day, the period runs from 5 July to 1 August. The 31-day limit means she must submit her online application no later than 1 September. She plans to apply on 20 August, which gives her room if something needs correcting. Under the UK student visa 28 day rule, that file works.
Had the balance dipped on 20 July for a sibling's school fee, the UK student visa 28 day rule would have restarted her clock, and her plan would move by weeks.
Your Funds Timeline, Week by Week
Here is how we plan the UK student visa 28 day rule backwards from your application date.
- 8 to 10 weeks before applying: get a rough total from your offer letter and decide which accounts will hold the money. Move family funds into your name or a parent's name now.
- 6 to 7 weeks before: the balance should be at or above the target, with a buffer, and must stay there. This is day one of your 28 days.
- 2 to 3 weeks before: once 28 days have passed, collect the statement or bank letter. Check that names, account numbers and the closing balance date are correct.
- Same week: prepare the parent's consent letter and birth certificate, or the loan letter, and match every figure to your CAS.
- Application day: submit the online form while the closing balance date is still within 31 days. If your VFS appointment in Ahmedabad falls a little later, that is fine, but do not let the submission date slip past the 31-day window.
Keep the money in place until you have a decision, because caseworkers can ask for more evidence.
UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule: Myths We Hear in Gujarat
Myth: Indian students do not need to show funds because UKVI does not ask for them.
Fact: Some nationalities fall under differentiation arrangements and usually do not submit funds evidence. At the time of writing, India is not on that list on GOV.UK, so Indian passport holders must provide the evidence.
Myth: A dip for one day does not matter if the average is fine.
Fact: The UK student visa 28 day rule looks at the balance on every day. There is no averaging.
Myth: My uncle's or grandfather's account will do if he writes a letter.
Fact: For a Student applicant, only your own, your parent's or legal guardian's, or your partner's account counts.
Myth: The funds must be in a UK bank or in pounds.
Fact: Indian accounts in rupees are fine. UKVI converts them at the OANDA rate on your application date.
Myth: An older statement is fine if the money is still there.
Fact: If the closing balance date is more than 31 days before you apply, the evidence fails even if the money never moved. Get a fresh statement.
Myth: I only need to show living costs.
Fact: You also need the unpaid first-year tuition from your CAS, unless it is already paid.
One exemption: if you apply from inside the UK after living there with a visa for at least 12 months, the UK student visa 28 day rule does not apply and you need not show funds. It matters when you extend later, not on your first application.
Get Your Funds Checked Before You Apply
Funds are one of the most avoidable causes of UK student visa refusal. The mistake we see most often is a family moving money around in the final month to make the numbers look bigger. It usually backfires.
If your profile is simple, one parent's savings account and a clear CAS, you can manage the UK student visa 28 day rule yourself using this guide and GOV.UK. If you are combining a loan, a parent's account and a deposit, get a second pair of eyes. You will also want to budget for the application fee and health surcharge covered in our guide to UK study visa fees.
Global Colliance has almost 20 years of experience with UK files, and our counsellors in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Delhi will check your statements, consent letter and CAS figures before you pay the visa fee. Talk to a UK visa counsellor or call 75740 33366.
UK Student Visa 28 Day Rule FAQs
Does the UK student visa 28 day rule apply to Indian students?
Yes. At the time of writing, India is not on the GOV.UK list of countries that usually skip funds evidence, so you must show the money held for 28 consecutive days. Check the list on GOV.UK when you apply, as it can change.
Can my parents' bank account be used under the UK student visa 28 day rule?
Yes, a parent's or legal guardian's account can be used. You must also provide proof of the relationship, such as your birth certificate, and a written consent letter from the parent allowing you to use the funds.
What happens if my balance drops below the required amount for one day?
The 28-day period breaks, and a new one starts only once the balance is back above the required amount. That usually delays your application, so avoid any withdrawals from that account during the period.
Does an education loan need to meet the UK student visa 28 day rule?
Loan funds from a government, government-sponsored or regulated educational lender are treated differently from savings and do not need to be held for 28 days. The loan letter must show the amount, your name, that the money is available before you travel, and no conditions other than a successful visa application.
How recent must my bank statement be?
The closing balance date must be within 31 days before the date you submit your application. If you are close to that limit, ask the bank for an updated statement rather than risk a refusal.
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