united kingdomcost of living
UK Student Visa Savings Requirement Rises to £1,529
Since 11 November 2025, anyone applying for a UK Student visa has had to show more savings than the year before: £1,529 a month for courses in London, £1,171 a month everywhere else. That’s not a one-off rise. The Home Office has quietly tied the figure to home-student maintenance loans, which are reviewed every year, so expect another increase around the same time in 2026.
What changed
A Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 1333, laid 14 October 2025) raised the Student route’s maintenance requirement to £1,529 per month in London and £1,171 per month outside London, covering up to nine months of a course. That’s up from £1,483 and £1,136, figures that had only been set in January 2025.
Run the numbers over a standard nine-month period and the total jumps from £13,347 to £13,761 for London-based courses, and from £10,224 to £10,539 elsewhere. Small monthly differences add up once they’re multiplied out.
The more significant change is the mechanism behind it. According to the explanatory memorandum, the government now increases the Student maintenance requirement to match the maintenance loans available to home students for the corresponding academic year. That loan figure moves annually, which means this is no longer an occasional policy tweak. It’s a yearly ratchet, and the maximum accommodation offset was raised in step with it.
Who it affects
- Anyone applying for a Student visa on or after 11 November 2025, including those preparing 2026/27 applications now.
- Students who calculated their savings against last year’s £1,483/£1,136 figures and haven’t rechecked since.
- Applicants relying on a sponsor’s funds or an accommodation offset, since that cap moved too.
What you should do
- Check the current figure on gov.uk before you apply, not a figure quoted in an older guide or agent brochure.
- Hold the required amount for at least 28 consecutive days, ending no more than 31 days before you submit your application. This rule hasn’t changed, but it trips people up every intake.
- Budget for another increase around November 2026, given the requirement now tracks the home loan cycle. If you’re applying close to that date, build in a margin rather than aiming for the exact minimum.
- Read the maintenance figure alongside actual costs in the city you’re moving to. The visa minimum is a legal floor, not a realistic budget; see our UK cost of living guide and accommodation guide for what students are actually paying.
What hasn’t changed
The nine-month cap, the 28-day holding rule, and the basic structure of the financial requirement are all the same as before. This is an increase in the amount, not a change to how the test works.