TL;DR
A UK Student visa needs a valid passport, your CAS reference number, financial evidence, the qualifications listed on your CAS, English evidence (often confirmed by the university on the CAS), a TB test if from a listed country, an ATAS certificate for sensitive subjects, and parental consent if you're under 18. Every document must match your CAS.
The document set at a glance
| # | Document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Passport | At least one blank page |
| 2 | CAS reference number | The 14-digit code — not the CAS document |
| 3 | Financial evidence | Tuition + maintenance, 28-day rule |
| 4 | Academic qualifications | Those listed on your CAS |
| 5 | English evidence | Often confirmed on the CAS; otherwise a SELT |
| 6 | TB test certificate | If from a listed country |
| 7 | ATAS certificate | If your CAS says it's required |
| 8 | Parental consent | If you're under 18 |
1. Passport
A current passport with at least one blank page. Include previous passports if they show earlier UK visas or relevant travel.
2. CAS reference number
Your university issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) after you accept an unconditional offer. You enter the reference number on the application — you don't upload the CAS itself. It's valid for 6 months and records your course, fees, and the qualifications used to admit you. Everything else you submit must line up with it.
3. Financial evidence
First-year tuition (or the balance owed) plus living costs — £1,334/month in London or £1,023/month outside, for up to 9 months — held for 28 consecutive days. The full rules, exemptions and common pitfalls are in Student visa financial requirement.
4. Academic qualifications
The degree, diploma or school certificates and transcripts your CAS lists as the basis of your offer. Non-English documents need a certified translation. You don't need qualifications the CAS doesn't reference.
5. English language evidence
For degree-level courses at a Higher Education Provider, the university usually assesses your English and confirms it on the CAS — no separate test required. Otherwise you need an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) at the level your course requires, or another accepted form (an English-taught degree, or a majority-English nationality).
6. TB test certificate
If applying from a listed country, include a certificate from a Home Office approved clinic — see TB test certificate.
7. ATAS certificate
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is an FCDO security clearance for postgraduate study or research in certain sensitive subjects. Your CAS states whether it's needed. If so, apply free via the FCDO portal — allow 4–8 weeks, sometimes much longer — and include the certificate. The visa is refused without it where the CAS requires it.
8. Parental consent (under 18)
If you're under 18, include written consent from both parents (or your legal guardian) to your travel, studies, care and living arrangements, plus your birth certificate showing the relationship.
Dependant documents
Most taught Master's and undergraduate students can no longer bring dependants — that right is now limited to PhD/research students and government-sponsored students. If you are eligible and bringing a partner or child, each dependant needs:
- Their own passport
- Evidence of the relationship — marriage certificate for a partner, birth certificate for a child
- Additional maintenance funds — extra money on top of yours, held under the same 28-day rule (£845/month for up to 9 months for each dependant in London, £680 outside)
- A TB test if from a listed country
Where students' applications go wrong
The single biggest cause of Student visa refusals is a mismatch with the CAS. Caseworkers cross-check everything against it:
- Name spelled differently on a document than on the CAS/passport
- Tuition figures that don't reconcile with the CAS balance
- Qualifications submitted that aren't the ones the CAS lists
- Maintenance evidence that dips below the threshold during the 28 days, or is dated too early
- Missing ATAS where the CAS requires it
- Course start date passed before the visa was decided
Before you submit, lay your documents next to the CAS and check every name, date and figure lines up exactly.
Make it match — and make it scannable
The fastest way to a refusal is a mismatch between your documents and your CAS (a name spelt differently, a fee that doesn't reconcile). Check every detail, then:
- Bundler — merge into one ordered PDF with a cover sheet and index
- Compressor — fit the 6 MB UKVCAS limit
- Checklist generator — a list filtered to your course, country and age
After you submit: ID check and decision
Once you've applied and paid, you verify your identity — most applicants now use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to scan their passport, while some are asked to attend a visa application centre (overseas) or UKVCAS appointment (in the UK) to give biometrics. Standard processing is around 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside; priority services can speed this up for an extra fee.
If granted from outside the UK, you'll usually get your immigration status as an eVisa linked to your passport (physical entry vignettes and BRPs are being phased out). Set up your UKVI account when prompted so you can prove your status and travel.
Timing your application
You can apply up to 6 months before your course start date from outside the UK (3 months from inside). Don't leave it too late: ATAS clearance alone can take 4–8 weeks, TB tests need an appointment, and certified translations take time. Work backwards from your course start date and your CAS's 6-month validity, and start gathering the slow items — ATAS, TB test, translations — first.
For the full route overview, see the Student visa guide.
Sources
Common questions
- 01
What documents do I need for a UK Student visa?
A valid passport, your CAS reference number, financial evidence meeting the maintenance requirement, the academic qualifications listed on your CAS, English language evidence (unless your university certifies it on the CAS), a TB test certificate if from a listed country, an ATAS certificate for sensitive subjects, and parental consent if you're under 18.
- 02
Do I submit the CAS document itself?
No — you only need the CAS reference number, a 14-digit code your university issues. UKVI looks up the CAS electronically. Make sure every other document matches what your CAS records: name, course, fees and qualifications used to admit you.
- 03
Which qualifications do I need to show?
The specific qualifications your university listed on your CAS as the basis for your offer — usually degree or school certificates and transcripts. If they aren't in English, include a certified translation. You don't need to show qualifications the CAS doesn't reference.
- 04
When do I need an ATAS certificate?
For postgraduate study or research in certain sensitive science, engineering and technology subjects. Your CAS states whether ATAS is required. If it is, apply free via the FCDO portal (allow 4–8 weeks, sometimes longer) and include the certificate — the visa is refused without it.
- 05
Do I need an English test for a Student visa?
For degree-level courses at a Higher Education Provider, the university usually assesses and confirms your English on the CAS, so no separate SELT is needed. Below degree level, or where the CAS doesn't confirm it, you need an approved Secure English Language Test at the required level.
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