UK Student Visa Checklist from Pakistan

UK Student Visa Checklist from Pakistan

Short answer: A Pakistani student aged sixteen or over with an unconditional offer from a licensed UK sponsor can apply for a Student visa. You need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), proof of English, and enough money for first-year fees plus living costs, held untouched for twenty-eight days. The fee is £558, plus a Health Surcharge of £776 a year at the student rate. Apply up to six months before your course starts; a decision usually arrives within three weeks.

This guide is for Pakistani passport holders accepted onto a course in the United Kingdom.

Who Needs This Visa?

You can apply if you are sixteen or older, hold an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, have enough money for your course and living costs, can prove your English ability, and are a genuine student. It works on a seventy-point system: a valid CAS earns fifty points, proof of funds earns ten, and proof of English earns ten. Applicants aged sixteen or seventeen also need written parental or guardian consent.

Document Checklist

Every item links to its official source. Rules last checked 4 Nov 2026.

• Current passport — Valid travel document; identity via the ID Check app or a visa centre. Source: GOV.UK
• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) — From a licensed student sponsor, stating your first-year fees. Apply within six months of receiving it. Source: GOV.UK
• Documents your sponsor used to issue the CAS — Needed below degree level, or if you are sixteen or seventeen. Source: GOV.UK
• Outstanding course fees for the first year — Enough to pay the unpaid balance of your first-year fees. Source: GOV.UK
• Living costs for up to nine months — £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months. Source: GOV.UK
• Funds held for twenty-eight days in a row — The money must sit in the account for at least twenty-eight consecutive days, ending within thirty-one days of applying. Source: GOV.UK
• Bank evidence that is recent and complete — The latest document must be dated within thirty-one days before your application date. Shares, bonds and credit cards do not count. Source: GOV.UK
• Parent's account: relationship proof and consent — If the money is in a parent's or guardian's name, show relationship proof and their written consent. Source: GOV.UK
• Student loan letter, if you rely on a loan — Dated no more than six months before you apply, from a government or regulated educational loan scheme. Source: GOV.UK
• Proof of English at the right level — CEFR level B2 for degree level, or B1 below degree level, proved by an approved Secure English Language Test or a degree taught in English. Source: GOV.UK
• TB test certificate — Required if you are coming for six months or more and have lived in Pakistan for six months or more; valid six months from the x-ray date. Source: GOV.UK
• ATAS certificate — From the FCDO, needed if your master's, PhD or research course is in a listed sensitive technology field. Source: GOV.UK
• Immigration Health Surcharge payment — Paid online with the application, at £776 a year at the student rate. Source: GOV.UK
• Birth certificate showing your parents' names, if you are under eighteen — A copy of your birth certificate, or another government document, showing your parents' names. Source: GOV.UK
• Certified translations — Any document not in English or Welsh needs a full certified translation, with confirmation of accuracy, date, translator's name, signature, and contact details. Source: GOV.UK

Fees

The application fee is £558, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 per year at the student rate. A visa of more than six months but under a year costs a full year of the surcharge. Optional Priority costs an extra £500 (about five working days) or Super Priority £1,000 (next working day), where available. Fees are non-refundable once processing has started.

Processing Time

From outside the UK you can apply up to six months before your course starts, and you usually get a decision within three weeks of your biometrics or identity check. Do not book flights or make non-refundable commitments until your visa is approved.

How to Apply

1. Get an unconditional offer from a licensed sponsor and receive your CAS; apply within six months.
2. Prove your English and, if needed, get your ATAS certificate early.
3. Hold the required money untouched for twenty-eight days, ending within thirty-one days of applying.
4. Book your TB test at an approved clinic so the certificate is still valid when you apply.
5. Complete the online application on GOV.UK with your CAS number and upload your documents.
6. Pay the £558 fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge online.
7. Prove your identity through the UK Immigration: ID Check app, or book a biometric appointment at a VFS Global centre.
8. After the decision, create your UKVI account and link your passport to access your eVisa.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• The balance dips during the twenty-eight days. One day below the total breaks the run.
• The statement ends too long before you apply. The twenty-eight-day period must end within thirty-one days of your application date.
• A parent's account with no consent letter. Money in a parent's name needs relationship proof and written consent.
• Translations without the translator's details. A translation must carry a statement of accuracy, date, name and signature.
• An expired TB certificate. It lasts six months from the x-ray date, not from the date it is issued to you.
• Travelling too early. Do not travel before the start date on your visa.
• A sudden large deposit. A large sum appearing just before you apply is a major red flag.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do I need in my bank account for a UK student visa from Pakistan?

Your outstanding first-year course fees, shown on your CAS, plus living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months, held for twenty-eight days in a row.

Do Pakistani students need a TB test for the UK?

Yes, if you are coming for six months or more and have lived in Pakistan for six months or more.

Can I use my father's or mother's bank account?

Yes, with proof of your relationship and their written consent.

How early can I apply, and how long does it take?

You can apply up to six months before your course starts; a decision usually arrives within three weeks.

Can I work while studying in the UK?

A degree-level student can work up to twenty hours a week during term time, and full-time during vacations. Self-employment is never allowed.

Related guides: See the complete visa document checklist for all routes, how to book a visa appointment, and our document pre-check service if you want a real person to review your file before you submit it.

Urdu Summary

برطانیہ میں تعلیم کے لیے پہلے لائسنس یافتہ یونیورسٹی سے داخلہ اور CAS لینا ضروری ہے۔ درخواست کورس شروع ہونے سے چھ ماہ پہلے دی جا سکتی ہے۔ ویزا فیس £558 اور ہیلتھ سرچارج £776 سالانہ ہے، فیصلہ عموماً تین ہفتوں میں آتا ہے۔ پہلے سال کی باقی فیس کے ساتھ لندن میں £1,529 اور باقی برطانیہ میں £1,171 ماہانہ رہائشی اخراجات دکھانے ہوں گے، اور یہ رقم کم از کم 28 دن مسلسل اکاؤنٹ میں رہنی چاہیے۔ چھ ماہ یا زیادہ کے کورس کے لیے منظور شدہ کلینک سے ٹی بی ٹیسٹ اور ڈگری کے لیے B2 سطح کی انگریزی درکار ہے۔

This guide is general information only, not legal or immigration advice. Visa rules change — always verify the current requirements on the official embassy or visa-centre page before you apply. SA Global Enterprises cannot guarantee any visa decision.