How much money do I need to show for a UK student visa in 2026?

You must hold living costs plus one academic year's outstanding tuition. Living costs are £1,529 a month inside London or £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months. Add your first-year tuition (less any deposit already paid) to get the total. This calculator returns the figure for your exact course.

How long must I keep the money in my account for a UK Student visa?

For 28 consecutive days. Your balance must never dip below the required total during that period. The closing balance on the statement must be dated within 31 days of the day you submit your online application.

Is the maintenance amount different for London and outside London?

Yes. The Home Office living-cost rate is £1,529 per month for courses at institutions inside Greater London and £1,171 per month outside it, each for up to 9 months. Tuition is unaffected by location.

Does the deposit I already paid to the university reduce the amount I need to show?

Yes. Any tuition already paid is subtracted from the first-year fee, so you only prove the outstanding balance. Prepaid accommodation paid to the university is also deductible, but only up to £1,334 — anything above that cap does not reduce the requirement.

Do Sri Lankan students need to submit financial evidence, or are they exempt?

Sri Lanka is not on the Home Office differential-evidence (low-risk) nationality list, so full financial evidence is required. You must submit 28-day bank statements or a letter from a regulated financial institution, even if you clearly meet the amount.

Is tuition for the whole course or just one year?

Only one academic year's tuition is required for maintenance, even on a three- or four-year degree. If your course is shorter than a year, you show the fee for the whole course. Enter your first-year (or full-course) tuition from your CAS.

Are the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge included in this figure?

No. The maintenance balance is separate from the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). Those are paid at application and are not part of the funds you hold for 28 days. This calculator covers only the maintenance balance.

Why does the tool show an LKR figure if the Home Office assesses in GBP?

The requirement is always assessed in pounds. The LKR figure is an editable, indicative conversion to help you plan how much to move into your account — never treat it as an official Home Office threshold. Update the rate with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka's indicative rate on the day you check.

Study Abroad · UK Visa

UK Student Visa Maintenance Funds Calculator

Find the exact bank balance to hold for 28 days for a UK Student visa — Home Office living costs plus one year's tuition, minus deposits — in GBP and LKR. Built for Sri Lankan applicants. No signup, sources cited below.

By Induwara Ashinsana— Executive Director, Ryzera TechnologiesUpdated Jul 16, 2026

Funds to hold for your Student visa

GOV.UK rates · 2026

Study location

London: £1,529/month · Outside London: £1,171/month, for up to 9 months.

Months of living costs

Courses of 9 months or longer prove the full 9. Shorter courses prove their length.

First-year tuition fee

The tuition for one academic year, from your CAS or offer letter.

Tuition already paid to the university

Any deposit or advance fee already paid. Reduces the tuition you must show.

Prepaid accommodation to the university

Payments to the university for housing. Only the first £1,334 is deductible.

Show LKR equivalent

GBP → LKR rate (indicative)

Total funds to hold (28 days)

£27,039

≈ Rs 10,680,405 (indicative)

Living costs

£10,539

£1,171 × 9 months

Outstanding tuition

£16,500

One academic year, minus what you have paid

Accommodation deducted

− £0

Capped at £1,334

Breakdown

Living costs — £1,171/mo × 9 monthsOutside-London rate	+ £10,539
Outstanding first-year tuition (fee − already paid)	+ £16,500
Total funds to hold	£27,039
Indicative LKR at Rs 395/£ (display only)	Rs 10,680,405

Cross-checked: the summed breakdown (£27,039) matches the headline total.

The 28-day rule

Your balance must stay at or above £27,039 for 28 consecutive days. The closing balance shown on your statement (the end of the 28-day window) must be dated within 31 days of the date you apply.

Sri Lankan applicants

Sri Lanka is not on the Home Office differential-evidence list, so you must submit full financial evidence — 28-day bank statements or a regulated financial-institution letter — even if you meet the amount.

Sources: GOV.UK “Student visa: Money” (living-cost rates, 28-day rule) and the Appendix Finance caseworker guidance (£1,334 accommodation cap). The Home Office assesses the requirement in GBP; the LKR figure is an editable indicative conversion only.

How it works

The UK Student visa financial requirement has two parts: the money you need for living costs while you study, and the money for your course fees. You must prove you have held the combined total for a set period. The figures below come from the GOV.UK “Student visa: Money” guidance, verified on 2026-07-16.

Living costs. The Home Office sets a fixed monthly rate: £1,529 per month for a course at an institution inside Greater London, or £1,171 per month outside it. You prove one month per month of your course, up to a maximum of 9 months, so living = monthlyRate × months.
Tuition. You must show your course fees for one academic year, even on a multi-year degree. Any fees already paid to the university are subtracted: tuitionDue = max(0, firstYearFee − alreadyPaid).
Accommodation deduction. Money already paid to your university or college for accommodation reduces the living-cost part, but only up to a £1,334 cap: deduction = min(prepaid, 1334). Payments to a private landlord do not count.
Total. total = living + tuitionDue − deduction, never less than zero. This is the balance to hold.

The held-for-period is the part applicants most often get wrong. The balance must sit at or above the total for 28consecutive days, and the closing balance on your statement must be dated within 31 days of the day you apply online. It is a rule to satisfy, not a number to add — so this tool surfaces it as a prominent reminder rather than folding it into the figure. The requirement is assessed in pounds; the calculator's LKR line is an editable indicative conversion for planning only.

Worked examples

Manchester (outside London), deposit already paid

Inputs: Outside London, 9 months, tuition £16,500, £5,000 paid, £0 accommodation
Living: £1,171 × 9 = £10,539
Outstanding tuition: £16,500 − £5,000 = £11,500
Accommodation deduction: £0
Total = £10,539 + £11,500 − £0 = £22,039
At an indicative Rs 395/£: ≈ Rs 8,705,405 (display only)

London university, accommodation prepaid

Inputs: Inside London, 9 months, tuition £14,000, £0 paid, £2,000 accommodation
Living: £1,529 × 9 = £13,761
Outstanding tuition: £14,000 − £0 = £14,000
Accommodation deduction: min(£2,000, £1,334) = £1,334
Total = £13,761 + £14,000 − £1,334 = £26,427

Edge case — accommodation above the cap

Inputs: Outside London, 1 month, tuition £0, £0 paid, £5,000 accommodation
Living: £1,171 × 1 = £1,171
Outstanding tuition: £0
Accommodation deduction: min(£5,000, £1,334) = £1,334
Raw: £1,171 + £0 − £1,334 = −£163
Total floored at £0 — the deduction never makes the requirement negative

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references

Living-cost rates, the £1,334 accommodation cap and the 28-day rule were last cross-checked against GOV.UK on 2026-07-16. Home Office rates change periodically — confirm on GOV.UK before you submit. This tool is guidance, not legal advice.

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