Student Visa

We will start to process your CAS number after you have:

• accepted your offer
• uploaded all required documents
• paid your deposit

The timings also depend on whether you are inside or outside the UK.

Refer to the CAS Number webpage for more information.

When applying for a visa, you must show you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees and living expenses for one academic year.

How much money do I need?

From 2 January 2025, this will be increased to £1,483 per month for London up to a maximum of £13,347, in addition to the tuition fees for your first year of studies.

Providing financial evidence

You can show that these funds are available to you in the following ways:

1. Cash funds in your personal bank account, e.g. savings or current account.
2. Cash funds in a parent's or legal guardian’s personal bank account. You will need to provide a birth certificate and consent letter from parents if you are using their bank statements.
3. Official financial sponsorship.
4. Specific types of student loans.
5. The funds must be in a bank account in your name or your parent/legal guardian's name for a minimum of 28 consecutive days. The bank statement must be no more than a month old from the date of your Student visa application. If the evidence is in a currency other than GBP, please use the currency conversion website OANDA to make sure that the funds are at the correct level

The funds must be readily accessible cash, for example, in a current (chequing) account, savings account, or certificate of deposit. You can also supply a bank letter in place of a bank statement.

Examples of financial evidence

We have produced a sample bank letter and statements that you may find useful:

• Example of an acceptable bank statement
• Example of a bank letter
• Example of a Certificate of Deposit
• Example of a sponsor letter
• Example of letter from parent or legal guardian
• Download template for spreadsheet with multiple accounts (If you intend to use multiple accounts, it is advisable to organise the balances in a spreadsheet and attach this information along with your bank statements to assist the caseworker in processing your application more efficiently. Download this spreadsheet template to help you.)

Unacceptable forms of financial evidence

The UKVI will not accept the following as proof of financial evidence:

• company or business accounts
• another relative's account (only your parents' accounts are acceptable)
• unregulated accounts
• poorly translated documents
• unverifiable evidence
• shares, bonds and pension funds

If you don't provide acceptable evidence, your visa will be refused.

Differential evidence requirement

If you are a national of a country on the UK Government's Differential Evidence Requirement List, including EU/EEA and Swiss nationals, you are not required to submit evidence to show that you meet the financial requirements or provide your academic qualifications used to obtain an offer of study.

Although you do not need to provide this evidence of your finances, you must confirm in your application that you meet the eligibility and financial requirements and have these documents. The Home Office will retain the right to request sight of these documents.

What documents do I need?

• CAS Number: Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number will be provided by the College. It confirms that you have received an offer to study with us and have accepted it
• Passport: Your passport must be valid on the date you submit your online visa application and on the date you plan to arrive in the UK
• Financial documents: You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees and living expenses for one academic year. More detail on providing financial evidence can be found below.
• Qualifications: Include all documents listed in the "Evidence Used to Obtain Offer" section of your CAS statement. This includes certificates or transcripts of qualifications that were used to assess your suitability for the course, including any English language tests
• English language ability: Your CAS will indicate how your English language ability has been assessed
• Financial sponsor’s consent letter: If a government or international scholarship agency is currently providing financial sponsorship or has done so within the last 12 months for your studies in the UK, they must issue a letter of consent. Financial sponsorship means that all of your tuition fees and living costs are covered.
• Letter from parent/legal guardian: If they are supporting you financially, you will need a letter from them along with evidence of your relationship
• TB test result: If you have been residing in a country that requires this test, you will need to provide your TB test result. For more information, visit the Gov.UK webpage Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants.

All documents provided should be in English. Officially certified translations are accepted where necessary.

English language requirements

You will need to provide evidence that you meet the English language requirement for your programme. These vary depending on the programme you are studying at the RCA.

Visit individual programme pages for specific language requirements, and visit the English language requirements page to see what qualifications and tests the College accepts.

• Complete the online Student application form through the Gov.UK website, on the Study in the UK on a Student visa page.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals can apply online using the UK Immigration ID Check App to scan your face and biometric chip in your passport. You will be asked to create a UKVI account to complete your application.

• Anyone applying for a Student Visa that will last for six months or more must get an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) number. This will give you access to the National Health Service in the UK
• At the end of the online application form, you will be directed to the IHS website which will link your visa application form with your IHS number

You can calculate how much you will need to pay on the Home Office website. The IHS is an integrated part of the Student visa application and does not need to be applied for separately.

EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals

Once you have paid for your application and Immigration Health Surcharge, it will take approximately three weeks to get a decision.

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) Fee

• £776 per year plus £388 (half rate fee for under 3 months long). This online tool helps calculate your IHS

Visa application fee

• £490 for standard service (increasing to £524 on 9 April 2025)
• £500 for priority services
• £1,290 for super priority service

This online tool helps calculate your visa application expenses.

Get a faster decision on your application.

All applicants must provide biometric information. Book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to get your biometric information and complete the final steps of your visa application.

You should book an appointment at your nearest location as part of the online visa application process. At your appointment, you will provide your fingerprints and a digital photograph. Some applicants will also need to attend an interview, called a 'credibility interview', during their biometric appointment.

After you submit your biometrics and complete your interview (if required), you will:

• Submit your application summary sheet and supporting documents at the VAC during your appointment. You may also have the ability to scan and upload your supporting documents.

or

• You will post your application summary sheet, biometric enrolment receipt, and supporting documents to the British Embassy. You may have the option to scan your supporting documents instead. Your application form will guide you on the process to follow in your country of application.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with biometric passports can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to scan their passport and upload a photo. Once you have paid for your application and Immigration Health Surcharge, it will take approximately three weeks to get a decision.

UKVI Processing times

• You are not required to book any travel before you apply or before a decision is made on your application.
• You should allow enough time before you plan to travel to make a visa application.
• You will only receive a refund of your application fee if UKVI has not started to process your application.

The UKVI processing time for Student visas is three weeks

You may be able to pay for a faster decision on a student visa application.

Please note the visa processing time for your visa application starts when you:

• verify your identity and submit your documents and application online using the UK Immigration: ID Check app.
• complete your biometrics information at the visa application centre and not when you submit your online application.

The UKVI will not be able to provide you with information on the status of your application if it is still within the processing time.

• You can watch a video on understanding processing times by the UKVI.

You might wait longer if:

• The information in your application is inaccurate or needs further review.
• Further evidence is required, for example, evidence of funds.
• Your supporting evidence needs to be verified.
• You need to attend an interview.
• The UKVI is experiencing increased visa demand.

Please ensure that you check all your documents before you submit your application.

When your visa has been granted, you’ll get a letter or email to let you know that a decision has been made on your application.

You will receive a 90-day vignette but not a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). While you can travel to the UK with your 90-day vignette, you must create a UKVI account. Creating a UKVI account will allow you to view your e-Visa and demonstrate your immigration status in the UK, which will be a Digital Visa Status (eVisa).

If your visa application has been approved, you will receive a visa decision via email. You will not get a BRP; instead, you will get an electronic record of your immigration status in the UK known as an eVisa.