You will need to demonstrate that you have enough money to pay for the first year’s course fees. Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) will tell you how much your course fees are and how much you have already paid to the University. You will find this amount on the second page of your CAS.

Already paid some of your tuition fees?

If you have already paid some of your tuition fees to the University then you will only have to demonstrate that you have the funds for the remaining balance. If you have paid more money to the University after your CAS has been issued, then let the International Admissions Team know so that your CAS can be updated. Email international@herts.ac.uk with proof of payment.

In addition to course fees, you also have to show an amount for your maintenance.

The Home Office has classed the University of Hertfordshire as being outside of London. This means you must show that you have £1,171 per month for your living costs (up to a maximum of 9 months). Therefore the maximum amount you would need to show for maintenance will be £10,539.

Students making visa applications on or after 30 November 2026 will need to show an increased amount of £10,827 (£1,203 per month for up to 9 months) in line with UKVI changes.

If you will be studying for less than 9 months, then you need to show £1,171 for each month of the course.

Any money you need to show for your visa application needs to have been held, in full, for 28 consecutive days (finishing on the date of the closing balance of your bank account). The balance must not have dropped below the required amount during any point of that 28 day period.

The closing balance must be within 31 days of the date you submit your visa application.

The date you submit your application is the date you pay the visa application fee on-line.

Don’t leave it to the last minute to put the money needed into the bank account. Watch out for any direct debits coming out from the account. If your account falls below the required amount on any one day during the required 28 day period your visa will be refused.

Seek advice from the University if you are unsure of how much money you need to show, or the length of time you have to show it for.

If you are on the Home Office list of students who are eligible for differential evidence requirements, then you are not required to provide evidence of finances with your visa application.

The Home Office can still request financial evidence from low-risk nationals at any time. You are therefore required to have the documentary financial evidence ready to demonstrate you meet the financial requirements at the time you made your visa application.

If you are requested to provide the financial evidence, and you do not show this to the Home Office, then your visa application will be refused.

Approved official financial sponsors

The Home Office classes an ‘Official Financial Sponsor’ as either: His Majesty’s Government, the student’s home government, the British Council or any international organisation, international company, university or United Kingdom independent school.

The Home Office has not defined an international company, but their guidance states that the company should have an international presence. This means that they should have offices and operate in another country. If your sponsor does not meet the definition of an official sponsor, then you should arrange for them to pay your fees and transfer your living costs into your account at least 28 days before you will apply for your visa, so that you can use your own bank statements as evidence.

Sponsorship from Local Governments are no longer accepted by UKVI.

Documents required

You will need to obtain a letter of confirmation from your official financial sponsor that contains;

• Your name.
• The name and contact details of the official financial sponsor.
• Date of the letter.
• Length of the sponsorship.
• Amount of money the sponsor is giving to you or a statement that your official financial sponsor will cover all of your fees and living costs.
• Official letter-headed paper or stationery of the organisation.
• If on the stationary of the organisation, the letter must have the official stamp of that organisation.

If you have any dependents, and they are covered by the sponsorship, they should also be named on the letter, and your sponsor should confirm how much they will pay towards your dependents living costs.

If you only receive partial sponsorship, covering only some of your tuition fees and/or living costs (including for any dependants), you must show additional evidence (for example, your personal bank statement) that you hold the rest of the funds needed.

If you are currently financially sponsored by a government or an international scholarship agency, or your financial sponsorship ended within 12 months of your application being made, you will need your sponsor’s unconditional consent to stay in or re-enter the UK.

You must provide a letter of permission including:;

• Your name.
• The name and contact details of the official financial sponsor.
• The date of the letter.
• Dates of sponsorship.
• Confirmation that your sponsor has no objection to you continuing your studies in the UK.

If you are using an account that shows a foreign currency, you will need to convert the amount of the closing balance of the account (and the lowest balance in the 28-day period, if different) into Pounds Sterling (GBP).

The Home Office use OANDA to check the value of currency against the UK pound, so you must use OANDA to convert your money into GBP. Use the ‘Date of Application’ (this is the date you make your Student online application and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and application fee) as the date to convert the currency.

Print off a free currency conversion certificate to include with your application.

If you are using your parent’s, legal guardian’s, or partner’s bank statements as evidence of your finances, then each statement must meet all of the requirements as if using your own bank statement.

You must also provide evidence to show the relationship between you and your parent(s) or legal guardian(s). This could be;

• your birth certificate;
• adoption certificate or court documents naming your legal guardian(s);
• a marriage certificate for you and your partner.

You must also provide written permission from your parent(s), legal guardian(s), or partner to confirm you can use their funds to study in the UK. This letter should be dated and signed by the person.

All documents should be originals and in English or accompanied with official translation.

Some countries do not issue a traditional birth certificate, which can make it difficult for you to prove your relationship with your parent(s) if you are using their bank statements.

The Home Office instruct their caseworkers to accept any document that is ordinarily issued by your country, which is similar to a UK Birth Certificate. This means that Chinese Household Registers, while previously not allowed, should now be accepted, but they will need translating into English.

Your certificate of deposit should show;

• An issue date within the 31 days leading up to the date you will apply for your visa.
• A deposit date at least 28 days before the date of issue.

There should be no wording on the certificate to suggest the money is frozen, or not instantly accessible.

If future dates are stated on the certificate of deposit, this will cause confusion. If your bank issues the certificate of deposit as a standard document, you should ask them to make it clear that the money is available to you (or your parents if it’s in their name).

If your certificate is not in English, it must be professionally translated.

A Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) is a document offered by banks and financial institutions in certain countries to individuals and businesses. These deposits are a type of investment where you deposit a lump sum of money with a bank or financial institution for a predetermined period, ranging from a few months to several years. In return, the bank pays you a fixed rate of interest on your deposit, which is typically higher than the interest rates offered on regular savings accounts.

UKVI requirements for FDR are similar to their requirements for savings accounts. You can use a Certificate of Fixed Deposit, or Fixed Deposit Receipt, to show evidence of funds available to you if it meets the following criteria:

• It must be in your name and not in the name of a business.
• It must be a minimum of 28 days old.
• The certificate/receipt must not contain any wording indicating that the funds are frozen or otherwise inaccessible.
• It must be maintained until you receive your Student Visa.

Check the Student Route Policy for full details of which types of account can be used.