Tier 4 (Child) student visa

Overview

You can apply for the Tier 4 (Child) student visa if you’re aged between 4 and 17 and you want to study at an independent school in the UK.

You must also:

• have a place on a course
• have the consent of your parent or guardian
• have enough money to cover your course fees and living costs
• be from a country that’s not in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
• meet the eligibility requirements

There will be no change to the rights and status of EU nationals living in the UK, nor UK nationals living in the EU, while the UK remains in the EU.

How long it will take

The earliest you can apply for a visa is 3 months before you start your course.

You’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. You can check visa processing times for your country.

Fees

It costs £348 to apply for a Tier 4 (Child) student visa from outside the UK.

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much you’ll have to pay before you apply.

How long you can stay

Your age and the length of your course of study will affect how long you can stay.

Age when you apply	How long you can stay
Under 16	Course length (up to 6 years) plus 4 months afterwards
16 or 17	Course length (up to 3 years) plus 4 months afterwards

You can arrive in the UK:

• up to 1 week before your course starts if your course lasts 6 months or less
• up to 1 month before your course starts if your course lasts more than 6 months

What you can and can’t do

You can:

• study at an independent school
• apply from outside the UK
• apply to extend your stay

You can also work, if you’re 16 or over:

• part-time during term for up to 10 hours per week
• full-time during vacations
• on a work placement as part of your course, (but not for more than 50% of your course time)
• as a student union sabbatical officer for up to 2 years

You can’t:

• study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school) or further education college
• get public funds
• take a full-time permanent job or be self-employed
• work as a doctor or dentist in training
• work as a professional sportsperson (for example a sports coach) or entertainer
• settle in the UK on this visa
• bring in family members (‘dependants’) - if your parents want to accompany you, they’ll need to apply for a Parent of a Tier 4 (Child) visa

Read the full guidance on the Tier 4 (Child) student visa.

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