Short-term study visa

Overview

You can apply for a Short-term study visa if:

• you’re doing a short course of study in the UK
• you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• you meet the other eligibility requirements

You need a Standard Visitor visa if you’re an academic visitor.

You can’t apply if you qualify for British citizenship - including if you can have dual nationality. You must apply for British citizenship instead.

What you can and can’t do

You can:

• do a short course of study in the UK, such as an English language course or a training course
• do a short period of research as part of a degree course if you are studying abroad

You can’t:

• study at a state-funded school
• work (including on a work placement or work experience) or carry out any business
• extend this visa
• bring family members (‘dependants’) with you - they must apply separately
• get public funds

How long you can stay

You can stay in the UK for:

• 6 months - for any short course (including English language courses), or short period of research if you’re 16 or over
• 11 months - if you’re 16 or over and taking an English language course

Fees

It costs:

• £97 for a 6 month visa
• £186 for an 11 month visa

How long it takes

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

Check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in the country you’re applying from.

Print entire guide