GOV.UK
Student Visitor visa
1. Overview
You can apply for a Student Visitor 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 Business 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
You can’t:
- study at a state school
- work or carry out any business
- marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or a civil partnership
- come to the UK specifically for private medical treatment
- 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
- 11 months - an extended visa for English language courses only
Fees
It costs:
- £83 for a 6 month standard visa
- £150 for an 11 month extended 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.