Reviewed 27 September 2026. If you are applying for a UK Student visa from Nigeria or another African country, use this checklist to organise your CAS, finances, English evidence, TB certificate where required, online application and eVisa. Requirements depend on your circumstances, so confirm the final list in your own GOV.UK Student visa application.
UK Student Visa Checklist at a Glance
- Get an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor and a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
- Check course tuition and the living-cost requirement for the location on your CAS. Prepare acceptable financial evidence if required.
- Confirm how you will prove English proficiency and whether you need an ATAS certificate.
- Check whether your residence history requires a TB certificate from an approved clinic.
- Apply on GOV.UK, pay the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) where required, and complete the identity/biometrics steps shown to you.
- After approval, access your eVisa and link the passport you will use to travel to your UKVI account.
1. Check Your Course and CAS
Your university or college must be a licensed student sponsor. Once it offers you an unconditional place, it issues a CAS reference number for the visa form. Check your name, passport details, course dates, tuition fees and any payments recorded on the CAS statement. Tell the sponsor promptly if an item is wrong; do not enter an inaccurate number or assume an offer letter replaces the CAS. GOV.UK says you must apply within six months of receiving the CAS.
2. Calculate Tuition and Living Funds
The financial calculation starts with tuition for the first academic year, up to nine months, as shown on the CAS. Add living costs of £1,529 per month in London or £1,171 per month outside London, for up to nine months. That is up to £13,761 or £10,539 respectively, before the course-fee balance. Check whether an eligible tuition payment or university accommodation payment can be deducted under the detailed rules rather than deducting expenses yourself. Under the current Student rules, a qualifying university accommodation deposit may be offset against the maintenance requirement up to £1,529, while course-fee payments must be recorded on the CAS or supported by an acceptable sponsor receipt.
If relying on personal or permitted family funds, the required balance must generally be held for 28 consecutive days, and the end of that period must be within 31 days of the visa application date. Official sponsorship and qualifying student loans use their own evidence rules. Some applicants, including those who have lived in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months, do not need to provide this proof. Some nationalities have a differential evidence arrangement, but UKVI can still request documents. Read GOV.UK’s money rules and prepare evidence for your own case.
Nigerian planning tip: calculate the required amount in pounds first, then allow for exchange-rate movement and bank/payment charges. Do not assume a bank balance in naira on one day guarantees the pound value for the full qualifying period.
3. Prove English and Check ATAS
An IELTS test is not automatically required for every student. GOV.UK accepts different ways of proving English, and a higher education provider may assess degree-level applicants itself to the required B2 standard. A degree taught in English outside the UK may need an Ecctis assessment if used as immigration evidence. Check the sponsor’s CAS instructions and official English-language rules before paying for a test. Being Nigerian or having studied in English does not, by itself, establish a nationality exemption.
Some postgraduate courses in sensitive subjects require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. Ask your course provider and use the GOV.UK ATAS guidance early if your course needs one.
4. Prepare the Documents That Apply to You
- Always: a current passport or other valid travel document and your CAS.
- Depending on circumstances: financial evidence, TB certificate, ATAS certificate, English evidence and sponsor consent if you received official financial sponsorship in the past 12 months.
- If under 18: parental/legal-guardian consent, relationship evidence and care/travel arrangements.
- If documents are not in English or Welsh: provide translations meeting UKVI requirements.
Use GOV.UK’s document list alongside the instructions in your actual application. Academic certificates or transcripts may be requested depending on the CAS and applicable evidence rules; do not label every document mandatory for every applicant.
TB test for applicants resident in listed countries
A TB certificate may be required if you are coming for six months or more and meet the residence and country rules. Nigeria is among countries with an approved-clinic process, but check your own residence history rather than nationality alone. Use a Home Office-approved clinic. A negative-test certificate is normally valid for six months from the X-ray date.
5. Apply Online and Budget for the Fees
Apply through the official GOV.UK route. As checked on 27 September 2026, the Student visa fee for an application from outside the UK is £558. The student IHS rate is £776 per year, but the total is calculated for the immigration permission granted and can include part of a year. The form shows the actual amount due. Add any TB test, English test, translation, travel or optional service fees to your private budget; these are not a universal fixed total.
After payment, follow the identity route assigned to you. It may involve a visa application centre for fingerprints and photograph or another specified method. Upload or present documents as instructed by that route. Review names, dates and uploaded files before final submission. For common errors, see AfricanBase’s student visa application mistakes guide.
6. Track the Decision and Set Up Your eVisa
You can normally apply from outside the UK up to six months before your course starts; a decision usually takes about three weeks after you apply and prove your identity, though individual cases can take longer. Do not book non-refundable travel based on an estimated decision date. Follow messages from UKVI and your visa application centre.
If approved, follow the decision notice to set up or access your UKVI account and eVisa. Check the status details and link the passport you will actually use to travel. The old instruction to collect a physical biometric residence permit (BRP) is outdated. Follow any specific travel or entry instructions in your decision notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring a partner or child?
Only certain students can sponsor dependants. The main current routes include qualifying government-sponsored study lasting more than six months, or a qualifying postgraduate research degree/doctorate. A typical taught master’s begun after 1 January 2024 does not usually qualify. Check GOV.UK’s dependant rules, including the course dates, relationship evidence and additional funds.
Can I work during study?
Work permission depends on course level, sponsor and the conditions shown on your immigration status. Do not assume a universal 20-hour allowance; check your Student visa conditions and ask the sponsor if unclear.
What if my application is refused?
Read the decision letter for the precise ground and any review rights and deadline. Speak to your university before submitting another application or making new payments. Correcting a missing document may require a fresh application; an administrative review is for a suspected caseworking error, not a way to add new evidence. For broader planning, AfricanBase’s student visa guide for Nigerians explains how country-specific processes differ.
Final check: visa fees, finance thresholds and procedures can change. Reopen the linked GOV.UK pages when you are ready to submit.
