UK Student Visa From Pakistan: £558 Fee, Funds, TB Test and CAS

A UK Student visa from Pakistan costs £558, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 a year. You need a CAS from a licensed university, a TB certificate from a Home Office approved clinic, and living money held for 28 days in a row. UK Visas and Immigration usually decides within 3 weeks.

Every figure here comes from gov.uk, the UK government's own site. We read the Student visa guidance, the healthcare surcharge page, the TB clinic list for Pakistan and the visa centre finder on 29 September 2026.

The funds rule has the most fine print, so it gets the most space below. If someone is handling your file for you, check them first against the points in how to check an education agent, because a bad agent can cost you the fee and a clean record.

What you need before you apply for a UK Student visa

You need four things before you open the form: an unconditional offer and a CAS number, proof of English, money for fees and living costs, and a TB test certificate. Pakistani applicants must show the money. You also need a valid passport.

The CAS, or Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, is a reference number your university sends after you accept an unconditional offer. You cannot apply without it. Gov.uk says you must apply within 6 months of getting your CAS, and the earliest you can apply from outside the UK is 6 months before your course starts.

For English, a degree-level course needs the equivalent of CEFR level B2. A course below degree level needs B1. Your university can assess your English itself for degree-level study, so it may accept a different test than you expect. Ask them before you book one.

• A current passport
• Your CAS number from a licensed student sponsor
• Bank evidence for your course fee and living costs
• A TB test certificate from an approved clinic
• An ATAS certificate, only if your subject and nationality need one
• Parental consent and a birth certificate if you are 16 or 17

The UK Student visa fee and the health surcharge

The visa fee is £558 from outside the UK. On top of that you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, £776 for each year of the visa. Both are paid online by card during the application, before you book a visa centre appointment.

The surcharge, called the IHS, pays for the NHS, the UK's public health service. It follows the length of the visa, which is often a little longer than the course.

The surcharge is refunded in full if your visa is refused or you withdraw before a decision. The visa fee is refunded only if UKVI has not started processing.

The funds rule: 28 days in a row

You must show your first year's course fee plus living money of £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, for up to 9 months. The money must sit in the account for 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of applying.

Nine months outside London comes to £10,539. Nine months in London comes to £13,761. Add the unpaid part of your first year's tuition, which is printed on your CAS. Anything you have already paid to the university and shown on the CAS reduces what you must hold.

Gov.uk gives an example. If you apply on 1 January, the money must have been in the account for at least the 28 days ending on 1 December. Pakistan is not on the list of countries excused from showing funds, so plan to show them.

A sponsor or an education loan also counts, but you need a letter from the sponsor or lender. If you have been sponsored in the last 12 months, gov.uk says you need your sponsor's written consent too.

The TB test in Pakistan

Pakistan is on the UK's TB test list, so anyone applying for 6 months or more needs a chest x-ray certificate from a Home Office approved clinic. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the x-ray date. Tests from other clinics are rejected.

Gov.uk's list for Pakistan, last updated 20 February 2026, names two providers. AMC runs clinics in Islamabad (G-6 Markaz) and Lahore (Chaudhary Ali Anwar Road), charging PKR 15,000 for age 11 and over and PKR 11,000 below 11. IOM runs Migration Health Assessment Centres in Islamabad (F-10 and G-8), Lahore (Gulberg III), Karachi (PECHS) and Mirpur, charging PKR 14,000 and PKR 10,000.

Bring your original passport or CNIC, a copy and three passport-size photos on a white background. Time the test well, because a certificate that expires before you apply means paying again.

How to apply and where to give biometrics

Apply online on gov.uk, pay the surcharge and fee, then either scan your passport on the UK Immigration: ID Check app or book biometrics at a VFS Global visa centre. In Pakistan the centres are in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

1. Accept your offer and get your CAS from the university.
2. Take the TB test at an approved clinic and keep the certificate.
3. Hold the money in your account for 28 days in a row.
4. Apply online at gov.uk and enter your CAS number.
5. Pay the health surcharge first, then the £558 visa fee.
6. Prove your identity by the app or at a VFS Global centre, as the form tells you.
7. Wait for the decision email, then set up your UKVI account to see your eVisa.

Gov.uk's visa centre finder sends Pakistani applicants to VFS Global's UK centres page. On 29 September 2026 it listed Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, open Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, and a Premium Application Centre in Mirpur, open Monday to Wednesday. You get your passport back on the day. You can only book an appointment after you have applied.

UK Student visa processing time from Pakistan

Gov.uk says you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK. You may be offered priority service for £500, usually 5 working days, or super priority for £1,000, usually the next working day.

The clock starts at your visa centre appointment, or the working day after you finish uploading on the app. It runs longer if UKVI needs to check papers or interview you.

With a course of more than 6 months, you can arrive up to 1 month before it starts, but never before the start date on your visa. So a September intake realistically means applying in June or July, once your 28 days of bank history are ready.

Two other things are worth knowing before you pay a deposit. You can bring a spouse or children only if you are a government-sponsored student or doing a PhD or research-based postgraduate degree. And the UK Graduate visa after your degree gives 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, but 18 months from 1 January 2027.

If the university still wants verified degree papers, HEC degree attestation runs online. Ask the university in writing whether it also wants an apostille before you pay for one.

Common questions

How much is the UK Student visa fee from Pakistan?

£558 for the main applicant applying from outside the UK. Each family member who joins you pays the same fee, and everyone also pays the health surcharge.

How much bank balance do I need for a UK Student visa?

Your unpaid first-year tuition plus £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, for up to 9 months. That is £10,539 or £13,761 in living money, held for 28 days in a row.

Is a TB test required for a UK Student visa from Pakistan?

Yes, for any stay of 6 months or more. It must come from an approved AMC or IOM clinic, and the certificate lasts 6 months.

How long does a UK Student visa take from Pakistan?

Usually within 3 weeks of your biometrics appointment. Priority and super priority service may be offered for £500 or £1,000 extra.

Can I take my wife or husband on a UK Student visa?

Only if you are a government-sponsored student on a course over 6 months, or on a PhD or research-based postgraduate course. Taught master's students cannot bring dependants.

Where do I give biometrics for a UK visa in Pakistan?

At a VFS Global UK visa centre in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi, or the Premium Application Centre in Mirpur. Some applicants can use the ID Check app instead.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 29 September 2026. The £558 fee, the CAS rule, the English levels, the living cost amounts of £1,529 and £1,171 a month, the 28-day and 31-day rule, the dependants rule, the 3-week decision time, the arrival window and the Graduate visa dates are read on the gov.uk Student visa guidance. The £776 surcharge and its part-year rules are read on gov.uk's healthcare surcharge page. Priority and super priority fees are read on gov.uk's faster decision page. TB clinics and fees are read on gov.uk's "Tuberculosis testing in Pakistan", updated 20 February 2026. Visa centres are read on the VFS Global page that gov.uk's centre finder links to. We did not submit an application or book a clinic.