Student visas compared: 75 countries
The money you must show, the visa fee, the hours you may work and how long you may stay after graduating, side by side. Every figure comes from the country's official pages; open a country for its sources, the dates we checked them and the visa for your nationality.
Last checked: between 24 Sep 2026 and 7 Nov 2026. Each country's official sources are on its visa page.
How long each visa takes Health insurance each visa needs Bringing your family If your visa is refused Step by step: Germany US Canada
Where a figure is published (37 countries), the money a student visa asks you to show for a year ranges from about EUR 1,400 (Sri Lanka) to about EUR 22,800 (Iceland).
The longest stays after graduating: Canada (3 years), Denmark (3 years), New Zealand (3 years).
38 of 75 countries publish a weekly limit for work during term; the highest is 30 hours a week.
Cheapest countries for students from IndiaNigeriaPakistanBangladeshVietnamNepalGhanaKenyaEgyptPhilippinesIndonesiaEthiopiaCameroonMoroccoUzbekistanSri LankaZimbabweUgandaTanzaniaColombia
Swipe the table sideways for the visa fee, work hours and the stay after graduating. Tap a heading to sort.
| Country | Money to show (year) | About, in EUR | Visa fee | Work in term | Stay after graduating | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania | ALL 300,000 | 3,300 | 15 h/week | 9 months | 25 Sep 2026 | |
 Argentina | see page | USD 850 | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 Australia | AUD 29,710 | 18,300 | AUD 2,500 | 24 h/week | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Austria | EUR 8,671 | 8,700 | EUR 218 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Bangladesh | see page | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | |||
 Belgium | EUR 12,744 | 12,700 | EUR 431 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | BAM 4,800 | 2,500 | EUR 95 | 26 Sep 2026 | ||
 Brazil | see page | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 | |||
 Bulgaria | see page | EUR 100 | 20 h/week | 9 months | 26 Sep 2026 | |
 Canada | CAD 23,448 | 14,900 | CAD 150 | 24 h/week | 3 years | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Chile | see page | 30 h/week | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 China | see page | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | |||
 Colombia | see page | USD 50 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | ||
 Croatia | EUR 4,347 | 4,300 | EUR 88 | 20 h/week | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Cyprus | EUR 7,000 | 7,000 | EUR 140 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Czechia | CZK 115,810 | 4,800 | CZK 2,500 | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Denmark | DKK 89,112 | 11,900 | DKK 3,060 | 20 h/week | 3 years | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Egypt | see page | EGP 7,100 | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 Estonia | EUR 10,560 | 10,600 | EUR 225 | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Finland | EUR 9,600 | 9,600 | EUR 600 | 30 h/week | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 |
 France | EUR 10,530 | 10,500 | EUR 99 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Georgia | see page | GEL 300 | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 Germany | EUR 11,904 | 11,900 | EUR 75 | 20 h/week | 18 months | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Ghana | see page | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | |||
 Greece | EUR 4,800 | 4,800 | EUR 90 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Hungary | see page | EUR 110 | 30 h/week | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Iceland | ISK 3,119,412 | 22,800 | ISK 70,000 | 18 months | 26 Sep 2026 | |
 India | see page | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | |||
 Indonesia | USD 2,000 | 1,800 | IDR 6,000,000 | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Ireland | EUR 10,000 | 10,000 | EUR 60 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Italy | EUR 10,180 | 10,200 | EUR 50 | 20 h/week | No route | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Japan | see page | JPY 15,000 | 28 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Kenya | see page | KES 13,800 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | ||
 Latvia | EUR 9,360 | 9,400 | EUR 70 | 20 h/week | 4 months | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Lithuania | EUR 6,924 | 6,900 | EUR 80 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Luxembourg | EUR 18,666 | 18,700 | EUR 50 | 15 h/week | 1 year | 26 Sep 2026 |
 Malaysia | see page | MYR 1,728 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Malta | EUR 8,948 | 8,900 | EUR 100 | 20 h/week | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Mexico | see page | USD 56 | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 Montenegro | see page | 25 Sep 2026 | ||||
 Morocco | see page | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | |||
 Nepal | see page | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | |||
 Netherlands | EUR 13,569 | 13,600 | EUR 254 | 16 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 New Zealand | NZD 20,000 | 10,000 | NZD 850 | 25 h/week | 3 years | 26 Sep 2026 |
 Nigeria | see page | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | |||
 North Macedonia | see page | EUR 70 | 10 h/week | 25 Sep 2026 | ||
 Norway | NOK 170,368 | 16,100 | NOK 5,400 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Pakistan | see page | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | |||
 Philippines | see page | USD 250 | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 Poland | PLN 12,120 | 2,800 | EUR 80 | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Portugal | EUR 11,040 | 11,000 | EUR 110 | 1 year | 26 Sep 2026 | |
 Qatar | see page | 20 h/week | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 Romania | RON 51,900 | 9,700 | EUR 300 | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Saudi Arabia | see page | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | |||
 Serbia | see page | EUR 50 | 20 h/week | 26 Sep 2026 | ||
 Singapore | see page | SGD 105 | 16 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Slovakia | EUR 3,543 | 3,500 | EUR 0 | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Slovenia | EUR 6,089 | 6,100 | EUR 102 | 9 months | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 South Africa | see page | ZAR 425 | 20 h/week | No route | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 South Korea | KRW 20,000,000 | 13,500 | 10 h/week | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Spain | EUR 7,200 | 7,200 | EUR 80 | 30 h/week | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Sri Lanka | USD 1,500 | 1,400 | USD 200 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | |
 Sweden | SEK 127,872 | 11,500 | SEK 1,500 | 15 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 |
 Switzerland | CHF 21,000 | 22,700 | CHF 0 | 15 h/week | 6 months | 26 Sep 2026 |
 Taiwan | see page | USD 66 | 20 h/week | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Tanzania | see page | USD 250 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | ||
 Thailand | see page | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 | |||
 Türkiye | see page | TRY 964 | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 Uganda | see page | USD 100 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | ||
 United Arab Emirates | see page | AED 720 | 4 months | 24 Sep 2026 | ||
 United Kingdom | GBP 10,539 | 12,600 | GBP 558 | 20 h/week | 2 years | 24 Sep 2026 |
 United States | see page | USD 185 | 20 h/week | 1 year | 24 Sep 2026 | |
 Uzbekistan | see page | USD 160 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | ||
 Vietnam | see page | USD 25 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 | ||
 Zimbabwe | see page | USD 200 | No route | 7 Nov 2026 |
Money to show is the figure for one student for one year, before tuition unless the country page says otherwise. EUR amounts are rounded, at rates of 2026-11-13 (Rates by Exchange Rate API). Rules change: always confirm on the official page before you apply.
Questions students ask
Which country asks for the least money for a student visa?
Of the 37 countries that publish a yearly figure, Sri Lanka asks for the least: USD 1,500 a year, about EUR 1,400. Figures are from the official pages, with the date checked on each country page.
Which countries let international students stay longest after graduating?
Canada: 3 years (Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)); Denmark: 3 years (Job-seeking permit); New Zealand: 3 years (Post-Study Work Visa).
How long does a student visa take?
It depends on the country: the UK usually decides within 3 weeks from outside the UK, the Netherlands aims for 2 weeks once the application is complete, and Germany usually takes about 1 to 2 months after the appointment. Canada, Australia and the US publish live figures by country or embassy. The processing-times page links each official source.
Can I work while I study abroad?
In most countries, yes, within a weekly limit during term. 38 of the 75 countries here publish that limit as a number of hours, shown in the table; for the others, the country page explains the rule and links to the official page.