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Student visa for the United Kingdom, for students from Sri Lanka
As a citizen of Sri Lanka you will normally need a student visa or residence permit for the United Kingdom before your course starts. Some nationalities may enter the United Kingdom without a visa and apply for the residence permit there instead; check the official page below for the rule that applies to your passport.
The numbers
- Money you must show
- £1,529/month London, £1,171/month outside, up to 9 months
- Visa fee
- £558, plus Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 per year
- Work while you study
- 20 hours a week in term at degree level, full time in vacations
- Stay after you graduate
- Graduate Route: 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months after that. PhD 3 years.
RISES to £1,570 / £1,203 for applications from 30 November 2026. Money must sit untouched for 28 days.
GOV.UK Student visa: money, checked 2026-09-24
GOV.UK fees, 8 April 2026, checked 2026-09-24
UKCISA, checked 2026-09-24
GOV.UK Graduate visa, checked 2026-09-24
The visa
The Student route, sponsored by a licensed student sponsor who issues your CAS. Fee £558. Immigration Health Surcharge £776 per year of the visa, and the visa is granted for your course plus a wrap-up period, so a one-year master's usually means paying around 1.5 years' worth.
Processing is three weeks from outside the UK, eight weeks inside. You can apply up to six months before your course starts from abroad.
The money rule causes more refusals than anything else. The funds must be in the account for 28 consecutive days, and the statement must end within 31 days of your application. One day below the threshold resets the clock. Refusals typically come from a dip in the balance, a statement dated too early, funds in a parent's account without the right birth certificate and consent letter, or a lump sum that has not yet aged 28 days.
One correction worth making. Several agency and news sites currently claim the holding period has been cut from 28 days to 14. It has not. GOV.UK and the September 2026 Statement of Changes both keep 28 days. Acting on the 14-day claim risks refusal.
Where to apply
At the embassy or consulate of the United Kingdom that covers Sri Lanka, or through the visa application centre it names. Book early: in the busiest months appointments can be weeks away. Apply only through the official website; nobody can sell you a faster place in the queue.
Official pages: gov.uk. Checked 2026-09-24. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you apply.
Scholarships open to students from Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom
- Chevening Scholarships next deadline 2026-10-06
- Commonwealth Master's Scholarships next deadline 2026-10-20
- Commonwealth PhD Scholarships next deadline 2026-10-20
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarships
Questions students ask
Do students from Sri Lanka need a visa to study in the United Kingdom?
As a citizen of Sri Lanka you will normally need a student visa or residence permit for the United Kingdom before your course starts. Some nationalities may enter the United Kingdom without a visa and apply for the residence permit there instead; check the official page below for the rule that applies to your passport.
How much money do I need to show for a United Kingdom student visa?
£1,529/month London, £1,171/month outside, up to 9 months. RISES to £1,570 / £1,203 for applications from 30 November 2026. Money must sit untouched for 28 days. (source: GOV.UK Student visa: money, checked 2026-09-24).
Can I work while I study in the United Kingdom?
20 hours a week in term at degree level, full time in vacations.
This page is general information from official sources, not immigration advice. For a decision about your own case, the official source or a regulated adviser is where that belongs.