If you're planning to apply for a UK student visa and your application will land on or after 30 November 2026, the amount of money you need to show is going up. Here's exactly what's changing, and why the date you submit matters as much as the numbers themselves.

The New Figures

From 30 November 2026, the monthly maintenance funds required for a UK student visa rise as follows:

  • London: from £1,529 to £1,570 per month
  • Outside London: from £1,171 to £1,203 per month

For the maximum nine-month period most students need to show, that works out to £14,130 for London-based courses and £10,827 for courses outside London.

Why the Date Matters More Than When You Applied From

This is the detail that catches people out: it's not about when your course starts, or when you gathered your documents. It's about when you submit the application. The government has confirmed that only applications submitted on or after 30 November 2026 are assessed against the higher figures. If your application goes in before that date, even by a day, the current, lower amounts still apply.

Why This Is Happening Now

The Home Office describes this as an annual uplift to the Student Route maintenance requirement, bringing it in line with the maintenance loans available to home students for the 2026/27 academic year. It's a routine adjustment, not a policy crackdown, but routine doesn't mean small: the increase works out to roughly £41 more per month in London and £32 more outside it, which adds up fast across a nine-month proof-of-funds period.

Why Financial Evidence Is Already the Most Common Trip-Up

Even before this increase, maintenance funds evidence was one of the most common reasons genuine, otherwise-strong student visa applications got refused — not because the money wasn't there, but because the paperwork didn't show it the way the rules require: wrong account type, funds that hadn't been held long enough, or a balance that dipped below the threshold partway through the holding period. A higher required amount doesn't just mean a bigger number on a bank statement. It means less room for exactly those kinds of small, avoidable mistakes.

What This Means If You're Applying Soon

  • If your application is ready and you can submit before 30 November 2026, doing so locks in the current, lower requirement.
  • If you're applying after that date regardless, start recalculating your funds now using the new figures, not the ones you might have budgeted against earlier in the year.
  • Bank statements and financial evidence still need to meet the usual requirements — held for the specified period, in your name or a permitted sponsor's, and clearly showing the funds have been available long enough. A higher required amount makes a borderline or inconsistent statement even more likely to trigger a refusal.
  • If you're close to the threshold either way, get your financial evidence reviewed properly before you submit rather than finding out at the decision stage.

None of this changes who's eligible for a UK student visa. It changes how much you need to prove you can support yourself, and exactly when that higher bar starts to apply. Submission timing is now a genuine strategic decision, not just a formality.