Bank Statements Checklist

Unless you are a government sponsored student or have a government backed student loan, you will need to present bank statements with your visa application to prove you can pay for your studies. This section explains the requirements.

WARNING: if you cannot provide bank statements in the precise format required, your visa application will be refused. This is by far the most common reason for student visa refusals. Please ask your student advisor to inspect your bank statements before you submit your visa application.

Checklist

The bank statements you present to support your visa application must comply with the following requirements:

• The account must be a personal account in your name, the name of a parent or legal guardian or your partner (if your partner is already in the UK or applying at the same time). Note: The account cannot be in the name of a company, even if the account holder has full control over the funds. It must be a personal account.
• The account can be a current account, deposit account, savings account or investment account. For deposit, saving or investment accounts, note that the funds must be available to you immediately.
• If the account is in the name of your parent, you must submit your birth certificate and a letter from your parent confirming their relationship to you and stating that they give you permission to use their funds for your studies.
• If the account is in the name of your legal guardian, you must submit legal papers confirming the relationship and a letter stating that they give you permission to use their funds for your studies.
• The bank statement must be an original from the bank, or a downloaded electronic version. It must be printed on bank headed paper and show the date it was issued, the account number, the account holder's name, the currency and the closing balance. It must also show all transactions for a period of at least 28 days, up to and including the date of the closing balance.
• The balance in the account must not fall below the minimum amount for a period of 28 days, up to and including the date of the closing balance (this is very important!). For detailed information on how to calculate the minimum amount, see The 28 Day Rule.
• You must submit and pay for your visa application no later than 31 days after the bank statement closing date.
• If the statement currency is not GBP, the Entry Clearance Officer will calculate the amount using the exchange rate on the day you submit and pay for your visa application. So you should make sure the bank statement shows more than the minimum amount, in case the exchange rate changes.
• The bank statement must be accompanied by a certified translation if it is not in English.

Also In This Section

• UK Student Visas
• Standard Visitor Visas
• The 28 Day Rule
• Approved English Tests
• TB Testing
• Immigration Health Surcharge
• Post Study Work Visas
• Documents Checklist (Student Visas)
• Documents Checklist (Visitor Visas)
• Interview Checklist
• Pre-Arrivals Checklist

Further Information

The following links will open in a new browser window.

• UK Government > Student Visas Financial Evidence
• OANDA Exchange Rate Calculator

Disclaimer: The information provided in this section is for guidance only. You should always check with the UK Government's Website (Visas & Immigration) for the latest information before applying for a student visa. Failure to follow the correct procedures is likely to result in your application being refused and could affect your ability to obtain a visa in the future.