The UK Student visa 28-day rule, explained for counsellors.
The funds requirement is where most avoidable UK refusals start. Here is how it works for a Pakistani applicant, and how to check a statement before the student pays the visa fee.
Figures checked 5 October 2026 against GOV.UK · 6 minute read
The rule in one paragraph
A Student visa applicant must show they can pay the course fees still owed for the first year and their living costs. The money has to have been in the account for 28 consecutive days, and the end of that 28-day period must fall no more than 31 days before the date they apply. If the balance drops below the required amount on any single day in those 28 days, the evidence fails.
How much money to show
| Living costs, London | £1,529 a month, for up to 9 months |
| Living costs, elsewhere in the UK | £1,171 a month, for up to 9 months |
| Course fees | What is still owed for the first year, as shown on the CAS. Deposits already paid and recorded on the CAS reduce it. |
The 31-day window, with dates
Say the statement shows the full amount held from 26 October. The 28 days are complete on 22 November. The student can apply from that point, and the evidence stays usable for 31 days after the period ends, so roughly until 23 December. Apply after that and the statement is too old; you would need a fresh one.
Students also cannot apply from outside the UK more than six months before the course starts, and must apply within six months of the CAS being issued. Line those three dates up before booking the biometrics appointment.
Whose money counts
- The student's own account. The simplest case.
- A parent's or legal guardian's account. Allowed, but it needs a letter of consent from the parent and proof of the relationship, usually the birth certificate. A missing consent letter is one of the most common gaps.
- An official financial sponsor. A government or university scholarship confirmed in writing.
- Anyone else, such as an uncle or a family friend, does not count, however willing they are.
Five checks before the student applies
- Does the lowest balance across all 28 days meet the total, not just the closing balance?
- Does the statement end within 31 days of the planned application date?
- If a parent holds the money, are the consent letter and birth certificate on file?
- Does the tuition figure match what the CAS says is still owed?
- Is the statement from a bank whose evidence UKVI accepts, with the account holder's name and the bank's details on it?
Polaris does this on every file
The visa desk reads the course, the CAS and the statement dates, works out the amount to the pound, counts the 28 days and puts the first and last sensible application dates on the calendar. A missing consent letter becomes a WhatsApp request to the student.
Quick answers.
What is the UK Student visa 28-day rule?
The money a student relies on must have been in the account for 28 consecutive days, and that period must end no more than 31 days before they apply. If the balance falls below the required amount on any day in the 28, the evidence fails.
Can a Pakistani student use a parent's bank account?
Yes, with a letter of consent from the parent and proof of the relationship, such as a birth certificate. Money from other relatives does not count.
How much money does a student need to show for a UK Student visa?
The first-year course fees still owed, plus £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months (figures checked 5 October 2026).
Sources: GOV.UK, Student visa guidance and Appendix Finance, checked 5 October 2026. Rules change; always confirm against GOV.UK before a student applies.