Picture a Lagos applicant with an offer for a September 2027 master's course. She asks: "Can I apply now?" Then: "When do I fly?" Then: "What if the decision is late?" Most UK Student visa stress comes from timing, not paperwork. This guide puts the official dates in one place and shows you how to plan around them.
Everything below comes from the GOV.UK Student visa page. Rules change, so check gov.uk/student-visa before you pay or travel.
Who the Student visa is for
GOV.UK says you can apply if you are 16 or over and meet all of these:
- You have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor.
- You have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course. The amount varies with your circumstances.
- You can speak, read, write and understand English.
- If you are 16 or 17, you have your parents' consent and can show evidence of it.
If you are 16 or 17, you may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead, so check which one fits. This visa replaced the old Tier 4 (General) student visa, so older blog posts and agent scripts using "Tier 4" are out of date.
The licensed sponsor point matters. Your school must be on the official sponsor list before the visa route works for you. If an agent is vague about this, read our guide on checking that a UK immigration adviser is properly regulated.
The key dates at a glance
| Question | Official answer |
|---|---|
| Earliest you can apply from outside the UK | 6 months before your course starts |
| Earliest you can apply from inside the UK | 3 months before your course starts |
| Usual decision time, outside the UK | Within 3 weeks |
| Usual decision time, inside the UK | Within 8 weeks |
| Earliest arrival, course of 6 months or less | Up to 1 week before the course starts |
| Earliest arrival, course longer than 6 months | Up to 1 month before the course starts |
| Fee to apply, extend or switch | £558 (plus the healthcare surcharge) |
There is one more rule that catches people: you must not travel to the UK before the start date on your visa, whatever your course start date is. Always read the date on your visa, not just your admission letter.
A worked timeline (hypothetical)
Say Ada has an offer for a one-year master's starting 20 September 2027. She is applying from Nigeria. This is an invented example to show the arithmetic.
- Earliest application date: 20 March 2027. That is 6 months before the start. Applying from outside the UK, she cannot apply earlier.
- Documents ready by February 2027. She doesn't want to wait until the window opens to start collecting evidence.
- Expected decision: about 3 weeks after applying. GOV.UK says "usually", so it is not a guarantee. Applying in late March or April leaves months of buffer.
- Earliest arrival: 20 August 2027. The course is longer than 6 months, so she can arrive up to 1 month early, provided her visa start date allows it.
Notice the buffer. If Ada applied in mid-August instead, a delay would put her flight, housing and course start at risk. Applying early costs nothing extra, because the fee is the same.
Preparing the evidence before the window opens
GOV.UK splits the process into steps. Step 2 is preparing evidence: documents, proof of English, and checking whether you need a tuberculosis (TB) test. If you are doing a master's degree or above, you may also need an ATAS certificate (Academic Technology Approval Scheme). The GOV.UK page tells you to check whether ATAS applies to you.
Do these early because some depend on third parties:
- Passport. Check the expiry date and spelling of your name. Your travel document is later linked to your online account, so a mismatch with your degree or NIN can cause problems. Our post on fixing a name mismatch across passport, NIN and degree walks through this.
- Academic documents. Nigerian transcripts can take weeks. See how to request your transcript for abroad.
- Money evidence. You must have enough money for your course and living costs. Use only your own genuine funds or properly documented support. Read proof of funds the legal way and follow the exact document rules on GOV.UK.
- English evidence. Book any required test early, since slots in Lagos, Accra or Nairobi can fill up.
- Parental consent (age 16 or 17). GOV.UK says you need evidence of consent. Check the official page for what is accepted.
Applying: from outside or inside the UK
From outside the UK
You pay £558, prove your identity as part of the application, and usually get a decision within 3 weeks. You may be able to pay for a faster decision, and you will be told at application whether that is on offer.
From inside the UK
This covers extending a Student visa (or an old Tier 4), or switching to a Student visa from another visa. The fee is also £558 and the usual decision time is 8 weeks. You can apply from 3 months before your course starts. You must apply before your current visa expires, and your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.
That 28-day rule is where people slip. If you are finishing one course and starting another, put both dates in a calendar and count the gap.
Costs to plan for
The visa fee is £558 per person. If you bring a partner or children (dependants), you must pay the fee for each one. You also pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application, and the amount depends on how long your visa lasts. I haven't quoted a surcharge figure because it changes; the application will show the amount. Convert pounds to naira, cedis or shillings using your bank's live rate on the day, and add a margin, since exchange rates move.
Whether dependants can join you depends on your course, so check the dependants page on GOV.UK before assuming.
After approval: eVisa and arrival
If you succeed, you get an eVisa, an online record of your immigration status. You access it by setting up a UKVI account and linking your travel document, which should be the one you travel on. You may have to prove your status when you travel to the UK. Set this up before you reach the airport, and keep screenshots only as a backup, not a replacement.
Before you pack, check the GOV.UK pages on what you can bring in hand luggage, what to do if you carry cash, and what food, plants or goods are restricted. Also read what you need to show at the border.
How long you can stay, and what comes next
If you are 18 or over on a degree-level course, you can usually stay up to 5 years. Below degree level, usually up to 2 years. The exact length depends on your course length and your earlier UK study.
After a successful course you may be able to switch to a Graduate visa. GOV.UK says it lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. For PhD or other doctoral graduates it is 3 years. If your course ends around this change, read our post on the Graduate visa change.
What you can and cannot do on the visa
- You can study a further or higher education course.
- You may be able to work. How much depends on what you study and whether it is term time. Your visa decision will state your conditions.
- You cannot be self-employed, claim public funds (benefits) or pensions, or work in certain jobs such as professional sportsperson or coach.
GOV.UK warns that breaking visa conditions may stop you coming to the UK again. That means no side hustle as a freelancer or informal "business" on the visa unless the official conditions clearly allow it. Read your visa letter carefully.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until the last month. A 3-week decision is typical, not promised.
- Booking flights before the visa. Also, you can't travel before the visa start date.
- Ignoring the 28-day rule when moving between courses inside the UK.
- Skipping ATAS or TB checks. Check whether they apply to you early.
- Trusting agents who promise a guaranteed visa or suggest altered documents. Both are red flags, and false documents can lead to refusal and long-term bans.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply as soon as I get my offer?
Only if you are within the window. From outside the UK, that is 6 months before the course starts.
Can I pay for a faster decision?
Possibly. GOV.UK says you will be told whether it is available when you apply.
Can I arrive earlier to settle in?
Yes, within 1 week (courses of 6 months or less) or 1 month (longer courses) before the start date, but never before the date on your visa.
Is the fee different from inside the UK?
No. GOV.UK lists £558 for applying from outside the UK and for extending or switching from inside.
Your next step
Take your course start date, subtract 6 months, and write that as your application date. Then work backwards: when must your passport, transcript, English test and funds evidence be ready? Put each date in your phone today.
Sources
Details checked against the official sources above on 3 November 2026. Things change, so confirm on the official site before you act.
This is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Rules change often, so confirm on the official government website or with a licensed adviser, and avoid agents who promise guaranteed visas.