Students wishing to study in the United Kingdom will need to show higher levels of funding from 30 November 2026 to meet the maintenance (living-cost) requirement. The Home Office confirmed this change in the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules in September.
Every Student visa application submitted on or after 30 November 2026 must use the new amounts. Applications submitted on or before 29 November 2026 will be assessed against the limits in effect on the date of application.
Students who wish to study in London must show at least £1,570 each month in available funds. That is about Sh273,400, based on a mid-market exchange rate of Sh174 to the pound as of 22 October 2026.
This compares with £1,529, equivalent to about Sh266,200, the current requirement for students studying in London. Students wishing to study outside London must show £1,203 (about Sh209,500) each month, up from £1,171 (about Sh203,900).
For a nine-month academic year, London students need £14,130 (about Sh2.46 million) in total, while students elsewhere in the United Kingdom need £10,827 (about Sh1.88 million). This represents an increase of £41 per month in London and £32 per month outside the capital.
The Home Office has said that the changes follow a routine review to ensure that the maintenance requirement reflects general living costs and the level of support provided to students.
Student visa applicants need to meet the maintenance requirement and also pay any tuition fees listed on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.
The money shown for maintenance must be kept in an account for at least 28 consecutive days, with the end of that period falling no more than 31 days before the visa application is submitted. The date on which the visa application is made, not the course start date, determines which amounts apply.
Separately, Student visa applicants must pay the standard Student visa application fee of £558 (Sh97,100) and the Immigration Health Surcharge at the reduced student rate of £776 per year of permission granted. The surcharge is approximately Sh135,000 per year and must be paid in full when the visa application is submitted.
– By John Murunga
