Financial requirements

To make a successful visa application, you must provide evidence that you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition fee balance for the first year of study, and maintenance requirement (living costs).

How much do you need?

You will need to show that you have enough money for both:
- the full tuition fee for the first year of your course.
- an amount of maintenance money (living costs) set by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
If you paid a deposit, it will be stated in your CAS as part of your tuition fee payment and will be deducted from the total amount you need to show.
For example, if you will be studying a 12-month MSc Management at Birkbeck and have paid a deposit of £5,000, you will need to show a minimum of £30,226 (tuition fee £23,220 - deposit paid £5,000 + maintenance £12,006) in eligible bank accounts.
Note: Please be aware that starting 2nd January 2025, the monthly cost for studying in inner-London will rise to £1,483, bringing the maximum amount to £13,347.
Payment towards your accommodation provider, including the University of London Intercollegiate Halls of Residence, will not be included in your CAS because it is not a payment made to Birkbeck.
If you meet the following conditions, you will automatically meet the financial requirement:

you are applying from the UK, and
you have been living in the UK for at least 12 months with a valid visa, excluding a visitor visa, on the date of your application. Holidays and short absences from the UK do not break the 12-month period. However, if you haven’t been based in the UK for a significant part of the 12 months you will have to show satisfactory financial evidence.

You don't need to provide financial evidence with your visa application if you hold a valid passport of certain countries (under ‘differential evidence agreement’), and are making your visa application from the country where you are living, or from in the UK. However, you should still hold the required level of funds as the case worker of your application can request this evidence.
You are required to meet the financial requirements at the time of your application and provide evidence when requested by the decision maker. If you do not provide the required evidence, your application will be refused. Therefore, it is important to have funds and evidence of them prepared.

When do you need to have this money?

You need to provide your bank statement(s) that demonstrate you have held the required amount of money in an eligible account(s) for a minimum of 28 consecutive days (finishing on the date of the closing balance day) ending no more than 31 days before your visa application date.

Acceptable types of funds

Unless funds are available as a student loan, they must be held in one of the following:
- a financial institution that uses electronic record keeping, which is regulated by the appropriate regulatory body for the country it is operating in and where UKVI can make verification checks
- an account belonging to the applicant, their partner (who is applying for their UK dependent visa at the same time or has been granted a UK visa), a parent or legal guardian (except for dependant partners)
- a personal bank or building society account (including current, deposit, savings, pensions from which the funds can be withdrawn, or an investment account) provided the funds can be accessed immediately.

Unacceptable types of funds

Other accounts (including pensions) where the funds cannot be accessed immediately, or financial instruments such as bitcoin savings, stocks and shares, overdrafts, and credit cards are not acceptable.
A business account is not acceptable as your financial evidence, even if the business is owned by your family or your legal guardians.

What to do if you are using your own funds

You will need to show the Home Office that the money is in your personal account(s) - you are not allowed to use money held in any other person's name.
Your personal bank or building society statement must show:
- your name or the name of your parent(s)/legal guardian(s)
- the account number
- the date of the statement
- the financial institution's name and logo
- the amount of money available in your account.
See an example of an acceptable bank statement.
What if funds are not in pound sterling (£)? If the funds are in your local currency, please check and include the exchange rate on the OANDA website. If your funds are in Iranian Rials (IRR) or Syrian Pounds (SYP), the exchange rate published on GOV.UK:  FCDO consular services abroad: exchange rates will be used.
Electronic bank statements: You can provide a download of electronic bank statements if they contain the information above. You do not need to have these stamped by the bank.
Bank letter: A bank letter should be on the bank’s official headed paper and include the name(s) of the account holder, the account number and contact details of the bank. It should be signed by an official from the bank.
The minimum balance must cover the amount required to show your outstanding tuition fees plus maintenance for a period of at least 28 days up to and including the date of the letter.

What to do if your parent or legal guardian is sponsoring you

If your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are sponsoring your studies and you are using their funds, you need to provide your parent(s) or legal guardian(s)’s personal bank statement(s) in accordance with the description above.
Additionally, they must provide a written declaration (in English or officially translated into English) confirming all of the following:
- their relationship to you
- that you have access to the funds
- that funds will be available to pay your studies.
- You can see an example parent's financial support letter.
You must also include an official and original document confirming the relationship between you and your parent or legal guardian (e.g., birth certificate, certificate of adoption or court order).
Affidavit or sworn statement put in writing is not an acceptable document to confirm the legal guardianship.

What to do if you are using your partner's funds

A partner means either your spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner.
If you and your partner are applying for visas at the same time or your partner has already been granted with a visa, funds held by your partner can be used.
In addition to your partner's financial evidence, you will need to submit evidence to confirm the proof of your relationship with your partner, such as a marriage or civil partnership certificate.

What to do if you are being officially sponsored

Official financial sponsors can be one of the following:
- the UK government
- your national government
- the British Council
- an international organisation
- an international company
- a university
- an independent school.
The list of acceptable official financial sponsors includes an ‘international company’. The Home Office has not defined this, but it normally means a company with a trading presence (an office) in more than one country.
Your official financial sponsor must have the funds to support you financially while you are studying in the UK and have the capacity to move, or experience of moving, funds across international borders.
You must include the sponsorship letter in your visa application. The letter must show:

your name and confirmation that you are the recipient
the amount of money the sponsor is giving you, or a statement that your official financial sponsor will cover the full tuition fees and living costs
the date of the letter
the length of your sponsorship, and
the name and contact details of your official financial sponsor.

See an example of an acceptable Financial Sponsor letter.
If you received financial sponsorship from a government or international scholarship agency, which ended within the last 12 months, you will need a letter from your sponsor permitting you to stay in or re-enter the UK for an unlimited time.
If your financial sponsor is only covering some of your course fees or living costs, you must provide evidence that you have the rest of the funds required.

What to do if you are using financial aid from USA or Canada

Financial aid for American students
If you are using US Federal Student Aid, you may need to submit a ‘Notification of Student Loan’ or evidence of loan approval. There is no requirement to maintain the funds for 28 consecutive days because the loans will be paid directly to Birkbeck. The living costs portion of the loan will be released to you in instalments after you have started the course.
If the financial aid does not cover the full tuition fees and living costs (maintenance money), you must have sufficient funds to cover the shortfall and be able to provide evidence.
For any questions regarding US Federal Student Aid, please email the US loans team.
Loans for Canadian students
If you are using Canadian Student Aid, you may need to submit an official evidence of approved loan. If your Student Aid covers part of your course fee or living costs, you must show that you have the rest of the money needed.
For queries relating to loans for Canadian students, please contact the Student Advice Service.

What to do if you are using student or educational loans

The student loan must be provided to you, not to your partner, parent(s) or legal guardian(s) even if the loan is for study purposes.
The student loan letter must confirm that the provider of the loan is one of the following providers:

a government
a government sponsored student loan company
an academic or educational loans scheme which is provided by a financial institution regulated for the purpose of issuing student loans by either the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or, in the case of an overseas loan, the official regulatory body for the purpose of issuing student loans in the country in which the financial institution is located and where the money is held.

If your financial sponsorship or loans cover part of your course fee or living costs, you must show that you have the rest of the money needed.