UK Student Visa Extension Inside the UK: Rules, Fees, Timing

A UK student visa extension inside the UK is possible if you have a new CAS from a licensed sponsor, meet the academic progress rule (usually a higher-level course), apply before your current visa expires and start the new course within 28 days of that expiry. The fee is £558 per person plus the immigration health surcharge of £776 a year, and a decision usually takes about 8 weeks.

Last checked: 20 October 2026.

UK Student visa extension inside the UK: key facts

Who can extend

According to the GOV.UK Student visa extension page, you must:

• be in the UK on a Student visa (or the older Tier 4 (General) student visa);
• have an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, shown by a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS);
• meet the academic progress requirement, unless an exception applies; and
• prove you can support yourself if you have had a valid visa for less than 12 months.

If you are currently on a different visa, the separate GOV.UK switching rules apply. Visit visa and Short-term student visa holders cannot switch to a Student visa from inside the UK.

The academic progress rule

This is the rule that decides most extension cases. GOV.UK says your new course must be one of these:

• at a higher academic level than your current course (for example, foundation to bachelor’s, or bachelor’s to master’s);
• at the same level, but related to your previous course or career aims, at degree level or above, and at a higher education provider; or
• an intercalated course linked to a medicine, dentistry or medical science course you started on a Student visa.

For a same-level move, Appendix Student ST 14.3 adds that the sponsor must be a higher education provider with a track record of compliance and must confirm the link to your previous course or career aims. Home Office sponsor guidance also says you normally need to have completed the course you were last given permission for.

You don’t need to show progress if you are:

• resitting exams or repeating modules;
• moving because your original institution lost its sponsor licence;
• a former student union sabbatical officer finishing a qualification started on your last Student visa;
• completing a PhD or doctorate started on your last Student visa;
• continuing a medical, dentistry or medical science degree after an intercalated course; or
• extending to finish studies because of a work placement or study abroad.

Remember also the overall time caps in ST 19: no more than two years of Student permission from age 18 below degree level, and five years at degree level (with exceptions such as medicine and architecture).

Step by step: extending your Student visa

1. Check your dates. Write down your current visa expiry date and the new course start date. The start date must be within 28 days of the expiry.
2. Get your new CAS. Ask the university’s visa team early. Check every detail: course level, dates, fees paid, and how English was assessed.
3. Check funds if needed. If you have been in the UK on a valid visa for less than 12 months, you must meet the financial requirement, including holding funds for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of the application.
4. Apply online up to 3 months before the course starts and before your visa expires. Pay £558 and the health surcharge.
5. Prove your identity. Follow the identity steps the online form gives you. Fingerprints and a photo (biometrics) are free when applying inside the UK.
6. Stay in the UK. GOV.UK warns that travelling outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision will withdraw your application.
7. Update your UKVI account once approved. See our eVisa and UKVI account guide.

Documents to have ready

• Your passport and access to your UKVI account, which holds your current eVisa.
• Your new CAS reference number, issued no more than 6 months before you apply. A CAS that was already used in an earlier granted or refused application cannot be reused.
• Proof of funds, only if you have held a valid visa for less than 12 months: course fees still owed for up to one year plus £1,529 a month (London) or £1,171 a month (outside London), for up to 9 months.
• An ATAS certificate, if your new course is at RQF 7 or above in a sensitive subject that needs one. Your university will tell you.
• Evidence of English only if your CAS or the form asks for it. GOV.UK says you don’t need to prove English again if you already proved it in a previous visa application.
• Parental consent, if you are 16 or 17.

Check that names, dates of birth and passport numbers match exactly across every document. A small mismatch can delay a decision by weeks.

How much health surcharge you’ll pay

The surcharge is based on the length of the new visa, not the course. Per the GOV.UK surcharge page:

While you wait and if you’re refused

GOV.UK says you can stay in the UK while your application is being considered. If you are refused and ask for an administrative review, you can stay until the review is decided. Inside the UK, a review must be requested within 14 days of the decision and costs £80. See our UK student visa refusal reasons guide.

Family members

Partners and children must make their own applications, either with you or before their visas expire. Each pays the £558 fee and the surcharge. Whether they can stay depends on the dependant rules; see UK dependant visa rules for PhD and research students.

Tips for Nepali students

• If you need to show funds again and your family is sending money from Nepal, start early so the full 28 days are in place before you apply. See our guide on transfers between Nepal and abroad.
• Don’t plan a trip home for Dashain or Tihar while your application is pending; leaving withdraws it.
• If you’re finishing a degree, compare extending as a student with the Graduate route in our Graduate vs Skilled Worker guide.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a new course at the same or a lower level without checking the academic progress rule.
• Letting the current visa expire before applying.
• A new course starting more than 28 days after the visa expires.
• Using a CAS more than 6 months old.
• Travelling abroad while the application is pending.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a UK student visa extension cost?
£558 per person, plus the immigration health surcharge of £776 per year of the new visa (£388 if the visa is 6 months or less). Biometrics are free.

Can I extend my UK student visa for a second master’s?
Only if it meets the academic progress rule: a same-level course must be at degree level or above, at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, and confirmed by the sponsor as related to your previous course or career aims.

How early can I apply to extend my Student visa?
Up to 3 months before your new course starts, and always before your current visa expires.

Do I need to show bank statements to extend inside the UK?
Only if you have had a valid visa in the UK for less than 12 months, according to GOV.UK.

Can I travel while my UK visa extension is pending?
No. Leaving the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision withdraws your application.

Related guides

• UK Dependant Visa for PhD and Research Students: 2026 Rules
• UK Student Accommodation Renting Guide for Nepali Students
• UK Foundation Year and Top-Up Degree Guide for Nepali Students
• How to Apply for a UK Student Visa from Nepal (Step by Step)
• UK Cost of Living for Students: London vs Outside London

Sources

• Student visa: extend your visa – GOV.UK
• Student visa: switch to this visa – GOV.UK
• Healthcare surcharge: how much you pay – GOV.UK
• Immigration Rules Appendix Student (ST 14, ST 19) – GOV.UK
• Student Sponsor Guidance Document 2 (10/2026) – Home Office
• Administrative review if you’re in the UK – GOV.UK

Last checked: 20 October 2026. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.