UK Student Visa Validity: How Long Indians Can Stay

So there is no single "validity" figure that applies to every Indian student. Your visa length depends on what you study, and your stay after the course depends on when you apply for the next visa. This guide uses rules as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026.

How long is a UK Student visa valid for an Indian student?

It depends on your course. The Student visa is for students aged 16 or over with an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, and the period you are granted follows the course recorded on your CAS. GOV.UK's guide sets out how much time is allowed around the course dates. Check the "how long you can stay" part of the GOV.UK Student visa guide against your own CAS before you book flights.

Three practical points follow from this rule:

• A short postgraduate course and a longer undergraduate degree lead to very different visa lengths, even at the same university.
• If the course dates on your CAS are wrong, your visa dates will be wrong too. Ask your university to correct the CAS before you apply.
• English language courses of 6 to 11 months use a separate category, Short-term student. That is not the Student visa and has its own rules.

Children aged 4 to 17 at independent schools use the Child Student visa instead. It has the same £558 fee.

Where can you see your visa's end date?

On your eVisa. The UK now gives every successful applicant an eVisa, a digital record of immigration status that replaces the visa sticker. Your passport is returned at the biometric appointment, and the decision is linked to it digitally.

Before you travel, GOV.UK says you must:

1. create your free UKVI account,
2. link your passport to it, and
3. check your eVisa details, including the date your permission ends.

Use that end date for every plan you make: accommodation contracts, return flights and the deadline for any next visa application.

When can you apply, and how quickly is the decision made?

You can apply up to 6 months before your course starts. You apply and pay online on GOV.UK, then give fingerprints and a photo at a VFS Global centre in India. The standard decision time for a Student visa applied for from outside the UK is 3 weeks.

If your course start is close, UKVI offers optional faster services where available. Priority Visa costs £500 and is usually decided within 5 working days. Super Priority Visa costs £1,000 and is usually decided by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment. Both were offered at the New Delhi VFS centre in October 2026, and availability depends on visa type and centre.

For context, Home Office figures for the year ending June 2026 (provisional) show that 96% of sponsored study visa decisions for Indian nationals were grants: 83,958 granted and 3,846 refused out of 87,804 decisions. That figure describes past decisions; it does not predict yours.

Does a longer visa cost more?

Yes, through the healthcare surcharge. The visa fee itself is flat, but the immigration healthcare surcharge is charged per year and paid as part of the application.

The money must be held for at least 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of your application. Even if your course runs for several years, the funds rule covers one academic year of up to 9 months.

How long can you stay after your course ends?

To stay on and work, you need the Graduate visa. It is for students in the UK on a Student visa who have successfully completed an eligible UK degree or course. You must apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires; you cannot apply for it from India.

The Graduate visa fee is £937, plus the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 per year. A decision usually takes 8 weeks. You can work in most jobs, look for work or be self-employed. The Graduate visa cannot be extended, but you can switch to another route such as Skilled Worker.

Can you switch from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes, if you get a job offer from a Home Office-approved employer. The standard minimum salary is the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job. A lower rate of 70% to 90% of the going rate can apply if you are paid at least £33,400 and you are under 26, a recent graduate or in professional training, among other listed cases. New Skilled Worker applicants need English at CEFR level B2 since 8 January 2026, unless exempt; a degree taught in English is one accepted proof. Extension and switch applications made inside the UK are usually decided within 8 weeks.

Mistakes Indian students make about visa length

• Assuming a fixed number of years. Your dates come from your CAS, not from a standard term.
• Letting the Student visa lapse before applying for the Graduate visa. The Graduate visa must be applied for before the Student visa expires.
• Skipping the UKVI account. Without it you cannot view or share your eVisa before travel.
• Moving money in too late. Funds must sit in the account for 28 consecutive days.

For every UK route open to Indians, including fees and processing times, see our UK visa guide for Indian applicants.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). Message us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the UK Graduate visa from India after my course?

No. GOV.UK says the Graduate visa must be applied for from inside the UK before your Student visa expires. It cannot be applied for from India.

What is the UK Student visa fee for Indians in 2026?

The Student visa fee from outside the UK is £558, up from £524 on 8 April 2026. You also pay the immigration healthcare surcharge of £776 per year as part of the application.

How early can I apply for a UK Student visa from India?

You can apply up to 6 months before your course starts. The standard decision time from outside the UK is 3 weeks, and optional Priority (£500) and Super Priority (£1,000) services exist where offered.

Will the Graduate visa still be 2 years in 2027?

No. GOV.UK says applications made on or after 1 January 2027 get 18 months, while PhD holders keep 3 years. Applications made on or before 31 December 2026 get 2 years.