Student visa

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Your partner and children

Your partner and children (‘dependants’) may be able to apply to come to the UK or stay longer in the UK.

You must be one of the following:

If your postgraduate level course starts on or after 1 January 2024, it must be either:

  • a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8)
  • a research-based higher degree

Your dependants

A dependant partner or child is one of the following:

  • your husband, wife or civil partner
  • your unmarried partner
  • your child under 18 years old - including if they were born in the UK during your stay

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply, for example:

  • a marriage or civil partnership certificate for your partner
  • a birth certificate for your child

Find out what other documents you can use to prove your relationship.

Your child

You’ll need to prove that your child is both:

  • not married or in a civil partnership
  • living with you, unless they’re living away from home in full-time education - for example, at boarding school or university

You’ll need to provide 2 of the following documents confirming their address:

  • a bank statement
  • credit card bills
  • driving licence
  • NHS registration document
  • an official letter from their university or college

If your child pays you rent or upkeep, you’ll need to give details.

Money they need to support themselves

Your partner and child must each have a certain amount of money available to them. This is in addition to the money you must have to support yourself.

How much money they need depends on where you will be studying. They must have either:

  • £845 a month (for up to 9 months) for courses in London
  • £680 a month (for up to 9 months) for courses outside London

If you’re applying at the same time as your partner or child (you’re applying together as a family), you’ll need to prove you have both money to pay for your course and to support yourself and additional money for each of them.

If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you (they’re applying separately) they only need to prove they have money to support themselves.

You (or your partner or child) must have this money for at least 28 consecutive days. The end date of the 28 day period must be within 31 days of the date they apply for their visa.

If you have a student loan or financial sponsorship, you’ll need to provide evidence of this from your loan or sponsorship company. If your loan does not cover your partner or child, you’ll need to prove you have money to support them instead.

When they do not need to prove they have money to support themselves

Your partner or child does not need to prove they have this money if they’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.

If you and your partner or child are from a country listed under the ‘differential evidence requirement’ and you’re applying at the same time, they do not need to prove they have money to support themselves.

However, they might be asked to provide this evidence before they get a decision on their application.

If they do need to provide it, they’ll be contacted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) after they’ve submitted their application.

Apply outside the UK

Your partner and children must either:

They’ll need your application number - you get it when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

As part of their application, they’ll need to have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre.

They may be able to pay to get their visa faster or use other services depending on which country they’re in - check with the visa application centre.

How long they can stay

If their application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours.

Apply inside the UK to extend or switch

Your partner or child can apply to extend or switch their visa either:

This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.

Your partner or child cannot apply to switch in the UK if they have one of the following visas:

  • a visit visa
  • a short-term student visa
  • a Parent of a Child Student visa
  • a seasonal worker visa
  • a domestic worker in a private household visa

Fees

Each person will need to pay:

They’ll need to have their fingerprints and a photo (biometric information) taken - there’s no fee for this.

How to apply

Your partner and child must apply online. They must either:

They’ll need your application number - you get it when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

As part of their application, they’ll need to have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point.

They’ll also need to submit their supporting documents. They can:

  • upload them into the online service
  • have them scanned at their UKVCAS appointment

They must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision. Their application will be withdrawn if they do.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision - they’ll be told if they can when they apply.

If their application is successful

They’ll get an eVisa (an online record of their immigration status).

Their decision email or letter will tell them how to get access to their eVisa. They’ll need to create a UKVI account.

They can find out how to get their biometric residence permit (BRP) if they were told they’d get one when they applied.

Children born in the UK

If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.

You must apply for your child’s dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.

The form you fill in depends on whether your child is inside or outside the UK. Your child must either:

You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.

You must apply for their dependant visa before they turn 18 if they want to stay in the UK.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Study in the UK on a Student visa

  1. Step 1 Check if this visa is right for you

    You can apply for a Student visa if you’re 16 or over and want to study on a further or higher education course in the UK.

    1. Check what you can and cannot do on this visa
    2. Check what courses you can study on this visa
    3. You are currently viewing: Check if you can bring your partner or children ('dependants') with you

    If you're under 18 and you want to study at an independent school in the UK, you may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead.

    1. Check which visas you're eligible for

  2. Step 2 Prepare the evidence you need

    1. Check what documents you can use as evidence
    2. Prove your knowledge of the English language
    3. Check if you need a tuberculosis (TB) test

    If you're doing a masters degree or above, you may need to apply for the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.

    1. Check if you need to apply for ATAS

  3. Step 3 Apply from outside the UK

    1. Apply from outside the UK £490

    You'll need to prove your identity as part of your application.

    You'll usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

    1. Find out if you can pay more to get a faster decision

  4. or Apply from inside the UK

    1. Apply to extend if you're already in the UK on Student visa (or a Tier 4 (General) visa) £490
    2. Apply to switch to this visa if you're already in the UK £490

    You'll need to prove your identity as part of your application.

    You'll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.

    1. You may be able to pay more to get a faster decision you’ll be told if you can when you apply

  5. Step 4 Get access to your eVisa

    If your application is successful, you'll get an eVisa. This is an online record of your immigration status.

    1. Get access to your eVisa by setting up a UKVI account.

    You’ll need to link your travel document to your UKVI account. This should be the travel document you use to come to the UK.

    1. You may have to prove your immigration status when you travel to the UK

  6. Step 5 Check what you can bring into the UK with you

    1. Check what you can bring in your hand luggage
    2. Check what to do if you're bringing cash with you
    3. Check what goods you can bring with you
    4. Check what food, animals or plants you can bring into the UK

  7. Step 6 Check what you need to show at the UK border

    1. Check what you need to show at the UK border

  8. Step 7 After you arrive in the UK

    1. Find out how to get your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) if you were told you’d get one when you applied

    You might be able to extend your visa to stay longer in the UK.

    1. Check if you can extend your visa

    If you break the conditions of your visa you may not be able to come to the UK again.