UK Student Visa 28-Day Rule: How to Show Your Funds and Avoid a Refusal

TL;DR: The UK student visa 28-day rule means the money you show for tuition and living costs must sit in an accepted account for 28 days in a row, and never dip below the required amount for even one day. The closing balance date must be no more than 31 days before you submit and pay for your visa application. Miss either window and the application can be refused.

Money refusals are usually about timing, not wealth. A balance that falls short for one day, or a statement a few days too old, can undo months of planning. If you are applying for the UK January intake from Sri Lanka or anywhere else, the 28-day rule is the part of the student visa you can control completely.

Not sure your funds and timeline fit a UK January start? Check your eligibility with Prosper.

What the UK student visa 28-day rule requires

You must show you can pay your course fees for the first year (or the whole course if it is shorter) plus a set amount for living costs. The money must be held for a continuous 28-day period that ends on the closing balance date of your evidence. University guidance on the rule is blunt: during those 28 days, the money cannot drop below the required amount for even one day.

The living cost figure depends on where you study. These are the monthly amounts, for up to nine months:

The new figures come from a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published on 3 September and apply to applications made on or after 30 November. If you apply before that date, the current figures apply. Our guide to the UK student visa maintenance funds increase covers who is affected.

Add the unpaid first-year tuition shown on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Fees already paid and recorded on the CAS are taken off. Private rent paid in advance does not reduce the figure.

Want a second pair of eyes on your funds plan before the 28 days begin?

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How to count the 28 days and the 31 days

Two windows work together, and both are counted from your evidence, not from the day you feel ready.

1. The 28-day hold. Count back 28 days from the closing balance date on your latest statement. On every one of those days, the balance must be at or above the full required amount.
2. The 31-day limit. The closing balance date must be no more than 31 days before your application date. The application date is usually the day you submit and pay online, not the day you attend your biometrics appointment.

A simple plan: put the full amount in the account, leave it untouched for at least 28 days, get a statement ending on day 28 or later, then submit within 31 days of that closing date. If you need to move money between accounts, do it before the 28 days start, because a transfer restarts the clock in the receiving account.

Whose money counts, and what evidence works

The money can be in:

• Your own account.
• Your parent's or legal guardian's account. You also need your birth certificate showing your parents' names, translated if it is not in English, and a signed letter from your parent confirming the relationship and their consent for the money to be used for your studies.
• A joint account that names you, or one held by both parents.
• Your partner's account, if your partner is applying at the same time or already holds permission.

Money held by other relatives, such as an uncle or a grandparent, does not count while it sits in their account. It has to be transferred into your account or a joint account in your name, and then the 28 days start again.

Accepted evidence includes bank statements, passbooks, a bank letter, an official sponsor letter, a student loan letter and certificates of deposit. Statements must show the account holder's name, account number, bank name, date and the balance across the whole 28 days.

Funds that do not count: business accounts, shares, bonds, pensions, credit cards, overdrafts and any money you cannot withdraw immediately.

Common slips that lead to refusals

• The one-day dip. A card payment or automatic transfer that takes the balance below the figure for a single day.
• The stale statement. Submitting the visa form more than 31 days after the closing balance date.
• The wrong figure. Using the old amount after 30 November, or the outside-London figure for a London campus.
• Relatives' statements. Submitting a relative's statement instead of moving the money first.
• Currency gaps. Converted balances must meet the sterling minimum on the OANDA converter, so leave a margin.

Student loans and official financial sponsorship are not subject to the 28-day hold. Applicants inside the UK who have held valid permission for 12 months or more usually do not need to show funds.

Applying from Sri Lanka

• Balances held in Sri Lankan rupees count, but the converted figure must meet the sterling minimum on the OANDA rate, so keep a buffer above the required amount.
• A fixed deposit only helps if the money can be withdrawn immediately. Funds locked until maturity are not accepted.
• Ask your bank for statements or a letter on headed paper showing the account holder, account number, date and the balance for the full 28 days. Universities check this evidence before they issue a CAS.

FAQ

What is the 28-day rule for a UK student visa?

It is the requirement that your tuition and living cost money is held for 28 consecutive days, ending on your statement's closing balance date, without falling below the required amount on any day.

Can my statement be older than 31 days?

No. The closing balance date must be no more than 31 days before the date you submit and pay for your visa application.

Can I use my parents' bank account?

Yes. You also need your birth certificate showing their names and a signed consent letter from your parent confirming the relationship and that the money is for your studies.

Does a student loan have to be held for 28 days?

No. Loans from accepted lenders and official financial sponsorship are not subject to the 28-day hold, but the loan letter must be recent and in your name.

PS: The 28-day rule is the one part of the UK student visa that is fully in your hands. If you want to check that your course, funds and dates line up before the clock starts, check your eligibility with Prosper.

Check your eligibility ›