Applying for a Student Visa

Please consult the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website for full information on the student route visa application process.

The process can be summarised as follows:
1. Receive an unconditional offer from The Courtauld, pay your deposit and (where applicable) submit all required financial and English language documents.
2. Receive your unique CAS letter (including CAS number) from the Courtauld.
3. Apply for the student route visa.

Unconditional Offer

Once you have met all conditions of your offer to study with us, paid your deposit and had your place on one of our courses confirmed, you will be made an unconditional offer to study at the Courtauld.

Please note that although an unconditional offer confirms you have met the academic requirements of your chosen course, it does not guarantee that you will be issued a CAS – this is a separate process that may require additional documentation, in line with the UKVI’s requirements.

If you don’t meet the requirements for a CAS you will be unable to apply for a student route visa.

Academic conditions

Your offer email will include details of the academic conditions you must meet before we can consider your place as unconditional. Please ensure that you submit all required documentation to us by no later than 15th August. Without these documents we are unable to make you an unconditional offer or issue your CAS letter.

English language conditions

We may have asked you to prove your English language ability through a Secure English Language Test (SELT) as part of our offer conditions. These results should be submitted to the Courtauld once they have been achieved.

The UKVI may also ask to see evidence of your English language ability when you apply for your visa, so make sure your SELT results are available once you begin the application process.

Please note that the new IELTS Online test is not suitable for immigration purposes. If you intend to use an IELTS qualification to prove your English language ability, please ensure you register for the IELTS for UKVI test.

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

Once you have received an unconditional offer to study at the Courtauld, we will begin the process of issuing your CAS letter. As part of this process, we may ask you for further information that was not supplied as part of your application to our programmes.

Financial evidence

We may ask you to prove that you are able to afford the tuition fees for your course, and the living expenses to study in London. Please see the UKVI website for more information.

UKVI calculates the London living costs to be £1,483 per month for up to 9 months, totalling £13,347. This includes all costs; rent, food, transport and entertainment.

You will only need to show evidence of funds for your first year of study.

If you have already been in the UK on a visa for more than 1 year you do not need to provide financial evidence.

You may be asked to provide:

Bank statements showing enough funds to cover living costs and tuition fees (excluding payments already made, i.e. your £1,000 deposit). These funds must be in account for 28 consecutive days, with end of this period being within 31 days of your visa application.
The funds must be in an account that you have access to. Accounts that hold funds to a certain date (prior to your joining us) or don’t allow immediate withdrawals are not accepted.
If the account is in your parent/legal guardian’s name, your birth certificate or official documentation confirming your relationship will be required. A letter from the account holder confirming that you have access to their funds for your study will also be required.

The UKVI may also ask to see proof of funds, so make sure your financial evidence is available once you begin the application process.

Please see the UKVI website for more information.

CAS number

Once all documents have been approved and you hold an unconditional offer, the Courtauld will issue a CAS letter including your CAS number.

You will need to include your CAS number in the application for your student visa.

CAS issuance typically commences from the month of May onwards, for that year’s respective intake.

Application Process

Applications must be made via the UKVI website.

You can apply for your visa up to 6 months prior to the start of your course if you are applying from outside the UK, or up to 3 months if applying from inside the UK.

UKVI Checklist

As part of your application process, UKVI will ask for:

Passport:

Should ideally be valid for entire duration of course.
Must be valid for at least six months from the course start date. E.g. if your course starts in September 2026, the passport you use to apply for your visa must be valid until at least March 2027.
You may be required to post to a visa office. The average turnaround time is 3 weeks but please check local guidance as this can vary. We recommend using tracked/recorded delivery if posting your passport.

Visa application fee:

The cost to apply for a student visa is £524.

Immigration health surcharge (IHS):

The cost of the IHS is £776 per year.
Entitles you to use the UK healthcare system (NHS).
More information can be found here.

SELT:

If required, see exceptions here.

Academic qualifications:

You may need to show proof of the academic qualifications used to apply to the Courtauld.

Proof of finance:

See CAS section above for the types of documents you may be asked to provide as part of your visa application.

Confirmation letter if financially sponsored:

Proof of any educational loans you are receiving to study from an external body.
Note: Courtauld scholarships do not count as sponsorship.

Letter from parents/guardians:

If you are receiving financial support from parents/guardians, you may need to prove you have access to the required funds – see CAS section above.

Parent/guardian consent if under-18:

A letter confirming you have the permission of your parent/guardian to study if you are under 18.

Tuberculosis test:

Depending on the country you are from, or live/have lived in.
This is subject to exceptions – please see the UKVI website for a list of countries that require a tuberculosis test.

CAS:

Issued by the Courtauld – see CAS section above for required documents.

Additional requirements

Biometric information

You may be asked to visit a local visa office to have biometric information recorded.
Staff may take a digital photograph of your face, scan your fingerprints, and ask you to provide a signature.

Additional ID photo

You may be asked to provide an extra passport-style photo.

UKVI interview

UKVI may ask you to attend a ‘spot check’ interview – this does not signify that there is an issue with your application.
The purpose of the interview is to assess the genuineness of applicants, so the process usually involves questions about your immigration history, educational background, financial situation, and reasons for choosing the UK and your specific programme.