Student visas · IAA-regulated advice
UK Short-term Study Visa Advice in Birmingham & London
Come to the UK for an English language course lasting 6 to 11 months. We check you qualify, review your evidence and prepare your application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is the UK Short-term study visa?
The Short-term study visa lets you come to the UK for an English language course lasting 6 to 11 months. The course must be English only, with an accredited institution. You can’t work, bring family members as dependants or extend the visa.
It’s set out in Appendix Short-term Student (English language) of the Immigration Rules. You apply from outside the UK, and you don’t need a sponsor or a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). For a course of up to 6 months, you can usually study as a Standard Visitor instead. For other subjects or longer courses, look at the Student visa.
✓This is your visa if…
- You’re 16 or over and want to study English, and nothing else, for 6 to 11 months
- Your course is with an accredited institution, such as a licensed student sponsor or a school accredited by Accreditation UK
- You can pay your course fees, support yourself without working and pay for your journey home
- You plan to leave the UK when your course ends
→Look at another route if…
- Your course lasts 6 months or lessStudying as a visitor →
- You want to study another subject, or for longer than 11 monthsStudent visa →
- Your child is 4 to 17 and will study at an independent schoolChild Student visa →
- You want to work as well as study, and you’re from a participating countryYouth Mobility Scheme →
Quick check
Could you qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Will you be 16 or over on the day you apply?If you’re 16 or 17, you also need written consent from your parents or legal guardian.
Is your course English language only, lasting 6 to 11 months?A course of up to 6 months can usually be studied as a visitor.
Is the course with an accredited institution?For example, a licensed student sponsor, or a provider accredited by Accreditation UK or the British Accreditation Council. Not a state school or academy.
Can you pay your course fees and support yourself without working?Including your accommodation and your journey home.
Are you applying from outside the UK?You can’t switch to this visa in the UK.
Will you leave the UK when your course ends?Within 30 days of the end of your course.
Eligibility
Short-term study visa requirements
You must meet every requirement on the day you apply. The Home Office must also be satisfied that you’re a genuine student.
Your English language course
- Written evidence from the provider that you’ve been accepted onto the course
- An accredited institution: one with a student sponsor licence, or accredited and listed by a body such as Accreditation UK, the British Accreditation Council or Ofsted
- Part of an English course run by an overseas higher education institution can also count, if it has its own national accreditation, offers programmes equivalent to a UK degree, and offers no more than half its programme in the UK
- Not at a state-funded school or academy
Check the provider’s accreditation before you pay fees: a course with an unaccredited provider won’t qualify.
Age and parental consent
- You must be 16 or over on the date you apply
- If you’re 16 or 17, you need written consent from both parents, from one parent with sole responsibility, or from your legal guardian
- The consent must give their contact details and cover your application, your living and care arrangements, and your travel to and arrival in the UK
- If you travel with an adult who isn’t your parent or guardian, they must be named in your application or in the consent
If you’re under 18 and will be looked after for more than 28 days by someone who isn’t a close relative, the local authority must be told.
Money
- Enough to support and house yourself without public funds
- Your course fees already paid, or enough money to pay them
- Enough for your return or onward journey
- The money can be yours, your parent’s or legal guardian’s (with their written consent), or from an official sponsor such as a government or the British Council
Unlike the Student visa, there’s no fixed monthly figure, so your evidence must show the money is enough for your course, accommodation and stay.
Genuine student and suitability
- You must satisfy the Home Office that you’re coming for this course and won’t study anything else
- You must intend to leave within 30 days of your course ending, and not make the UK your main home
- Your immigration history and any criminal record are checked for suitability
- A TB test is needed if you’re applying from a listed country
Had a visa refused before? Tell us at the consultation: it affects how we present your application.
What you can and can’t do
- Study only the course you were given the visa for
- No work of any kind, paid or unpaid, including work experience and placements, and no business activity
- No public funds (most benefits)
- No dependants: family members can’t come with you on this visa
- No extension, and no switching to a Student or Child Student visa in the UK
Your visa is granted for 11 months, but you must leave within 30 days of your course ending.
Documents
Short-term study visa documents: the easy part
The list is short. Refusals usually come from a course or provider that doesn’t qualify, or money and plans that aren’t clearly shown.
What everyone needs
- Your passport or other travel document
- Your acceptance letter from the course provider
- £Proof you can support yourself and pay your course fees
- Details of where you’ll stay and your travel plans
- Parental consent and contact details, if you’re under 18
- A TB test certificate, if you’re applying from a listed country
Plus certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
Costs & timeline
Short-term study visa cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £228, plus the health surcharge of £776 for the 11-month visa. Most decisions are made within 3 weeks of your visa centre appointment.
Applying from outside the UK
| Home Office application fee | £228 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge11-month visa, charged as 1 year at £776 | £776 |
| Home Office total, per applicantbefore course fees, TB test and translations | £1,004 |
Home Office fee from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and Immigration Health Surcharge from GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. A visa of more than 6 months but less than a year is charged a full year’s surcharge. Course fees, TB test and translation costs vary by provider. Our consultation fees →
Get your place
Before you applyAccept a place on an accredited English course and get a letter confirming the course name, dates and cost.
Apply and prove your identity
Up to 3 months before you travelOnline application, fee and surcharge paid, then an appointment at a visa application centre with your documents.
Decision
Usually within 3 weeksCounted from your appointment. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.
Study in the UK
Up to 11 monthsStudy your course only. You can’t work, extend your visa or switch to another study visa.
Leave the UK
Within 30 days of your course endingOr when your 11 months end, if that’s sooner. To study further, apply for a new visa from outside the UK.
Avoid a refusal
Common Short-term study visa refusal reasons
This visa has few requirements, so each one is checked closely. These are the issues we check first.
The wrong kind of course
Only English language courses qualify, with no other subject included. A course with other subjects, or one longer than 11 months, needs a Student visa.
We check: your course details against the Rules before you apply.
A provider that isn’t accredited
The provider must have a student sponsor licence or a recognised accreditation. Otherwise the course won’t count, however good it is.
We check: your provider’s status before you pay any fees.
Money that isn’t shown properly
Money in someone else’s name usually only counts if it’s a parent’s or legal guardian’s, with their written consent, or comes from an official sponsor.
We check: whose money you can use, and how to show it.
Doubts that you’re a genuine student
The Home Office must be satisfied you’re coming for this course and will leave when it ends. Unclear or inconsistent plans can lead to a refusal.
We check: your application explains your plans clearly and consistently.
Missing parental consent
If you’re 16 or 17, consent must come from both parents (or the right single parent or guardian) and cover your application, care and travel.
We check: the consent letters say everything the Rules require.
Past immigration problems
Overstaying, previous refusals or not declaring something can lead to a refusal on suitability grounds.
We check: your history, and tell you plainly about any risk.
How we help
Our Short-term study visa application services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check your course, provider and plans, and tell you whether this visa or another route fits.
Evidence review
We check your acceptance letter, funds and, if you’re under 18, consent letters against the Rules.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application, with a cover letter that sets out how you qualify.
Further study
If you want to keep studying, we help you apply for a Student visa from outside the UK.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused, we explain your options, including administrative review, and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser where your case needs a higher level of advice.
FAQs
Short-term study visa questions, answered
Can I work on a Short-term study visa?
No. You can’t do any work, paid or unpaid, including work experience or a work placement, and you can’t run a business. You also can’t claim most benefits.
Can I study something other than English?
No. The course must be English language only, and you can study only the course you were given the visa for. For other subjects, look at the Student visa or, for a course of up to 6 months, studying as a visitor.
Can I extend my visa or switch to a Student visa?
No. This visa can’t be extended, and you can’t switch from it to a Student or Child Student visa in the UK. If you want to keep studying, you must apply for a new visa from outside the UK.
Do I have to pay the health surcharge?
Yes. Because the visa lasts more than 6 months, you pay a full year’s surcharge of £776 when you apply. It lets you use the NHS, though you’ll still pay for some things, such as prescriptions and dental treatment.
Can my family come with me?
Not as your dependants: this visa doesn’t allow them. Family members would need to qualify to come in their own right, for example as visitors.
I’m 16. Can I travel on my own?
Yes. You need written consent from both parents (or one parent with sole responsibility) or your legal guardian, covering your application, travel, care and what happens when you arrive. Keep a copy with you when you travel. If you’ll travel with an adult who isn’t your parent or guardian, name them in your application.
When can I apply, and how long does it take?
You can apply up to 3 months before you travel. After your visa centre appointment, you’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks, and you may be able to pay for a faster one.
What can I do if I’m refused?
You can ask for an administrative review if you think the Home Office made a mistake in applying the Rules. You apply from outside the UK within 28 days of the decision, and it costs £80. Reviews can currently take 12 months or more, so we help you weigh it against a fresh application.
Related routes
Other ways to study in the UK
Ready when you are
English, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.