UK Student Visa: 63 Countries Exempt From Proof of Funds, Nigeria Excluded

The United Kingdom has exempted citizens of 63 countries and territories from providing financial evidence upfront when applying for a Student visa, under its differential evidence requirement.

The policy means eligible applicants generally do not need to submit documents showing that they have sufficient funds to support themselves during their studies when they make their initial visa applications.However, the exemption does not remove the underlying financial requirement. The UK government can still ask applicants from the exempt countries to provide evidence of their finances before deciding their applications.

For students who are required to provide financial evidence, the current UK Student visa rules require applicants to demonstrate that they have enough money to cover their living expenses while studying in Britain.Students studying in London are required to show £1,529 per month for up to nine months, while those studying outside London must generally demonstrate £1,171 per month for up to nine months.

Applicants may also be required to show that they have enough money to pay their course fees for one academic year, subject to the amount stated on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).The required maintenance funds generally must have been held for 28 consecutive days, with the end of that period falling within 31 days of the visa application.

The countries covered by the differential evidence arrangement include Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and the United States.The relevant UK immigration guidance also contains provisions covering certain applicants holding passports from Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan, as well as British National (Overseas) passport holders.Among African countries, Botswana, Mauritius and Tunisia are included on the list.

Nigeria is not included, meaning Nigerian citizens applying for a UK Student visa should continue to prepare to meet the applicable financial evidence requirements.

The same applies to applicants from several other major African countries, including Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, which are also not among the countries listed under the differential evidence arrangement.

The exemption is therefore not a blanket waiver of financial requirements for international students.Instead, it changes the documentary evidence requirement at the point of application for nationals of the specified countries.

Applicants covered by the arrangement must still satisfy other UK Student visa requirements, including securing admission to an approved education provider and obtaining a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.

They must also satisfy the other eligibility and immigration conditions applicable to their circumstances.For applicants who do need to provide financial evidence, acceptable funds can generally include money held by the applicant, qualifying funds held by a parent or partner, an eligible student loan or official financial sponsorship.

The UK rules exclude certain assets from being used as qualifying financial evidence, including overdrafts, cryptocurrencies, stocks and shares and pensions.

There are also circumstances in which an applicant who is not covered by the 63-country differential evidence list may not have to provide financial evidence.For example, applicants who have been living in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months immediately before the date of their Student visa application are generally exempt from demonstrating the financial requirement.

The distinction between the financial requirement and the requirement to submit financial evidence is therefore important.

A student from one of the 63 countries is generally not required to attach proof of funds to the initial application, but UK Visas and Immigration can still request evidence.If such a request is made, the applicant must be able to demonstrate that they meet the relevant financial requirement.

For Nigerian students, the situation remains unchanged by the latest differential evidence list.
A Nigerian applicant planning to study in Britain should therefore ensure that the required funds are available and satisfy the relevant rules before submitting a UK Student visa application.