Nigerians seeking to study in the United Kingdom will need to provide evidence of higher funds for living expenses following an increase in the country’s student visa financial requirements.
Under the revised rules, students intending to study in London must show they have £1,570 monthly for living expenses, up from £1,529. This brings the amount required for a nine-month course to £14,130.
For students studying outside London, the monthly requirement will increase from £1,171 to £1,203, bringing the total to £10,827 for nine months.
The new requirements will take effect on November 30, according to changes to the UK immigration rules published by the Home Office on September 3.
The maintenance funds must be available in addition to tuition fees, visa application charges and the immigration health surcharge. The student visa application fee is £558, while the annual health surcharge is £776.
Applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover their living expenses and tuition fees for one academic year. The required money must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days before the visa application.
The funds may be held in the applicant’s bank account, a parent’s account, a student loan or through official financial sponsorship.
However, applicants who have lived in the UK with valid immigration permission for at least 12 months at the time of application are generally exempt from providing evidence of meeting the financial requirement.
The increase comes amid continued efforts by the British government to tighten its international student system, following measures introduced since 2024 to curb what it describes as abuse of the student visa route.
Nigerians among those affected
Nigerians are expected to be significantly affected by the changes, given the country’s high number of students travelling to the UK for education.
Home Office statistics released in August showed that Nigeria ranked third among nationalities granted UK study visas, with 26,060 recipients, representing seven per cent of the total.
Nigerians also recorded 3,820 student visa extensions during the period, the third-highest figure behind Chinese and Indian nationals.
At an exchange rate of approximately ₦1,825 to £1, the new London requirement translates to about ₦25.8 million for nine months of living expenses alone.
The amount excludes tuition fees, visa charges, flights and the immigration health surcharge, further increasing the financial burden on Nigerian families planning to send their children to British universities.