Dependant visa applications from outside the UK

Your dependants must apply for their visa from the country they usually live in before they travel to the UK.

Your dependants will need to attend a biometric appointment at a Visa Application Centre to have their photo and fingerprints taken for their BRP card (fingerprints will not be taken for children under the age of 5).

Financial Requirements

Your partner and any children must be able to show that they can meet the Student Dependant requirements. Each dependant must be able to show that they have at least £680 a month for the length of the visa they will receive up to 9 months. You can show the funds for your dependants or your partner can show it. The funds must be held for at least 28 consecutive days and the bank statement must have been issued within 31 days of the date of the application.

If you are in receipt of an official financial sponsorship that covers you and your dependants you can provide your sponsor letter as evidence of funds. However, the letter must name each of your dependants and state how much they will receive each month for living expenses. If your sponsorship does not meet the financial requirement you or your partner will need to provide financial documents to show that you have held the remaining amount in your account for 28 days.

If you and your dependants hold an exempt nationality under the differential evidence requirement, and they are applying for their visa at the same time as you, they do not need to provide any financial evidence with their application. However, they should still ensure that they have held the required level of funds for 28 days before applying for their visa because UKVI can still ask them to provide it at a later date.

How to apply

Your dependants will need to complete a visa application online through the UKVI website;

• There is a separate online form for dependant partners and dependant children;
• Each dependant needs to pay the application fee of £524 online along with the immigration healthcare surcharge;
• In-person or priority applications, if available, will incur a higher cost. Check with the Visa Application Centre for priority services;
• The application form should make clear that your dependant is accompanying the main applicant who is studying in the UK so you will need to include your CAS number and the details of your course. If your dependants are applying at the same time as you, they should write your application reference number in the form;
• If your dependant’s application is successful they will receive a 90 day vignette sticker in their passport which will allow them to travel to the UK. Their dependant visa will be digital so they can generate a share code to show to employers or landlords as evidence of their immigration status.

Support documents required

The online application form contains details of all the supporting documents dependants are required to submit with their application. You should also read the information on the UKVI website.

• Passport (must be valid for at least a few months)
• If you are coming to the UK for more than six months you may require a TB certificate. Check on the UKVI website if you are from a country that requires a TB certificate.
• Evidence of your relationship to the student – a marriage or civil partnership certificate for Dependant Partners and evidence that your relationship is subsisting and a birth certificate for a Dependant Child
  • If you are not married or in a civil partnership then you must have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years and provide sufficient evidence to prove this e.g. bills, tenancy agreements, bank statements, photographs etc... Please read the UKVI case worker guidance on proving you have a durable relationship.
  • If you have recently got married but have not lived together or your dependant is not applying at the same time as you, then your dependant should provide evidence that your relationship is subsisting e.g. signed letters to say you intend to live together in the UK, photographs and correspondence covering the duration of your relationship. This evidence could include dated photographs of your wedding or honeymoon, or labelled photographs of the two of you together, as well as emails, WhatsApp messages or other digital correspondence between you both. You can also submit evidence of living together such as utility bills, GP letters or joint bank account statements eg. if you have lived together in the UK while your spouse/partner held a visitor visa.
• Financial evidence - A dependant needs to show at least £6120 (£680 per month for nine months) for maintenance, unless their visa will be for less than nine months duration. They should provide bank statements (less than one month old) showing the correct funds for at least 28 days before completing the online form. The funds can be in the dependant's account, the main student's account or a joint account.
• Additional evidence for dependant children - a letter of consent signed by both parents that confirms your relationship to the child and confirms that both parents give consent for the child's application. Read our guide to writing the letter of consent for more information. 

Applying separately to the main applicant

If your dependants are not applying at the same time as you they should include a copy of your visa and passport in their application. The dependant application form should state clearly that they are joining the main applicant who will be in the UK as a student and you intend to live together. They should also include a confirmation of attendance letter which can be requested through the Student Services Centre enquiry form that confirms that you are a registered student with us.

If your spouse is joining you in the UK and you have recently got married but have not lived together then your spouse should provide evidence that your relationship is subsisting e.g. signed letters to say you intend to live together in the UK, photographs and correspondence covering the duration of your relationship. This evidence could include dated photographs of your wedding or honeymoon, or photographs of the two of you together, as well as email or text messages covering the duration of your relationship.

Dependants should be given the same period of leave as the Student visa holder.

Further information

UK Council for International Students (UKCISA): Advice for students with dependants

If your dependant’s application is refused please email us and include scans of all pages of the refusal notice. We can then advise about the next steps.