Short Term Study Visa UK 2027: Requirements, Fees, How to Apply?

The UK Short-Term Study Visa allows international students aged 16 and over to study English language courses for 6 to 11 months at accredited institutions - without work rights or visa extensions.

Students willing to pursue short-term English language courses lasting more than 6 months (but no more than 11 months) must apply for a Short-term study visa in the UK. This visa allows you to stay for the entire duration of your course in the UK plus for an extra 30 days - given that the length constraints are met. This means that you get to stay for an extra 30 days only if the extended stay doesn't make your stay longer than 11 months.

Indian students planning to apply for the short-term study visa in the UK must know that they will be required to avail standard access to the UK's National Health Service (NHS) by paying a dedicated healthcare surcharge amount - just like students applying for a standard UK student visa do.

This article presents complete details on the short-term study visa UK for Indian students. Students may expect to see the application, documents, processing time and fee-related details in this article.

What is a Short-Term Student Visa UK?

A short-term study visa in the UK lets international students study English courses that last longer than 6 months but are shorter or equal to 11 months. For a course shorter than 6 months, one must apply for a standard visitor’s visa in the UK. On the other hand, for courses longer than 11 months, one must apply for a student visa in the UK.

Students on a short-term study visa can stay in the UK for as long as their course lasts plus an extra 30 days, unless their course does not last more than 11 months.

Note: This visa is not applicable for extensions or work rights.

Who is eligible for getting a UK Short-term Study Visa?

To be eligible for a short-term study visa in the UK, one must:

• Be 16 years or older at the time of application
• Have been accepted onto an English language course lasting 6 to 11 months at an accredited institution in the UK
• Apply from outside the UK and have permission to be in the country from which you apply. You cannot apply from inside the UK or try to switch to this visa if you are already there on a holiday or other visa. You must apply from your home country (or a country where you have valid residency permission).
• Demonstrate sufficient funds to cover course fees, living costs and return travel
• The course must focus exclusively on English language study; mixed courses or degree-level courses are not allowed
• You cannot study at state-funded schools or academies. You can only study at private English language schools or accredited university language centres. Attending state-funded academies or public schools is strictly forbidden under these visa conditions

Short Term Study Visa UK Fee

The cost of a short-term study visa in the UK is £228, which is equal to INR 29,500.35 (as per the conversion rate on Sep 14, 2026). Along with the short-term study visa UK fees, applicants will also have to pay healthcare surcharge fees as part of the application process.

The healthcare surcharge fee usually comes to around £776 and is equal to INR 1,00,404.70 (as per the conversion rate on Sep 14, 2026). The health surcharge is paid so that applicants can use the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

What Can You Do on a Short-term Student Visa UK?

While on a short-term study visa, students can:

• Pursue an English language course in the UK that has a duration of more than 6 months but less than 11 months from an accredited institution (as this visa is strictly limited to English language study). The accredited institution can be either:
• A UK institution, or
• An eligible overseas education provider, if the applicant is studying in the UK as part of an overseas course.

Note:- You can check more details about accredited institutions on the official short-term study visa UK page, i.e. https://www.gov.uk/visa-to-study-english.

• Avail of the National Health Service

Which Activities Are Not Allowed on a Short-term Study Visa in the UK?

The following activities are not allowed for someone on a short term England study visa in the UK:

• Change the course of study or study another course in the UK other than the one you have mentioned in your visa application form.
• Pursue the course at a state-funded school.
• Work on any type of job (paid, unpaid, work placements or work experience) or carry on a business in the UK.
• Bring your dependants with you to the UK while on a short-term study visa.
• Avail of the Public Funds or State Pension.

Who Can Apply for the UK Short-term Study Visa?

Eligibility criteria for applicants to be eligible for the short term student visa in the UK are given below.

• Age criterion: Applicants must be at least 16 years old or above.

• Course Specifications: The student must prove to the visa office that they are going to pursue an English language course that includes no other subjects from an accredited institution and that the course will only last from 6 to 11 months.

• Proof of Finance: Students must also prove that they have enough funds to support themselves while on a short-term study visa in the UK without getting any help from public funds or working. However, they can get accommodation support from their family and friends based in the UK.
• Cost of Travelling: You must also prove that you have enough funds to support your return/onward journey.
• Consent from Parents/Guardian: Students under the age of 18 years must make the arrangements for their travel and stay in the UK beforehand. Because 16- and 17-year-olds are legally considered minors in the UK, they must also provide proof of consent from their parents or guardian for the visa, travel and living arrangements in the UK for the stated period of time.

You may also read about a UK student visa -

• How to Get UK Student Visa in 5 Steps
• Common UK Student Visa Rejection Reasons

How to Apply for the Short-term Study Visa in the UK?

You can apply for a short-term England study visa UK by submitting an application online. The earliest you can do so is as much as 3 months prior to your date of travelling to the UK. Remember, as part of your short-term student visa application for the UK, you will be required to book an appointment with the visa office or visa application centre to submit all the required documents and verify your identity.

Note: The officials at the visa office may hold your passport and other documents to process your application.

Documents Required for the Short-term Study Visa in the UK

As part of the application process, you must submit the following documents along with your online application.

• An acceptance letter from your UK institution where you will be pursuing your English course. The documents must clearly state the name, duration and cost of your chosen course.
• A passport or other valid travel document. Your passport must have at least one blank page for your visa.
• Documents showing that you can financially support your trip. You can provide your bank statement or the last six months’ salary slips. If someone else is supporting you financially, then the details of the sponsor’s income, occupation and savings must be provided.
• Documents to show your travel plans and where you will be staying in the UK for the period of your course. Please note that you must refrain from paying the rent on accommodation or any cost of travelling until you get your visa request is approved.
• Proof of enough money to pay your course fee or, if already paid, a fee receipt, should be attached.
• Students belonging to some pre-listed countries need to submit their Tuberculosis test results. Indian students need to submit a TB test report if they have lived in the country for more than 6 months.
• Contact details of at least one parent or guardian in case the applicant is under 18 years of age.

Note:- All these documents must be either in English (UK) or Welsh. A certified translation must be attached for any document(s) in another language.

Short-term Study Visa UK Processing Time

After submitting the short-term England student visa UK application form online and all the required documents, students usually get a decision on their applications within 3 weeks. The 3-week standard timeline officially begins on the day you attend your biometric appointment at a local VFS Global centre (to submit your fingerprints and physical passport), not the date you submit your online application form. However, it must be noted that while most decisions are processed strictly within this 3-week target window, applications submitted during peak global intake seasons (typically between June and September) can occasionally experience minor backlogs.

Students going for regular full-time courses in the UK may also check - How to Get UK Study Visa?

This was all about a short-term study visa in the UK for Indian students. If you have any doubts, feel free to post your queries in the comments below.