UK Student Visa Guide for Chevening Scholars 2027

What the visa costs you

Good news first. Chevening scholars don't pay the visa fee or the Immigration Health Surcharge. When the online visa form asks whether you hold a Chevening scholarship, select "yes" and both payment pages are skipped. Here's what that saves you, and what you may still pay:

Which visa do you need?

You need a Student visa (formerly Tier 4) — the standard visa for studying at a UK institution for longer than six months.

As a Chevening scholar, your university will issue you a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies). This is the single most important document in your visa application. It's an electronic record with a unique reference number that confirms your place on the course, the course details and your scholarship funding. Alongside it you need your Financial Award Letter (FAL), which Chevening issues by August.

You cannot apply for your visa until you have your CAS and your FAL.

The CAS is generated by your university, not by Chevening. It typically arrives after you've met all conditions of your offer — including the university's English language requirement and document verification. Don't book any visa appointments until the CAS is in your hands.

The Student visa allows you to stay in the UK for the duration of your course plus a short wind-down period. For a one-year master's, that usually means about 14–15 months in total.

The visa application process

The process is straightforward in theory, but each step has potential delays. Here's the sequence you'll follow:

1. 1
   Receive your CAS

   This comes after you've accepted your offer and met all conditions. The university sends it electronically — you'll get a CAS number and a CAS statement.

2. 2
   Gather your documents

   Passport, CAS, your Chevening Financial Award Letter as financial evidence, a TB test certificate if required, and passport-sized photos. Full list below.

3. 3
   Complete the online application

   Go to the UK government's visa application website. Fill in your details, upload supporting documents, and submit.

4. 4
   Declare your Chevening scholarship

   Selecting "yes" to the Chevening question bypasses the visa fee (GBP 558) and the Immigration Health Surcharge (GBP 776 per year) — you pay neither.

5. 5
   Book your biometrics appointment

   After submitting, you'll be prompted to book an appointment at a visa application centre in your country.

6. 6
   Attend biometrics

   Go to the visa application centre in person. They'll take your fingerprints and photograph. You'll also submit any physical documents required.

7. 7
   Wait for the decision

   From outside the UK you'll usually get a decision within 3 weeks. You can track your application online.

8. 8
   Get your eVisa

   If your application is successful, you get an eVisa — an online record of your immigration status — plus a decision letter. Create your UKVI account and access your eVisa before you travel. The UK no longer issues Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), and since 15 July 2025 many study visa holders no longer get a vignette sticker in their passport either.

Documents required for the visa

Get these together before you start the online application. Missing even one can delay your visa by weeks.

• Valid passport — with at least 6 months of validity remaining and a blank page.
• CAS number — the unique reference from your university confirming your place on the course.
• Chevening Financial Award Letter — the official letter confirming your scholarship, which serves as your financial evidence.
• Academic qualifications — degree certificates and transcripts. If they're not in English, you'll need certified translations.
• English language test results — the IELTS, TOEFL or PTE score report your university used for your offer (Chevening has no English test requirement of its own).
• TB test certificate — required if you're applying from a country on the UK's TB testing list. Must be from a UKVI-approved clinic.
• Passport-sized photos — some visa application centres require physical photos for their records.
• Biometric data — collected at the visa application centre during your appointment.

Financial requirements

This is one area where Chevening scholars have a significant advantage over self-funded students.

Normally, Student visa applicants need to prove they have enough money to cover tuition fees and living costs. Self-funded students currently have to show GBP 1,529 per month (London) or GBP 1,171 per month (outside London), for up to 9 months, held for at least 28 consecutive days.

As a Chevening scholar, you don't need to show personal bank statements. Your Financial Award Letter serves as your financial evidence. It confirms that the scholarship covers your tuition fees in full plus a monthly maintenance allowance for living costs.

What Chevening covers

• Tuition fees: paid directly to the university — you never handle this money.
• Monthly stipend: paid into your UK bank account once you arrive, covering living expenses.
• Flights: return economy airfare to and from the UK.
• Arrival allowance: a one-off payment to help you settle in.
• Visa fee and IHS: waived through the scholarship option in the visa form.

Make sure your CAS correctly reflects that your fees and maintenance are covered by the Chevening scholarship. If the CAS shows incorrect funding information, contact your university immediately — the visa officer will check this.

TB test

If you're applying from a country on the UK government's TB testing list, you must get a tuberculosis test before you can apply for your visa. Most countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East are on this list. Chevening advises organising it as soon as you receive your conditional offer.

The test must be done at a UKVI-approved clinic — not just any hospital or lab. The UK government publishes a list of approved clinics for each country on its website.

• Results are valid for 6 months from the date of the test. Time it so the certificate is still valid when you submit your visa application.
• It's a chest X-ray, not a blood test. Results are usually available the same day or within a few days.
• Cost varies by country, typically between USD 50–150. Chevening scholars receive a contribution towards it once in the UK.
• Book early. In some countries, approved clinics have long wait times, especially during peak visa season (June–August). Booking two to three weeks ahead is a good idea.

Biometrics

As part of the visa application, you need to provide your biometric data — fingerprints and a digital photograph. This is done in person at a visa application centre, run by either VFS Global or TLScontact depending on your country. These are commercial partners of the UK government that handle the front end of visa processing.

• You'll book your appointment online after completing the visa application form.
• Bring your passport, appointment confirmation and any supporting documents.
• The appointment itself takes about 15–30 minutes. They'll scan your fingerprints and take your photo.
• Some centres offer premium services (lounge access, document checking, courier return of passport) for additional fees. These are optional.

In major cities, biometrics appointments fill up fast during the summer months. If your CAS arrives in June or July, book the earliest available slot. Waiting even a few days can push your appointment back by weeks.

Visa processing times

Once you've submitted your biometrics and documents, the waiting begins:

Priority and Super Priority services are not available in every country, and availability can change without notice. If you're cutting it close on time, check whether your visa application centre offers these options and budget for the extra cost.

Common visa mistakes

These are the errors that trip Chevening scholars up every year. All of them are avoidable.

1. 1
   Wrong CAS details

   If your name, date of birth or passport number on the CAS doesn't exactly match your passport, your visa will be refused. Check every detail the moment you receive your CAS, and contact your university immediately if anything is wrong.

2. 2
   Expired TB test

   TB certificates are valid for 6 months. If yours expires before the visa decision is made, the application fails. Time your test carefully.

3. 3
   Applying too late

   Waiting until August to apply for a September start is asking for trouble. Start the process the day you get your CAS.

4. 4
   Incorrect passport information

   Typos on the online form — a wrong digit in the passport number, a misspelled name — can cause delays or rejection. Triple-check everything.

5. 5
   Not declaring your Chevening scholarship

   The Immigration Health Surcharge is normally a mandatory payment on top of the visa fee. Chevening scholars avoid both only by answering "yes" to the Chevening scholarship question. Pay by mistake and the money cannot be reimbursed.

The Graduate visa question

This is the single biggest point of confusion — and frustration — for Chevening scholars. So let's make it absolutely clear.

The Chevening scholarship comes with a binding return-home requirement. When you accept the scholarship, you agree to leave the UK and return to your country of citizenship (your country of award) for a minimum of two years after your course ends.

During those two years, you cannot apply for any UK visa that would allow you to live or work in the UK. This includes:

• Graduate visa
• Skilled Worker visa
• Any other leave to remain

The FCDO enforces this. Under Chevening's terms, breaking the return-home requirement makes you liable to repay all the money paid to you during your scholarship — often tens of thousands of pounds.

If staying in the UK after your studies is a priority for you, Chevening may not be the right scholarship. Consider self-funding or other scholarships that don't carry this restriction (see Chevening alternatives). But if you accept the deal, honour it — the two-year clock starts the day your course officially ends.

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