UK Student Dependant Visa Rules for Nepali Students explains which courses allow a partner or child, the relationship and financial evidence, current fees, TB testing, work conditions and application timing. Most students on taught master’s and undergraduate courses cannot bring new dependants under the current rules, so confirm course eligibility before planning family travel.
Information checked on 24 July 2026. Immigration rules, fees and financial amounts can change; use the current Student visa family page and Appendix Student when applying.
UK Student dependant rules at a glance
| Item | Current guidance |
|---|---|
| Eligible government-sponsored study | A full-time course lasting more than 6 months can qualify when the student receives qualifying government sponsorship |
| Eligible postgraduate study | A full-time postgraduate course of at least 9 months; for starts from 1 January 2024 it must be a PhD, doctorate or research-based higher degree |
| London maintenance per dependant | £845 per month for up to 9 months when evidence is required |
| Outside-London maintenance per dependant | £680 per month for up to 9 months when evidence is required |
| Outside-UK application fee | £558 per dependant under the Home Office fee schedule from 8 April 2026 |
| Student dependant IHS rate | £776 per year, calculated from the permission length |
| Permission end date | A partner normally ends with the Student; a child’s grant follows the earlier-ending parental permission under the rules |
Who is allowed to bring Student dependants?
Under the current Student route, a person can normally sponsor a partner or child when they are either a qualifying government-sponsored student on a full-time course longer than six months, or a full-time postgraduate student on an eligible course lasting at least nine months at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.
For a postgraduate course starting on or after 1 January 2024, the university must confirm that it is a PhD or other doctorate, or a research-based higher degree. An ordinary taught master’s starting after that date normally does not allow new Student dependants unless the separate government-sponsorship route applies.
The exact CAS and sponsor position matters. Ask the university’s international student team to confirm whether the programme is coded as a research-based higher degree. A course title containing “research” does not prove eligibility by itself.
Students comparing the complete study route can use the study in the UK from Nepal guide before making family commitments.
Who counts as a dependant?
GOV.UK defines a dependant partner as a husband, wife, civil partner or qualifying unmarried partner. A dependant child is normally under 18 at the date of the first relevant application, with specific continuation rules for older children who already hold dependant permission.
The relationship must be genuine and continuing. Marriage or a certificate alone does not remove the need for consistent evidence. An unmarried partner must meet the current relationship requirements, including evidence of a durable relationship where the published rules require it.
A child must satisfy relationship, care and independent-life conditions. A child who is married, living an independent life or whose parental arrangements do not meet the rules can face refusal.
Can undergraduate students bring family?
An ordinary self-funded undergraduate Student does not normally qualify to sponsor a partner or child. The government-sponsored exception can apply only when the sponsorship and course meet its terms; a university scholarship or family funding is not automatically government sponsorship.
A family should not try to replace the dependant route with a Standard Visitor application when the real intention is long-term residence through the student’s course. Visitor permission has different purposes, evidence and limits.
Can taught master’s students bring dependants?
For courses starting from 1 January 2024, most taught master’s students cannot bring new dependants. The postgraduate route is limited to a PhD, other doctorate or a research-based higher degree, unless the student qualifies through government sponsorship.
Do not assume an MSc by Research or MRes is automatically accepted. The higher education provider must confirm the classification for immigration purposes. Obtain written guidance before accepting an offer based on family eligibility.
Financial requirement for each dependant
When evidence is required, each dependant needs £845 per month for study in London or £680 per month outside London, for up to nine months. That means a maximum of £7,605 for each dependant in London or £6,120 for each dependant outside London.
These funds are additional to the student’s outstanding tuition and maintenance requirement and additional to the amount for every other dependant. A family with a partner and one child therefore calculates two separate dependant amounts.
The location follows the Student’s place of study under the immigration rules, not the address where a dependant hopes to work. Use the CAS and current official definition when deciding whether the London amount applies.
The 28-day fund rule
Where cash savings are used, the required balance normally must be held continuously for 28 days. The final day of that period must fall within the permitted window before the application, commonly no more than 31 days before submission under Appendix Finance.
One day’s balance below the requirement can break the period. Keep exchange-rate movement in mind when funds are held in Nepalese rupees. Use a margin instead of maintaining the exact converted minimum.
An eligible dependant applying for permission to stay after living in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months may meet the financial requirement without showing these funds. Check the exact rule on the application date.
Acceptable financial evidence
Funds can come from qualifying accounts, official sponsorship or another route permitted by Appendix Finance. The account holder, financial institution, currency conversion, statement dates and accessibility of the money must satisfy the rules.
Do not use an account or loan merely because it was accepted for another country’s visa. Large recent deposits should be genuine and traceable. If relying on official sponsorship, make sure the letter clearly covers the relevant family member and living costs.
Read the UK Student visa documents guide before starting the fund period.
Application fee and IHS
The Home Office fee table effective from 8 April 2026 lists £558 for an overseas Student main applicant or dependant. Each partner and child has a separate application fee.
The reduced student IHS rate is currently £776 per person per year for students and their dependants. The total is based on the immigration permission length, which can include time beyond the teaching period. Each applicant pays the calculated surcharge during the application.
Fees are not the whole family budget. Add TB testing, translations, travel, housing, childcare, school arrangements and emergency funds. The UK cost guide provides a structured starting point.
Relationship evidence for a partner
- Valid marriage or civil-partnership certificate where applicable
- Evidence of a qualifying unmarried partnership under current rules
- Shared address, finances or responsibilities where relevant
- Communication and visits when a couple has lived apart for a genuine reason
- Consistent relationship dates across forms and documents
- Certified translations for required records not in English or Welsh
There is no benefit in uploading a huge unstructured message history. Use clear, dated and representative evidence that answers the relationship requirement without including unnecessary intimate information.
Documents for a dependant child
A child’s birth certificate or other official evidence must show the relationship. The application may also need evidence about the parents, address, care arrangements and consent. Appendix Children now contains several of the relationship and welfare rules used by the Student route.
If only one parent applies with the child, the family must address sole responsibility, serious and compelling circumstances or another applicable rule. This is a fact-specific legal issue and may require regulated immigration advice.
A child aged 18 or over generally must already have dependant permission and must not be leading an independent life. Do not assume a university-age child can make a first dependant application.
TB testing from Nepal
Appendix Student requires an applicant for entry clearance to provide a valid TB certificate when Appendix Tuberculosis applies. Nepal is on the UK testing list, so a partner or child coming for more than six months will commonly need testing when the residence conditions apply.
Use only a Home Office-approved clinic. Each family member who needs a certificate completes the relevant process. Book early and check the clinic’s current documents, age-specific procedure and fee.
How to apply
- Confirm the Student’s eligibility. Verify government sponsorship or an eligible doctoral or research-based course.
- Calculate funds for every applicant. Add the Student, tuition and each dependant amount.
- Prepare relationship evidence. Resolve spelling, date or translation issues before submission.
- Complete TB tests. Use the approved Nepal clinic when required.
- Submit separate applications. A partner and each child complete the specified dependant form.
- Pay each fee and IHS. Use the official calculation shown online.
- Complete identity steps. Follow the application instructions for biometrics and eVisa access.
- Wait for decisions. Do not make non-refundable travel commitments based only on the Student’s approval.
Applying together or later
Dependants can often apply at the same time as the Student or later while the Student has qualifying permission. Applying later does not remove the course-eligibility, relationship or financial requirements.
A person already in the UK cannot always switch into Student dependant status. Appendix Student restricts in-country applications from several routes, including Visitor and Short-term Student. Check before travelling under another category.
Can a Student dependant work?
Appendix Student generally permits a dependant to work, including employment, self-employment and voluntary work, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. Specific restrictions apply in some continuation or short-course situations.
The eVisa states the actual condition. A dependant must complete right to work checks and comply with employment, tax and professional rules. Permission to work does not guarantee a job or make childcare unnecessary.
Can a dependant study?
Study is generally permitted, subject to ATAS where it applies to an adult dependant’s intended course. A child can normally attend school, but admission, location, age and local-authority processes must be arranged separately.
Do not assume every school or childcare place is immediate or free. Research the UK address, term dates, application process and family budget before travel.
No access to public funds
Student dependants normally receive a no-public-funds condition. The family must plan housing, childcare and living costs without relying on benefits prohibited by immigration permission.
NHS access through the paid IHS is not treated the same as claiming public funds. The UK student healthcare guide explains coverage and charges.
What happens after the Student course?
A dependant who already held Student dependant permission may be eligible to continue as a Graduate dependant when the main applicant qualifies and applies for the Graduate route. A new partner normally cannot join the Graduate route from abroad simply because the relationship exists.
Review the UK Graduate visa rules guide before assuming the family can remain. Each person needs a valid application before current permission expires.
Common dependant visa mistakes
- Assuming every postgraduate course permits dependants
- Treating a taught master’s as a research-based higher degree without university confirmation
- Showing one maintenance amount for the whole family
- Breaking the 28-day fund period
- Submitting inconsistent marriage, address or child-care evidence
- Using a TB certificate from a non-approved clinic
- Ignoring separate application fees and IHS for each person
- Making non-refundable travel plans before all decisions
Frequently asked questions
Can a master’s student bring a spouse to the UK?
For a course starting from 1 January 2024, the postgraduate route normally requires a PhD, doctorate or research-based higher degree lasting at least nine months, unless qualifying government sponsorship applies.
How much money is needed for each dependant?
The current amount is £845 per month in London or £680 outside London, for up to nine months, when the financial evidence requirement applies.
Can a Student dependant work full time?
Work is generally permitted, including self-employment, except professional sport or coaching and certain specific restrictions. The eVisa condition is the final check.
Does every dependant need a TB test?
Each person applying from Nepal for permission longer than six months will commonly need a valid certificate when the residence conditions in Appendix Tuberculosis apply.
Can a new spouse join on the Graduate visa?
Usually only a partner already holding dependant permission under the Student route can continue as a Graduate dependant. Check the current Graduate rules for the specific family situation.
Related guidance in Nepal
For a visible second review of course eligibility, family evidence and the complete budget, consult the MKS Education UK guidance. Students preparing for IELTS, PTE, GRE, GMAT or SAT can compare classes at MKS Prep. The university and Home Office remain the final authorities for dependant eligibility.