Marrakech – Moroccan students planning to study in the United Kingdom will need to prove they hold larger sums of money before they can secure a Student visa. The UK is raising the financial maintenance requirement for international students from November 30, under a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules presented to Parliament on September 3.
Under the new rules, students whose main study location is in London will need to show up to £14,130 (MAD 179,310) to cover nine months of living costs. Those studying outside London will need up to £10,827 (MAD 137,395). Both figures cover living costs only and stand separate from tuition fees, visa fees, and the Immigration Health Charge.
The monthly amounts are also climbing. In London, the requirement moves from £1,529 (MAD 19,403) to £1,570 (MAD 19,923) per month, a rise of £41 (MAD 520). Outside London, it goes from £1,171 (MAD 14,860) to £1,203 (MAD 15,266) per month, up by £32 (MAD 406).
Across a full nine-month period, the maximum grows by £369 (MAD 4,683) in London and by £288 (MAD 3,655) elsewhere in the UK. Under the Student route, applicants must demonstrate funds for each month of their course, up to a maximum of nine months.
Applicants must hold the required maintenance funds in their bank account for at least 28 consecutive days, with the closing balance dated no more than 31 days before they submit their application.
Separate from these funds, applicants must also pay the Student visa application fee, which stands at £558 (MAD 7,081) since April 8, along with the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 (MAD 9,848) per year of leave granted.
The rules work on a sliding scale. If a course lasts less than nine months, the student generally needs to show funds only for the relevant number of months, though the maximum maintenance period stays at nine months. Students may also have to prove they can cover any outstanding tuition fees listed on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.
A related change touches accommodation. The maximum accommodation offset will rise from £1,529 (MAD 19,403) to £1,570 (MAD 19,923). That offset lets students show less money in available funds if they have paid a deposit for qualifying accommodation arranged by their sponsor.
The deduction is capped at the level fixed in the Immigration Rules, so students cannot automatically subtract their full rent or every payment they make.
Timing will matter for applicants near the changeover date. Applications submitted before November 30 will be assessed under the rules in force on November 29, while the revised figures apply to applications made on or after November 30.
The Home Office has tied the new figures to the maintenance loans available to home students for the 2026/27 academic year. The Department for Education reviews the requirement each year, and the government intends to keep aligning it with domestic student loans.
The annual increase was approved earlier as part of measures announced in May 2024 to curb abuse of the Student route, a commitment the Home Secretary repeated on July 30, 2024.
The wider Statement of Changes also amends the Student and Child Student routes to support the UK’s planned association with the Erasmus+ program from 2027. Under those amendments, Erasmus+ students may be sponsored for programs that do not lead to an approved qualification, and certain Erasmus+ courses at lower qualification levels will be permitted.
The Home Office reported that 412,825 study visas were granted in the year ending March 2026, and it expects the Erasmus+ changes to bring a moderate rise in use of the Student routes.
Read also: Rising Costs in France’s Tuition Fees Spark Concerns Among Moroccan Students
