UK Visa Bank Statement Requirements 2026 — Exact Amounts for Every Visa Type

UK visitor visa needs £1,000+ for a short trip. Student visa needs £1,334/month for 9 months. Skilled Worker needs no specific amount. Here are the exact figures and what format UKVI accepts.

The UK visa financial requirement is not one number. It changes completely depending on which visa you are applying for. A visitor visa, a student visa, and a skilled worker visa all have different rules about how much money you need to show, how long the history must go back, and what the money is allowed to be.

This guide gives you the exact figure for each visa type — and the bank statement format that UKVI actually accepts.

UK Visitor Visa — Financial Requirements

There is no official published minimum amount for a UK visitor visa. UKVI assesses "financial sufficiency" on a case-by-case basis, which is deliberately vague — but there are well-established practical benchmarks that processing officers use.

Practical guidance:

• For a 1-week trip: minimum £500–800 in accessible savings
• For a 2-week trip: £800–1,500
• For a 1-month trip: £1,500–3,000
• For longer stays: £1,000 per additional month

These are not rules — they are the amounts that consistently appear sufficient in successful applications. Showing more than these amounts always helps. Showing less, without a compelling explanation, increases refusal risk.

What matters more than the amount:
UK visitor visa refusals are rarely purely about insufficient funds. The bigger factors are:

Ties to Pakistan — Do you have reasons to return? Stable employment, property ownership, family dependents, business ties. An applicant with PKR 5,000,000 in the bank but no job and no ties to Pakistan will very likely be refused. An applicant with PKR 800,000, a government job, a mortgage, and a family will likely be approved.

Consistent, organic account balance — money that has been sitting in your account for months is far more convincing than a large deposit made 2 weeks before application. Officers are specifically trained to spot "funds parking" — borrowed money temporarily placed in an account for the application.

How far back the history must go: No fixed rule, but 3–6 months of consistent salary credits and regular spending patterns is the standard expectation.

UK Student Visa (Student Route) — Financial Requirements

This is where the UK has a published, precise minimum.

For universities and colleges outside London:
You must show £1,334 per month for each month of your course up to 9 months, plus funds for the full course fee.

Maximum funds you need to show: 9 months × £1,334 = £12,006 (the cap — you never need to show more than 9 months' worth even for a 3-year degree).

For universities and colleges in London:
The maintenance requirement is higher: £1,334 per month — same rate, but London is considered separately from outside London. Wait — actually the UK updated this. As of 2024 the rate is £1,334/month outside London and £1,334/month in London — verify the exact current figures at gov.uk/student-visa as these are reviewed annually.

Course fees: In addition to maintenance, you must show you can pay your first year of tuition fees (or the full tuition if the course is less than 1 year).

Example for a 2-year master's at a London university:

• Course fee (first year): £20,000
• Maintenance: 9 months × £1,334 = £12,006
• Total to show: £32,006

Where the money can be held: In your own account, or in a parent's/official sponsor's account. If held by a parent or sponsor, you need a signed declaration that the money is available to you, plus their bank statement.

How long must the funds be held: UKVI requires the money to have been in the account for a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than 31 days before your application date. This is the "28-day funds rule" — the money must appear in the account on every day of a 28-day window.

This is critical: if you received a large deposit 3 weeks before applying, your 28-day window may not show consistent possession. The deposit must be at least 28 days before your application.

UK Skilled Worker Visa — Financial Requirements

There is no minimum bank balance requirement for the UK Skilled Worker Visa. Unlike most work visas, the Skilled Worker Visa assesses salary (your employer must meet the salary threshold for your occupation) rather than your personal savings.

However, there is one financial element: if you are applying from Pakistan and have not previously held a UK visa, UKVI may informally assess your financial credibility as part of the general character assessment. But no specific bank balance figure is required.

Maintenance funds for your family members travelling with you on dependant visas do have requirements — £285 for a dependant spouse, £315 for each dependant child, held for 28 consecutive days before application.

UK Family Visa (Spouse/Partner Visa) — Financial Requirements

The UK family visa has a strict financial requirement based on the sponsor (the person already in the UK) rather than the applicant.

As of April 2024, the minimum income requirement for UK family visa sponsorship is £29,000/year (increased from £18,600). This is the sponsor's income — the person in the UK who is sponsoring their Pakistani spouse or partner.

This threshold increases further if you have dependent children:

• £29,000 base for the first applicant
• +£3,000 for first dependent child
• +£2,500 for each additional dependent child

The financial requirement applies to the UK-based sponsor's income. The Pakistani applicant's own financial situation is not the primary assessment — the sponsor's UK income is.

UK Visit Visa for Medical Treatment

If you are applying for a UK visit visa specifically for medical treatment, additional financial requirements apply. You must show funds sufficient to cover:

• The full cost of the proposed medical treatment (obtain a cost estimate from the UK hospital or clinic)
• Living expenses for the duration of the stay
• Return airfare

Medical visit visa applications must include a letter from the UK treatment provider confirming the appointment, treatment plan, and estimated cost.

What Bank Statement Format UKVI Accepts

Accepted:

• Original printed and bank-stamped statements from Pakistani banks
• Bank-certified statements on official letterhead
• Bank letters confirming account balance and 3–6 months of statement history

Not accepted:

• Screenshots of mobile banking apps
• Informal printouts without bank stamp and signature
• Statements older than 31 days (for Student Visa, within 31 days of application; for Visitor Visa, within 28 days is best practice)

Translation: UK visa applications can be submitted in English — Pakistani bank statements from major banks (HBL, MCB, UBL, Standard Chartered PK) are already in English. No translation needed.

Certified copies: UK visa applications require certified copies of some documents, but bank statements should be originals or bank-certified copies, not self-certified photocopies.

Common Mistakes on UK Visa Bank Statements

Large recent deposit with no explanation. The single most common cause of UK visitor visa refusal with sufficient funds on paper. If you received a large transfer from a family member recently, you need to explain its source — a covering letter and the family member's own bank statement showing the transfer origin helps significantly.

Account shows high irregular activity. Accounts where large sums move in and out with no discernible pattern raise questions. A stable account showing regular salary credits and normal expenditure is more convincing than an account with dramatic swings.

Showing the account too early. For Student Visa applications, the 28-day rule means the funds must be in the account from day 1 of your 28-day window until your application date. Many applicants get this wrong by calculating the window incorrectly.

Not enough funds for accompanying family members. If you are applying with a spouse and children, their maintenance funds must also be shown — either in your account or in a separate family account.

Comparing UK vs Schengen Financial Requirements

For the full Schengen breakdown, see the Schengen visa bank statement requirements guide.

Internal links: UK Skilled Worker Visa Salary Thresholds 2026 · UK Student Visa Pakistan 2026 · UK Visa Refused — What to Do Next 2026 · Schengen Visa Bank Statement Requirements 2026 · Pakistan Police Clearance Certificate for Visa 2026 · HEC Attestation & MOFA Process 2026

UK visa financial requirements are set by UKVI and updated periodically. Student maintenance figures and family visa thresholds are reviewed annually. Verify current figures at gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration. This article reflects March 2026 data.