UK Student Visa from China: Complete Guide
This guide covers the Student visa rules as they apply to an application made from China: getting a CAS, the Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate some courses need, financial evidence held in yuan, the tuberculosis test, and the steps at a visa application centre.
- Section
- Student & Graduate
- Reading time
- 11 min
- Last checked
- 24 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- China is on the tuberculosis testing list, and the test must be at a clinic the Home Office has approved.
- Money held in yuan is converted to pounds using the OANDA spot rate for the date of the application.
- An Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate is needed for some postgraduate courses. GOV.UK says these take at least 30 working days, sometimes longer.
- GOV.UK's service standard for a Student visa applied for outside the UK is a decision within 3 weeks.
- The Graduate route gives 2 years in the UK if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, or 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. It is 3 years after a PhD.
An application for a UK Student visa from China needs a CAS from the university, financial evidence showing money held for 28 days in a row, a tuberculosis test certificate from a clinic the Home Office has approved, and proof of English at the level GOV.UK sets for the course. Some postgraduate courses also need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate, which GOV.UK says takes at least 30 working days. This guide sets out those requirements and the rules behind them.
Before You Apply
Your first step is to secure an offer from a UK university and receive your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). The CAS contains all the information the Home Office needs to assess your application. You cannot apply without one.
For the general Student visa process, see our complete UK Student Visa guide. This guide focuses on China-specific requirements and practical advice.
ATAS Clearance
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) covers postgraduate study and research in a set of sensitive subjects. GOV.UK lists the nationalities that are exempt from it; China is not among them, so a Chinese national needs a certificate if the course, the research or the job requires one. Your university tells you whether yours does, and the requirement is noted on your CAS.
There is no fee for an ATAS application. GOV.UK says applications take at least 30 working days — about 6 weeks — and that complex ones take longer. For a Student visa the certificate has to be in place before the visa application is made, so the ATAS timetable sets the earliest date the visa application can be submitted. A certificate can be used for a visa application for 6 months from the date it was issued.
Apply through the ATAS page on GOV.UK.
Financial Evidence
You need to show that you can pay your course fees (minus any deposits already paid) plus living costs:
- London: 1,529 GBP per month for up to 9 months
- Outside London: 1,171 GBP per month for up to 9 months
The money must have been in the account for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that period must be within 31 days of the date you apply. Appendix Finance says money held in another currency is converted to pounds using the OANDA spot rate for the date of the application, so the pound value of a yuan balance is not fixed until the day you apply. It also says the money must sit in a financial institution that is regulated in the country it operates in, that keeps electronic records, and that the decision maker can carry out verification checks on. GOV.UK does not publish a list of banks it accepts.
Appendix Finance allows a Student to rely on money held in an account in the name of a parent or legal guardian. Where that applies, the application also needs proof of the relationship and the parent or guardian's written consent to the money being used. An overdraft does not count towards the total. See our Student visa cost guide for a full breakdown.
TB Test
China is on the tuberculosis testing list. A test is needed if you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, you have lived in China for 6 months or more, and you were living there — or in another listed country — within the last 6 months. You must be tested at a clinic the Home Office has approved. GOV.UK publishes the list, with clinics in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dongguan, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Jinan, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Xian.
The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the X-ray. Each clinic sets its own fee and GOV.UK prints it beside the clinic: the adult fees listed run from 480 to 550 yuan, with lower fees for children. You need the certificate before you can submit the visa application.
English Language
The English language requirement is CEFR B2 for a course at degree level or above, and CEFR B1 for a course below degree level. Where the visa application needs a test of its own, it must be a Secure English Language Test from a provider the Home Office has approved. IELTS for UKVI is one of those, and is offered at test centres across China. A test a university accepts for admission is not automatically an approved Secure English Language Test, so check which one your application needs before booking.
Check your CAS for the exact English requirement. If you are studying at degree level or above at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, that provider can assess your English itself. Where it has done so, this is noted on the CAS and a separate test result is not sent with the visa application.
Applying and Giving Your Biometrics
You apply online through GOV.UK and then book an appointment to give your fingerprints and photograph at a visa application centre. GOV.UK's find a visa application centre service lists the centres and which cities they are in; the centres in China are run by VFS Global on the Home Office's behalf.
At the appointment you give fingerprints and a photograph. Supporting documents can be uploaded online or handed in at the centre.
GOV.UK's service standard is a decision within 3 weeks for a Student visa applied for from outside the UK. That is a standard, not a promise. GOV.UK also runs a priority service costing 500 GBP, which aims at a decision within 5 working days, and a super priority service costing 1,000 GBP. Neither is offered everywhere: GOV.UK says you are told when you apply whether you can pay for a faster decision.
After You Arrive
When you arrive in the UK:
- Set up or sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and check your online status. There is no card to collect: biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024
- Open a UK bank account
- Register with a GP
- Apply for your council tax exemption
- Get a UK phone number
Most UK universities have active Chinese student societies that can help you settle in. For broader country guidance, see our guide to moving to the UK from China.
After Your Course
The Graduate route lets you stay in the UK without a sponsor after completing your course: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, or 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years after a PhD or other doctoral qualification either way.
Switching to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK is not open at any moment during the course. Appendix Skilled Worker says a Student applying to switch must either have completed the course the CAS was assigned for, or be on a full-time course at degree level or above at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance where the certificate of sponsorship starts no earlier than the course completion date, or be at least 24 months into a PhD at such a provider. See our guide on what to do after your course ends.
For official information, visit the GOV.UK Student visa page.
Questions and answers
Do Chinese students need a TB test for a UK Student Visa?
Yes, if you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more. China is on the list of countries where a test is needed. You must be tested at a clinic the Home Office has approved; GOV.UK publishes the list, which covers Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dongguan, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Jinan, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Xian. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the X-ray.
How much financial evidence do Chinese students need?
You need to show course fees (minus deposits already paid) plus living costs of 1,529 GBP per month for up to 9 months (London) or 1,171 GBP per month (outside London). The money must have been held for 28 days in a row, and the end of that period must be within 31 days of the date you apply. Money held in another currency is converted to pounds using the OANDA spot rate for the date of the application.
Do I need ATAS clearance as a Chinese student?
Chinese nationals are not on the ATAS exempt list, so an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate is needed if the course, research or job requires one. Your university tells you whether yours does, and it is noted on the CAS. There is no fee. GOV.UK says ATAS applications take at least 30 working days (6 weeks) to process and that complex ones take longer, and that for a Student visa the certificate has to be in place before the visa application is made.
Which English tests are accepted for Chinese students?
Where the visa application itself needs a test, it must be a Secure English Language Test from a provider the Home Office has approved — IELTS for UKVI is one of them. A test a university accepts for admission is not automatically an approved Secure English Language Test. If you are studying at degree level or above at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, that provider can assess your English itself and note it on the CAS, and no separate test result is sent with the visa application. The required score is stated on your CAS.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.