Student Visa Council Tax Exemption: How to Claim

International students on a UK Student Visa are exempt from council tax, saving hundreds of pounds per year. This guide explains who qualifies, how to apply for the exemption, and what to do if you live in a mixed household with non-students.

Checked 11 March 20267 min readWritten by the Rowan Editorial Team

Section: Student & Graduate
Reading time: 7 min
Last checked: 11 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

Full-time students are disregarded for council tax, whatever their nationality or visa.
Households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay council tax at all.
The exemption is not automatic: GOV.UK says you must apply for it, even though you are disregarded.
You need a student status letter from your university to claim it.
The exemption covers holidays between terms as long as you are still enrolled.
If you live with non-students, they stay liable, and a 25% discount only applies where everyone else in the home is disregarded.

Full-time international students are exempt from council tax in the UK. If every person living in a property is a full-time student, no council tax is payable. You need to provide your local council with a student status letter from your university. This guide covers the rules, the application process, and common situations that cause confusion.

What Is Council Tax?

Council tax is a local tax charged on residential properties in the UK. It pays for local services such as waste collection, street lighting, and emergency services. The amount depends on the council tax band of your property and which council area you live in. GOV.UK explains that a full bill assumes at least 2 adults living in a home, and that spouses and partners living together are jointly responsible for paying it.

A full-time student is "disregarded" — not counted when the council works out how many adults live in the property. That applies whatever your nationality or visa, so being on a Student visa is neither what qualifies you nor what disqualifies you. GOV.UK is explicit that the discount or exemption has to be applied for, even when you are disregarded.

Who Qualifies for the Exemption

GOV.UK sets out the test for counting as a full-time student for council tax. Your course must:

last at least 1 year
involve at least 21 hours of study per week

The underlying regulations put it more precisely: the course must subsist for at least one academic year, and require periods of study, tuition or work experience of at least 24 weeks in each year, which together average at least 21 hours a week.

There is a separate, lower test for younger students. GOV.UK says that if you study for a qualification up to A level and you are under 20, your course must last at least 3 months and involve at least 12 hours of study per week.

Full-time students are not the only people disregarded. GOV.UK also lists people under 18, people on certain apprentice schemes, people aged 18 or 19 in full-time education, people under 25 funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, student nurses, foreign language assistants registered with the British Council, people who are severely mentally impaired, live-in carers for someone who is not their partner, spouse or child under 18, and diplomats.

Most undergraduate and postgraduate courses at UK universities meet the full-time test. Some part-time or short courses do not. If you are unsure, check with your university.

How to Claim

Get your student status letter. Ask your university for a council tax exemption certificate or student status letter. Many universities provide this through an online portal. The letter must confirm your name, the name of the institution, your course, the start and end dates, and that you are studying full-time.
Contact your local council. Find your council's website and look for the council tax section. Most councils have an online form for student exemptions.
Submit the letter. Upload or post your student status letter to the council. If you live with other students, each person may need to provide their own letter.
Confirm the exemption. The council will update your account. You should receive confirmation that no council tax is payable (or that a discount has been applied if you live with non-students).

Mixed Households

If you live with people who are not full-time students, the exemption works differently:

All occupants are full-time students: GOV.UK says the household does not have to pay council tax. If a bill arrives anyway, you can apply for an exemption.
Everyone else in the home is disregarded: the person paying gets 25% off the bill. The same 25% applies to someone who lives on their own. So a household of one full-time student and one non-student attracts a 25% discount, paid by the non-student.
Two or more non-students: there is no discount on that basis. GOV.UK says a full bill is based on at least 2 adults living in a home, so the non-students are liable for the full amount.
Everyone living there is disregarded, but not all as students: GOV.UK gives 50% off in that case.

Where you are renting with other students, each of them needs their own student letter for the household to be treated as an all-student one.

When the Exemption Ends

Your council tax exemption ends when your course ends, even if your Student visa has not yet expired. If you move to the Graduate Route after completing your course, you will be liable for council tax as a Graduate Route visa holder is not classified as a student.

If you extend your studies (for example, progressing from a bachelor's to a master's via a Student visa extension), you remain exempt for the duration of the new course.

What If You Receive a Council Tax Bill?

If you receive a council tax bill despite being a full-time student, do not ignore it. Contact your council immediately and provide your student status letter. Bills can accumulate quickly, and unpaid council tax can lead to enforcement action.

If you moved into a new property and did not inform the council of your student status, they will issue a bill by default. The exemption has to be claimed for each property you live in.

The reverse also matters. GOV.UK says that if you get a council tax discount by mistake you must contact your local council, that you could be fined if you do not, and that the council may ask you to pay the discount back.

Related Guides

For official information, see the GOV.UK page on council tax discounts for full-time students and the GOV.UK Student visa page.

Questions and answers

Are international students exempt from council tax?

Full-time students are 'disregarded' for council tax, whatever their nationality or visa. GOV.UK puts it this way: households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay council tax, and if a bill still arrives you can apply for an exemption. The exemption is not automatic — you have to apply for it. If you live with people who are not full-time students, they remain liable, though the household may qualify for a discount.

How do I prove I am a full-time student for council tax?

You need a student status letter (sometimes called a council tax exemption certificate) from your university or college. This letter confirms your name, course, and that you are a full-time student. Submit this to your local council. Most universities provide this through their student portal or student services office.

Do I still get the exemption during summer holidays?

Yes. The status attaches to the course, not to the teaching weeks. A full-time course is one that lasts at least a year and requires periods of study, tuition or work experience of at least 24 weeks in each year, averaging at least 21 hours a week. Someone on such a course is disregarded for the whole of it, including holidays between terms.

What if I live with a non-student partner?

The non-student is liable for the council tax. Because you are disregarded, GOV.UK says the bill gets 25% off where the person paying either lives on their own or everyone else in the home is disregarded — so a household of one student and one non-student gets 25% off. Two or more non-students in the home means no discount on that basis. Contact your local council, which decides discounts and exemptions.

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.

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