UK guide · Dependants · 3 min read
Bringing your spouse or children to the UK on a student visa: who can, and the options left.
Since January 2024, only students on a PhD, another doctorate, a research-based master's, or a government-sponsored course longer than 6 months can bring dependants on a UK Student visa. Taught master's (MSc, MA, MBA) and bachelor's students can't. If you qualify, each dependant needs £680 a month outside London or £845 in London, for up to 9 months, held for 28 days, plus their own visa fee and health surcharge.
The short version
- Dependants are allowed only for PhD, other doctorates, research-based master's, or government-sponsored courses over 6 months.
- Taught master's and bachelor's students can't bring a spouse or children. This applies to courses starting from January 2024.
- If you qualify: £680 a month per dependant outside London, £845 in London, for up to 9 months, on top of your own funds, held 28 days.
- Each dependant also pays the £558 visa fee and the £776-a-year health surcharge.
- Australia also closed most new student family applications from 2 October 2026. Married couples need to plan by country.
Who can still bring dependants
| Your course | Can bring a spouse or children? |
|---|---|
| PhD or other doctorate | Yes |
| Research-based master’s (for example an MRes or MPhil) | Yes |
| Government-sponsored course longer than 6 months | Yes |
| Taught master’s (MSc, MA, MBA, LLM) | No |
| Bachelor’s | No |
The rule applies to courses starting from 1 January 2024. Many guides online still describe the old rules, when a taught master’s student could bring a spouse.
If you qualify: the money
Each dependant needs, on top of your own funds:
| Where you study | Per month | For 9 months | In rupees (18 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside London | £680 | £6,120 | about Rs 12.4 lakh |
| In London | £845 | £7,605 | about Rs 15.4 lakh |
The money must be held for the same 28 days as yours, ending no more than 31 days before you apply. Each dependant also pays:
| Cost per dependant | Amount |
|---|---|
| Visa fee | £558 (about Rs 1.13 lakh) |
| Health surcharge | £776 a year of the visa |
| TB test (age 11+ at IOM, or Norvic) | USD 60 or NPR 7,800 |
For a spouse on a 3-year PhD outside London, the visa fee and about 3.5 years of surcharge come to roughly £3,300, plus the £6,120 in funds.
If you don’t qualify: the options
| Option | Who it suits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Go alone for the 12 months of a taught master’s | Most couples; it’s a short course | Plan the year apart honestly; the Graduate visa can’t add your spouse later |
| A research degree | Students with genuine research plans and the record to win a place | A research degree chosen only to bring family is a credibility risk |
| Your spouse applies as a student in their own right | Spouses with their own study plan | Two separate files, two sets of funds, two credibility checks |
| Another country | Couples who must travel together | Australia closed most new family applications on 2 October 2026; check the European rules |
How the 2026 picture changed for married students
| Country | Spouse on a student visa |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Only research degrees and government-sponsored courses, since January 2024 |
| Australia | Only doctoral students and a few other exemptions, from 2 October 2026 |
| Finland, Sweden | Family members of degree students can usually apply, with their own money requirement |
| Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway | Possible under each country’s family rules, with conditions |
Check the official page for the country before you plan. Rules change, and the date your application is lodged decides which rules apply.
From our files. Couples ask us about this more than ever in 2026. The plan that works most often for a one-year UK master’s: the student goes alone, finishes, starts on the Graduate visa, and the spouse applies in their own right later through a route they qualify for. It’s not the answer families hope for, but it doesn’t put either person’s future file at risk.
Your checklist
- Check your course type: research or taught
- If research: the dependant funds for 28 days, plus their fees
- Marriage registration certificate (from the ward office) and evidence of the relationship
- Children’s birth certificates
- If taught: decide now how you’ll manage the year, rather than hoping the rule changes
