African students planning to study in the United Kingdom will need to show more money for living costs under new immigration rules taking effect on November 30, 2026.
The changes affect international students generally. Therefore, applicants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and other African countries will be covered by the new rules.
Students studying in London will need to show up to £14,130 ($19,100) for nine months of living expenses.
Those studying outside London will need to show up to £10,827 ($14,630) over the same period.
UK student visa funds increase from November
Under the new rules, students in London must show they have £1,570 per month for living expenses.
That is up from the current requirement of £1,529.
Meanwhile, students studying outside London will need £1,203 per month, up from £1,171.
The new amounts apply to applications submitted from November 30.
African students affected by new requirements
The rules apply to international students rather than targeting African applicants specifically.
However, the changes could affect thousands of students across Africa because the UK remains a major destination for higher education.
Applicants from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Cameroon will be among those affected.
Nigeria, in particular, remains one of the UK’s biggest international student markets.
In the year ending June 2026, Britain granted 26,060 Sponsored Study visas to Nigerian main applicants.
Nigeria accounted for 7% of the total and ranked third globally behind China and India.
Students must hold the money for 28 days
Having the required amount available on the day of application is not always enough.
Applicants who must provide financial evidence generally need to hold the required funds for at least 28 consecutive days.
The closing balance must also fall within the required period before the visa application is submitted.
In addition, students must account for tuition fees and other immigration costs.
The source states that applicants face a £558 Student visa fee and an annual £776 Immigration Health Surcharge.
UK continues tightening student immigration rules
The financial increase comes amid wider changes to Britain’s international student system.
Since 2024, most international students taking taught postgraduate courses have been unable to bring dependants.
The government has also introduced restrictions on switching to work visas before students complete their courses.
However, the latest increase in maintenance requirements is linked to changes in financial support available to domestic students.
The new thresholds have been aligned with maintenance loans for UK students for the 2026-27 academic year.