UK restricts international student visa holders from bringing dependants to mainly government-sponsored and select postgraduate courses
By Muntasir • Published Jul 19, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • Study Abroad, Study in Europe, Visas & Student Mobility, Education News & Policy
UK Student visas block most dependants now. Only government-sponsored students and PhD-level researchers bring a partner or child.
🏠 Government-sponsored students on courses of 6 months or more qualify to bring dependants.
🎓 PhD and other research doctorate students on courses of 9 months or more also qualify, for courses starting from 1 January 2024.
Taught master's, bachelor's and shorter courses do not qualify for dependant visas.
💶 Dependants need extra funds: 845 pounds a month in London, 680 pounds outside London, held for 28 days.
EU nationals studying in the UK follow the same rules as other international students.
Who still qualifies to bring dependants
UK Student visa holders, including EU nationals, bring a partner or child only in narrow circumstances, under Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules. Two main categories qualify.
The first covers students with a scholarship or sponsorship from a government for a full-time UK course of six months or more. The second covers full-time postgraduate research students, on PhD or other research-based higher degrees, at an institution with a track record of compliance, on courses of nine months or more. For courses starting from 1 January 2024, only PhD-level or research doctorate courses qualify for this route. Taught master's degrees no longer bring dependant rights, even though they did before that date.
A small continuation category also exists for students moving between courses of six months or more, where their dependants already held valid status or a child was born during the previous permission period.
What this means for EU students
EU nationals studying in the UK apply through the same points-based Student visa system as any other international student since Brexit ended free movement. On a taught master's or bachelor's degree, you do not qualify to bring a partner or child on this visa, regardless of your nationality.
If you study for a PhD or hold a government scholarship for a long course, check the financial requirement for each dependant before you apply. Dependants need extra maintenance funds beyond your own: 845 pounds a month if you study in London, 680 pounds a month outside London, held for 28 days before you apply.
Children born during your studies
A child born while you hold your Student visa, or within three months after it expires, still qualifies as a dependant if you apply within six months of your own permission ending. Check the exact wording on GOV.UK before you plan around this, since eligibility depends on your specific dates.
What to do if you planned to bring family
Confirm whether your course counts as PhD-level research or a taught degree, since only the former qualifies after January 2024.
Check if your funding counts as government sponsorship under the six-month rule.
Budget for the separate dependant maintenance funds on top of your own required funds.
Read Appendix Student directly, since dependant rules sit inside broader Student visa changes that shift over time.