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The short answer
It depends on the route. For a UK Student visa the money must have been held for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that 28-day period must fall within 31 days of the date you apply (GOV.UK, checked Oct 2026). For a Standard Visitor visa the Home Office sets no fixed number of months; its supporting documents guide asks for statements that show where the money came from, and many applicants send about six months as a matter of practice rather than rule.
The short version by route
Nigerians searching this question often hear "six months" for every UK visa. That is not what the rules say. The holding period is set route by route, and the visitor route has no fixed period at all. The table below summarises what the official pages state as at October 2026.
| Route | What the rules ask for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa | Funds held for at least 28 consecutive days; the end of the 28 days must be within 31 days of your application date | GOV.UK Student visa: Money |
| Any route that uses Appendix Finance | Most recent evidence dated within 31 days before the application; evidence must cover the whole required period; closing balance is what counts | Appendix Finance FIN 7.1 to 7.3 |
| Standard Visitor visa | No fixed period or amount; you must show you can support yourself and any dependants for the trip | GOV.UK Standard Visitor; visitor supporting documents guide |
| Work routes (for example Skilled Worker) | Each route sets its own maintenance rule on its GOV.UK page; check the 'money' or 'eligibility' section of your route | Route page on GOV.UK |
Student visa: the 28-day rule in practice
GOV.UK says the money for a Student visa must be held for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the day you submit. Appendix Finance adds that the most recent piece of evidence must be dated no more than 31 days before the application and that the evidence must cover the whole period (FIN 7.1 and 7.3). In other words, you need a statement that shows the balance never fell below the required amount on any day across the 28 days.
The amount itself is set on the same GOV.UK page: £1,529 a month for study in London and £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months, plus any unpaid first-year fees shown on your CAS (GOV.UK, checked Oct 2026). Our full guide to the 28-day rule for Nigerian students covers the arithmetic.
Worked example: picking the statement dates
Example only. Ada plans to apply on 20 November. Her balance first reached the required level on 1 October and stayed there. A statement running from 1 October to 10 November covers 41 days, which includes a full 28-day run, and its closing date (10 November) is 10 days before she applies, well inside the 31-day window. If she waited and applied on 15 December, the same statement would end 35 days before the application and would be too old; she would need a fresh one.
Visitor visa: why there is no fixed number of months
The Standard Visitor page says you must be able to show you can support yourself and your dependants during the trip, and that someone else may fund the visit. The Home Office guide to supporting documents, updated 8 October 2026, asks for bank statements that "detail the origin of the funds held" and notes that documents issued more than one year before the application are less useful as evidence. It does not name a number of months.
That is why six months is a habit rather than a rule. A caseworker wants to see a pattern: salary or business income coming in, normal spending going out, and a balance that makes sense for the trip. A three-month statement with steady salary can be stronger than a six-month one with an unexplained lump sum. If a large deposit landed recently, explain it with evidence, as covered in large lump sums before a visa application.
What to check first
- Read the money section of your route's own GOV.UK page; that is the rule that applies to you.
- For Student and other Appendix Finance routes, count 28 consecutive days and check the closing date is within 31 days of your planned submission date.
- Make sure the statement shows your name, the account number, the bank's name and the dates, and that the balance on every day is visible.
- For a visitor visa, choose a period that shows your normal income and spending clearly; six months is common but not required.
- If the money is in a parent's account, Appendix Finance requires proof of the relationship and written consent (FIN 5.3).
- Do not use an overdraft, shares or a credit card limit as funds; Appendix Finance excludes them (FIN 3.1, 8.2).
Where Pryme fits
Pryme customers can generate a regular or a verifiable statement through our partnership with VerifyDoc.ai, and anyone can check that a verifiable one is genuine and unaltered (verifiable receipts and statements). That helps a reader trust the document; it does not change what the Home Office asks for, so the dates and balances still have to meet your route's rule. If you hold funds in pounds, a multicurrency account keeps them in the currency they arrived in.
Questions people ask
Is a 3-month bank statement enough for a UK visitor visa?
The Home Office does not set a number of months for visitors. A three-month statement can work if it clearly shows your income, spending and where the money came from. Many applicants send six months to show a longer pattern.
Does the UK student visa need 6 months bank statement?
No. The Student visa rule is that funds are held for at least 28 consecutive days, with the end of that period within 31 days of your application (GOV.UK, Oct 2026).
Can my bank statement be older than 31 days for a UK student visa?
The closing date of the evidence must fall within 31 days before you apply under Appendix Finance FIN 7.1. An older statement would need to be replaced with a newer one.
Does the money have to stay in the account after I apply?
The rules test the 28-day period ending within 31 days of the application. Keep the funds available in case the Home Office asks for more evidence, and to pay your costs on arrival.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Student visa, Money · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Immigration Rules, Appendix Finance · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Standard Visitor visa · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Guide to supporting documents, visiting the UK (updated 8 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
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