United Kingdom visa guideThe UK Short-Term Study Visit is the Standard Visitor visa used for study. It lets you visit the UK for up to 6 months to study at an accredited UK institution, including English language courses, to do a short piece of research relevant to a course you study overseas, or to sit an exam, do an elective, or take the OSCE or PLAB test.
The accredited institution cannot be a state-funded school or academy. For courses longer than 6 months you need a different route: a Short-term study visa for English courses up to 11 months, or the UK Student visa for longer programmes run by licensed sponsors.
Lifeset Overseas confirms the course and institution are eligible, advises whether an ATAS certificate is needed, and builds the file so your study purpose is clearly evidenced.
UK Short-term study visa: English courses of 6 to 11 months
For an English-language course lasting more than six months and up to eleven months, the UK issues the Short-term study visa (the "Study English in the UK" route). Shorter courses of up to six months are done on the Standard Visitor visa instead, and degree courses need the Student visa.
The facts from GOV.UK
Fee
- GOV.UK position
- £228
Healthcare surcharge
- GOV.UK position
- paid with the online application, usually £776
Course length
- GOV.UK position
- more than 6 months but not more than 11 months
Institution
- GOV.UK position
- an English-language course with an accredited institution
Stay
- GOV.UK position
- the length of the course plus 30 days, as long as the total stay is no longer than 11 months
When to apply
- GOV.UK position
- online before travelling; the earliest is 3 months before the travel date
You book an appointment at a visa application centre in India as part of the online application to prove your identity and give biometrics. On this visa you cannot work, extend, bring dependants or switch to another visa in the UK.
What the file must show
The unconditional offer from the accredited English-language school with course dates, evidence that you can pay the course fee and support yourself without working, and your reasons to return to India at the end of the course. Indian applicants are refused most often when the course does not fit their education or career history or when funds appear without explanation.
Official sources
- GOV.UK, Study English in the UK (Short-term study visa): https://www.gov.uk/visa-to-study-english
- GOV.UK, Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor: visit to study: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor/visit-to-study
Checked against GOV.UK on 30 September 2026. Fees and rules change; the official page always prevails.
