Student Visa Dependants in 2026: Who Can Still Bring Family to the UK

Since January 2024, the UK government has sharply restricted who can bring dependants (a spouse, civil partner, or children under 18) on a Student visa. For most new applicants in 2026, the honest answer is: you cannot. But there are still real exceptions, and getting the category right before you apply matters more than ever.

The general rule in 2026

If you are starting a taught postgraduate course (a standard master's, PGDip or PGCert) at most UK universities, you cannot bring dependants under current rules, regardless of your nationality or the length of your course. This was the biggest change introduced in January 2024 and it has not been reversed.

Who can still bring dependants

• PhD and other doctoral or research-based students, whose course is at least nine months long, can bring a partner and children.
• Government-sponsored scholars on the approved list, studying courses of nine months or more.
• Family members who were already in the UK as dependants before the January 2024 rule change, in some continuing-course circumstances — this is case-specific and worth checking individually.

Everyone else — the vast majority of taught master's and undergraduate students — must study alone and bring family later, typically after switching to a Skilled Worker or Graduate route with an employer, or after the student themselves qualifies through a different visa category.

Financial requirements if you do qualify

If your course and funding make you eligible, you must show, in addition to your own maintenance:

1. £845 per month for a partner, for up to nine months (outside London), or the London rate if applicable.
2. £680 per month for each child, for up to nine months.
3. All figures held for 28 consecutive days, exactly as with your own funds — see our 28-day rule guide for how the timing works in practice.

Each dependant also pays their own Immigration Health Surcharge, and each needs a separate visa application, so plan the cost of the whole family, not just tuition.

Practical alternatives if you don't qualify

• Apply for a short visit visa for a partner or parent to come for graduation, a holiday, or to help you settle in during the first weeks — this is not a dependant visa and carries different rules.
• Time your own long-term plans: many students study alone on the Student visa, then move onto a Graduate visa or a Skilled Worker visa after finishing, at which point dependant rules are considerably more generous.
• Talk to your university's international student office; some hold specific guidance for scholarship-linked dependant cases that isn't obvious from the general rules.

If your family is visiting rather than relocating

Many parents want to see their child settle in rather than move permanently. Our arrival packages are built around this — a parent can fly in for the first week, and our parent portal gives visibility into flights, accommodation check-in and university registration without needing dependant status at all. For the full visa picture before you apply, read our UK Student Visa complete guide.