Financial maintenance evidence — Appendix Finance (28-day rule)

Appendix Finance sets out the financial maintenance requirements for UK visa routes including Student. For Student visas, the requirements are at ST 14-22 of Appendix Student + Appendix Finance.

For [CLIENT_NAME] applying for a course in [LOCATION] of [COURSE_DURATION_MONTHS] months duration with tuition GBP [COURSE_TUITION_GBP]:

§1 — CALCULATE THE FUNDS REQUIRED (100-120 words)

Total funds = First-year tuition + Maintenance for 9 months (max)

Tuition: [COURSE_TUITION_GBP] (less any deposit paid as shown on CAS)

Maintenance:
  ▪ London (33 boroughs): GBP 1,483/month × 9 months = GBP 13,347 [VERIFY current 2026 rate]
  ▪ Outside London: GBP 1,136/month × 9 months = GBP 10,224 [VERIFY current 2026 rate]
  ▪ Cap: maintenance funded for max 9 months even if course is longer
  ▪ "London" defined by Appendix Finance — 33 London boroughs + City of London

For [LOCATION]: maintenance required = [calculate].

Total funds = [TUITION] + [MAINTENANCE] = [TOTAL] GBP

This must be held for 28 consecutive days, with the closing date no more than 31 days before application.

§2 — THE 28-DAY RULE — STRICT (120-150 words)

The 28-day rule is the most common refusal trigger.

Mechanics:
  ▪ Funds must be in eligible account for 28 consecutive days
  ▪ "Consecutive" means the balance cannot dip below the required amount on ANY day in the window
  ▪ Closing balance date must be within 31 days of application submission
  ▪ Account statement must cover the full 28 days

What kills the 28-day rule:
  ▪ Brief dip below threshold (even 1 hour, even due to bank reconciliation) — fatal
  ▪ Account closed mid-window — fatal (UKVI sees the closure, treats as broken evidence)
  ▪ Funds moved between applicant's own accounts to consolidate — may be fine IF source account also covered same window; documentation required

Strategy:
  ▪ Open / consolidate funds 35 days before intended submission (buffer for bank delays)
  ▪ Do not touch the account during the window
  ▪ Print statements showing day-by-day balance for the full window

§3 — ELIGIBLE ACCOUNTS (100-120 words)

Acceptable account types:
  ▪ Personal current/savings account in applicant's name
  ▪ Joint account where applicant is a named holder (full balance counts if applicant is on the account; partial if signing rules require both signatures)
  ▪ Parent/legal guardian account + Appendix Finance consent letter (covers most Indian undergrad/PG scenarios)
  ▪ Education loan letter from regulated financial institution (full sanctioned amount accepted at point of letter)
  ▪ Fixed Deposit / Term Deposit with bank statement showing maturity within usable timeframe

Indian banks accepted by UKVI:
  ▪ Public sector: SBI, PNB, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank (all generally fine)
  ▪ Private: HDFC, ICICI, Axis, Kotak (all fine)
  ▪ Foreign: Citi India, HSBC India (fine)
  ▪ NBFCs (Bajaj Finserv, Tata Capital): some restrictions — check the UKVI list of acceptable institutions

Indian banks NOT accepted historically: small cooperative banks, micro-finance institutions, certain regional rural banks.

§4 — PARENT/GUARDIAN-FUNDED SCENARIO (120-150 words)

Most Indian applicants are parent-funded. Appendix Finance ST 22 requires:
  ▪ Bank statement from parent's account showing required balance for 28 days
  ▪ Birth certificate showing applicant-parent relationship (Indian birth certificate from municipal corporation; if not available, school leaving certificate + affidavit)
  ▪ Parent's signed consent letter authorising applicant to use the funds (template:)

  "I, [PARENT NAME], holder of [BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER], hereby confirm that the funds held in this account are available to my [son/daughter] [APPLICANT NAME] for the purpose of meeting the financial requirement of his/her UK Student visa application under Appendix Finance. I have read the financial requirement of GBP [AMOUNT] and confirm that these funds are intended for [APPLICANT NAME]'s study expenses.

  Signed: [parent signature + date]
  Witnessed by: [name, address, contact]"

  ▪ Original signed letter scanned for submission (UKVI accepts scanned originals)
  ▪ Some applications: notarisation of consent letter requested by ECO; Indian notary stamp acceptable

§5 — EDUCATION LOAN PATH (100-120 words)

Indian education loans from major lenders (HDFC Credila, SBI, Avanse, Axis, ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda) are accepted under Appendix Finance ST 21A.

Requirements:
  ▪ Formal sanction letter (not just "in-principle" approval)
  ▪ Letter must specify: borrower, total sanctioned amount, disbursement schedule (annual / per term), interest rate, repayment terms
  ▪ Loan sanctioned amount accepted in full at the date of letter — applicant does NOT need to have drawn down the loan
  ▪ Letter must be dated within 31 days of visa application

Hybrid funding (loan + parent + self-savings) common for Indian PG/MBA applicants — combine all letters; UKVI sums the totals.

Sanction letter format must show: Indian bank letterhead, loan officer's signature, branch stamp, contact details for UKVI verification.

§6 — RBI LRS COMPLIANCE NOTE (80-100 words)

RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) caps outward remittance at USD 250,000/year/PAN. For most students, this is adequate. Considerations:

  ▪ 20% TCS on remittances over INR 7 lakh in a financial year (collected by remitting bank; refundable as income-tax credit)
  ▪ Form A2 + bank declaration for each remittance
  ▪ For 2-3 year courses with high tuition, may need staggered remittance across two PANs (father + mother)
  ▪ TCS receipt evidences source-of-funds + tax compliance — useful supplementary evidence

UKVI does not require LRS compliance proof, but having Form 26AS + TCS receipts strengthens the source-of-funds narrative if queried.

§7 — DOCUMENT BUNDLE (80-100 words)

For submission:
  □ Bank statements covering the 28-day window (printed + bank-attested)
  □ Bank letter on official letterhead confirming account holder, balance, and account-opening date
  □ Education loan sanction letter (if applicable)
  □ Parent/guardian consent letter + applicant-parent relationship documents
  □ Source-of-funds narrative (1-page summary explaining each fund source — optional but strongly recommended)
  □ Form 26AS / TCS receipts (if remittance has begun)

Documents in regional Indian languages must be translated by a certified translator + accompanied by translator's affidavit.

End with: "DRAFT — for OISC/IAA-registered adviser or solicitor review. The 28-day rule has zero tolerance. Do not submit a visa application if there is any uncertainty about a balance dip during the window — restart the 28-day count instead. Indian bank account statements from very recently opened accounts (less than 6 months old) attract extra scrutiny; have parent/guardian primary account ready."