Be University Wise guides › International students › Bringing family
Bringing your partner or children
Most undergraduate students cannot bring their partner or children to the UK as dependants on a Student visa. Only two groups of students can.
Checked against official sources on 24 September 2026.
This is general information, not immigration advice. For your own situation, speak to your university's international student adviser, UKCISA, or a regulated immigration adviser. Rules change, so always check GOV.UK before you apply.
Who can bring dependants
- Government-sponsored students on a course lasting longer than 6 months.
- Students on a full-time postgraduate course of 9 months or more that is a PhD or other doctorate, or a research-based higher degree.
Students on taught master's courses that started on or after 1 January 2024 cannot bring dependants unless they are government-sponsored.
Who counts as a dependant
Your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner, and your children under 18, including children born in the UK during your stay.
Money for dependants
If your family can join you, each person needs money for living costs in addition to yours: £845 a month in London or £680 a month outside London, for up to 9 months.
If you are an undergraduate
Unless you are government-sponsored, your family could visit you on a visitor visa, but they cannot live with you in the UK as your dependants. Plan for this before you accept a place.
Sources
Quick answers
Can undergraduate students bring family to the UK?
Usually not. Only government-sponsored students and students on a PhD or research-based postgraduate course can bring dependants on a Student visa.
How much money do dependants need?
Where they are allowed, £845 a month in London or £680 a month outside London for each person, for up to 9 months, on top of the student's own money.