Child Student Visa

Stowe School is a Sponsor for UK Visas and Immigration. We are licensed to support Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for Child Student Visas.

All non-UK passport holders will require a Child Student Visa in order to be able to study at Stowe. The only exceptions are:

  1. British and Irish citizens.
  2. European citizens with Settled or Pre-Settled status
  3. Non-European citizens with a visa which allows study, including (but not limited to) dependant visa holders and those with indefinite leave.

The visa is course based so one application will be needed for each course (GCSE and A Level). If you are making an application from overseas, you can make the application up to 6 months before your date of travel to the UK. If you are applying from the UK, you may make an application up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK. You will usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. You can check visa processing times for your country on the gov.uk website. You are advised not to book flights until your visa has been granted.

If your child is attending one of the three Prep Schools in the Stowe Group, they will require a new visa to attend Stowe, as they will be starting a new course.

Full details on how to apply for a Child Student Visa can be found here

Documents required to make application

  • A current passport.
  • A Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) issued by the UK Visas and Immigration which we will provide once we have a copy of your child’s current passport. This will contain a reference number which you will need enter on your visa application. The CAS is valid for six months and only valid for studying at Stowe School.
  • Parental Consent Form, completed on our Parent Portal.
  • You may be required to provide a tuberculosis (TB) certificate, so please ensure that you allow plenty of time to get an appointment at an approved clinic before submitting your visa application. A list of countries likely to require a TB certificate can be found here: TB Test List

Costs

  • £490 for applications made outside the UK.
  • £776 Immigration Healthcare Surcharge for each year of the visa: Healthcare Surcharge This cost may vary depending upon your nationality and length of course.
  • £25 UKVI fee for issuing the CAS.

When you apply for a Child Student Visa, you may be asked to demonstrate to UK Visas and Immigration that you have the money available to pay your school fees for the first year of the course. We recommend that you pay a year’s fees in advance before we apply for the CAS, so that we can state on your CAS that fees have been paid in full. We can provide a pro-forma invoice if required. I

f you are a UK National or you come from one of the countries listed by the UKVI in their guidance at https://www.gov.uk/child-study-visa/money then you DO NOT need to meet this financial requirement.

Process

  • After submitting your application, you will receive a ‘Decision Letter’ from UK Visa and Immigration by email. This will also advise you on how to access the eVisa. We MUST be in receipt of a copy of the Decision Letter. Please forward this to us at admissions@stowe.co.uk as soon as possible.
     
  • The UK government phased out BRP (Biometric Residence Permits) cards in January 2025 and replaced them with a digital e-Visa. You will need to create a UKVI account in order to access your e-Visa and details of how to do this can be found here: http://www.gov.uk/evisa

What is an eVisa?

  • If your child will be travelling unaccompanied to the UK without parents or a guardian, we advise you complete a copy the Travel Consent Form available on our Parent Portal and ensure your child carries it with them when travelling. It also advisable for them to carry a photocopy of the parent’s passport to accompany the Consent Form, and a copy of the original offer letter from Stowe.
     
  • PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AT STOWE, WE MUST BE IN RECEIPT OF PROOF OF YOUR CHILD’S IMMIGRATION STATUS. PLEASE SEND YOUR CHILD’S SHARE CODE TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
     
  • On arrival at the start of term, your child must bring their passport to the Admissions Office at Stowe. Pupils will not be allowed into houses until a copy of their passport has been taken. Your child’s passport MUST be handed to their Houseparent or Matron for safekeeping during term time.