Child Student visa

United Kingdom · for applicants from Nigeria

Verified · 22 June 2026

For children aged 4-17 studying at an independent (fee-paying) school. Children aged 4-15 must attend an independent school.

Rules last verified: 22 June 2026 · by Beatrice B

At a glance

Embassy processing

About 3 weeks

Our turnaround

5–7 working days

Done-for-you Standard

Government fees

~£1,404

≈ ₦2,567,916

Why applications get refused

Care arrangements not evidenced

Unclear who cares for the child or where they live in the UK.

Fix: Document the school boarding/guardianship and accommodation clearly.

Financial evidence insufficient

Fees + care costs not shown in accepted form / for the required period.

Fix: Use accepted evidence held for the required period; include both fees and care costs.

Document checklist

Required

Child's current passport

When: "all"

Your child's current passport or travel document proves their identity for the application.

CAS from the independent school

When: "all"

The CAS is the independent school's confirmation of your child's place at a licensed sponsor.

Written parental/guardian consent

When: "all"

The Home Office needs written consent from a parent or legal guardian confirming they agree to your child's study and living arrangements in the UK.

Common mistake

Consent or care arrangements that are not properly documented is a common cause of refusal.

Proof of funds for fees and care

When: "all"

You or your parent must have this money for at least 28 consecutive days, with the same style of evidence rules as the Student visa.

Common mistake

Evidence that covers only fees but not care costs, or funds not held for the full period, is a common reason for refusal.

Proof of care/accommodation arrangements in UK

When: "all"

The officer needs to see who cares for your child and where they live in the UK, whether that is a foster carer, relative, or nominated guardian.

Common mistake

Unclear evidence of who cares for the child or where they live in the UK is a common reason for refusal.

TB test certificate

When: "Nigeria (stays over 6 months)"

The Home Office needs proof you do not have infectious tuberculosis before granting entry for a stay of 6 months or more from a listed country.

Common mistake

Leaving the chest x-ray too late is a common error, since the certificate is only valid for 6 months from the date of the x-ray and must come from an approved clinic.

Application timeline

1. Prepare your application

Gather documents, draft supporting letters, complete forms

1–3 weeks

2. Rekoja review (if Done-for-you)

Specialist checks your file before you submit

5–7 working days

3. Submit online or at visa centre

Biometrics appointment may be required

1 day

4. Embassy decision

Standard processing. Priority options may be available.

About 3 weeks

All-in government fees

These are the fees you pay to the government, not Rekoja's service fee. Shown at the indicative exchange rate.

Mandatory

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), per year

£776

1,419,304

Visa application fee

£558

1,020,582

Tuberculosis (TB) test at an approved clinic (IOM Nigeria charges about $94; the price is set by the clinic, not the Home Office)

£70

128,030

Biometric enrolment

£0

0

Total government fees

1,404

≈ ₦2,567,916

Optional

Priority / super-priority service (optional)

£500

914,500

Indicative. 1 GBP = 1829 NGN · 2026-08-03. Government fees change. Confirm on the official website before paying.

What a free chatbot cannot do

A free AI can tell you the rules. Rekoja does the harder part: we verify them against the official government source, prepare the actual application file, catch what gets people refused, and a specialist checks everything before you submit. We stand behind our work.

  • Rules verified against the official source, with the date
  • Document checklist built for your specific profile
  • The inconsistency check that catches what gets people refused
  • A human reviews your complete file before submission

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Common questions about the Child Student visa

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Real outcomes

100% approved

Based on 12 reported outcomes across all Rekoja cases. This is a look back at past cases, not a prediction. The embassy decides; past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

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Not a visa decision or legal advice. Rules shown are as of the last verification date above. Immigration rules change. Confirm before filing. The embassy decides, not Rekoja.