Regions · checked 21 October 2026
Studying in the UK by Region: London, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The Student visa, the work rules and the Graduate visa are the same in every part of the UK. What changes is the money you show, the length of a bachelor’s degree, and the universities and cities to choose from.
Which Part of the UK Should a Nepali Student Choose?
Every UK region uses the same Student visa and Graduate visa. The differences are money and time: from 30 November 2026 you show £1,570 a month of living costs for London and £1,203 everywhere else, and a Scottish Honours degree takes four years where the rest of the UK takes three.
Start from your course and budget, not the region. London costs more to live in and has the highest visa figure. England outside London has the most universities. Scotland adds a year to a bachelor’s but not to a master’s. Wales and Northern Ireland are smaller, with lower living costs in HOA’s estimates.
Key facts
Checked against the sources cited on 21 October 2026.
- Living costs to show
- £1,570 a month in London, £1,203 elsewhere, up to 9 months, for applications from 30 November 2026 (£1,529 and £1,171 before)UKVI; HC 584
- What counts as London
- Your CAS shows you will study at an institution wholly within Greater London; with several sites, where most of your study time isImmigration Rules, Introduction
- Bachelor’s length
- 3 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 4 years for a Scottish Honours degreeUniversity course pages
- Graduate visa
- The same everywhere: 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, and 3 years after a PhDGOV.UK, Graduate visa
- Russell Group
- 24 universities: 20 in England (5 of them in London), 2 in Scotland, 1 in Wales and 1 in Northern IrelandRussell Group
The Five UK Regions Compared
| Nation or region | Universities in HOA’s guides | Living costs to show (from 30 Nov 2026) | Bachelor’s length | Russell Group members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 28 | £1,570 a month (£14,130) | 3 years | 5 |
| England outside London | 94 | £1,203 a month (£10,827) | 3 years | 15 |
| Scotland | 18 | £1,203 a month (£10,827) | 4 years (Honours) | 2 |
| Wales | 9 | £1,203 a month (£10,827) | 3 years | 1 |
| Northern Ireland | 2 | £1,203 a month (£10,827) | 3 years | 1 |
Amounts in brackets are for nine months, about NPR 27.6 lakhs in London and NPR 21.1 lakhs elsewhere at NPR 195 per pound. You also show any tuition you still owe for the first year.
What Is the Same in Every Region
- The visa. One Student visa, one £558 fee and the same health surcharge of £776 a year, whether you study in Belfast or Brighton.
- Work while studying. Up to 20 hours a week in term time on a degree-level course, and full-time in official vacations.
- After graduation. The Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, and 3 years after a PhD. You can live and work anywhere in the UK on it.
- Settlement. Graduate visa time does not count towards settlement; a Skilled Worker job does. See after graduation.
What Changes from Region to Region
Money. London is the only region with a higher visa figure. Real spending varies more by city than by nation: HOA’s estimates put many northern English, Welsh and Northern Irish cities well below the outside-London figure, and central London well above it. See UK cities and UK study costs.
Degree length. A Scottish Honours bachelor’s takes four years, so it costs a year more in tuition and living costs. Taught master’s degrees take one year everywhere.
Choice. England has most UK universities. Scotland has 18 in HOA’s guides, Wales 9 and Northern Ireland 2.
Ireland is a separate country. Northern Ireland is part of the UK; the Republic of Ireland is not. A UK Student visa does not let you study in, or visit, the Republic of Ireland. See UK vs Ireland.
How to Choose a Region
Pick the course first
List the courses that fit your grades, English and career plan.
Compare total cost
Add tuition, living costs and the length of the degree for each option.
Check the visa money
London needs more; everywhere else uses the same figure.
Look at the city
Jobs, community and transport matter more day to day than the nation.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the visa, every region outside London uses the same figure: £1,203 a month from 30 November 2026. In real spending, HOA’s estimates put many cities in northern England, Wales and Northern Ireland below that figure and London well above it.
Only London is different. From 30 November 2026 you show £1,570 a month for London and £1,203 elsewhere, for up to nine months, plus any first-year tuition you still owe.
Studying at an institution wholly within Greater London, as shown on your CAS. If you study at several sites, it depends on where you spend most of your study time. A campus outside Greater London uses the outside-London figure.
Yes. It is one UK visa: 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, and 3 years after a PhD.
A Scottish Honours bachelor’s takes four years. Master’s degrees take one year, as elsewhere in the UK.
Changing to a different university means a new CAS and a new Student visa application. Moving home within the UK while staying on the same course does not.
Not on a UK Student visa alone. Nepali citizens need an Irish visa to enter the Republic of Ireland.
Most HOA students choose England, in London or in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Coventry. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland suit students who want a smaller city or a specific university.
No. HOA’s admissions guidance is free to students. Partner universities pay HOA when a student enrols; you pay only official costs such as the visa fee, health surcharge, TB test and NOC.
Key Terms
- Russell Group
- An association of 24 research-intensive UK universities.
- Scottish Honours degree
- A four-year bachelor’s degree at a Scottish university.
- 28-day rule
- Visa money must stay in the account for 28 days in a row, ending no more than 31 days before you apply.
Sources
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on 21 October 2026. If an official page and this page disagree, the official page is right.
- Home Office, Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 584
- UK Visas and Immigration, Financial evidence for Student and Child Student route applicants
- GOV.UK, Immigration Rules: Introduction (definition of studying in London)
- GOV.UK, Graduate visa
- Russell Group, Our universities
- GOV.UK, Student visa
About This Guide
Written by House of Admissions (HOA), a UK-only education consultancy founded in 2016 with offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. All 20+ HOA counsellors hold the British Council’s UK counsellor certification. HOA’s guidance is free to students. Reviewed by Rahul Chhetri, Director. This is admissions guidance, not immigration advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Related Guides
Not Sure Which Region Fits?
A counsellor can compare total costs for the courses you are considering. HOA’s guidance is free.