Free tool
Student Visa Cost Calculator
Hong Kong is the cheapest student visa here at $42 in mandatory fees; Australia is the most expensive at $2,250 once health cover is counted. Pick a country for the full breakdown — the mandatory line items, the situational ones, and the gotchas (proof-of-funds, health insurance, biometrics) the application fee never tells you about.
2026 feesIncludes the hidden line items
United States
F-1 Student Visa
From $535
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
United Kingdom
Student Route (Tier 4)
From $1,760
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Canada
Study Permit
From $175
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Australia
Student Visa (subclass 500)
From $2,250
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Germany
National Visa for Study
From $190
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
France
VLS-TS (long-stay student visa)
From $183
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
New Zealand
Fee Paying Student Visa
From $501
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Ireland
Long Stay 'D' Study Visa (Stamp 2)
From $418
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Netherlands
Residence permit for study (with MVV entry visa)
From $295
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Spain
National student visa (type D)
From $93
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Italy
Type D study visa plus permesso di soggiorno per studio
$193
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Japan
Student visa against a Certificate of Eligibility
From $94
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Poland
National Visa (type D) for Study
From $350
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Portugal
Residence Visa for Study (Article 62)
From $415
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Sweden
Residence Permit for Higher Education Studies
From $158
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Finland
Residence permit for studies (OLE_OPI)
From $696
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Denmark
Residence permit as a student in a higher educational programme (ST1)
From $477
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Norway
Study permit (residence permit for studies)
From $579
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Austria
National visa D plus the "Aufenthaltsbewilligung – Student" residence permit
From $479
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Belgium
Long-stay visa D for study plus the contribution fee and the A card
From $581
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Switzerland
National visa D for studies plus the cantonal residence permit
From $172
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Czech Republic
Long-term study visa or long-term study residence permit
From $121
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Hungary
Residence permit for the purpose of studies
From $128
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Türkiye
Student visa plus student residence permit (ikamet)
$100
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
South Korea
D-2 student visa
From $85
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Malaysia
Student Pass via EMGS
$696
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Hong Kong
Student visa or entry permit
From $42
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
China
X1 study visa plus a residence permit for study
From $67
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Singapore
Student's Pass
From $81
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
United Arab Emirates
Student residence visa and Emirates ID
From $118
All-in mandatory fees (USD)
Student visa costs compared, cheapest first
Mandatory fees only — the application charge plus everything the government makes you buy alongside it. Checked August 2026.
CountryVisaAll-in (USD)With extras
Long-term study visa or long-term study residence permit
$121
$484
All-in $121 · with extras $484
National visa D for studies plus the cantonal residence permit
$172
$266
All-in $172 · with extras $266
Residence permit as a student in a higher educational programme (ST1)
$477
$2,204
All-in $477 · with extras $2,204
National visa D plus the "Aufenthaltsbewilligung – Student" residence permit
$479
$1,238
All-in $479 · with extras $1,238
Long-stay visa D for study plus the contribution fee and the A card
$581
$1,144
All-in $581 · with extras $1,144
Every figure is US dollars. Governments charge in their own currency (AUD, GBP, EUR), so we don't re-convert on the fly — treat these as the August 2026 snapshot and expect the exchange rate to move your actual charge. "With extras" assumes every situational item on the country page applies, which is the worst case, not the normal one. Proof-of-funds is money you show, not money you pay, so it is never in these totals.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does a US F-1 visa cost in 2026?
$535 in mandatory fees — $350 SEVIS I-901 fee, $185 DS-160 / MRV visa application fee. Optional photos and courier add up to $40, and some nationalities pay a reciprocity fee on approval.
Why is the UK student visa more expensive than the US one?
The Student Route (Tier 4) runs $1,760 all-in against $535 for the F-1 Student Visa. Almost the whole gap is the Immigration Health Surcharge — 1 year at $1,035 — £776/yr × full course duration; Master's typically 1 year.
What's the cheapest country for a student visa?
Hong Kong — $42 all-in for the Student visa or entry permit, ahead of China ($67) and Singapore ($81). The application fee is only half the story: what you have to show in proof of funds, and whether health insurance is bundled into the visa, moves the real cost far more.
