Visa cost

Canada student visa cost — Study Permit

$175 in fees nobody can skip, up to $425 if every situational extra applies. Checked January 2026.

How much does a Canada student visa cost in 2026?

Applying for a student visa in Canada — the Study Permit — costs $175 in fees you cannot skip: Study permit application fee ($110) and Biometrics fee ($65). Situational extras (visitor visa or eTA (issued with permit), medical exam (some countries) and police certificate) add up to $250 more. Separately, you must prove you have the money: Effective Jan 2025 you must show CAD 20,635 in proof-of-funds — Canadian high commissions reject otherwise. All amounts are US dollars, last checked January 2026.

Study Permit cost breakdown

Every line the Canada application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of January 2026.

Study permit application fee$110
Mandatory for every applicant.
Biometrics fee$65
Mandatory for every applicant.
Mandatory total$175
What the Study Permit costs before any optional service.
Situational extras — only if they apply to you
Visitor visa or eTA (issued with permit)$75
$0 if you already hold a multiple-entry visa to Canada
Medical exam (some countries)$150
Only some applicants are charged this.
Police certificate$25
Only some applicants are charged this.
If every extra applied$425
Worst case — most applicants pay none or one of these.

Amounts are US dollars. Canada bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate — the native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

Things to watch

  • Effective Jan 2025 you must show CAD 20,635 in proof-of-funds — Canadian high commissions reject otherwise.
  • Quebec applicants additionally need a CAQ (CAD 132).
  • Student Direct Stream (SDS) is no longer available; standard processing only.

How much bank balance do you need for a Canada student visa?

For the Study permit, Canada asks you to show CAD 23,448. The accepted form is Bank statements, a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), or proof of a loan or scholarship, and it covers Twelve months of living expenses for a single applicant outside Quebec, excluding tuition and transport, for applications made on or after 1 September 2026. A partner adds CAD 29,192 in total for two people, and a family of three needs CAD 35,888.. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from IRCC: Study permit: Proof of financial support, checked August 2026.

IRCC: Study permit: Proof of financial support · checked August 2026

Canada student visa requirements

  • Letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution

    Upload it in the dedicated space in your online application. Post-secondary schools are asked to validate the letter, and if yours does not respond by the deadline IRCC returns the application and refunds the processing fee.

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  • Provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL)

    Needed in most cases and issued by your school on behalf of the province, confirming there is space for you within its allocation. You usually have to accept the offer and pay tuition in part or in full to get one. Master's and doctoral students at a public DLI starting on or after 1 January 2026 are exempt, as are school pupils up to grade 12.

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  • Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) if you will study in Quebec

    Quebec applicants need an attestation of issuance of the CAQ from the Government of Quebec instead of a PAL, and the CAQ must carry the line confirming your place in Quebec's share of study permit applications.

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  • Valid passport and two passport-size photos

    Upload the information page of your passport when applying online, and write your name and date of birth on the back of each photo. If you are approved you must then send IRCC your original passport.

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  • Proof of financial support

    Show funds for tuition, living expenses and return transport for yourself and anyone coming with you, without relying on work in Canada. Accepted evidence includes a GIC from a Canadian financial institution, six months of bank statements with the source of the income documented, a loan or scholarship award, or a sponsor's letter with proof of their employment.

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  • Letter of explanation

    Recommended rather than mandatory. It explains why you want to study in Canada and shows you understand your responsibilities as an international student.

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  • Immigration medical exam where required

    You may need one if you plan to stay longer than six months, have recently spent time in certain countries, or intend to work in a job where public health must be protected.

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  • Police certificate if IRCC asks for one

    Not requested in every case, but the certificates take time to obtain, so apply early if you think yours will be needed.

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  • Documents specific to your local visa office

    Requirements vary by the country you apply from. Select your country under Outside Canada then Apply online on the How to apply page to see your visa office instructions, and prove your immigration status if you are applying from a country other than your own.

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How to apply for a Canada student visa

  1. Accept your offer and get the letter of acceptance

    Your designated learning institution issues the letter of acceptance once you accept the place. Confirm the school will validate it, since IRCC now checks letters directly with schools.

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  2. Obtain your PAL or TAL, or a CAQ for Quebec

    Most applicants need the attestation letter from the province or territory before applying, and getting one usually means paying tuition in part or in full first. Quebec runs its own certificate instead.

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  3. Assemble your proof of funds

    Gather evidence covering CAD 23,448 in living costs for a single applicant plus first-year tuition and transport. Bank statements need documentation showing where the money came from, so start well before you apply.

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  4. Apply online and give biometrics

    Submit the application with each document in its correct upload slot, because anything you attach in the letter-of-acceptance slot is disclosed to your school. Biometrics are collected after you apply.

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  5. Complete a medical exam and police certificate if asked

    Do these as early as you can, since both add weeks to the timeline and IRCC will not finalise an incomplete application.

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  6. Send your passport and travel

    Once approved you send IRCC your original passport for the visa or eTA, then present your documents to a border officer, who issues the study permit on arrival.

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Canada student visa work rights, dependants and processing time

Work rights

Study permit holders may work off campus up to 24 hours a week during a regular academic session and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks, provided they are enrolled full time at a designated learning institution in a programme of at least six months.

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After graduation

A post-graduation work permit runs from eight months to three years. A programme of at least eight months but under two years earns a permit matching the programme length; two years or more earns the full three years. Most applicants have had to submit language test results since 1 November 2024, and the programme must be PGWP-eligible.

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Canada student visa requirements for Indian students

The Student Direct Stream no longer exists

India was one of the SDS countries until IRCC closed the stream at 2:00 p.m. ET on 8 November 2024. Advice built around SDS timelines and its fixed document list is out of date; Indian applicants now use the regular study permit stream.

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A GIC still counts, but it is no longer a shortcut

The regular stream accepts Guaranteed Investment Certificates as proof of financial support, so the GIC many Indian students already hold remains valid evidence. It no longer buys the faster processing SDS promised, and it still has to cover the CAD 23,448 living-cost threshold.

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Canada student visa requirements for Nigerian students

Nigeria Student Express has closed

The NSE gave prospective Nigerian university students a process similar to the Student Direct Stream. IRCC ended it on 8 November 2024, and applications submitted after that time are processed under the regular study permit stream.

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Closing NSE did not change your eligibility

IRCC stated that ending these streams does not adversely affect eligibility for applicants from the countries where they operated. Nigerian students meet the same study permit requirements as everyone else, including the PAL and the CAD 23,448 proof of funds.

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Canada student visa requirements for Chinese students

The Student Direct Stream no longer exists

China was one of the SDS countries until IRCC closed the stream on 8 November 2024. Chinese applicants now use the regular study permit stream, with no separate document list or service standard.

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GICs remain accepted proof of funds

The regular stream accepts a Guaranteed Investment Certificate from a Canadian financial institution as evidence of financial support, alongside six months of bank statements showing where the money came from.

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Canada student visa requirements for Pakistani students

The Student Direct Stream no longer exists

Pakistan was one of the SDS countries until IRCC closed the stream on 8 November 2024. Pakistani applicants now use the regular study permit stream, which carries no fixed processing standard.

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Prove where your funds came from

The regular stream asks for six months of bank statements with documentation of the source of the income, and if your country applies foreign exchange controls you must also show you will be allowed to export the money.

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Canada student visa requirements for Filipino students

The Student Direct Stream no longer exists

The Philippines was one of the SDS countries until IRCC closed the stream on 8 November 2024. Filipino applicants now use the regular study permit stream.

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Ending SDS did not change what you must prove

IRCC confirmed that closing the stream does not adversely affect eligibility. You still need a letter of acceptance, a PAL or TAL in most cases, and proof of CAD 23,448 in living costs plus tuition and transport.

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Canada student visa requirements for Vietnamese students

The Student Direct Stream no longer exists

Vietnam was one of the SDS countries until IRCC closed the stream on 8 November 2024. Vietnamese applicants now use the regular study permit stream.

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A GIC is still valid evidence of funds

The regular stream continues to accept Guaranteed Investment Certificates as proof of financial support, so a GIC opened for an SDS-style application is not wasted. It just no longer shortens processing.

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United States
From $535 all-in
United Kingdom
From $1,760 all-in
Australia
From $2,250 all-in
Germany
From $190 all-in
France
From $183 all-in
New Zealand
From $501 all-in

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Canada student visa fee?
The Study Permit application charge is $110 (Study permit application fee). Add the other mandatory items — Biometrics fee $65 — and the all-in mandatory total is $175. Optional extras add up to $250 on top.
How much is the biometrics fee?
$65 for the Study Permit, and it is mandatory. It is already counted in the $175 all-in total.
How much proof of funds do you need for the Study Permit?
Effective Jan 2025 you must show CAD 20,635 in proof-of-funds — Canadian high commissions reject otherwise. That is money you show, not money you pay — it is separate from the $175 in fees.
How much bank balance is required for a Canada student visa?
CAD 23,448, held as Bank statements, a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), or proof of a loan or scholarship, covering Twelve months of living expenses for a single applicant outside Quebec, excluding tuition and transport, for applications made on or after 1 September 2026. A partner adds CAD 29,192 in total for two people, and a family of three needs CAD 35,888.. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. Applications submitted between 1 January 2025 and 31 August 2026 use the earlier CAD 22,895 figure. You must show the funds for the first year and explain how you will pay for the rest of a longer programme. Quebec applicants meet the thresholds set by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration instead. Source: IRCC: Study permit: Proof of financial support (August 2026).
Can you work on a Canada student visa?
Study permit holders may work off campus up to 24 hours a week during a regular academic session and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks, provided they are enrolled full time at a designated learning institution in a programme of at least six months. Source: IRCC: Work off campus as an international student (August 2026).
What's not included in the Study Permit fee?
Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
When are these fees due?
Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

Official sources

Last verified August 2026.