Proof of funds — evidence that you can cover living costs (and often tuition) for a student visa or residence permit — sets the shape of the requirement: the period counted, whether funds are frozen, and who checks. In Germany the common path is an annual sum in a Sperrkonto (blocked account: money paid in ahead, released in equal monthly instalments). In the United Kingdom the rule is a monthly maintenance rate plus a 28-day hold on an ordinary account, and from 30 November 2026 the rate rises. In the Netherlands the university, as recognised sponsor, gathers the pack for the IND. In France the threshold is monthly and, since August 2026, tied to the SMIC. In the United States there is no federal monthly figure: the sum is whatever the university puts on Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility), issued only after the school has checked financing.
What differs is the period counted, who checks, whether money must be frozen, and whether the threshold moves. Below are five logics for 2026–2027, then one table. This piece is not a full UK Student visa checklist or an F-1 duration brief: for UK procedure see UK Student visa; for the F-1 fixed-period issue see the dedicated note.
Germany: a full year in a blocked account
The official Study in Germany portal states the orienting figure plainly: in most cases applicants must prove €11,904 for one year — the Regelbedarf, the estimated living need for twelve months (equivalent to €992 a month). The sum is shown in full before entry.
The portal lists several acceptable forms: parents’ income and assets, a guarantee from someone with permanent residence in Germany, a deposit in a blocked account, a bank guarantee, and a scholarship award from a recognised provider. For most applicants from outside the EU the working option remains the Sperrkonto: funds are paid in ahead of time and released monthly. Study in Germany adds its own warning: which form your mission will accept must be confirmed with the German embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country — not from an overview article.
The household consequence: €11,904 often has to be taken out of circulation for a year on a blocked account, unlike liquid proof on an ordinary statement. That is a different household burden. Low or zero tuition (course fees) at a public university does not cancel this one-off visa amount.
United Kingdom: monthly, 28 days, two rates by application date
GOV.UK sets maintenance by month and by location. The date you apply for the Student visa decides which band applies:
| When you apply | London (per month) | Outside London (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Before 30 November 2026 | £1,529 | £1,171 |
| From 30 November 2026 | £1,570 | £1,203 |
The cap is up to nine months (a twelve-month master’s is still counted as nine for maintenance — a common budgeting error). Course fees for the first academic year, as stated on the CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from the sponsoring institution), sit on top. London means the City of London and the 32 London boroughs.
The pre–30 November figures match the live GOV.UK page Student visa: money you need as checked on 25 October 2026. The rise from 30 November 2026 is in Statement of Changes HC 584 (3 September 2026) and already reflected in guidance from several UK universities. The GOV.UK money page can lag the Rules: on filing day, check GOV.UK and the figure on your CAS / university instructions.
The distinctive feature is timing, not the headline sum. Funds must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, and the end of that period must fall within 31 days of the application date. GOV.UK’s example: apply on 1 January → show a 28-day period ending on 1 December. Moving money in the day before applying does not work.
There is an exemption: nationals on the differential evidence requirement list are not asked for financial evidence by default (UKVI may still request it). Check by nationality, not by country of residence. Russia is not on the list; Kazakhstan, for example, is. Full checklist, ATAS and TB testing belong in the UK Student visa piece — here only the money logic.
Netherlands: monthly, checked by the university, reindexed every January
The Dutch model differs in who runs the check. The residence-permit application is made not by the student but by the host institution, which acts as a recognised sponsor before the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) and gathers the documents. Study in NL puts it directly: once you enrol, the institution contacts you and runs the procedure.
The IND study norm for calendar 2026 for higher education (hbo / university) is €1,130.77 a month (valid 1 January–31 December 2026). It is revised every year and tied to social-security norms — by the 2027 intake the figure will almost certainly have moved. Tuition is not inside this monthly living amount.
Where someone living in the Netherlands finances the stay, the IND assesses that person’s income instead; the thresholds differ (from 1 July 2026, on the order of €2,766.67 a month for a single financier to about €3,467.77 for a couple without holiday allowance — confirm the IND table on filing day). For families abroad the usual path is the student’s own funds under the study norm, in whatever form the university accepts (statement, deposit with the institution, and so on).
France: monthly, and a threshold raised from August 2026
France counts resources by month across the period of study. From 1 August 2026 the threshold is 47 per cent of gross SMIC (the national minimum wage), which at the current rate is about €877.50 a month, against the previous €615. The figure is indexed and will move with the SMIC — last year’s “615” is no longer a planning number.
For applicants covered by the Études en France procedure, the file passes through Campus France before the visa stage; both sequence and fee change (portal orienting figures: €50 versus €99 outside the procedure). The proof-of-funds shape stays monthly: there is usually no German-style freeze, but the consulate and Campus France set acceptable evidence for your date.
United States: no federal monthly figure — Form I-20
The American logic is built differently. There is no single federal monthly threshold for F-1. Study in the States states a general requirement: resources must cover tuition, books, living costs and travel for the period of study. Evidence is collected not first by the consulate but by the university, through its DSO (Designated School Official), before it issues Form I-20.
The sum to show equals whatever the university writes on the I-20; the spread between a state university and a private college is often several times over. Typical evidence: family statements, a sponsor letter, aid and scholarship letters, an employer’s salary letter. The same pack goes to the visa interview and the port of entry. F-1 duration and fixed-period litigation are covered in a separate article; here only the I-20 money logic.
Five logics in one table (2026–2027)
| Country | Threshold (orienting) | Period | Who checks | Frozen? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | €11,904 for the year (≈€992/mo) | Full year | Consulate / mission | Usually yes: Sperrkonto |
| United Kingdom | Before 30 Nov 2026: £1,529 / £1,171; from 30 Nov 2026: £1,570 / £1,203 (London / outside); up to 9 mo + fee on CAS | Up to 9 months + first-year tuition | UKVI | No, but 28 consecutive days |
| Netherlands | €1,130.77 / mo (HE, calendar 2026) | Period of study (often ×12) | University as sponsor → IND | No (form set by university) |
| France | ≈€877.50 / mo from 1 Aug 2026 (47% of SMIC) | Period of study | Consulate / Campus France | No |
| United States | Figure on Form I-20 | Period on the form | University (DSO), then consulate | No |
What to compare instead of “the cheapest visa”
Converted to a year, European living norms sit in a similar band — roughly ten to fourteen thousand euros of maintenance, plus tuition where it applies. In the United States the university sets the bar, often higher. The same “annual” sum still means a different household burden.
- 01Full year up front versus monthly counting
Germany wants the year shown at once (often in a blocked account). France and the Netherlands count monthly; for a family with income but no large savings these are different tasks.
- 02Freeze versus statement
A Sperrkonto removes money from circulation. The British 28 days and Dutch/French evidence checks do not — but the UK calendar is tightly tied to the filing date.
- 03Fixed orienting figure versus index
The French threshold has been tied to the SMIC since August; the Dutch one revises every January; UK maintenance rises through the Rules (the next known step is 30 November 2026). A figure from last year’s guide is often wrong by filing day.
- 04Who checks
Where the university gathers the pack (Netherlands; United States before I-20), the applicant reaches the consulate with a logic already assembled. Where the consulate checks directly, questions arrive at the least convenient point in the cycle.
Proof of funds is a parameter in choosing country and programme, not a late surprise before legalisation. Germany with low tuition may still ask for the largest one-off sum in a Sperrkonto. The United Kingdom with high fees freezes nothing but wants liquidity a month before filing — and from 30 November 2026 at the new rate. The Netherlands and France count monthly and move the norm. Know the shape while the shortlist is built: it decides which routes a family can actually carry.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do you need for a German student visa?
In most cases €11,904 for one year (Study in Germany / Regelbedarf). The sum is usually paid into a Sperrkonto and released monthly. The exact form of proof is set by the German mission in the applicant’s country.
How much do you need to show for a UK Student visa?
It depends on application date. Before 30 November 2026: £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 outside. From 30 November 2026: £1,570 / £1,203. Up to nine months, plus the first year’s course fee on the CAS. Funds must have been held for 28 consecutive days; that period must end within 31 days of applying. On filing day, check GOV.UK and university instructions — the money page can lag HC 584.
Does the money have to be frozen?
It depends on the country. Germany usually requires a Sperrkonto. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and the United States check funds through statements and letters but do not take the sum out of circulation for a year in the German sense.
What is the amount for a Dutch student residence permit?
The IND figure for 2026 for higher education is €1,130.77 a month. The application is made by the host institution as a recognised sponsor. The figure is revised every 1 January.
How much do you need to show for a US student visa?
There is no single federal monthly threshold. The sum equals the cost of tuition and living expenses on Form I-20 and varies widely between institutions. The university collects evidence before issuing the I-20; the consulate then reviews it.
Can a scholarship count as proof of funds?
In all five countries an award letter from a recognised provider is usually accepted as part of proof of funds. Scholarship decisions often arrive after visa timelines — plan the budget as if there were no award, then substitute when the letter is in hand.
What to do next
EDMONT matches each country’s financial-requirement shape to the programmes on a shortlist and to the full cost of a year (tuition, living costs, visa norm). Send an application with your level of study, nationality and countries of interest. After the application you can book a consultation; you receive a structured read of the load by route and a list of questions for universities and consular checklists. There is no guarantee of a visa or of admission. Contact follows the agreed stages of support.
Related service: Applying to Europe
Verified against primary official sources: government bodies, Study-in portals and official admissions operators. Before filing, re-check GOV.UK, IND, Study in Germany, France-Visas and the sum on the CAS / I-20 — norms and page display can move.
Proof of funds comes later, but the budget should be checked while choosing universities. Our 2027 admissions comparison connects cost, eligibility and applications.