Student visas: 64 countries compared
Countries where enrolling in a school, university or language course gives you the right to live there.
Sorted by the monthly income asked for, lowest first; countries without a fixed amount come after.
Programme details are shown in English.
| Country | Programme | Income a month | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
 Austria | Residence permit – Student | $840 | — |
 Finland | Residence permit for studies | $920 | — |
 France | Long-stay student visa (VLS-TS « étudiant ») | $1,010 | 4 months to 1 year, then a residence card for the rest of the studies |
 Belgium | Long-stay student visa | $1,230 | For the length of the studies, renewed each academic year |
 Iceland | Residence permit for students | $2,080 | — |
 Argentina | Temporary residence – Student (Estudiante) | Not fixed | 1 year, extendable |
 Australia | Student visa (subclass 500) | Not fixed | Matches the course, up to 6 years |
 Azerbaijan | Temporary residence permit for full-time study | Not fixed | Up to 1 year, then extended for up to 2 years at a time |
 Barbados | Student visa | Not fixed | for the length of the course (adults) |
 Bolivia | Student visa and temporary residence | Not fixed | 1 year, renewable until studies end |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Temporary residence for education | Not fixed | Up to 1 year |
 Bulgaria | Long-term residence permit for university students | Not fixed | Up to 1 year, renewed for each year of study; 18 months for the final year. After graduating you can get up to 9 more months to look for work if you register as a jobseeker with the Employment Agency. |
 Canada | Study permit | Not fixed | For the length of the study program |
 Chile | Temporary residence for students | Not fixed | Up to 2 years |
 China | X1 student visa and study residence permit | Not fixed | Matches the study term |
 Croatia | Temporary stay for university studies | Not fixed | Up to 1 year at a time |
 Czechia | Long-term residence permit for study | Not fixed | Usually 1 year, up to 2 years in some cases |
 Denmark | Residence permit for higher education | Not fixed | For the length of the programme; work up to 90 hours a month from September to May and full-time in June–August |
 Estonia | Residence permit for study | Not fixed | For the nominal study period |
 Ethiopia | Student visa | Not fixed | for the length of studies |
 Georgia | Study residence permit | Not fixed | Tied to the length of study |
 Germany | Residence permit for university studies | Not fixed | Usually 2 years at a time, extendable until you finish; up to 140 full or 280 half working days of work a year |
 Ghana | Residence permit for students | Not fixed | for the length of studies |
 Greece | Student visa and residence permit | Not fixed | 1 year, renewable yearly; a multi-year permit matching the course is possible |
 Guatemala | Temporary residence for students | Not fixed | — |
 Hungary | Residence permit for studies | Not fixed | At least 1 year (or the course length if shorter), up to 3 years per permit |
 India | Student visa | Not fixed | for the length of the course, up to 5 years |
 Indonesia | Higher Education Visa (E30B) | Not fixed | 1, 2 or 4 years from arrival |
 Italy | Study visa for university enrolment | Not fixed | Residence permit for the length of the course, renewed yearly |
 Japan | Student status of residence | Not fixed | — |
 Luxembourg | Residence permit for students | Not fixed | — |
 Macao | Special Authorisation to Stay for non-resident students | Not fixed | — |
 Malaysia | Student Pass | Not fixed | — |
 Malta | Residence permit for studies | Not fixed | — |
 Mexico | Temporary Resident Student visa (Residente Temporal Estudiante) | Not fixed | For the length of the studies, renewed with proof of continued enrolment |
 Moldova | Provisional residence for studies | Not fixed | — |
 Mongolia | Study residence permit (category E) | Not fixed | Up to 1 year at a time |
 Netherlands | Student residence permit (university or higher professional education) | Not fixed | Length of the study programme plus 3 months, up to 5 years |
 New Zealand | Fee Paying Student Visa | Not fixed | Up to 4 years, usually matching the paid study period |
 Nigeria | Student Visa | Not fixed | Usually 1 year at a time |
 North Macedonia | Temporary residence for study | Not fixed | up to 1 year, extendable |
 Norway | Study permit | Not fixed | — |
 Philippines | Student visa (9F) | Not fixed | — |
 Poland | Temporary residence permit for studies | Not fixed | Usually 15 months for first-year students; later permits cover the rest of the course plus 3 months, up to 3 years |
 Portugal | Residence visa for studies (D4) | Not fixed | — |
 Romania | Long-stay visa for studies (D/SD) | Not fixed | Visa for 90 days; then a residence permit for studies in Romania |
 Rwanda | Class U1 student permit | Not fixed | 1 year |
 Senegal | Residence card for students | Not fixed | — |
 Serbia | Temporary residence for studies | Not fixed | Usually 1 year at a time |
 Singapore | Student's Pass | Not fixed | For the length of the course |
 Slovenia | Temporary residence permit for studies | Not fixed | — |
 South Africa | Study visa | Not fixed | For the length of the course |
 South Korea | Student visa (D-2) | Not fixed | Initial stay up to 2 years, matching the admission period; register for an alien registration card within 90 days of arrival |
 Spain | Student visa and stay for studies | Not fixed | Matches the length of the course |
 Sri Lanka | Residence visa for students | Not fixed | 1 year or the length of the course, renewable |
 Sweden | Residence permit for higher education studies | Not fixed | — |
 Switzerland | Residence permit for education and training | Not fixed | For the length of the studies, up to 8 years in total in Zurich. Graduates of a Swiss university can get 6 months to look for a job. |
 Tanzania | Residence Permit Class C (students) | Not fixed | — |
 Thailand | Non-Immigrant ED visa (education) | Not fixed | — |
 Turkey | Student residence permit | Not fixed | For the study period, then up to 1 year at a time |
 Uganda | Student Pass | Not fixed | 3, 6 or 12 months |
 United Arab Emirates | Student residence permit | Not fixed | — |
 United Kingdom | Student visa | Not fixed | Up to 5 years for degree courses, up to 2 years below degree level |
 United States | F-1 student visa | Not fixed | For the length of studies; entry up to 30 days before the programme start |
Questions
Which country asks for the least income?
In our data, Austria asks for the least: about $840 a month.
How many countries are on this list?
64 countries, each with at least one route of this kind that we have checked against official sources.
Other routes
- Digital nomad visas
- Work permits
- Freelancer and self-employed visas
- Retirement visas
- Passive income visas
- Investment and golden visas
- Residence permits
This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Requirements change; confirm with the official government page or a licensed adviser before you apply.