Dhiraj Kandel
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Quick answer
The essentials at a glance
You can apply to UK universities from Nepal on your own or with a counselor, and it takes about 8 to 12 months. For a bachelor's you apply through UCAS, and for a master's you apply on the university website. The rules differ by level, course and university, so first check your marks and English score. Once you accept an offer and pay the deposit, the university sends your CAS, and then you apply for the visa.
Key takeaways
Main points from this page
- A UCAS form lets you apply to up to 5 bachelor's courses for £34.50.
- For most courses, the UCAS equal consideration date is in mid-January, and Oxford, Cambridge and medicine close on 15 October.
- For a master's, you fill in one form on each university website, and most of these forms cost £0.
- You need a CAS from your university before you can apply for the Student visa, which costs £558.
- You can apply for the visa up to 6 months before your course, and a decision usually takes 3 weeks.
What Are the Steps to Apply to a UK University from Nepal?
You choose a course, apply through UCAS or to the university, accept an offer and pay a deposit, then get your CAS and apply for the visa.
The whole process usually takes 8 to 12 months. It helps to know the order before you start. Each step needs the one before it: no offer means no CAS, and no CAS means no visa. If you are still deciding whether the UK is right for you, start with our guide to study in UK from Nepal.
| Step | What you do | Usual time from Nepal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose | Shortlist courses and universities | 2 to 4 weeks |
| 2. Check | Match your +2 or bachelor’s marks and English score to the entry rules | 1 to 2 weeks |
| 3. Prepare | Collect transcripts, character certificate, SOP, references, CV and passport | 3 to 6 weeks |
| 4. Apply | Send your form through UCAS (bachelor’s) or the university website (master’s) | 1 to 2 weeks |
| 5. Offer | Get a conditional or unconditional offer and accept one | 2 to 8 weeks |
| 6. Deposit and CAS | Meet the conditions, pay the deposit and ask for your CAS | 2 to 4 weeks |
| 7. Visa | Hold the money for 28 days, apply online and give biometrics | 5 to 8 weeks |
How Do You Choose a Course and University in the UK?
Choose the course first, then the university, and pick one that fits your marks, your budget and the job you want later.
Many Nepali students pick a famous name and then find the course does not suit them. It works better the other way round. Decide what you want to study, such as business, IT, nursing or hospitality, and then look for the universities that teach it well. Our list of universities in the UK for international students is a good place to start.
If your marks are lower or you want a cheaper start, a college with a foundation or pathway course can lead you into a degree. Our page on colleges in the UK for international students explains these routes. Keep your shortlist to about 5 to 8 courses, because each one needs time and care. When you compare them, look at these points:
- Course content: read the modules for each year, not just the course title.
- Entry rules: the +2 grade or bachelor’s result and English score the course asks for.
- Tuition fee: the yearly fee for international students, which differs a lot between universities.
- City: London costs more to live in than most other UK cities.
- Start dates: whether the course starts in September only, or also in January or May.
What Entry Requirements Should You Check Before Applying?
Check three things on each course page: your academic marks, your English score and any extra test, interview or portfolio.
Each UK university sets its own entry rules, and they can differ for two courses at the same university. A bachelor’s course looks at your +2 grade, and a master’s looks at your bachelor’s result. Our page on eligibility to study in the UK explains GPA, percentage, gaps and backlogs in detail. Turn your +2 grades into a GPA with our NEB GPA calculator before you compare.
For a degree course, the Home Office asks for English at level B2, and most universities ask for an IELTS or PTE score. Some accept your +2 English marks instead. The scores for each test are on our page on minimum IELTS and PTE for UK study. Here is what to look for on the course page:
Academic marks
- Bachelor’s: your +2 result, usually as a GPA, and sometimes a grade in a subject such as Maths or Biology.
- Master’s: your bachelor’s result, and in some courses a degree in a related subject.
- Foundation or pathway courses: lower marks are often accepted, and you move to the degree after one year.
English score
- IELTS, PTE or another test the university accepts, with an overall score and a score for each part.
- Some universities accept your +2 English marks, or a degree taught in English, for the offer.
- For the visa, a degree-level course needs English at level B2.
Extra rules for some courses
- Work experience, often 2 years or more for an MBA.
- A portfolio for art, design, film and architecture.
- An interview, often online, for nursing, medicine and some master’s courses.
- An entrance test for a few courses, such as medicine.
Should You Apply Through UCAS or Directly to the University?
Apply through UCAS for a bachelor’s degree, and apply directly on the university website for a master’s or most foundation courses.
UCAS is the one website for bachelor’s applications to UK universities. You fill in one form and send it to up to five courses. For a master’s, there is no central system, so you apply to each university on its own website. Here is how the two routes compare:
| UCAS (bachelor’s) | Direct (master’s) | |
|---|---|---|
| How many choices | Up to 5 on one form | As many as you like, one form each |
| Application fee | £34.50 for up to 5 choices | Usually free; a few universities charge |
| Personal statement | One statement for all 5 choices, up to 4,000 characters | One SOP for each course |
| References | 1 reference, usually from your +2 college | Often 1 or 2, from a teacher or employer |
| Deadlines | Fixed UCAS dates | Each course sets its own date |
Foundation and pathway courses at a college usually take direct applications too. If you are not sure which route your course uses, the course page will tell you.
- A bachelor’s after +2: use UCAS
- A foundation year at a college: apply on the college website
- A master’s or an MBA: apply on the website of each school
- A top-up year after a diploma: apply on the school website
- A PhD: write to a teacher there first, then apply on the website
How to apply through UCAS
You create an account in the UCAS Hub, fill in each section and add your five choices. The UCAS guide to filling in your application says the form needs a reference from someone who is not family, such as a teacher at your +2 college. The personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters, including spaces. Enter your +2 subjects and grades exactly as they are on your marksheet, not as UK grades.
The application fee is £34.50 for up to five choices, paid by card when you send the form. UCAS then sends your form to each university, and you track the replies in your Hub.
UCAS dates to remember
The UCAS dates and deadlines page gives the same pattern every year:
- Mid-May: you can start your form
- Early September: you can send your form
- 15 October: Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine courses close
- Mid-January: the main date for most courses
- Late June: after this, late forms go into Clearing
- Early July: Clearing opens for courses with places left
Many universities take international students later too, but good courses fill up early.
How to apply directly for a master’s
On the university website, you click “Apply now” on the course page and make an account. You then fill in your details, upload your documents and write a statement about why you want that course. Most master’s forms are free. Our guide to a master’s in the UK explains the one-year and two-year options.
For a bachelor’s, our page on bachelor’s degrees in the UK lists popular courses for +2 students. The direct steps usually go like this:
- Find the course page and check the entry rules and start date
- Create an account on the university’s application website
- Fill in your education, English test and work details
- Upload your transcripts, passport, SOP, CV and references
- Send the form and note your application number
- Reply fast to any email from the university, so your offer is not held up
What Documents Do You Need for a UK University Application?
Most UK universities ask for your marksheets, an English test result, an SOP, one or two letters from teachers, a CV and your passport.
These are the papers for the university, not for the visa. The visa needs other papers, such as bank statements and a TB test, and our page on UK student visa requirements lists them. Start early, because it can take weeks to get papers from your board or university in Nepal.
Your Nepali papers often show dates in BS, but UK forms ask for AD dates. Use our Nepali date converter so your dates match on every form. Forms also ask for your home address and postcode, which you can find with our Nepal postal code finder. Here is the usual list:
- Marksheets and certificates: SEE and +2, and for a master’s your bachelor’s marks and degree. See how to get transcripts in Nepal.
- Character certificate: from your +2 college or university; see our character certificate for study abroad guide.
- English test: your IELTS or PTE result, unless the university takes your +2 English marks.
- SOP: why you chose this course and this university, and what you will do after. Our SOP for UK guide has a format.
- References: 1 or 2 letters from a teacher or employer; see our recommendation letter for study abroad guide.
- CV: mostly for a master’s; our CV for study abroad guide shows the layout.
- Passport: the photo page; see Nepal passport for study abroad.
- Other papers: a work letter, a portfolio or a gap letter, if the course asks.
What Happens After You Get a UK Offer Letter?
You get a conditional or an unconditional offer, you accept one, and then you meet any conditions and pay the deposit.
A conditional offer means the university will take you once you send something more, such as your final +2 results or an IELTS score. An unconditional offer means you have met every rule already. Most Nepali students first get a conditional offer, so read the conditions and their deadline carefully.
Through UCAS, you reply to your offers in the Hub. You choose one firm choice, which is your first pick, and you can keep one insurance choice as a backup. For a direct application, you accept on the university’s website. Before you accept, compare the fee, scholarship, city and start date of each offer. Our cost to study in the UK page helps you compare the total cost of each offer.
Conditional and unconditional offers
- Conditional: send the missing result, English score or paper by the date in the letter
- Unconditional: your place is ready once you accept it and pay what is asked
- Firm and insurance (UCAS only): one first choice and one backup choice
- A scholarship is often written in the offer letter, so keep a copy
Paying the deposit from Nepal
Most universities ask you to pay part of the fee before they give you a CAS. The amount differs, and it comes off your first-year fee. To send it from a bank in Nepal, you need a letter called an NOC from the Ministry of Education. Our guide on how to apply for an NOC in Nepal lists the papers, and the transfer usually takes about a week.
When Do You Get Your CAS from a UK University?
You get your CAS once you meet every condition, pay the deposit and pass the university’s checks, often within 1 to 3 weeks.
A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is a number your university gives you. You need it to apply for the visa. Before they give it, many universities look at your bank papers and hold a short talk to check you really plan to study. Read our list of pre-CAS interview questions to prepare.
Only a university on the Home Office register of licensed student sponsors can issue a CAS, so check your university is on it. Our CAS letter guide explains the deposit, timing and errors in detail. Before you ask for your CAS, have these ready:
- Proof that you met each condition, such as your final marks or IELTS result
- The deposit receipt from your bank
- Your passport details, the same as on the passport
- Bank papers or a loan letter, if the university asks
How Do You Apply for the UK Student Visa from Nepal?
Once you have your CAS, you hold the money for 28 days, apply online, pay the fee and health surcharge, and give your fingerprints and photo in Kathmandu.
The GOV.UK Student visa page says you can apply up to 6 months before your course starts, and a decision usually comes within 3 weeks. The GOV.UK apply online page says you prove your identity either with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre. Most Nepali students give biometrics at the centre in Kathmandu, and our page on biometrics locations in Nepal has the address.
Students from Nepal must also take a TB test at a clinic the Home Office approves before they apply. If your visa is approved, you get an eVisa, which is a digital record of your status, instead of a sticker in your passport. In order, the visa steps are:
- Get your CAS number and check every detail on it
- Take the TB test at an approved clinic in Nepal
- Keep the money in the bank for at least 28 days in a row
- Fill in the online form and pay the visa fee and health surcharge
- Prove your identity with the app or at the visa centre in Kathmandu
- Wait for the decision, usually within 3 weeks, then set up your eVisa account
The money you pay and show for the visa
The visa fee is £558, and the health surcharge is £776 a year, as the GOV.UK health surcharge page shows. Our UK student visa fee page adds up the total for your course length.
You also show your first-year fee and money to live on. Under the Home Office rule change HC 584, you need £1,203 a month outside London or £1,570 in London. This applies from 30 November, for up to 9 months. That is £10,827 or £14,130, about Rs 22 lakh to Rs 28 lakh. Before 30 November, it is £1,171 or £1,529 a month. Students from Nepal must show this money. Check today’s rate with our GBP to Rs forex converter.
After the visa, you plan your travel. On a course of more than 6 months, your visa lets you land up to a month before classes begin. Before you fly:
- Housing: book a room in university halls or a private flat, and keep the booking letter.
- Flight: book it only after your visa is granted, for a date on or after your visa start date.
- Hand luggage: passport, CAS, offer letter, housing details, money proof and your academic papers.
How Long Does the UK Application Process Take from Nepal?
Plan for 8 to 12 months from your first shortlist to your flight, and start about a year before a September course.
A September start is the main UK intake and the busiest. A January start gives you 4 more months if your results or English score come late, and our page on UK intakes compares all three starts. +2 results in Nepal usually come out around July or August, so many +2 students apply with Class 11 marks and send the final marksheet later.
Dashain and Tihar also close banks and offices for days between late September and November. Plan your NOC, deposit and bank papers around them. For a September course, a plan from Nepal usually looks like this:
- September to November: shortlist courses, check entry rules and book IELTS or PTE
- October to January: send applications; for UCAS, aim for the mid-January date
- February to May: get offers, accept one and plan your money
- June to July: meet the conditions, pay the deposit and get your CAS
- July to August: hold the funds for 28 days, take the TB test and apply for the visa
- Late August to September: fly, up to 1 month before your course starts
What Mistakes Should Nepali Students Avoid When Applying?
The most common mistakes are applying late, sending papers with different names or dates, and writing a copied SOP.
Small errors cause big delays. If your name is spelled one way on your passport and another way on your +2 marksheet, the university may ask for a letter. Your CAS then waits. A copied or general SOP is easy for universities to spot, and it can also hurt you later at the visa stage.
Money is the other big risk. Large deposits made just before the 28-day period, or a sponsor whose income does not match the balance, often lead to questions. Our page on UK student visa rejection reasons explains what goes wrong at the visa stage. Watch out for these:
- Applying after the main deadlines, when good courses are full
- Names, dates of birth or addresses that differ across your papers
- Choosing a course with no clear link to your past study or work
- Missing the deadline for offer conditions or the deposit
- Paying a deposit before checking the university is a licensed sponsor
- Booking flights before the visa decision
Do You Need a Consultancy to Apply to UK Universities?
No, you can apply on your own, but a good counselor saves you time and helps you avoid the mistakes that slow down a CAS or visa.
Anyone can use UCAS and university websites, and many Nepali students apply by themselves. A counselor helps most with picking a course that fits your marks, writing your SOP, planning the money and getting ready for the CAS interview. If you use a consultancy, check that the universities it suggests list it as a partner. Our page on the best UK consultancy in Nepal explains what to ask.
Many universities also give scholarships to students who apply early, and our UK scholarships page lists them. For help with your form, you can talk to a Goreto counselor from any town in Nepal. You can also visit our branches in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara.
FAQs on How to Apply to UK Universities
Choose your course and apply through UCAS for a bachelor’s or on the university website for a master’s. After you accept an offer and pay the deposit, you get a CAS and apply for the visa.
Yes. UCAS and university websites are open to everyone. Many students still use a counselor for the SOP and money planning.
You can add up to five choices on one UCAS form. For a master’s there is no limit, because you apply to each university on its own website.
The UCAS fee is £34.50 for up to five choices. Most direct applications for a master’s are free, but a few universities charge a small fee.
Yes. Many universities give you a conditional offer based on your Class 11 marks and predicted grades. You then send your final +2 marksheet when it comes out.
An offer letter says the university will give you a place. A CAS comes later, after you accept, meet the conditions and pay the deposit, and you need it for the visa.
Most universities reply within 2 to 8 weeks. Busy months near the UCAS deadlines can take longer.
After you get your CAS, take the TB test, hold the money for 28 days and apply online on GOV.UK. Then give your fingerprints and photo in Kathmandu if asked.
Not always. Some universities accept your +2 English marks, but many still ask for IELTS or PTE.
Start about 12 months before your course. For a September start, begin your shortlist in the September or October of the year before.
Sources
Reference links
Disclaimer
Important guidance note
This page provides general guidance about studying abroad. Requirements, fees and policies can change. For advice about your situation, speak with a Goreto counselor before applying.
