United Kingdom — Study (Bachelor's degree (usually with a foundation year))

Main requirements

Per Manchester's Iran page, holders of the Iranian high school diploma must first complete a foundation programme (for example 16/20 overall with 16 in maths and physics for science and engineering with an integrated foundation year, or 15/20 for INTO foundation programmes). Some universities, such as Sheffield, consider the diploma plus a high-grade pre-university certificate for direct entry. Manchester's medicine and dentistry accept only A-levels or IB. Bachelor's applications go through UCAS.

Documents

Passport; CAS; diploma, pre-university certificate and transcripts with translations; English certificate; proof of funds; parental consent if under 18.

Language

UKVI requires B2 for the degree itself. If the foundation counts as below degree level, you need at least B1 through a SELT (such as IELTS for UKVI); ask the university or college which level its course is. Per GOV.UK's official list (October 2026), IELTS for UKVI is offered in Tehran through Irsafam.

Costs and proof of funds

Per UCAS, average international undergraduate fees are about £22,000 a year, ranging from £11,400 to £38,000. A foundation year costs extra; for example, INTO Manchester's International Foundation in Science and Engineering is £18,750 for 2026/27. Per the official source as of October 2026, the visa fee is £558 and the student IHS is £776 per year for the whole visa, paid upfront.

Funds: you must show unpaid first-year tuition plus living costs. Per the official source as of October 2026, living costs are £1,529 a month in London and £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months (£13,761 or £10,539). The money must be held for at least 28 consecutive days, ending no more than 31 days before you apply. Under Appendix Finance, funds are not accepted if UKVI cannot verify them or the institution isn't regulated in its country. The same rules set a separate conversion rate for Iranian rials (the monthly FCDO rate), so rial accounts are not banned as such, but many applicants show funds held outside Iran to reduce verification and sanctions risk. An official financial sponsor (a government, the British Council, a university or an international company) is also accepted.

Steps and timeline

IELTS; choose foundation or direct entry; apply (UCAS for the degree, or directly to the foundation college); offer; 28-day funds; CAS; visa (up to 6 months before the start, decision in about 3 weeks). Bachelor's degrees usually take 3 years in England and 4 in Scotland.

Notes for Iranian applicants

Where to give biometrics: visa decisions aren't made in Tehran, but GOV.UK's visa application centre finder lists Iran with a link to the VFS page, and Persian sources say the UK visa centre in Tehran (Heravi Center) has been taking applicants again since 21 June 2026. We couldn't open the VFS page itself, so check which centre the online form offers for Iran when you book. If Tehran isn't available, the nearby options are Istanbul and Ankara, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Yerevan.

Young men with only a diploma can leave for study only under the specific conditions of the military service organisation's study exit permit; check this before spending money. Because of banking sanctions, ask the university which payment methods it accepts before paying tuition.

After arrival (work while studying, post-study stay, path to settlement)

On a full-time bachelor's you can work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time in vacations; below degree level the cap is 10 hours. You cannot bring family. After graduating, the Graduate visa (2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027), then a work visa.