Student visa document checklist for students from Pakistan
Pick where you will study. The checklist covers what every student visa application needs and adds the country-specific items (TB test, IHS, OSHC, APS, GIC, DS-160…), each linked to its official source.
Admission and identity
Academic record
Money
Health
Country specifics
verify marks items that some consulates or authorities ask for and others do not, or that we could not confirm from an official source. Check the official website or the visa centre’s list for your application before relying on them. Sources and the date they were checked are under Limitations and sources. Your ticks are saved in this browser only.
About this checklist
Student visa applications differ far more by country than tourist visas do: the UK wants a CAS, a TB test and the health surcharge; Canada a letter of acceptance from a designated institution and a provincial attestation letter; Australia a CoE, OSHC and a Genuine Student statement; Germany an APS certificate and a blocked account; the USA an I-20 and a DS-160 interview. This checklist is for students from Pakistan heading to any of them. The common documents are listed for everyone; choose your destination and the country-specific items appear, each with its official source at the bottom of the page.
How to use it
- Select where you will study. Items for other countries are hidden.
- Work through the sections in order: admission and identity, academic record, money, health, country specifics. Tick as you go; ticks are saved in this browser.
- For every item tagged verify, open the official page in the sources and confirm the current rule, amount or form; these are the items that change year to year.
- Print or save the list as a PDF for your file.
What is official and what is practice
- Official requirements (no tag): the admission document, passport, photos, application and fee, financial evidence, English test, and the country’s own health or insurance rule (IHS, OSHC, TB test, German health insurance, SEVIS fee).
- Common practice (verify tag): documents universities and consulates in Pakistan routinely ask for that are not written in the visa rule itself, such as HEC and IBCC attestation, a statement of purpose, reference letters, NADRA FRC, police certificates and translations.
- Amounts such as maintenance funds and fees are deliberately not stated; the linked official page is the only reliable source and it is updated at least yearly.
Example
A student from Peshawar with a master’s offer from a university in Birmingham selects United Kingdom. The list shows the CAS, passport, the online application and fee, degree certificates and transcripts (with HEC attestation tagged verify), the IELTS result, bank statements held for 28 days for tuition plus maintenance, the TB test certificate from an approved Pakistan clinic, the IHS payment, ATAS if the course needs it, and a student travel insurance plan for the journey and first months. The student budget calculator helps put the funds figure together.
Frequently asked questions
How long must the money be in my account?
The UK requires the funds to be held for 28 consecutive days ending no more than 31 days before the application. Canada, Australia and the US look at the source and availability of funds rather than a fixed holding period but expect recent statements. Germany uses a blocked account paid in advance. Check the linked page for your country.
Is the TB test needed for every country?
No. The UK requires it for applicants resident in Pakistan staying more than 6 months. Canada and Australia use an immigration medical examination by a panel physician instead. Other countries may not require either.
Do I need travel insurance if the country has its own health cover?
The country’s cover (IHS, OSHC, German insurance) is mandatory where it exists and usually starts when you arrive or enrol. A student travel insurance plan from Pakistan covers the journey, the gap before local cover starts, and medical repatriation; some universities and consulates ask for it. UIC and Crescent Star student plans run 180 to 730 days.
What is HEC attestation and do I need it?
The Higher Education Commission attests Pakistani degrees and IBCC attests school certificates. Many foreign universities and some consulates (Germany’s APS process, Italy’s declaration of value) require attested documents; others accept university-issued originals. It is tagged verify because the requirement comes from the institution or consulate, not the visa law.
Can my parents sponsor me?
Yes in all the listed countries, with a sponsorship letter or affidavit, the sponsor’s bank statements and income proof, and proof of relationship (the NADRA FRC does this). The UK accepts parents’ funds with a letter of consent.
Limitations and sources
- Country sections cover the six most common destinations for Pakistani students; “Another country” shows the common documents only.
- Visa rules changed significantly in 2024–2025 (Canada’s attestation letters and the end of SDS, UK dependant rules, Australia’s Genuine Student requirement); the sources are the current pages and were checked on the date shown.
- Ticks are stored in this browser only.
Sources (checked 10 October 2026): GOV.UK — Student visa · GOV.UK — Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants (Pakistan) · IRCC — Study permit: how to apply · Australian Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500) · German Federal Foreign Office — student visa · Universitaly — pre-enrolment (Italy) · US Department of State — student visa · HEC Pakistan — degree attestation