Compare the Visa Process, Not Just the Application Fee
How much does a student visa cost when you apply from Kenya? The answer depends on the destination and what you include. In some countries, you may pay a separate health surcharge or student-system fee before travelling. In others, you may need to budget for immigration registration after arrival. A low application fee does not mean a low total cost.
The figures below are selected published charges, checked on 11 November 2026. They are not all-inclusive quotations or a ranking from cheapest to most expensive. Unless stated otherwise, they refer to the main student applicant. Check your own route, application location and any exemptions before paying.
1. United Kingdom
- Student visa application from outside the UK: £558.
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £776 per year at the student rate, where applicable. The actual amount depends on visa length and the part-year calculation.
Do not multiply the surcharge by the course length alone. Your visa may cover more time than your course, which can affect the amount due. Budget separately for any required testing, documents, appointment travel and optional services. Outstanding tuition and the living funds you may need to demonstrate are not visa processing charges.
2. Australia
- Student visa (subclass 500), main applicant: From AUD 2,500. Home Affairs notes that concessions apply in limited circumstances.
Use the official pricing information for your application rather than a historic fee screenshot. Budget separately for Overseas Student Health Cover where required and for any applicable medical examinations, biometrics or supporting documents. If a provider collects tuition and health cover together, ask for an itemised breakdown.
3. New Zealand
- Fee Paying Student Visa: From NZD 850.
The starting figure is not a quote for every applicant. Check the fee and instructions for your application location. Allow separately for applicable insurance, medical examinations and document costs. Confirm which payments the education provider collects and which you pay through the immigration process.
4. United States
- F-category visa application processing fee: USD 185.
- I-901 SEVIS fee for relevant F/M students: USD 350.
- Subtotal where both apply:USD 535.
These are separate charges. Keep the payment records for both and check whether any other charge applies to your case. The subtotal does not include a school deposit, tuition, appointment travel, accommodation or any agency service you choose to use.
5. Canada
- Study permit: CAD 150.
- Individual biometrics, where required: CAD 85.
- Subtotal where both apply:CAD 235.
Check whether you need to give biometrics again before budgeting for another collection. Depending on your case, you may also need to pay for a medical examination, documents, travel or optional visa application centre services. Keep these separate from the study permit fee.
6. Germany
- Standard national visa fee: EUR 75, subject to applicable reductions or exemptions.
Check the instructions for your application in Kenya and budget separately for any required insurance, translations or service charges. If you use a blocked account, distinguish the money set aside for your own living expenses from the provider’s setup, transfer or account fees. Only the latter are account charges.
7. France
- Published indicative student visa pricing: EUR 50 for the applicable Études en France (EEF) procedure and EUR 99 for other countries or procedures, subject to exceptions.
These are not two prices you can choose between. Check the France-Visas instructions for the procedure that applies to your Kenyan application. Keep the visa charge separate from any Campus France process fee, local service charge and applicable post-arrival formalities.
8. Netherlands
- First study residence application or change of purpose under the IND study category: EUR 254.
Ask the recognised sponsor institution for an itemised payment request. A single transfer may cover more than one purpose. Identify the government application fee, tuition, any institution charges and any funds collected for living expenses. Check how and when living funds are made available to you if the institution collects them.
9. Ireland
- Entry visa: EUR 60 for single entry or EUR 100 for multiple entry, subject to the applicable conditions and exemptions.
- Standard immigration registration fee: EUR 300 where required after arrival.
- Subtotal where both apply:EUR 360 with single entry or EUR 400 with multiple entry.
Check which entry option applies to you and when registration is due. These subtotals do not include insurance, document preparation or local handling costs. Registration after arrival still belongs in your budget, even though it is not part of the initial entry visa payment.
10. Singapore
For the Institutes of Higher Learning Student’s Pass route, Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority lists:
- Application processing: SGD 45.
- Student’s Pass issuance: SGD 60.
- Multiple Journey Visa, if applicable: SGD 30.
- Subtotal:SGD 105, or SGD 135 if the additional visa charge applies.
Confirm that your institution and course fall under this route. Medical examinations and school-specific charges, where applicable, are separate from these figures.
Build Your Pre-Arrival Budget Step by Step
Step 1: Identify What You Actually Pay
Start with the exact visa or permit route. List the government application fee, then add any applicable health surcharge, insurance, biometrics, medicals, document costs and post-arrival registration. Mark optional services separately so you can compare the standard cost across destinations.
Step 2: Keep Tuition, Living Funds and Deposits Separate
Use four categories:
- Government and service charges: Money paid for processing or a specific service.
- Payments towards tuition: Deposits and instalments credited to the course fee.
- Living funds: Money set aside for your own expenses, which you may need to demonstrate during the visa process.
- Potentially refundable deposits: Money tied up under a contract, such as a housing deposit.
If your tuition deposit is credited towards course fees, count it once in the overall budget, even though it is due early. If proof-of-funds money will later pay the rent and food already in your budget, do not add it again as a separate expense. Check when the money will be accessible before relying on it for another payment.
Step 3: Convert to Kenyan Shillings Using a Dated Quote
Keep the original amount and currency beside each KES estimate. Record the exchange rate, payment charges and the amount the recipient must receive. An online conversion can help you estimate, but the rate and fees on the actual transfer determine what leaves your account.
For illustration only, a charge of 100 foreign-currency units at an assumed rate of KES 150 per unit equals KES 15,000 before transfer charges. That is a calculation example, not a current exchange-rate quote.
Step 4: Put the Payments on One Calendar
Record what is due when you apply, what must be paid before travel and what falls due after arrival. Add flights, baggage, temporary accommodation and housing setup. A plan can cover the total on paper and still fall short if tuition, immigration charges and a housing deposit are due before the next sponsor payment.
Recheck the figures before major deposits and again before you apply or pay. If the course, intake, application location or number of applicants changes, revisit the calculation.
Common Mistakes
- Comparing one country’s application fee with another country’s complete visa-process budget.
- Missing a separate health, student-system or registration charge.
- Treating a published “from” price as a personal quotation.
- Counting credited tuition deposits or living funds twice.
- Using an old shilling conversion without checking payment charges.
- Assuming an optional premium service is compulsory.
- Leaving post-arrival charges out because they are not due before departure.
Francis Mwaura’s Overview
Compare destinations using the same cost categories. If one budget includes insurance and arrival registration while another only includes the application fee, you cannot tell which process costs less. Put those items beside tuition and living funds, then check when each payment is due.
For Kenyan families, the most useful question is not “Which visa fee is lowest?” It is “Can we cover each stage of this study plan without depending on money that may not arrive in time?”
How Openmaps Helps
Openmaps Education Agency helps students compare courses and destinations, review tuition and deposit schedules, organise admission documents and plan for visa readiness and arrival costs. The team can help families distinguish published government charges from institution payments and identify which amounts to confirm before applying.
Education providers and immigration authorities make their own decisions. Openmaps cannot guarantee admission, refunds or visa approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the cheapest student visa process?
There is no universal answer. Compare the charges that apply to your route, including any health payments or registration after arrival. The figures in this guide are not a complete cost ranking.
Is proof of funds a government fee?
Generally, no. It demonstrates that you have resources for expenses such as tuition or living costs. Any fees charged to set up or transfer those funds are separate.
Does paying tuition reduce the visa application fee?
No. Tuition and the visa application fee are separate. An accepted tuition payment may affect how much unpaid tuition you need to evidence under some routes, but it does not reduce the processing charge.
Are medical examinations and biometrics included in the figures?
Only where explicitly listed. Check whether they apply to you and whether the cost is collected separately.
Do family members pay the same amount as the student?
Not necessarily. Additional applicants may have their own fees, health charges or financial requirements. Check the rules for each person rather than multiplying the main applicant’s fee.
Should I convert everything to KES before comparing?
Use Kenyan shillings for household planning, but retain the original currencies and date the conversion. This makes it easier to update the budget when rates or payment charges change.
Does paying the application fee guarantee approval?
No. Payment is part of the application process. The authority assesses eligibility and evidence separately.
When should I check the charges again?
Check them before making major commitments and again immediately before submitting or paying. Recheck if your circumstances or application route changes.
Author Box
Written by Francis Mwaura, Founder & CEO of Openmaps Education Agency.
Francis has more than 12 years of experience across international education, banking and global sales. He has guided more than 5,000 students from Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
He holds a master’s degree from the University of Sydney and a bachelor’s degree from Australian Catholic University.
Openmaps Education Agency has five offices: Nairobi and Eldoret, Kenya; Sydney, Australia; Kigali, Rwanda; and Kampala, Uganda. The agency supports students with destination selection, university applications, visa readiness and practical study planning.
Official Sources Checked
Official information checked on 11 November 2026:
- GOV.UK — Student visa and Immigration Health Surcharge
- Australian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)
- Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa
- U.S. Department of State — Student visa fees and process and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — SEVIS fee guidance
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — Application fees
- German Federal Foreign Office — Visa service
- France-Visas — Student visa guidance
- Netherlands Immigration and Naturalisation Service — Application fees
- Irish Immigration Service Delivery — Entry visa fees and student registration guidance
- Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority — Institutes of Higher Learning Student’s Pass and issuance fees
Important Disclaimer
This article provides general educational information, not individual immigration, legal or financial advice. The figures are selected published charges, not complete quotations. Fees, exemptions, exchange rates and local procedures can change. Confirm the amount and payment instructions for your route, application location and circumstances with the relevant authority before paying or applying.