Study abroad from South East Asia with free, expert guidance

The UK is a leading choice for students from South East Asia, thanks to its one-year master's degrees, three-year bachelor's degrees and universities known around the world. Australia, Canada and the USA are also popular, and some UK universities have campuses in Malaysia. We help you compare costs, entry requirements and career outcomes for each.

• Shorter UK degrees — less tuition and living costs than longer programmes elsewhere
• Free admissions support — no agency fees for university applications
• 85+ partner universities across the UK, Australia, Canada, the USA and Malaysia
• Visa-ready finances — our portal checks your bank statements and funding before you apply
• Honest advice for parents about costs, safety and outcomes, by video call

• SPM and national high school certificates (such as Indonesia's SMA or Vietnam's high school graduation certificate) usually lead to a one-year foundation programme before a UK bachelor's degree.
• STPM, A-levels, the UEC and the International Baccalaureate are accepted by many UK universities for direct entry to the first year of a bachelor's degree.
• Diplomas and foundation qualifications from recognised colleges can sometimes give you entry to the second year of a UK degree.
• Local bachelor's degrees are the basis for master's applications, with universities looking at your CGPA, your subject and any work experience.

Requirements vary by university and course, so your counsellor checks them against your exact results.

Most UK universities accept IELTS Academic or PTE Academic, and many accept other tests too. Some accept a strong English grade in SPM, STPM or A-levels, or an English-taught bachelor's degree, instead of a test. If you are studying below degree level, such as a foundation year, you may need a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as IELTS for UKVI. Pre-sessional English courses can help if your score is just below the requirement.

Many of our partner universities offer merit scholarships to students from South East Asia, often applied automatically with your offer. Government and employer sponsorship, such as programmes run by MARA and JPA in Malaysia or LPDP in Indonesia, and the UK government's Chevening Scholarships for master's study, can also fund your degree. Your counsellor will show you every scholarship you qualify for.

After you accept an offer and pay any deposit, your university issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You then apply for a UK Student visa, usually with:

• Your passport and CAS
• Proof of funds for tuition and living costs, held for at least 28 consecutive days (citizens of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand don't usually need to upload this — see below)
• A tuberculosis (TB) test certificate from an approved clinic, if you live in a country on the TB test list, including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines
• The academic and English documents listed on your CAS

You will also pay the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. Check whether you need a TB test on the GOV.UK TB test page.

Check the full, current requirements on the GOV.UK Student visa page before you apply.

For Student visa applications submitted on or after 30 November 2026, you need to show £1,570 a month for living costs if you study in London, or £1,203 a month elsewhere in the UK, for up to nine months, plus any first-year tuition you have not yet paid. The visa application fee is £558 from outside the UK, and the Immigration Health Surcharge is £776 per year. Our UK cost guide has tuition ranges, living-cost budgets and worked examples.

Most students on a degree-level course can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full-time in official vacations. After you graduate, the Graduate route lets you stay and work in the UK for at least 18 months. Check the current rules on the GOV.UK Graduate visa page.

Citizens of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand don't usually need to submit bank statements with a Student visa application. Students from South East Asia still need to show their English for the visa, through a test, their university's assessment or an English-taught degree.

• "Not usually" for bank statements means your nationality is on the UK's differential evidence list. You don't need to upload bank statements with your visa application, but you must still have the money for your tuition and living costs, and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may ask you for evidence after you apply.
• Already in the UK? If you have held a valid UK visa for at least 12 months when you apply, you don't need to prove your funds, whatever your nationality.
• English for your university is separate from the visa. For degree-level courses, your university assesses your English to at least CEFR level B2 and may still ask for a test such as IELTS, even if the visa doesn't.
• Other ways to prove English include an English GCSE or A-level, a UK degree, or a degree taught in English that Ecctis confirms is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree.

Check the official lists on GOV.UK: money you need for a Student visa and knowledge of English.

For a UK bachelor's or foundation programme, you apply through UCAS or directly to the university, depending on the course. For a master's degree, you apply directly with your transcript, a personal statement and references. Your counsellor manages every deadline and keeps you and your family updated through the student portal.