Study Abroad
Part-time work in the UK for Nepali students: 20 vs 10 hour rule, term time vs vacation, banned jobs, GBP 12.71 minimum wage, NI number, PAYE tax and dependants.
"Can I work in the UK while I study, and will it cover my costs?" Nepali students and parents ask us this all the time. This guide explains part-time work in the UK for Nepali students: the 20-hour and 10-hour limits, vacations, banned jobs, minimum wage, National Insurance number, tax and your partner's rights. The rules come from the UK Immigration Rules (Appendix Student), Home Office guidance and GOV.UK. Wages, tax bands and rules change, so always check GOV.UK and your own visa conditions before you rely on any figure.
Many can, but not all. Your work rights depend on the level of your course and the type of sponsor (the university or college that gave you your CAS), and they are shown on your eVisa in your UKVI account. If it says no work, you must not work, even unpaid.
For the visa process itself, read our UK student visa from Nepal guide.
Appendix Student (rule ST 26.1) sets three levels of work rights:
20 hours a week in term time: if you study a full-time course at degree level or above (RQF level 6 or higher, such as a bachelor's or master's) with a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. Most UK universities have this status. You can work full-time outside term time.
10 hours a week in term time: if you study a full-time course below degree level (for example a foundation programme or an International Year One that is not at degree level) with a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. You can work full-time outside term time.
No work at all: if you study at a private provider, a publicly funded further education college, or a higher education provider without a track record of compliance, or if you study part-time. A required work placement may still be allowed.
Check a provider's status on the Home Office register of licensed student sponsors, and the course level on your CAS: a pathway course and a degree at the same university can carry different hours.
The Immigration Rules define a week as seven days beginning on a Monday, and the limit applies to every week, so 15 hours one week does not let you work 25 the next. Hours from all your jobs are added together.
Unpaid work counts too: Home Office guidance says "voluntary work" (where you must attend and perform set tasks) counts towards your limit, so 15 paid hours leaves only 5 hours of voluntary work. Genuine charity volunteering, with no contract or payment in kind, is treated differently. Keep your rotas and payslips as evidence.
You can work full-time only during official vacations set by your university, which must tell you its term and vacation dates.
Undergraduates: usually get official Christmas, Easter and summer vacations.
Master's students: often have a much shorter official vacation. On many one-year master's courses, summer is the dissertation period and may count as term time, so ask your university in writing before taking extra summer shifts.
Before your course starts: Home Office sponsor guidance allows full-time work before your course starts, once your visa has started, if your visa allows term-time work.
After your course ends: the period after your official course end date counts as outside term time, so you can work full-time until your Student visa expires. Under ST 25.3, a course of 12 months or longer usually gets four extra months after the end date, and a course of 6 to 12 months gets two months.
Even if you have work rights, Appendix Student (ST 26.5) says you must not:
Be self-employed or run a business: this includes freelancing, sole trading and self-employed gig work such as delivery or rideshare apps. Owning 10% or more of the company you work for, or being its director, also counts as business activity.
Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach: amateur sport, including university and BUCS teams, is allowed.
Work as an entertainer: music, drama and dance students may only perform as part of an assessed course placement.
Fill a permanent full-time vacancy: you may only take a permanent full-time job early if you are on a full-time degree-level course at a track-record university and have applied, while on your Student visa, for a Skilled Worker visa (up to three months before your course ends) or a Graduate visa (after you successfully complete your course), and the decision is still pending.
You also cannot claim public funds (most benefits).
A work placement that is an integral and assessed part of your course (such as a placement year) sits on top of your weekly limit. It must be on your CAS and usually cannot exceed one third of the course, or half for degree-level courses at a track-record university. An internship outside your course counts as normal work.
GOV.UK lists these hourly rates before tax from 1 April 2026 (verify on publish; they change every April):
Aged 21 and over (National Living Wage): GBP 12.71 an hour. Most Nepali postgraduate students fall in this group.
Aged 18 to 20: GBP 10.85 an hour.
Under 18 and apprentices: GBP 8.00 an hour.
GOV.UK already lists the April 2027 rates as GBP 13.21, GBP 11.27 and GBP 8.31. As an example, 20 hours at GBP 12.71 is about GBP 254 a week before deductions, though real hours depend on available shifts. If you are underpaid, contact Acas.
Right to work: before you start, give your employer a share code from the GOV.UK "Prove your right to work" service, linked to your eVisa.
National Insurance (NI) number: your lifelong number for tax and National Insurance. You may already have one, so check your UKVI account. If not, apply once you are in the UK. It can take up to four weeks, but you can start work before it arrives if you can prove your right to work.
Employees pay tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn): your employer deducts Income Tax and National Insurance from each payslip. The tax year runs from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
Personal Allowance: the first GBP 12,570 of income each tax year is normally tax-free.
Basic rate: income from GBP 12,571 to GBP 50,270 is taxed at 20% (Scotland has different bands).
National Insurance: for most employees (category A), 8% is deducted on weekly earnings between GBP 242.01 and GBP 967, and nothing below GBP 242 a week.
A student on 20 hours at minimum wage usually pays little Income Tax, but full-time vacation hours can push some pay into tax. Complete your employer's starter checklist so the right tax code is used; overpaid tax can be claimed back from HMRC.
Since January 2024, most international students cannot bring dependants. You can usually only bring a partner or children if you are on a PhD, other doctorate or research-based postgraduate degree of nine months or longer at a track-record university, or are government-sponsored on a course of six months or longer.
Where a partner is allowed, Appendix Student (ST 39.3) gives them wide work rights, including full-time work and self-employment, but not as a professional sportsperson or coach. Taught master's students (MSc, MBA) should plan to come alone.
Working more hours than allowed, or doing a banned type of work, is a breach of your visa conditions. Under the Immigration Rules, the Home Office may cancel your permission (SUI 11.8), and a past breach can lead to refusal of future UK visas (SUI 11.4). Universities must report suspected breaches, which can also put a UK Graduate visa or Skilled Worker visa at risk.
Part-time income helps with groceries, travel and phone bills. It does not replace the funds UKVI asks you to show. You must prove your first year's tuition (as shown on your CAS) plus living costs of GBP 1,529 a month in London or GBP 1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months, held for 28 consecutive days (verify on publish). Plan as if you will earn nothing in your first months. Many Nepali families combine savings with an education loan; the loan paperwork in Nepal is similar for the UK.
Typical jobs: students often work in hospitality, retail and supermarkets, warehouses, care support and on-campus roles. Jobs are not guaranteed, and you should never pay anyone for a job offer.
As checked on 31 October 2026, Appendix Student and the October 2026 Home Office guidance still set 20 hours (degree level) and 10 hours (below degree). The main confirmed change is to the Graduate visa: 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027 (two years before then). If you are comparing destinations, read our guide to part-time work in New Zealand for Nepali students, where students get 25 hours a week, or our part-time jobs in Australia guide.
On a full-time bachelor's or master's at a university with a track record of compliance, up to 20 hours a week in term time and full-time in official vacations. Below-degree courses at such a university allow 10 hours, and many other sponsors allow no work.
Only if the summer is an official vacation set by your university. On many one-year master's courses, the summer is the dissertation period and counts as term time.
From 1 April 2026, it is GBP 12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over and GBP 10.85 if you are 18 to 20. Students get the same minimum as other workers of their age.
Not on a self-employed basis. Student visa holders cannot be self-employed or run a business. You must work as an employee.
Everest Global Education helps Nepali students choose UK courses and universities that keep their work rights and post-study options open. We check the course level and sponsor status, prepare your funds and visa documents, explain your work conditions before you fly, and offer IELTS and PTE preparation, all checked against current GOV.UK guidance.
Kathmandu: Putalisadak, Opposite of MIT College
Pokhara: Pushpa Ratna Bhawan, Siddharthachowk-4, Pokhara 33700
Beni: New Road, Beni Bazar, Myagdi
Dhangadhi: Boradadi Road, Dhangadhi 10900
Janakpur: Girija Path, Murli Chowk, Janakpur
Perth (Australia): 102 James St, Northbridge WA 6003, Australia
Sydney (Australia): Level 1/483 Princes Highway, Rockdale NSW 2216, Australia
Share your academic transcripts, English score, preferred course and budget, and we will help you plan a realistic UK study budget and check your work rights before you apply.
Submit an enquiry at https://everestglobaledu.com/enquiry and our team will contact you by phone or email.
Everest Global Education
Phone: +61 8 6157 0080
Email: info@everestglobal.com
Website: https://everestglobaledu.com/
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