How Much Show Money Do You Need? Every Major Country Compared (Student & Tourist)

"How much show money do I actually need?" is the first question almost every Sri Lankan visa applicant asks — and the answer changes dramatically depending on where you're going and what kind of visa you're applying for. This guide puts the world's most popular destinations side by side so you can see at a glance where the financial bar is highest, where it's most achievable, and roughly what you'll need to demonstrate. For the exact, current figure for your specific case, each country links through to its detailed guide — and you can always confirm with us directly.

The Short Answer: Your Number Depends on Three Things

There is no single 'show money amount' for a country, because the figure you must demonstrate is built from three moving parts:

• Visa type — a student visa, a tourist visa and a visit visa to the same country expect very different evidence
• Duration and course — longer stays and longer courses require proof of more months of living costs, plus tuition for students
• Your personal situation — dependents, your city of study (London vs the rest of the UK, for example), and whether you're self-funded or sponsored all shift the number

So treat the figures below as indicative benchmarks for 2026/27 to compare destinations — not as the precise amount to put in your account. The exact requirement for your case is in the linked country guide, and we confirm it before arranging anything.

Student Visa: How Much Show Money by Country

For student visas, the funds you show generally need to cover tuition plus living costs for a defined period. Here's how the major destinations compare on the living-cost portion you must demonstrate, on top of tuition.

Tourist & Visit Visa: How Much Show Money by Country

Tourist and visit visas rarely publish a fixed figure. Instead, officers want to see that you can comfortably fund your trip and that the money is genuinely yours. As a rule of thumb, you're demonstrating enough to cover your stay at a reasonable daily rate, plus a margin. Our dedicated guide breaks down the tourist visa funds expected by country in detail; the comparison below gives the broad picture.

Where the Bar Is Highest — and Lowest

If you're still deciding where to apply and budget is a deciding factor, the pattern is fairly consistent. The highest financial bars for students tend to be the major English-speaking destinations — Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom — where tuition and living-cost proof stack up quickly. Germany's blocked account is a fixed, predictable figure. Several European and Asian destinations sit considerably lower, which is one reason they've grown popular with Sri Lankan students balancing ambition with budget.

But cheaper-to-prove doesn't always mean cheaper overall, and the lowest show money figure is rarely the only thing worth weighing. Course quality, work rights, and post-study options all matter. Use the financial comparison as one input, not the whole decision.

Get the Exact Figure for Your Country

For the precise, current amount and the exact documents your embassy expects, go straight to the detailed guide for your destination:

• Australia student visa financial requirements
• Canada study visa show money requirements
• UK student visa financial requirements
• US F-1 student visa financial requirements
• Germany blocked account requirements
• Ireland student visa financial requirements
• New Zealand student visa financial requirements

Why the Number You Find Online Is Rarely the Number You Need

Published figures are starting points, not finish lines. They lag behind policy changes, ignore your course length and dependents, and rarely tell you the form the funds must take or how long they must be held. Two applicants to the same country can need quite different amounts. That's why the safest approach is to confirm your specific number before you move any money — getting it wrong in either direction costs you, whether through a refusal for too little or unnecessary strain for too much.

How We Confirm Your Exact Amount

Tell us your destination, visa type, course or trip length, intake, and whether anyone is travelling with you. With that, we pin down the precise figure your embassy expects, in the exact form it should take, and arrange bank-verified documentation to match — typically ready within 24 hours. No guesswork, no over-arranging, no surprises at the counter.