How Many IELTS Bands You Need for a UK Student Visa? It is totally depend based on your course selection however generally minimum 5 or more will be required for a UK study visa. Most of the universities in the UK ask you to secure at least 6 or 6.5 bands in your IELTS test except for some prominent colleges and selected programs.  You can check the IELTS eligibility requirement for some of the topmost UK universities by visiting their official websites including based on their ranks and band requirements for both under and postgraduate courses.