Doctoral study in the UK
A doctorate in the UK is a research programme at RQF level 8 taking three to four years full time. The Student visa right to bring family members attaches at this level rather than below it.
2-minute form · free · no sign-up
| Master's | Doctorate | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | RQF 7 | RQF 8 |
| Full-time length | One year | Three to four years |
| Family members on a Student visa | Not at this level | Permitted |
| Graduate visa length | Two years or 18 months | Three years |
A master's and a doctorate differ in more than length: the visa rights that attach to each are different, and that difference matters most to anyone moving with a family. The master's route is at a master's degree in the UK.
01
How long does a PhD take in the UK?
A full-time doctorate in the UK takes three to four years and is completed at RQF level 8, the highest step of the qualifications framework. A master's sits one step below it, at RQF level 7.
Part-time routes extend the period accordingly, and a Student visa is granted for the length of the programme rather than for a fixed term.
02
What separates a PhD from a master's?
A doctorate runs three to four years at RQF level 8 and a master's one year at RQF level 7. The difference also shows on the visa side, because the right to bring family members attaches at doctoral level.
03
Can a doctoral student bring family to the UK?
The Student visa grants the right to bring family members to two groups only: government-sponsored students starting a programme longer than six months, and doctoral students on a programme at RQF level 8. No other level carries it.
Free starter report
Let us draw up your free starter report
Seven short questions, one tap each. In return you get a costed sheet worked out from how many people are coming, what scale you are looking at and whether it is London — alongside the steps in months, the documents and the published rules.
04
How is a PhD application made in the UK?
A doctoral application is made through each university's own online portal separately; UCAS, the central system at undergraduate level, does not operate here. A Student visa application then rests on a CAS from that institution.
Most doctoral applications turn on a research proposal and a supervisor willing to take it on, so the academic conversation usually precedes the formal application rather than following it.
05
Is it possible to stay in the UK after a PhD?
The Graduate visa grants three years to doctoral graduates and requires no employer sponsorship. The application fee is £937 and the healthcare surcharge is charged for each year spent in the UK on the route.
Three years is longer than the route grants at any other level. What the route permits and what follows it are set out at the UK Graduate visa.
Sources
- GOV.UK — The Student visa permits family members for government-sponsored students on programmes longer than six months and for doctoral students at RQF level 8. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — The Graduate visa grants three years to doctoral graduates without employer sponsorship, with an application fee of £937. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — A Student visa rests on a CAS from a Home Office licensed student sponsor and is granted for the length of the programme. — 26 August 2026
