Close the funds gap before the application

What the calculator does

Visa pages state a threshold, but the number you must actually show is usually a sum: living costs for the whole period, tuition, travel and a cushion. Enter the figures from your official visa page and the calculator builds the total, the buffer and the monthly equivalent so you can plan how long to save.

• Turn a monthly living-cost figure into a full-period requirement.
• See how much of the total is buffer rather than a hard cost.
• Check the monthly saving target against the date you apply.

Where the numbers should come from

Use the official page for your visa route and country, and note the date you checked it. Consulates can require a higher figure than the national minimum, and exchange-rate rules differ: some accept a fixed conversion date, others the rate on the day. Enter the threshold you were told to meet, not a figure from a blog.

What it does not do

It does not decide whether your documents are acceptable, count acceptable account types, or replace the official checklist. It is an arithmetic aid for planning, not legal or immigration advice.

The gap today, not the total

A funds requirement is a target; the gap is the distance from where you are. The gap is the number that turns into a monthly saving plan, and it changes as both balances and requirements move.

Project the balance to the application date rather than comparing today with the requirement. A gap that looks large today can close on schedule, and a gap that looks small can reopen if the requirement or the exchange rate moves.

Savings are converted, not simply counted

Some routes test income, some test a balance, and some combine the two at a stated rate. Where savings count towards a monthly income test, a divisor converts the balance into a monthly figure, so the same savings can count for very different amounts.

The divisor, the definition of acceptable income and the evidence required are set by the route and the authority. They change. Enter the rate in the official guidance for your application, not a rate from a forum.

A statement is evidence of a period

Authorities rarely look at a single balance on a single day. Seasoning rules ask whether the money has been held for a period, which is a way of testing that it is genuinely available rather than borrowed for the statement.

Whether a route has a seasoning rule, how long it is and which accounts count are all local questions. If the balance is short, the useful number is the monthly top-up that closes the gap within the remaining months.

The cost of applying is separate

Application fees, biometrics, medical examinations, insurance, translations, courier and travel are costs of applying, not funds you hold. They are usually spent whether or not the application succeeds, which is why they belong in a separate stack.

Fees vary by route, location, applicant age and family size, and they change. Use the current figure from the official application page and keep a margin for the costs that appear later in the process.