Certificate: the balance today
A letter from your bank giving the account holder, the account number and the balance on the date of issue. It does not show any history.
Student visa guide · Money documents
A bank solvency certificate is a letter from your bank in Bangladesh confirming the balance in an account on the day it is issued. Embassies usually want it with a bank statement, which shows how the money got there. Whose account counts, and for how many months, differs by country.
Written and reviewed by Anisuzzaman Kiron, Founder & CEO · Updated
| What it is | A letter from your bank confirming an account's balance on a date |
|---|---|
| Issued by | The branch that holds the account; Bank Asia charges Tk 200 plus VAT |
| Usually paired with | A bank statement: 6 months for Finland, Canada and Ireland, 12 months for Italy |
| UK rule | Money held 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of applying |
| Own account only | Finland; the University of Zurich in Switzerland |
| Not used for the permit | Norway (Norwegian or deposit account) and Germany (blocked account) |
From embassy, immigration and bank pages · Last verified
The basics
An embassy needs to know you can pay for your stay without working illegally. The solvency certificate shows the balance today; the statement shows how long the money has been there and where it came from. You usually need both.
A letter from your bank giving the account holder, the account number and the balance on the date of issue. It does not show any history.
A list of every deposit and withdrawal over a period. Italy reads 12 months; Finland, Canada and Ireland read six. Canada asks it to show the source of each deposit.
If a parent or relative pays, most embassies also want proof of the relationship and of the sponsor's income. Finland does not accept sponsorship agreements at all.
Looking for the amount? How much each country asks you to show, in its currency and in taka, is in our study abroad cost guide. This guide covers the documents.
Sources: Bank Asia schedule of charges, July 2026 · Migri: income requirement for students · IRCC: proof of financial support. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
By country
Most countries read a statement over a fixed period, two want the money in a special account, and the UK counts days. Check the exact list on the country's visa page before you go to the bank.
| Country | What to show | Whose money |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | 12 months of statements from a bank in Bangladesh | Yours, or a parent, grandparent, sibling, uncle, aunt or cousin |
| Finland | A 6-month statement showing the account holder, the bank and the currency | Your own account only; sponsorship agreements are not accepted |
| Hungary | The sponsor's last 6 months of statements, a declaration of support and proof of income | A sponsor with proof of the relationship, or a scholarship |
| Canada | 6 months of statements up to the month you apply or the month before, showing the source of each deposit; or a GIC, an education loan or paid tuition | Yours, or a supporter's letter with their job, relationship, dependants and amount |
| UK | Money held for at least 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of the application | A loan or sponsorship needs a letter from the lender or sponsor |
| Ireland | Six months of statements showing immediate access to the first year's money | You and each sponsor give statements |
| Spain | A guarantee letter, 6 months of statements and 2 years of tax returns | A sponsor's, with a guarantee letter |
| Switzerland | 6 months of statements or a bank letter, the sponsor's ID and 3 years of tax return acknowledgements | Sponsor allowed by the embassy list; the University of Zurich accepts only your own account |
| Norway | Money in a Norwegian bank account or the institution's deposit account, a loan or a scholarship | A Bangladeshi statement alone is not enough |
| Germany | A blocked account in your name, a scholarship, or a formal sponsorship letter | The sponsor must live in Germany |
Rules change. Download the checklist again on the day you book your appointment, and bring originals with copies.
Sources: Embassy of Italy in Dhaka, 10 June 2026 · VFS Global Italy Dhaka checklist (checked 9 Nov 2026) · Migri · BLS Dhaka Hungary checklist · IRCC · GOV.UK: Student visa money · Embassy of Ireland study visa leaflet · Embassy of Spain in Dhaka · Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka · University of Zurich · UDI · German Embassy Dhaka checklist. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Sponsors
For most countries, yes, if you prove the relationship and that the sponsor can pay. Finland is the clear exception: the money must be in your own account.
A birth certificate in English links you to a parent. Hungary's Dhaka checklist asks for it attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Italian visa needs relationship documents apostilled by the Ministry.
Italy accepts parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins as sponsors, including relatives living legally in Italy.
Applying to Finland? Ask your family to move the money into your own account early. Migri may still ask where it came from, for example the sponsor's tax certificate or bank statement.
Sources: BLS Dhaka Hungary checklist · NDGAP: residence of the student · IRCC · Embassy of Spain · Embassy of Switzerland · Embassy of Italy in Dhaka · VFS Italy Dhaka checklist (checked 9 Nov 2026) · Migri. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Source of money
Because a balance alone does not show the money is really yours or your sponsor's to spend. Canada asks statements to show the source of each deposit, and Spain and Switzerland ask for tax returns.
A sudden large deposit just before you apply, with nothing to explain it, is the pattern to avoid. The UK wants the money held for 28 days in a row, and Canada reads six months of history.
For your first Finland permit, money from work does not count: Migri says you cannot secure your income with work when you first apply.
Sources: IRCC: proof of financial support · GOV.UK: Student visa money · Embassy of Spain · Embassy of Switzerland · Migri. Document examples: Sunrise guidance. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
At the bank
Ask the branch that holds the account. Each bank sets its own fee: Bank Asia, for example, charges Tk 200 per solvency certificate plus VAT, under its schedule effective July 2026.
Get the certificate and the statement from the same account, on the same day, shortly before you apply. The UK statement period must end within 31 days of your application, and Canada's must reach the month you apply or the month before.
Keep the balance in place until the decision; the embassy can ask for an updated statement.
Sources: Bank Asia schedule of charges · Migri · GOV.UK · IRCC. Last two lines: Sunrise guidance. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Common problems
Most problems come from mismatches and timing, not from the amount alone.
Sources: Migri · GOV.UK · IRCC · UDI · German Embassy Dhaka. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Step by step
Six steps, from checking the rule to having your papers checked before the appointment.
Read the money section of its visa page: whose account, how many months and which papers.
Before you choose a sponsorYour own, a parent's or another relative's, as that country allows.
Months before you applyKeep the money in the account for the period the embassy reads, with income that explains each deposit.
6–12 months beforeDeclaration, income proof, tax returns, ID and relationship proof, attested where the checklist asks.
Before the appointmentFrom the same branch, on the same day, in English.
Shortly before you applyBring the papers to a free consultation before you book the appointment.
Before you bookWant your bank papers checked? A Sunrise counsellor goes through your statement, certificate and sponsor documents in a free consultation in Banani or Sylhet, or on WhatsApp 01611878274. See all countries in our student visa guide.
Sources: the official sources above. Timing: Sunrise guidance. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
FAQ
Ask a counsellor directly if your question is not here.
WhatsApp 01611878274A letter from your bank confirming the balance in an account on the day it is issued. For a student visa it usually goes with a bank statement covering the months the embassy reads.
No. The certificate shows the balance on one day; the statement shows every transaction over a period. Italy reads 12 months of statements, and Finland, Canada and Ireland six.
For most countries, yes, with his statements, proof of income and your birth certificate as proof of the relationship. Finland is different: the money must be in your own account, and sponsorship agreements are not accepted.
Each bank sets its own fee. Bank Asia, for example, charges Tk 200 per solvency certificate plus VAT, under its schedule of charges effective July 2026.
It depends on the country. The UK needs it held for 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of your application; Finland, Canada and Ireland read six months of statements, and Italy 12 months.
Not on its own. UDI counts money in a Norwegian bank account or your institution's deposit account, a loan or a scholarship.
or WhatsApp 01611878274 · call Sylhet 01710303097
