“Will I get a council tax bill?”
Do students pay council tax in the UK?
Short answer
A household where everyone is a full-time student pays no council tax. To count as full-time, the course must last at least one year and involve at least 21 hours of study a week. If anyone in the household is not a full-time student, a bill is due, though a discount may still apply.
It is the household, not the person
This is the part that catches people out. The exemption applies where everyone in the property is a full-time student. Bring a partner who is working rather than studying and the household receives a bill, even though you personally are still a student.
Children under 18 do not affect it, because they are disregarded for council tax purposes.
Two conditions define full-time
The course must last at least one year and involve at least 21 hours of study per week. A short course or a part-time programme will not qualify, whatever your visa says.
You may have to prove it
Councils do not always apply the exemption automatically. Most universities issue a council tax certificate on request; send it to your local council if a bill arrives.
Where this answer stops
Official sources
Checked against the live sources on .
Discounts for full-time students
Council Tax: discounts for full-time students →