Which GOV.UK page this article follows
GOV.UK has a guidance page called "Financial evidence for sponsored or endorsed work routes". It covers several routes, including the Skilled Worker route, which this article uses as its example. Anything below is what that page says, and rules can change, so read the live page before you apply.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Your situation may differ, so check the linked GOV.UK guidance for the rules that apply to your application.
The 28-day and 31-day rules
The guidance says: "You must show the funds have been held for 28 days, unless you are relying on your sponsor or endorsing body." It says the evidence "must be from the 31 days before you submit your application", and that the 28 days is calculated from the date of the last transaction in the last dated bank statement.
The page lists a figure of £1,270 for most of the routes it covers, including Skilled Worker, with separate amounts for a partner (£285), a first dependent child (£315) and each other dependent child (£200). Check the live page for the current amounts and for who must meet them.
What the guidance says about the statements themselves
According to GOV.UK, bank statements are accepted, as are building society passbooks, certificates of deposit and a letter from your bank or building society. The page says: "You can provide a download of electronic bank statements if it has this information." It also says you do not need to have them stamped by the bank.
The statement must show the date it was issued, your name (or the account holder's name if the account belongs to a parent or partner), the name of the bank or building society, and the account balance.
The page does not discuss converted spreadsheets, so this article makes no claim that a spreadsheet would be accepted. If the guidance asks for a statement, use the bank's own statement.
How a spreadsheet can help you check your own statement
A converted spreadsheet is a way to check your own records before you apply. It is not a replacement for the statement. Put the statement's rows into columns and you can see the dates, the balance after each transaction, and the lowest balance in the period.
A made-up example:
Date Description Balance
2026-09-01 Salary transfer 2,950.00
2026-09-12 Rent 1,900.00
2026-09-25 Card payment 1,712.40
2026-09-30 Closing balance 1,712.40Work backwards from the date of the last transaction in your last dated statement to count the 28 days, then use MIN on the balance column for that stretch to see the lowest balance. Compare the spreadsheet totals with the opening and closing balances printed on the statement to catch conversion errors. If you use a converter such as PDFtoRow, submit the bank's original document, not your own workbook, unless the guidance says otherwise.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The guidance says funds must be held for 28 days, unless you are relying on your sponsor or endorsing body, and that the evidence must be from the 31 days before you submit your application.
The page says you can provide a download of electronic bank statements if it has the required information. It also says statements do not need to be stamped by the bank.
According to the page, the date it was issued, your name (or the account holder's name if the account belongs to a parent or partner), the name of the bank or building society, and the account balance.
Primary Evidence & Official References
- Financial evidence for sponsored or endorsed work routes — gov.uk (Verified 2026-10-29). Official source documentation →