Who can be a Legal Guardian?

UK Department for Education 2025 Regulations: Legal Definition of a Nominated Guardian

✅ Mandatory Requirements

  • All international students under the age of 18 must appoint a qualified guardian;

  • The guardian must be an adult aged 25 or above;

  • The guardian must be legally and permanently resident in the UK (holding permanent residency or other long-term legal status).

❌ Individuals Who Cannot Act as Guardians:

  • Private fostering families – excluded due to lack of standardised supervision and regulatory oversight;

  • Close relatives of the student – excluded to ensure independence and effective safeguarding;

  • Parents holding a “Parent of a Child Student visa” – as their immigration status is for accompanying purposes only, not for independent guardianship.

Policy Implications:

Common arrangements such as “relatives taking care of the child” or “a mother accompanying the child in the UK” will no longer meet legal requirements. All international students must appoint a qualified independent guardian to ensure legal, professional, and regulated protection in the UK.