IELTS scores by country
Your IELTS band opens a door to study, work or moving abroad. Here's the score each country asks for.
Canada
Express Entry: your score is your points
- STUDYUniversity admission6.5 overall
6.0 in each module (top schools want 7.0)
- STUDYStudy permitPer uni offer
No fixed IELTS for the permit. Your university sets the score
- WORK/VISAExpress Entry minimumCLB 7
= 6.0 each module (L 6.0, R 6.0, W 6.0, S 6.0)
- WORK/VISAExpress Entry CLB 931 pts / skill
= L 8.0, R 7.0, W 7.0, S 7.0 (CLB 10 = 34 pts)
- STAYCitizenshipCLB 4
Listening + Speaking only (4.5 / 4.0)
Numbers above are official requirements as of 2026. Universities and visa case officers can set a higher bar. Always confirm on the relevant government / institution page before applying.
Every requirement, side by side
Eight destinations, 32 requirements. Two of them carry no number, and that is the accurate answer rather than a gap: the United States and the Netherlands set no national English bar for students, so the institution you apply to is the only one that decides.
IELTS requirements for Canada
Express Entry: your score is your points
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | University admission | 6.5 overall | 6.0 in each module (top schools want 7.0) |
| Study | Study permit | Per uni offer | No fixed IELTS for the permit. Your university sets the score |
| Work / visa | Express Entry minimum | CLB 7 | = 6.0 each module (L 6.0, R 6.0, W 6.0, S 6.0) |
| Work / visa | Express Entry CLB 9 | 31 pts / skill | = L 8.0, R 7.0, W 7.0, S 7.0 (CLB 10 = 34 pts) |
| Stay | Citizenship | CLB 4 | Listening + Speaking only (4.5 / 4.0) |
Full Canada guide: routes, exemptions and the per-university caveats
IELTS requirements for Australia
Points-tested skilled migration
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | University admission | 6.5 overall | 6.0 each (postgrad commonly 7.0) |
| Study | Student visa (subclass 500) | 5.5 to 6.5 | Higher for direct uni entry; lower with packaged ELICOS |
| Work / visa | Competent English (entry) | 6.0 each | Minimum to be invited. Adds 0 language points |
| Work / visa | Proficient English | 7.0 each | = 10 skilled-migration points |
| Work / visa | Superior English | 8.0 each | = 20 skilled-migration points (the big jump) |
IELTS requirements for UK
Universities, work visas + settlement
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | Undergraduate | 6.0 overall | 5.5 each (Russell-Group commonly 6.5) |
| Study | Postgraduate | 6.5 overall | 6.0 each (LSE / Oxbridge: 7.0 to 7.5) |
| Study | Student visa (degree-level) | IELTS UKVI 5.5 | Per CAS. Many unis ask for more |
| Work / visa | Skilled Worker visa | B2 = 5.5 each | UKVI B2 since 8 January 2026: minimum 5.5 in each of L / R / W / S. B1 = 4.0 each still applies only if you held the visa before that date and are extending it |
| Stay | Settlement (ILR) | B1 = 4.0 each | Still B1, unchanged by the 2026 Skilled Worker rise; Life-in-the-UK test separate |
Full UK guide: routes, exemptions and the per-university caveats
IELTS requirements for New Zealand
Skilled Migrant + study
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | Undergraduate | 6.0 overall | 5.5 each module |
| Study | Postgraduate | 6.5 overall | 6.0 each (research masters often 7.0) |
| Work / visa | Accredited Employer Work | 5.0 overall | Or proof of English-medium education |
| Stay | Skilled Migrant residence | 6.5 overall | Only the overall band counts. No per-module minimum |
Full New Zealand guide: routes, exemptions and the per-university caveats
IELTS requirements for Germany
English-taught degrees + free tuition
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | Bachelor (English-medium) | 6.0 to 6.5 | Varies per uni; TestDaF / TOEFL also accepted |
| Study | Master's (English-medium) | 6.5 to 7.0 | Top programs (TUM / RWTH) push for 7.0 |
| Study | Student visa (Aufenthalt) | Per uni offer | Visa accepts the uni's admission band |
| Work / visa | Blue Card (English-track) | No fixed IELTS | Job offer + recognised degree drive eligibility |
Full Germany guide: routes, exemptions and the per-university caveats
IELTS requirements for Ireland
Critical Skills + university study
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | Undergraduate | 6.5 overall | 6.0 each (Trinity / UCD often 6.5 each) |
| Study | Postgraduate | 6.5 to 7.0 | 6.5 each for taught masters; 7.0 for research |
| Work / visa | Critical Skills Employment | No fixed IELTS | Set by the employer or regulator. Regulated professions need CEFR B2+ |
| Work / visa | General Employment Permit | 5.0+ overall | Employer can require higher per role |
Full Ireland guide: routes, exemptions and the per-university caveats
IELTS requirements for USA
No federal English requirement
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | Student visa (F-1) | No test required | SEVP does not regulate English level. There is no federal IELTS bar |
| Study | University admission | Per university | Each institution sets its own score and names the tests it accepts |
| Study | Form I-20 | Per school policy | Must reflect the school's own admission policy for your programme |
IELTS requirements for Netherlands
The institution sets the bar
| Purpose | Route | IELTS | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study | Student residence permit | Per institution | Your institution applies for the permit and sets the language requirement |
| Study | English-taught programmes | Per programme | IELTS and Cambridge B2, C1 or C2 are commonly accepted. Confirm with the programme |
Three more destinations do not appear above, because no national band applies and the number comes from the employer or the university instead: Singapore, Hong Kong and the UAE.
Common questions
What IELTS score do I need for Canada PR?
Express Entry needs CLB 7 as the floor, which is 6.0 in each of the four skills. Points rise sharply above that: CLB 9 is Listening 8.0 with 7.0 in Reading, Writing and Speaking, and it is worth 31 points per skill against 17 at CLB 7, which is usually the difference that decides an invitation.
What IELTS score do I need for Australia PR?
Competent English is 6.0 in each skill and is the minimum to be invited, but it adds zero language points. Proficient English is 7.0 in each and adds 10 points. Superior English is 8.0 in each and adds 20, which is the jump most points-tested applicants are chasing.
What IELTS score do I need for a UK visa?
They are no longer the same answer. The Skilled Worker visa needs UKVI level B2, which is 5.5 in each of the four skills, for applications from 8 January 2026; B1 at 4.0 each still applies only if you held the visa before that date and are extending it. Settlement did not change and remains B1 at 4.0 each. A degree-level student visa starts at IELTS UKVI 5.5 per your CAS, and most universities ask for considerably more than the visa does.
What IELTS score do I need for the USA?
There is no federal requirement. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program states that it does not regulate how well an international student must speak English, so no IELTS band is attached to the F-1 visa itself. Your university's admission policy is the only bar that exists, and it varies widely between institutions and between programmes at the same institution.
Is the IELTS score for a student visa the same as for university admission?
Usually not, and confusing the two is the most common mistake on this page's subject. The visa requirement is a legal floor set by a government. The admission requirement is set by the institution and is normally higher. You have to clear both, so the higher of the two is the number that actually matters to you.
Do I need Academic or General Training IELTS?
Academic for university study. General Training for most immigration and work routes, including Canadian Express Entry, Australian skilled migration and UK settlement. Sitting the wrong one is an expensive mistake because the result cannot be converted.
Can a university ask for a higher IELTS score than the visa requires?
Yes, and they routinely do. The figures on this page are national floors. A Russell Group course, an Australian postgraduate programme or a research masters can each sit well above them, and some also set a per-skill minimum on top of the overall band. Confirm on the programme page before you book a test.
Next: what each band actually means, how long a score stays valid and how retakes work, or find your current band free.
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