01 / Start here
The UK spouse visa requirements, in the order to check them
If you live outside the UK and your partner is British, Irish or settled here, the spouse visa is how you come to live with them. It is one part of the family visa route, and the same rules cover civil partners. Unmarried partners and fiancé(e)s use the same route with a few differences, noted where they matter.
A first visa granted from outside the UK lasts up to 2 years and 9 months. Before it runs out you apply to extend, for up to a further 2 years and 6 months, and after 5 continuous years on the route you can usually apply to settle. While you hold the visa you can work and study, but cannot usually claim benefits or other public funds.
- First visa 2 years 9 months
- Extension 2 years 6 months
- Settle after 5 years
The application is made online, from outside the UK. You then give your fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre, which could be in another country.
02 / Eligibility
Your relationship and your partner’s status
You and your partner must both be 18 or over, must have met in person, and must intend to live together permanently in the UK. The relationship has to be genuine and continuing, and any earlier marriage or partnership either of you had must have broken down for good.
Your partner needs one of these statuses. According to the official partner guidance, they must be:
- a British or Irish citizen
- settled in the UK, with indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
- an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen with pre-settled status who started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
- in the UK on a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa
- someone with protection status, or who got permission to stay as a stateless person before you became their partner
If you are not married yet, or not married at all
Your marriage or civil partnership must be recognised in the UK. Couples who are not married apply as unmarried partners and must have been in a relationship similar to marriage for at least 2 years when they apply. If you plan to marry in the UK, the fiancé(e) visa gives you 6 months to marry after arriving, during which you cannot work or study, and that time does not count towards settlement.
Showing the relationship is real
Write down the story of your relationship in dates, then find a record for each point. The guidance asks for evidence from a government body, a bank, a landlord, a utility company or a medical professional that is less than 4 years old. If you have lived apart, records of regular contact, money sent between you and time spent together carry that weight instead.
03 / Money
The spouse visa financial requirement, and how to show you meet it
For a first application, you and your partner need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year before tax. That figure is the same whether or not you have children. You may still see an older figure of £18,600 quoted online; it now applies only to people who first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending that visa.
What counts towards the £29,000
The rules for an application from abroad list the sources that can be added together. The main ones are:
- your partner’s salary or self-employed income (if your partner is living abroad and coming back to the UK with you, an overseas job can count in some cases)
- pension income, yours or your partner’s
- other specified income, such as rent from a property or dividends
- cash savings, under the formula below
Employment income is counted before tax and National Insurance, and self-employment usually has to be shown on a Self Assessment tax return.
Using savings
Savings above £16,000 can make up a shortfall in income. The amount over £16,000 is divided by 2.5 and treated as income, so every £1 short in income needs £2.50 of savings. If you rely on savings alone, the rule works out at £88,500. The money must have been held in your name, your partner’s or jointly for the 6 months before you apply, and you will need to explain where it came from.
04 / English
The English test for a spouse visa, and who does not need one
For your first visa you must show English at level A1 or above in speaking and listening, on the Common European Framework (CEFR) scale.
There are three ways to meet it:
- An approved test. It must be a Secure English Language Test (SELT) taken with an approved provider. Outside the UK these are PSI Services, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert and Pearson. Check the exact test name against the approved list before you pay for it.
- A degree taught in English. A UK degree counts on its certificate. An overseas degree needs confirmation from Ecctis that it is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s or higher and was taught in English.
- Your nationality. Citizens of 18 countries do not need to prove their English, among them Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and the USA.
You are also exempt if you are over 65 or have a physical or mental condition that prevents you meeting the requirement.
Plan ahead for later stages too. At the extension you will need A2, and for settlement B1 at present. For settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 the level rises to B2, including for people already on the route.
05 / Your home
Where you will live together
You need to show that there will be adequate accommodation for you, your partner and anyone else who lives in the same household, without relying on public funds. The home has to be one your family owns or occupies exclusively. It is not adequate if it is, or will be, overcrowded, or if it breaks public health regulations.
The gov.uk guide does not give a fixed list of accommodation documents, so think about what explains the home to a stranger. If your partner rents, that is likely to mean the tenancy agreement and, if you will be staying with relatives, a letter from the owner agreeing to it. For a property your partner owns, it means proof of ownership. Either way, set out how many rooms there are and who lives there, and keep the address the same on every form and record.
06 / Your paperwork
Spouse visa document checklist for applying from outside the UK
The online form decides much of what you upload, so treat this as a starting list rather than a complete one. It follows what the official evidence page asks for.
- Identity: your current passport, the photo page and visa stamps from previous passports, details of any earlier immigration applications, and your parents’ dates of birth and nationalities.
- Your partner: proof of their British or Irish citizenship or their settled status.
- Relationship: your marriage or civil partnership certificate and records showing your life together, each less than 4 years old. If either of you was married before, evidence that it ended, such as a divorce certificate.
- Finances: if your partner is employed, 6 months of payslips, matching bank statements and a letter from the employer on headed paper confirming the job, its length, the contract type and the gross pay. Self-employment and savings have their own specified evidence rules.
- English: your SELT result, degree certificate and Ecctis confirmation, or proof of the exemption you rely on.
- Accommodation: the records that explain the home you will share.
- Other evidence: certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh, and a tuberculosis test result if you have lived in a country where the test is required.
Open every scan at normal size before you upload it. Names, dates and addresses should match from one document to the next, and where they do not, a short explanation saves a caseworker guessing.
07 / Budget
How much does a UK spouse visa cost?
The two large costs are the application fee and the immigration health surcharge, and both are paid when you apply. The surcharge covers your use of the NHS and is charged for the full length of the visa upfront. If it is not paid within 7 working days of being asked, the application is turned down.
- Visa fee £2,064
- Health charge £3,105
Both paid when you apply
Faster answer: +£500 or +£1,000
| What you may pay for | Amount |
|---|---|
| Spouse or partner visa application fee, applying from outside the UK | £2,064 |
| Immigration health surcharge for a visa of 2 years and 9 months (£1,035 a year) | £3,105 |
| Priority service, where offered (decision usually in about 30 working days) | £500 |
| Super priority service, where your visa application centre offers it | £1,000 |
| English test, certified translations and a tuberculosis test, where needed | Varies |
Each child applying with you pays the same £2,064 fee, and the surcharge for a child is £2,328 for the same period. The surcharge rate for the partner route is £1,035 a year for adults and £776 for under-18s.
The fees in force from 8 October 2026 did not change for any partner application. If you cannot afford somewhere to live or essential living costs, you may be able to ask for a fee waiver.
Check family visa fees on GOV.UK · Check the immigration health surcharge
08 / The wait
Spouse visa processing time and planning your move
When you apply from outside the UK you will usually get a decision within 12 weeks. That is a typical figure, not a deadline, and a decision on your own application can come sooner or later.
If speed matters, you will be told when you apply whether a priority service is available. With priority, family and settlement applications usually take 30 working days. Super priority aims for a decision by the end of the next working day, but only some visa application centres offer it.
-
Normal About 12 weeks
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Faster (£500) 30 working days
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Fastest (£1,000) Next working day
Usual times, not promises
Work backwards from the date you hope to travel. A tuberculosis certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the x-ray, and the savings rule looks back over the 6 months before you apply, so the order you do things in matters. Leave room for booking an English test, getting translations done and travelling to a visa application centre.
09 / Common questions
Questions before you apply
What are the requirements for a UK spouse visa?
Your partner must be British, Irish, settled or hold another qualifying status. You must both be 18 or over, have met in person and plan to live together in the UK. Then there are four tests: a combined income of £29,000 or enough savings, English at A1 or an exemption, suitable accommodation, and evidence that your relationship is genuine. Read the official partner guidance.
What is the new rule for the UK spouse visa?
The biggest change is to the money. For a first application the income needed is now £29,000 a year, and the old £18,600 figure applies only to couples extending a visa they first applied for before 11 April 2024. The next confirmed change comes at settlement: applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need English at B2 instead of B1. Read the financial requirement on GOV.UK.
Can we apply if we have been living in different countries and do not have bills or a tenancy agreement in both our names?
Yes. If you are married or in a civil partnership, the rules do not require you to have lived together. The guidance accepts evidence such as regular communication, money sent between you, shared care of children and time spent together. Read about relationship evidence.
How much is a spouse visa in the UK?
From outside the UK the application fee is £2,064, and the health surcharge for a visa of 2 years and 9 months is £3,105 for an adult. Optional faster decisions cost extra. Check the fees on GOV.UK.
How much money do you need for a UK spouse visa?
£29,000 a year before tax, counting you and your partner together, from the sources the rules allow. There is no minimum if your partner receives certain disability or carer’s benefits. Read the financial guidance.
Can I use savings for a spouse visa?
Yes. Savings above £16,000, held for 6 months, can cover a gap in income at a rate of £2.50 of savings for every £1 of shortfall. Relying on savings alone takes £88,500. Read the savings rule in Appendix FM.
What English test do I need for a spouse visa?
An approved Secure English Language Test at A1 or above in speaking and listening, unless a degree taught in English, your nationality, your age or a medical condition exempts you. Read the English language guidance.
How long does it take to get a spouse visa in the UK?
Usually up to 12 weeks for an application from outside the UK. A priority service, where available, usually takes 30 working days. Check decision times.
Can I work in the UK on a spouse visa?
Yes, you can work and study. You cannot usually claim benefits or other public funds. Read what the visa allows.
How long is a spouse visa valid for?
Up to 2 years and 9 months when granted from outside the UK. You then extend for up to 2 years and 6 months, and can usually apply to settle after 5 years on the route. Read about visa length.
10 / Contact
Something in this guide unclear?
Email a question, or tell us if something here looks out of date. A short message is best to begin with. Please do not attach passports, bank statements or other personal documents.