Marrying or partnering with someone who is British or settled in the UK does not, by itself, get you a visa. The UK Spouse (technically “Partner”) visa is decided almost entirely on paperwork — your relationship, your combined finances and your English ability — and the financial requirement in particular has tripped up more applicants than any other part of the route since it rose sharply in 2024. Here is what actually applies in 2026.
Who qualifies
You can apply as a partner if you are the husband, wife, civil partner, fiancé(e)/proposed civil partner, or unmarried partner (living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years) of a British citizen or a person settled in the UK. Both of you must be 18 or older, the relationship must be genuine and ongoing, and — for the fiancé(e) route — you must intend to marry or form a civil partnership within the visa’s six-month validity.
The £29,000 financial requirement
For any application made on or after 11 April 2024, the sponsoring partner (or the couple’s combined income, if the applicant is already working legally in the UK) must show at least £29,000 gross per year — the figure the Home Office assesses off your payslip, not your take-home pay, and it does not increase if you’re also bringing children. There’s an important exception: if your first successful application as a partner was made before 11 April 2024 and you’re still with the same partner, the older £18,600 threshold (plus £3,800 for a first child and £2,400 for each additional child, capped at £29,000) still applies to your later extension and settlement stages (gov.uk).
The Migration Advisory Committee reviewed the £29,000 figure in June 2025 and suggested £23,000– £25,000 would be more proportionate to median UK earnings, but as of mid-2026 the government has not acted on that recommendation — the £29,000 threshold remains in force. Don’t rely on older blog posts that assume a reduction is coming; check gov.uk before you apply.
Meeting the requirement with savings instead of income
If your income falls short, cash savings can bridge the gap — but the maths is stricter than most applicants expect. The Home Office formula is:
(annual income shortfall × 2.5) + £16,000
For example, if your income is £20,000 against the £29,000 requirement, the £9,000 shortfall × 2.5 = £22,500, plus £16,000 = £38,500 in savings needed. If you have no qualifying income at all, you need at least £88,500 in savings on its own. Savings generally need to be held for six months and be readily disposable — a pension you can’t access yet, or savings tied up in property, won’t count.
Fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge
Application fees rose on 8 April 2026: an out-of-country Spouse/Partner visa application now costs £2,064 (up from £1,938), and the in-country extension (FLR(M), applied for around the 2.5-year mark) costs £1,407 (up from £1,321). On top of the application fee, you must pay the Immigration Health Surcharge upfront for the full length of the visa — at £1,035 per adult per year, a typical 30-month initial grant means paying roughly £2,587.50 at the point of application, in one lump sum with no instalment option. Always check the official fees page before you pay, since these figures are revised periodically.
English language requirement, by stage
The bar rises as you move through the route, and passing at a higher level early can save you retesting later:
- Initial application: CEFR A1 (speaking and listening only), via an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) or a degree taught in English.
- Extension at 2.5 years (FLR(M)): CEFR A2 — but if you already passed at A2 or higher for your first application, you can reuse that result even if the certificate has technically expired, as long as it hasn’t been withdrawn from the approved list.
- Settlement (ILR) at 5 years: CEFR B1, again reusable from an earlier test if you passed at B1 or above.
A confirmed change is coming: from 26 March 2027, the English requirement for ILR rises from B1 to B2 across the family route, per Statement of Changes HC 1691 (laid 5 March 2026). If your settlement application will land after that date, plan to test at B2, not B1 (gov.uk). Children, applicants over 65, those with a disability affecting their ability to learn English, and nationals of majority English-speaking countries are exempt.
Documents to gather
- Relationship evidence: marriage or civil partnership certificate, or — for unmarried partners — at least two years of proof you’ve lived together (joint tenancy, utility bills, bank statements at the same address).
- Financial evidence: matched to whichever income category you’re relying on (salaried employment, self-employment, non-employment income, pension, or savings) — mixing categories without the right combination of evidence is one of the most common paperwork errors.
- Accommodation evidence: proof you’ll have adequate housing in the UK without recourse to public funds.
- TB test certificate, if you’re applying from a country on the UK’s tuberculosis-testing list.
- Criminal record certificate, required for applicants aged 18+ who have lived in certain countries for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
The route to settlement
Most applicants are granted an initial 2.5-year visa, extend once more at the 2.5-year mark (FLR(M)), and apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain at the 5-year mark — the “standard” route. If you don’t meet every requirement at the outset (for example, the financial threshold), you may instead be placed on the 10-year route, which involves more renewal cycles but can be cheaper per application and doesn’t require clearing every threshold immediately. Spouse and partner visa holders have full UK work rights throughout — there’s no restriction like the ones that apply to some student dependants.
Common reasons these applications get refused
- Financial evidence doesn’t match the income category claimed, or doesn’t cover the full required period.
- Relationship evidence is thin or inconsistent between the applicant’s and sponsor’s accounts.
- Accommodation evidence is missing or doesn’t show the property is suitable and available.
- The English test was taken with a provider not on the current UKVI-approved list.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my children on the same application? Children generally need separate dependant applications alongside yours, each with their own evidence and IHS payment — see our dependant and family visa guide for how that process works.
What if I don’t currently meet the £29,000 threshold? Use the savings formula above to bridge a shortfall, combine income and savings, wait until your income rises, or add a period on the fiancé(e) route first if you’re not yet married. There’s no way around the requirement itself — only different ways to evidence it.
How long does a UK spouse visa application take? UKVI publishes standard processing times by country, and they move — see our visa processing times guide for how to check the current estimate for where you’re applying from.
Does the visa let me work in the UK? Yes — Partner visa holders have unrestricted permission to work, unlike some dependant categories tied to a sponsor’s specific job or course.
Get ready before you apply
The spouse and partner route is unforgiving of small inconsistencies — a savings calculation that’s £500 short, or relationship evidence that doesn’t quite line up, is enough to trigger a refusal. VisaMet is building tools to check your eligibility, screen your financial evidence against the exact formula the Home Office uses, and flag gaps before you submit. Join the VisaMet waitlist for early access.
This guide is preparation information, not legal advice. Financial thresholds, fees and English language rules change periodically — always confirm the current requirement against gov.uk before you apply or pay any fee.