UK Spouse Visa 2026: Requirements, Fees, English Test and Extension

What are the UK spouse visa requirements?

To get a UK spouse visa you and your partner must both be 18 or over, be in a genuine relationship you can prove, and intend to live together permanently in the UK. Your partner must be British, Irish or settled in the UK. You also need to meet the financial requirement, have suitable accommodation, and pass an approved A1 English test unless you are exempt.

Who can sponsor you

Your partner is your sponsor. GOV.UK lists the people who can sponsor a partner: a British or Irish citizen, someone with settled status or indefinite leave to remain, an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen with pre-settled status who arrived before 1 January 2021, and people with refugee or humanitarian protection status. If your partner is in the UK on a work or study visa, you would normally apply as their dependant instead, which is a different route.

The relationship requirement

• You are married or in a civil partnership that is recognised in the UK, or
• You have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply, or
• You are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and will marry within 6 months of arriving (this is the separate fiancé visa).

The caseworker must be satisfied the relationship is genuine and subsisting. In practice that means evidence of how you met, time spent together, communication while apart, and your plans to live together. Couples who rely on a long-distance relationship should expect closer scrutiny of this evidence.

Money, accommodation and English at a glance

How much income do you need for a UK spouse visa?

For applications made since 11 April 2024, you usually need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. People who first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner can still use the older £18,600 threshold, plus £3,800 for a first child and £2,400 for each additional child, capped at £29,000.

The income can come from your partner's job, your own job in the UK if you are already here with permission to work, self-employment, pensions, and certain other sources. You can also use savings instead of, or alongside, income. What decides most cases is not the number itself but whether the specified evidence matches the income category you are relying on: payslips, bank statements and employer letters that line up for the right period.

The income rule is the area we see the most confusion about, so it has its own detailed guide: spouse visa financial requirements, covering the £29,000 rule, transitional cases, savings and evidence.

Do you need IELTS for a UK spouse visa?

Not the standard IELTS test. A UK spouse visa needs an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) in speaking and listening at CEFR level A1 for the first visa, A2 for the extension, and B1 for settlement. The most common choice is IELTS Life Skills, but PTE Home, LanguageCert and Trinity tests are also approved.

The test must be taken with a provider on the Home Office list of approved English tests, at an approved test centre. You are exempt if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country on the GOV.UK list (such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA), if you are 65 or over, if a physical or mental condition prevents you from meeting the requirement, or if you have a degree that was taught in English.

A test passed at A2 or higher can be reused at the extension stage, and a B1 or higher pass can be reused for settlement, as long as the certificate has not been withdrawn and the test is still on the approved list. That is why some applicants choose to take B1 from the start. Our A1 English test guide compares the approved tests.

What documents do you need for a UK spouse visa?

You need identity documents for you and your partner, proof of your relationship, financial evidence in the specified format, proof of accommodation, and your English test certificate or proof of exemption. Your partner also needs proof of their British citizenship or settled status. Every document not in English or Welsh needs a certified translation.

• Identity: your valid passport or travel document, and your partner's passport or proof of settled status.
• Relationship: marriage or civil partnership certificate, or evidence of 2 years living together; evidence the relationship is ongoing.
• Money: payslips, bank statements and employer letters covering the required period, or savings evidence.
• Accommodation: tenancy agreement, mortgage or title documents, and a letter from the owner if you will live with family.
• English: your approved test certificate and unique reference number, or evidence that you are exempt.
• Other: a tuberculosis test certificate if you are applying from a country on the TB list, and certified translations.

Missing or mismatched documents are one of the most common reasons partner applications are refused, so it is worth working through a full checklist before you submit. The financial evidence section of our spouse visa financial requirements guide explains what each income category needs, and the full UK spouse visa document checklist covers every group.

How much does a UK spouse visa cost in 2026?

The spouse visa application fee is £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 to apply or extend from inside the UK. On top of that you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 a year: £3,105 for a 2 year 9 month visa or £2,587.50 for a 2 year 6 month extension. These fees are unchanged in the Home Office fee table from 8 October 2026.

Budget for the whole 5-year route rather than the first visa alone. A typical couple pays the entry fee and surcharge, then the extension fee and surcharge, then the settlement fee, plus two or three English tests and translation costs along the way. Taking a higher-level English test early can save one test fee later.

How long does a UK spouse visa take and how long does it last?

GOV.UK says most spouse visa applications made from outside the UK are decided within 12 weeks, and applications from inside the UK that meet the income and English requirements within 8 weeks. If you are allowed to stay without meeting those requirements, a decision currently takes about 12 months. The first visa lasts up to 2 years 9 months.

Allow for test booking times as well as Home Office processing. English test dates and Life in the UK Test slots both need booking in advance, and a missing certificate is a common reason applications are delayed at the last minute.

How do you extend a UK spouse visa after 2.5 years?

You extend from inside the UK before your current visa expires, paying £1,407 plus £2,587.50 for the health surcharge. You must still meet the relationship, financial and accommodation rules and show A2 English in speaking and listening. If you extend with the same partner, up to 28 days left on your current visa is added to the new one.

1. 1

   Check your expiry date

   Work back from the date on your eVisa and plan your English test and documents at least two to three months ahead.

2. 2

   Pass an A2 English test

   Unless your earlier test was A2 or higher, you need an approved A2 speaking and listening test, such as IELTS Life Skills A2.

3. 3

   Gather updated evidence

   Fresh financial evidence for the required period, proof you have lived together since your last visa, and proof of accommodation.

4. 4

   Apply online and pay

   Complete the partner extension application online, pay the fee and health surcharge, then book your biometrics appointment.

5. 5

   Wait for a decision

   You can usually stay in the UK while your application is decided, as long as you applied before your visa expired.

Common extension mistakes

• Applying after the current visa has expired, which can break continuous residence.
• Relying on an A1 certificate, which cannot be reused at the extension stage.
• Using the £29,000 figure when the transitional £18,600 rule applies, or the other way round.
• Not showing that you have lived together throughout the last visa (joint bills, letters to the same address).

How to apply for a UK spouse visa online

1. 1

   Confirm you qualify

   Check your sponsor's status, your relationship evidence, the financial category you will use and your English route.

2. 2

   Take your English test

   Book an approved A1 test (or higher) and keep the certificate and reference number.

3. 3

   Prepare documents

   Collect and translate documents, and get a TB test if your country requires one.

4. 4

   Apply on GOV.UK

   Complete the family visa application online, pay £2,064 and the health surcharge.

5. 5

   Give biometrics

   Attend a visa application centre to have your fingerprints and photo taken, and upload or submit documents.

6. 6

   Travel and collect your status

   Once approved, you get an eVisa to prove your right to live and work in the UK.

From spouse visa to settlement and citizenship

After 5 years of continuous residence on the partner route you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The fee is £3,226 and you need B1 English in speaking and listening plus a pass in the Life in the UK Test. Once you have ILR, you can usually apply for British citizenship straight away if you are married to a British citizen; otherwise you normally wait 12 months. Our British citizenship process guide covers that final step.

UK spouse visa guides