UK Spouse Visa 2026: Requirements, Fees and Processing Times

A UK spouse visa lets you live in the UK with a partner who is British, Irish or settled. As of October 2026, you need a genuine relationship, £29,000 a year in combined income (or enough savings), English at A1 level and suitable accommodation. The visa costs £2,064 from outside the UK plus a health surcharge of £3,105 per adult, and decisions usually take about 12 weeks.

Key points

• You and your partner must both be 18 or over and intend to live together permanently in the UK (GOV.UK).
• First grant: up to 2 years 9 months. Extension: a further 2 years 6 months. ILR after 5 years.
• Minimum income: £29,000 (in force since 11 April 2024). See our £29,000 income rule guide.
• English: A1, then A2, then B1 for settlement (rising to B2 from 26 March 2027).
• A new government family migration policy is expected in early 2027. No change is in force yet.

Who can apply

You can apply if your partner is one of the following (GOV.UK):

• a British or Irish citizen
• settled in the UK (ILR or settled status) or with pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
• on a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa
• someone with protection status or permission to stay as a stateless person

Despite the name, the “spouse visa” covers several relationships:

Relationship	Requirement
Married or civil partners	A marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK
Unmarried partners	In a relationship for at least 2 years and living together when you apply
Fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner	Planning to marry within 6 months of arriving
Unable to live together	In a relationship for at least 2 years but unable to live together, for example for work, study or cultural reasons

Requirements in detail

1. A genuine relationship

You must show the relationship is genuine and that you intend to live together permanently in the UK. Evidence usually includes your marriage certificate, photos together over time, communication history, travel records and evidence of living together (joint tenancy, bills). Any previous marriages must have legally ended.

2. Financial requirement

You usually need a combined gross income of at least £29,000 a year. Couples first granted before 11 April 2024 who are extending with the same partner can use the old threshold of £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child (capped at £29,000) (GOV.UK).

Savings can be used. Under Appendix FM, you need £16,000 plus 2.5 times any shortfall in income. With no income at all, that means £88,500. Savings must have been held for 6 months.

If your partner receives certain disability or carer benefits (such as PIP, Carer’s Allowance or Attendance Allowance), the income threshold does not apply. Instead you must show you can support yourselves adequately without public funds.

Our separate post on the £29,000 minimum income has worked examples and explains what could change in 2027.

3. English language

Stage	Minimum level (speaking and listening)
First application	A1
Extension (after about 2.5 years)	A2
Settlement (after 5 years)	B1, rising to B2 for applications from 26 March 2027

You can also meet the requirement with a degree taught in English (with an Ecctis assessment if it is from outside the UK) or by being a national of a listed majority English-speaking country. You are exempt if you are 65 or over or have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting it (GOV.UK). Tests must come from an approved Secure English Language Test provider.

The B2 change is covered in our post on the ILR English requirement rising to B2.

4. Accommodation

You must have somewhere suitable to live that you own or occupy exclusively (at least one room just for you as a couple), that is not overcrowded and that meets public health standards. You cannot rely on public funds to pay for it. Evidence usually includes a tenancy agreement or mortgage statement and, where you live with others, a letter from the owner.

Fees and health surcharge

As of October 2026 (GOV.UK):

Cost	Outside the UK	Inside the UK
Application fee (main applicant)	£2,064	£1,407
Each dependant child	£2,064	£1,407
IHS, adult, 2 years 9 months	£3,105	—
IHS, adult, 2 years 6 months	—	£2,587.50
IHS, child, 2 years 9 months	£2,328	—
IHS, child, 2 years 6 months	—	£1,940
Super priority (optional)	Varies by country	£1,000

Typical total for one adult from outside the UK: £5,169. An extension from inside the UK costs £1,407 + £2,587.50 = £3,994.50. ILR later costs £3,226 (see our ILR guide).

Over 5 years, the visa costs for one partner are roughly £12,390 (first grant, extension and ILR), before English tests, translations and advice. A fee waiver is available in limited cases if you cannot afford the fee because of housing or essential living costs, or very low income that would harm a child’s wellbeing.

Fees usually change in April. Always check the official fees table on the day you apply.

Processing times

GOV.UK gives these usual decision times (GOV.UK):

Where you apply	Usual decision time
Outside the UK	Usually within 12 weeks
Inside the UK, meeting the financial and English requirements	Usually within 8 weeks
Inside the UK, relying on exceptions	About 12 months

Priority services may be available for an extra fee, depending on where you apply.

How to apply from outside the UK: step by step

1. Check that you and your partner meet every requirement, including the financial evidence rules.
2. Book and pass an approved A1 English test if you need one.
3. Collect documents: passports, relationship evidence, financial evidence (usually 6 months of payslips and bank statements for employment income), accommodation evidence and your English certificate.
4. Apply online on GOV.UK and pay the fee and health surcharge.
5. Prove your identity at a visa application centre or through the ID Check app.
6. Wait for a decision. If granted, you get permission for 2 years 9 months as an eVisa.
7. Travel to the UK and set up your UKVI account if you have not already.

After you arrive: the 5-year route

• Extension: apply before your first visa expires for another 2 years 6 months. You need A2 English and must still meet the financial requirement.
• ILR: after 5 years continuously on the partner route you can apply for settlement, with B1 English (or B2 from 26 March 2027) and the Life in the UK test.

Under Statement of Changes HC 1491, family route applicants who reach the settlement stage without meeting the English or Life in the UK requirement can be given a further 30 months of limited leave rather than being refused outright (HC 1491).

If you cannot meet the financial requirement but refusal would breach your family’s human rights (for example because you have a British child), you may be granted leave on a 10-year route to settlement instead.

Proposed changes to watch

• Minimum income: the government has not decided whether to change the £29,000 figure. A new family migration policy is expected in early 2027.
• Earned settlement: under the consultation proposals, partners of British citizens would keep a 5-year route to settlement. These proposals are not yet law. See Earned settlement explained.

Track developments on our UK hub and updates page.

What to do next

1. Check your combined income or savings against the £29,000 threshold.
2. Book your English test early. Results must come from an approved provider.
3. Start gathering 6 months of financial evidence before you apply.
4. If you have a previous refusal, a gap in status, or rely on exceptions, speak to an OISC-regulated adviser or solicitor before applying.