How much does the UK Family visa cost?

From outside the UK: £1,938 application fee plus £1,035 per year of leave for the Immigration Health Surcharge. From inside the UK: £1,321 fee plus IHS. A first-time partner application from outside the UK with 2 years 9 months of leave costs around £4,800 in total.

What is the financial requirement for the Family visa?

For partner and parent routes, the British or settled sponsor must show £29,000 per year (raised from £18,600 in April 2024). This can be salary, self-employment income, savings of £88,500+, pensions, or a combination. Children add £3,800 (first) and £2,400 (each additional). Adult dependent relative route doesn't have a fixed income threshold but requires evidence of long-term care need.

Can I bring my child to the UK?

Yes, dependent children under 18 can join a settled or British parent in the UK. The application is on form EC-CH (entry clearance) or FLR(M) (in-country). The child must be unmarried, not leading an independent life, and adequately maintained without recourse to public funds. Both parents must consent unless one has sole responsibility.

UK Family Visa: Complete 2026 Guide

TL;DR

"Family visa" is the umbrella covering several routes that let you join a family member already in the UK: partner, parent, child, or adult dependent relative. Each route has different rules but a common application process. Standard fee is £1,938 from outside the UK plus £1,035/year IHS. For partner and parent routes, the income requirement rose to £29,000 in April 2024. Most routes lead to ILR at 5 years; harder cases use the 10-year route.

What is the UK Family visa?

"Family visa" is shorthand for several routes under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules:

Route	Who it's for	Lead time to ILR
Partner / Spouse	Married, civil partner, fiancé(e), or 2+ year unmarried partner of a British or settled person	5 years (or 10 if not meeting financial req)
Parent of British / Settled Child	Parent with sole responsibility or access rights to a child in the UK	5 or 10 years
Child	Child under 18 of a British / settled person	5 years
Adult Dependent Relative (ADR)	Parent, grandparent, sibling or adult child requiring long-term personal care	ILR on first grant
Bereaved Partner	Partner of someone who died while you held a partner visa	ILR on application
Domestic Violence concession	Partner whose relationship broke down due to domestic violence	ILR via SET(DV)

Each has its own evidential requirements, but the application form (EC-FAM from outside the UK, FLR(M) inside) and core documents overlap substantially.

This guide gives the overview. For partner-specific detail see our Spouse visa guide.

How much does it cost?

Visa	Fee (outside UK)	Fee (inside UK)	IHS
Partner / Spouse	£1,938	£1,321	£1,035/year
Parent of British child	£1,938	£1,321	£1,035/year
Child of settled parent	£1,938	£1,321	£1,035/year
Adult Dependent Relative	£3,250	n/a (overseas only)	n/a (settled status)

A first 2 years 9 months on the partner route from outside the UK comes to around £4,800 including IHS. The ADR route is more expensive upfront because it grants Indefinite Leave to Remain immediately, with no IHS but a higher fee.

There is also a £25 biometric enrolment fee at the visa application centre.

What is the financial requirement?

For partner and parent routes (not ADR), the British or settled sponsor must demonstrate they can financially support the applicant without recourse to public funds.

The minimum income requirement, raised from £18,600 to £29,000 on 11 April 2024, applies as follows (gov.uk Appendix FM-SE):

£29,000 for the sponsor alone, with no children to be sponsored
+£3,800 for the first dependent non-British child
+£2,400 for each additional non-British child
British/settled children do not increase the requirement

Sources of income that count:

Salaried employment — for at least 6 months with the same employer (Category A), or 12 months total in the previous 12 months from any UK employer (Category B)
Self-employment — full financial year evidenced by SA302 / tax calculation, accounts, and bank statements
Cash savings — £88,500 + (any income shortfall × 2.5), held for 6 months
Non-employment income — rental, pensions, dividends, maintenance payments

Combining sources is permitted; the rules are detailed and unforgiving on the evidential format. This is one of the most common refusal reasons for partner and parent applications.

Can I bring my parent to the UK?

Two main routes exist, both with strict requirements:

Adult Dependent Relative (ADR)

You can apply if:

You are a British citizen or settled in the UK with adequate accommodation and means
The relative (parent, grandparent, adult sibling, adult child over 18) requires long-term personal care for tasks of daily living
That care cannot be provided in the country where they live, either because it's not available or not affordable

The "not available or affordable in the home country" test is the hardest — caseworkers expect detailed evidence: medical reports, country care assessments, written quotes from local providers, evidence that family in the home country can't help, evidence the level of care needed is genuinely beyond what's accessible.

If granted, the ADR receives Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) immediately.

Parent of a British Child

This is for a non-British parent who needs to live in the UK with a British/settled child. The parent must have sole parental responsibility OR substantial direct access (court-ordered or formally agreed) to a child in the UK. The financial requirement applies in the same way as the partner route.

Can I bring my child?

Children under 18 of a British / settled / partner-route parent can be brought to the UK. Requirements:

Both parents are settled / British, OR one parent is and has sole responsibility, OR both parents apply together and one is settled
The child must be unmarried, not leading an independent life
Adequate accommodation and maintenance is shown
Either parent's child financial requirement above is met

If a child is over 16 and applying separately or for further leave, additional considerations apply about whether they're already integrated into UK life.

A child born in the UK to a settled or British parent may already be British by birth and not need a visa at all.

What documents do I need?

Common across most Family routes:

Valid passport of applicant
Passport / BRP / settlement evidence of British or settled sponsor
Relationship evidence — marriage certificate, birth certificate, custody/access orders, evidence of subsisting relationship
Financial evidence — bank statements, payslips, P60, SA302, savings statements (per the rules above)
Accommodation evidence — tenancy agreement, mortgage statement, council tax, letter from owner if living with family
English language certificate at A1 (CEFR) for partner / parent routes (A2 at first extension, B1 at ILR)
TB test certificate if from a listed country
Translated documents — any non-English document must be accompanied by a certified translation

Use our free Bundler to assemble these in the canonical UKVI order. Family applications often have the largest bundles of any UK route — using the Compressor to fit the 6 MB UKVCAS or 2 MB VFS Global limit is essential.

How does this lead to ILR?

The standard Family route is a 5-year journey:

First grant — 2 years 9 months
First extension (FLR-M) — 2 years 6 months
Indefinite Leave to Remain (SET-M) — at the 5-year point

You must:

Have continuously held the relevant Family visa
Not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month rolling period
Pass the Life in the UK test
Demonstrate English at B1 (CEFR)
Show the relationship / parental relationship is still subsisting

The 10-year Family route is for cases where the financial requirement isn't met but refusing would breach Article 8 (right to family life) — typically because of a British child, or a child resident in the UK for 7+ years. ILR is then earned at 10 years.

What happens if my application is refused?

Family visa refusals carry full appeal rights to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in most cases. You have 28 days to lodge an appeal.

Many family-route refusals stem from:

Financial evidence in the wrong format or covering the wrong period
Insufficient relationship evidence (especially where the sponsor and applicant have spent little time physically together)
ADR cases where home-country care alternatives weren't fully explored
Discrepancies between the application form, supporting documents, and prior immigration history

Family appeals are complex and often best handled by an IAA-registered immigration adviser — this is regulated advice we don't provide.

Sources

Common questions

01
What is the UK Family visa?
The Family visa is the umbrella term for several routes that let you join a family member in the UK: as a partner (Spouse / Civil Partner / Unmarried Partner), as a parent of a British child, as a child of a settled person, or as an adult dependent relative. Each route has different requirements but they share the same visa application form.
02
How much does the UK Family visa cost?
From outside the UK: £1,938 application fee plus £1,035 per year of leave for the Immigration Health Surcharge. From inside the UK: £1,321 fee plus IHS. A first-time partner application from outside the UK with 2 years 9 months of leave costs around £4,800 in total.
03
What is the financial requirement for the Family visa?
For partner and parent routes, the British or settled sponsor must show £29,000 per year (raised from £18,600 in April 2024). This can be salary, self-employment income, savings of £88,500+, pensions, or a combination. Children add £3,800 (first) and £2,400 (each additional). Adult dependent relative route doesn't have a fixed income threshold but requires evidence of long-term care need.
04
Can I bring my parent to the UK?
There are two main routes. The Adult Dependent Relative route is restrictive — you must show your parent requires long-term personal care that cannot be provided where they live, even with practical and financial help. The Parent of a British child route lets a parent live with a British/settled child if they have sole responsibility or specific access arrangements.
05
Can I bring my child to the UK?
Yes, dependent children under 18 can join a settled or British parent in the UK. The application is on form EC-CH (entry clearance) or FLR(M) (in-country). The child must be unmarried, not leading an independent life, and adequately maintained without recourse to public funds. Both parents must consent unless one has sole responsibility.
06
How does the Family visa lead to ILR?
Most Family routes lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years (2 years 9 months + 2 years 6 months). The 10-year Family route exists for cases where the financial requirement isn't met but Article 8 family life is engaged (typically British child or 7-year child rule). Adult dependent relatives get ILR on first grant.