How much does the UK Spouse visa cost in 2026?

The Spouse visa application fee is £1,938 from outside the UK and £1,321 from inside, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year of leave granted. A first-time application from outside the UK with 2 years 9 months of leave totals around £4,800 once IHS is included.

What is the financial requirement for the Spouse visa?

From April 2024 the minimum income requirement is £29,000 per year, evidenced through the British or settled partner's salary, self-employment income, savings (£88,500 + amount needed to top up income), pension, or a combination. The previous £18,600 threshold no longer applies to new applications.

How long does a Spouse visa take to process?

Standard processing is 12 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside. Priority service (£500 extra) reduces this to 30 working days. Super-priority (£1,000) gives a decision within 24 hours of biometrics in most categories.

What documents do I need for a UK Spouse visa?

Valid passports for both partners, marriage certificate (or evidence of 2+ years' cohabitation if unmarried partner), evidence meeting the financial requirement (payslips, bank statements, P60 or tax calculation), proof of accommodation, evidence of relationship (photos, joint bills, communication history), English at A1 (CEFR), and TB test if applying from a listed country.

Can I bring my children on a Spouse visa?

Yes — dependent children under 18 can be included. Each child has the same fee as the main applicant. The financial requirement increases by £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child, on top of the £29,000 base.

What happens if my Spouse visa is refused?

You may have a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) — the refusal letter will state whether appeal rights apply. Many refusals can be remedied by re-applying with stronger evidence; others require formal appeal or judicial review.

UK Spouse Visa: Complete 2026 Guide

TL;DR

The UK Spouse visa lets the partner of a British or settled person live and work in the UK. From April 2024 you need a combined income of £29,000 (or £88,500 in savings), proof of a genuine relationship, and English at A1. The visa fee is £1,938 from outside the UK; total cost with the Immigration Health Surcharge is around £4,800 for a first 2-year-9-month grant. Five years on this route leads to Indefinite Leave to Remain.

How much does the UK Spouse visa cost?

Spouse visa applications cost £1,938 from outside the UK and £1,321 from inside (gov.uk fees). On top, you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year of leave.

A typical first application (2 years 9 months from outside the UK):

£1,938 visa fee
£2,846 IHS (£1,035 × 2.75 years)
~£100 biometrics
Total: roughly £4,884

The 2.5-year extension after 2y9m and the ILR application that follows are separate fees. Plan for ~£8,000-10,000 total over the 5-year route to settlement.

What is the financial requirement?

The current minimum income is £29,000 per year (Home Office, April 2024). It can be met by:

The British/settled partner's salaried income (must be earned for at least 6 months with the same employer)
Self-employment, evidenced by HMRC SA302 / tax calculation and bank statements
Cash savings of £88,500 held for 6 months, OR a combination of savings and shortfall
Non-employment income (rental, pensions, dividends)
Combined applicant + sponsor income (only if the applicant is already in the UK with permission to work)

If you have dependent children, add £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child to the £29,000 base.

The April 2024 increase from £18,600 was the largest in the route's history. Anyone who applied before that date, and any 5-year route extension applicant who held leave on that date, can rely on the previous lower threshold.

How long does a Spouse visa take?

Standard processing time is 12 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside (gov.uk processing times). Priority service costs £500 extra and reduces this to 30 working days. Super-priority is £1,000 for next-working-day in most categories.

Times can stretch when the financial evidence is complex (self-employment, multiple income streams) or where the relationship evidence raises caseworker questions (short relationship history, large age gap, prior immigration history).

What documents do I need?

The standard bundle:

Both partners' passports including all previous visa pages
Marriage certificate (or evidence of 2+ years' cohabitation for unmarried partner route)
Financial evidence — 6 months of payslips and corresponding bank statements, P60 or SA302, employment contract, sponsor letter from employer
Accommodation evidence — tenancy agreement or property deed, council tax bill, mortgage statement
Relationship evidence — photos together at different times and places, joint bank account statements, joint bills, communication history, evidence of trips together, statements from family/friends
English language certificate — IELTS Life Skills A1, or a degree taught in English (UK ENIC confirmation), or passport from a majority-English country
TB test certificate if applying from a listed country

Use our free Bundler to merge these into one ordered PDF. Use the Compressor to fit the 6 MB UKVCAS or 2 MB VFS Global limits.

How do I prove the relationship is genuine?

The Home Office expects a coherent narrative across multiple types of evidence:

Origins — how you met, dates, screenshots of early communication
Continuity — communication history (WhatsApp/email exports, video call logs) covering the whole relationship
Shared life — photos at multiple events with both families, joint bookings, joint financial commitments
Future plans — accommodation arranged, route to long-term settlement together

Avoid over-bundling — caseworkers prioritise quality and coherence over volume. A 200-page bundle of every WhatsApp message ever sent is weaker than a 60-page bundle that traces the relationship cleanly with dated evidence at each stage.

Can I switch to a Spouse visa from another route?

Yes, in most cases — common switches include from Skilled Worker, Student, Graduate, and Visitor visa (the last is restricted: you can only switch from inside the UK if specific conditions apply; otherwise you must return home and apply from outside).

You apply on form FLR(M) using the standard SET process. The financial requirement applies in the same way; English at A2 (one level higher than the entry A1) is required for the first extension.

How does this lead to ILR?

The standard 5-year route is:

First grant — 2 years 9 months
First extension — 2 years 6 months (FLR(M)), needs English at A2
Indefinite Leave to Remain — at the 5-year point on form SET(M), needs English at B1 plus the Life in the UK test

You must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month rolling period during the 5 years. The relationship must still be subsisting at each application stage.

A separate 10-year route exists for cases where the applicant doesn't meet the financial requirement but has a child who is a British citizen or has lived in the UK for 7+ years; the requirements and timeline differ substantially.

What happens if my application is refused?

The refusal letter states whether you have a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum). Most family-route refusals carry full appeal rights. You have 28 days to lodge an appeal.

Common refusal reasons include:

Financial evidence inconsistent with the stated income
Insufficient relationship evidence (especially for short-duration relationships)
Suspected sham marriage where the Home Office holds intelligence
Applicant's immigration history showing prior breaches

Many refusals can be remedied by re-applying with stronger documentary evidence, especially if the issue was missing or unclear evidence rather than substantive eligibility. Engage an IAA-registered immigration adviser for refusals — this is regulated advice we don't provide.

Sources

Common questions

01
How much does the UK Spouse visa cost in 2026?
The Spouse visa application fee is £1,938 from outside the UK and £1,321 from inside, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year of leave granted. A first-time application from outside the UK with 2 years 9 months of leave totals around £4,800 once IHS is included.
02
What is the financial requirement for the Spouse visa?
From April 2024 the minimum income requirement is £29,000 per year, evidenced through the British or settled partner's salary, self-employment income, savings (£88,500 + amount needed to top up income), pension, or a combination. The previous £18,600 threshold no longer applies to new applications.
03
How long does a Spouse visa take to process?
Standard processing is 12 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside. Priority service (£500 extra) reduces this to 30 working days. Super-priority (£1,000) gives a decision within 24 hours of biometrics in most categories.
04
What documents do I need for a UK Spouse visa?
Valid passports for both partners, marriage certificate (or evidence of 2+ years' cohabitation if unmarried partner), evidence meeting the financial requirement (payslips, bank statements, P60 or tax calculation), proof of accommodation, evidence of relationship (photos, joint bills, communication history), English at A1 (CEFR), and TB test if applying from a listed country.
05
Can I bring my children on a Spouse visa?
Yes — dependent children under 18 can be included. Each child has the same fee as the main applicant. The financial requirement increases by £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child, on top of the £29,000 base.
06
What happens if my Spouse visa is refused?
You may have a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) — the refusal letter will state whether appeal rights apply. Many refusals can be remedied by re-applying with stronger evidence; others require formal appeal or judicial review.