How much does the UK Spouse visa cost in total?

First application from outside the UK with no children: ~£4,800 including the £1,938 visa fee, £2,846 IHS, and biometrics. With one dependent child: ~£8,500. Over the full 5-year route to ILR including extensions, plan for £8,000-£10,000 per applicant.

Is the Spouse visa fee one-off?

The £1,938 application fee is one-off per application. You'll pay it three times across the 5-year route: initial application, first extension at 2y9m, then ILR at the 5-year mark. The IHS is paid upfront for each visa period.

Can my partner pay the Spouse visa fees?

Yes — fees can be paid by either partner or split. The visa is in the applicant's name regardless. Many applicants' British partners cover all fees because the applicant doesn't yet have UK earnings.

UK Spouse Visa Cost in 2026: Full Breakdown

TL;DR

A UK Spouse visa costs £1,938 from outside the UK plus £1,035/year IHS — about £4,800 for the first 2 years 9 months including biometrics. Three applications cover the full 5-year route to ILR (initial, extension, ILR), totalling roughly £8,000-£10,000 per applicant before factoring in dependants or priority services.

Application fee

The Spouse visa application fee depends on whether you're applying from outside or inside the UK:

Application	Fee
Initial application from outside UK	£1,938
Initial application from inside UK (switch)	£1,321
First extension at 2 years 9 months (FLR-M, in-country)	£1,321
ILR application at 5-year mark (SET-M)	£3,029

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

IHS gives NHS access and is paid upfront for the entire visa period:

£1,035 per year for adults
£776 per year for under-18s

For the initial 2 years 9 months: £2,846 IHS. For the 2.5-year extension: £2,588 IHS. ILR has no IHS — settled status grants NHS access automatically.

Other costs

Biometrics: £100 per person
Priority Service: £500 — 30 working days decision (vs 12 weeks standard)
Super-Priority Service: £1,000 — next working day after biometrics
English language test (A1 for entry, A2 for extension, B1 for ILR): £150-£200 each
TB test (if from listed country): £75-£150
Translations (marriage certificate, birth certificates): £20-£60 each
Police clearance certificates (where required): £25-£100 per country

Worked examples

Example 1 — Single applicant, initial 2y9m from outside UK

Item	Cost
Visa fee	£1,938
IHS (£1,035 × 2.75 years)	£2,846
Biometrics	£100
English A1 test	£150
TB test (if applicable)	£100
Total	~£5,100

Example 2 — Couple with one child, initial 2y9m from outside UK

Item	Cost
Main applicant visa	£1,938
Child visa	£1,938
Main IHS	£2,846
Child IHS (£776 × 2.75)	£2,134
Biometrics × 2	£200
English + TB tests	£250
Total	~£9,300

Example 3 — Full 5-year journey to ILR (single applicant)

Stage	Cost
Initial 2y9m visa + IHS	£4,800
2.5-year extension visa + IHS	£3,500
ILR application	£3,029
Life in the UK test	£50
Total over 5 years	~£11,400

For a couple's 5-year journey, double those figures (~£22,000-£25,000 depending on dependants).

Hidden costs

English language tests

You need to pass three different SELT levels across the 5-year route — A1 at entry, A2 at extension, B1 at ILR. Each test costs £150-£200. Plan for £500+ in tests over the journey. Some applicants are exempt (English-medium degree, majority-English-country passport).

Life in the UK test

Required for ILR. Costs £50; you may need multiple attempts (~25% fail rate). Plan for £100-£150 worst case.

Translations and notarisation

Marriage certificates from non-English countries need certified translations (£20-£60). Some countries' birth certificates and divorce decrees need apostille or notarisation on top of translation.

Switching to the 10-year route

If you can't meet the £29,000 financial requirement but qualify for the 10-year route (typically with a British child), you'll apply more times across a longer journey — that's 4 applications instead of 3, plus more years of IHS. Total can exceed £15,000 over 10 years.

Who pays

UKVI doesn't care who pays the fees, only that they're paid. Common patterns:

British partner pays everything — most common when the applicant has no UK earnings yet
Split — proportional to means
Employer pays for sponsored work-route partners (for Skilled Worker dependants the employer often covers fees)

How to budget

Set aside the full 5-year cost upfront if possible
Build a buffer for currency fluctuations if paying from overseas
Factor in Life in the UK test attempts (most pass first time but plan for 2)
Don't book travel until visa is granted

For preparing the supporting documents — financial evidence, relationship evidence, accommodation — use our Checklist generator for a personalised list and the Bundler to assemble in canonical UKVI order.