UK Spouse Visa Application Service
A UK Spouse Visa allows an eligible husband, wife or civil partner to live in the United Kingdom with their British, Irish or settled partner.
James Immigration Solutions Ltd provides IAA-regulated advice and application assistance for straightforward UK Spouse Visa applications. We can assess your eligibility, review your financial and relationship evidence, prepare your application and help you submit the correct supporting documents.
The official route is known as the family visa partner route. You can review the current UK Spouse and Partner Visa requirements on GOV.UK.
Who Can Apply for a UK Spouse Visa?
You may qualify where you and your partner are both aged 18 or over and your partner is:
- A British or Irish citizen
- Settled in the UK, including through indefinite leave to remain or settled status
- An eligible person with pre-settled status
- A person with qualifying refugee or humanitarian protection status
- A person holding another qualifying status recognised under the Immigration Rules
You and your partner must intend to live together permanently in the UK after the application is approved.
If your partner is temporarily in the UK under a Skilled Worker, Student or another work visa, you would normally need to apply as their dependant instead of applying for a family visa.
UK Spouse Visa Requirements
For a straightforward application under the five-year partner route, you will normally need to demonstrate that:
- You and your partner are both at least 18 years old
- Your marriage or civil partnership is legally recognised in the UK
- Your relationship is genuine and continuing
- Any previous marriages or civil partnerships have permanently ended
- You intend to live together permanently in the UK
- You meet the applicable financial requirement
- You meet the English-language requirement or qualify for an exemption
- Suitable accommodation is available in the UK
- You satisfy the relevant suitability and immigration requirements
All applicable requirements and supporting evidence must be considered together.
Genuine and Continuing Relationship
A marriage certificate proves that a marriage took place, but applicants must also demonstrate that their relationship is genuine and continuing.
Useful relationship evidence may include:
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
- Joint tenancy agreements or mortgage documents
- Council Tax, utility or official correspondence
- Joint bank statements or shared financial commitments
- Evidence of visits and time spent together
- Travel bookings and relevant photographs
- Evidence of regular communication when living separately
- Evidence of financial or practical support
- Birth certificates for children of the relationship
- Statements explaining how the relationship developed
Official evidence from government departments, banks, landlords, utility providers and medical professionals is generally more useful than relying only on photographs or private messages.
Must Spouses Have Lived Together for Two Years?
A married couple is not required to prove two years of cohabitation simply because they are applying as spouses.
However, the marriage must be legally recognised, and the applicant must still establish that the relationship is genuine and continuing.
Couples who have lived separately should explain the reasons and provide evidence of communication, visits, financial support and their plans to live together in the UK.
UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement
For most new spouse or partner applications, the applicant and sponsor must usually demonstrate a combined annual income of at least £29,000.
Permitted sources may include:
- Employment income
- Self-employment income
- Income as a director or employee of a limited company
- Pension income
- Qualifying non-employment income
- Cash savings above £16,000
- An eligible combination of income and savings
Where cash savings are used without any other qualifying income, savings of £88,500 are normally required under the £29,000 threshold. The savings will generally need to have been held under the required conditions for at least six months, subject to limited exceptions.
The exact calculation and evidence depend on the source of income. Check the official financial requirement for spouses and partners.
Transitional Financial Requirement
If the applicant first entered the five-year partner route before 11 April 2024 and is extending with the same partner, the previous £18,600 income threshold may continue to apply.
The transitional rules should be checked carefully before preparing an extension application.
Sponsors Receiving Certain Benefits
The £29,000 minimum income requirement may not apply where the UK sponsor receives a specified disability or carer’s benefit.
Instead, the family must normally demonstrate adequate maintenance and accommodation without relying on additional public funds. This requires a different calculation based on household income and housing costs.
Financial Documents
An employed sponsor will commonly need:
- At least six months of payslips
- Corresponding personal bank statements
- An employer’s letter on headed paper
- Employment contract, where relevant
- P60, where available
- Evidence explaining recent changes in employment or salary
The employer’s letter should normally confirm:
- The employee’s job title
- Employment start date
- Type of employment contract
- Gross annual salary
- How long the current salary has been paid
- That the payslips provided are genuine
Self-employed applicants, company directors and applicants combining different income sources must provide additional evidence covering the correct financial period.
English-Language Requirement
For an initial spouse visa application, the applicant will normally need to:
- Pass an approved Secure English Language Test at CEFR level A1 or above
- Hold an eligible UK degree
- Obtain the required Ecctis assessment for an eligible overseas degree taught in English
- Qualify for an exemption
For an extension, an applicant who previously relied on an A1 test will normally need to demonstrate at least A2 speaking and listening.
Exemptions may apply because of age, nationality or a qualifying physical or mental condition. Check the official family visa English-language requirements.
Accommodation Requirement
The applicant and sponsor must show that adequate accommodation will be available for the family without additional recourse to public funds.
The accommodation must:
- Be lawfully occupied by the family
- Provide suitable space for the household
- Not be overcrowded
- Not breach public-health regulations
- Provide exclusive use of the required sleeping accommodation
Applicants do not necessarily need to own or rent an entire property themselves. Living with relatives may be acceptable where the family has permission to live there and adequate space is available.
Evidence may include:
- Tenancy agreement
- Land Registry title or mortgage statement
- Letter from the landlord, property owner or main tenant
- Council Tax statement
- Evidence showing the number of rooms and current occupants
- Property inspection report where reasonably required
UK Spouse Visa Document Checklist
The exact documents depend on the couple’s circumstances.
Applicant’s Documents
- Current passport or valid travel document
- Relevant pages from previous passports
- Current eVisa details or share code if applying inside the UK
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
- Divorce or death certificates relating to previous partners
- English-language evidence
- Tuberculosis test certificate where required
- Certified translations for documents not in English or Welsh
- Previous immigration and travel history
Sponsor’s Documents
- British or Irish passport, or proof of qualifying UK status
- Evidence of current address
- Financial documents
- Employment or business documents
- Evidence of available accommodation
- Signed supporting statement
Relationship Documents
- Evidence of living together
- Joint financial commitments
- Official correspondence addressed to both partners
- Evidence of visits and travel
- Communication records where the couple has lived apart
- Relevant photographs
- Evidence relating to children of the relationship
Accommodation Documents
- Tenancy agreement or ownership evidence
- Landlord or property-owner consent
- Council Tax or utility documents
- Details of the rooms and current occupants
- Property inspection report where appropriate
The Home Office can request further evidence or invite an applicant or sponsor to an interview.
Applying from Outside the UK
An overseas spouse normally applies online from their country of residence and completes the required biometric or identity-verification process.
If approved, the initial spouse visa is normally granted for 2 years and 9 months. Before it expires, the applicant will usually need to apply for an extension from inside the UK.
Applicants from specified countries may also require an approved tuberculosis test certificate.
Applying or Switching from Inside the UK
A person with valid UK immigration permission may be able to switch to the partner route before their current permission expires.
A person in the UK as a visitor, or with permission granted for six months or less, will usually need to leave the UK and apply from overseas.
A person already holding a six-month fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner family visa may apply inside the UK after the marriage or civil partnership takes place.
An in-country spouse visa or extension is normally granted for 2 years and 6 months.
Can a Spouse Visa Holder Work in the UK?
A person granted permission as a spouse or partner can normally work and study in the UK.
This differs from a fiancé or fiancée visa, which does not normally permit work or study before the marriage and successful spouse visa application.
Spouse visa holders will normally have no recourse to public funds.
Settlement After a UK Spouse Visa
A person on the standard five-year partner route may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after completing five continuous years in the UK as a spouse or partner.
Time spent under other visa categories, including time as a fiancé or fiancée, does not normally count towards the five-year partner-route settlement period.
Separate settlement requirements apply, including continued relationship, financial, accommodation, English-language and Life in the UK requirements.
How JISL Can Help
Our UK Spouse Visa service can include:
- Initial eligibility and regulatory-scope assessment
- Financial requirement calculation
- Personalised document checklist
- Review of relationship and cohabitation evidence
- Review of employment, savings or business documents
- Accommodation evidence review
- Preparation of the online application
- Preparation of a supporting representation letter
- Organisation and review of supporting documents
- Biometric and document-upload guidance
- Application submission assistance
- Updates until the Home Office makes its decision
UK Spouse Visa Fees
The following government charges were correct on 2 August 2026:
| Application | UKVI fee | Adult IHS | Total government charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applying outside the UK | £2,064 | £3,105 | £5,169 |
| Applying inside the UK | £1,407 | £2,587.50 | £3,994.50 |
An additional £1,000 super priority fee may be available for certain applications made inside the UK.
JISL professional fee: £850 for a standard, straightforward spouse visa application.
Government charges, biometric services, translations, English tests, TB tests and other third-party expenses are separate from our professional fee.
Check the current family visa fees and healthcare surcharge before applying.
UK Spouse Visa Processing Time
| Application type | Usual processing time |
|---|---|
| Applying outside the UK | 12 weeks |
| Applying inside the UK while meeting the standard requirements | 8 weeks |
Applications may take longer where UKVI requires further evidence, document verification, an interview or additional consideration.
No adviser can guarantee a successful application or a decision by a particular date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum income for a UK Spouse Visa?
Most new applicants must demonstrate qualifying annual income of at least £29,000. Transitional rules may preserve the previous £18,600 requirement for applicants who entered the same five-year partner route before 11 April 2024.
Can I use cash savings?
Yes. Cash savings above £16,000 may be used alone or with qualifying income. An applicant relying entirely on savings under the £29,000 threshold will normally need £88,500.
Do we need to have lived together for two years?
Not where you are applying based on a legally recognised marriage or civil partnership. You must nevertheless prove that the relationship is genuine and continuing.
Can I switch from a visitor visa?
Usually not. Visitors will generally need to leave the UK and submit a spouse visa application from overseas.
Can I apply if my spouse has a Skilled Worker Visa?
You would normally apply as a Skilled Worker dependant rather than under the family spouse visa route.
Can a spouse visa holder work?
Yes. A spouse or partner visa holder can normally work and study in the UK.
How long is the initial spouse visa valid?
An application approved outside the UK is normally granted for 2 years and 9 months. An in-country application is normally granted for 2 years and 6 months.
Does marriage guarantee approval?
No. The applicant must still satisfy the relationship, financial, English-language, accommodation, suitability and documentary requirements.
When can I apply for indefinite leave to remain?
A person on the standard five-year partner route may normally apply after completing five continuous years with qualifying permission as a partner.
Book a UK Spouse Visa Consultation
Speak with James Immigration Solutions Ltd before submitting your UK Spouse Visa application.
Telephone/WhatsApp: +44 7944 222484
Email: admin@jisl.co.uk
Website: www.jisl.co.uk
James Immigration Solutions Ltd provides regulated immigration advice and application assistance for suitable straightforward cases.
Important Regulatory Information
James Immigration Solutions Ltd is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1, organisation reference F202538614.
Our UK Spouse Visa service is limited to suitable, straightforward applications under the standard five-year route.
Cases involving overstaying, significant adverse immigration history, allegations of deception, disputed relationship genuineness, complex refusals, human-rights exceptions or the ten-year route may require referral to an adviser authorised at a higher level.
Immigration Rules, government fees and processing times can change. The applicable requirements should always be checked at the date of application.