Applying for Spouse Visa to the UK.
Documents Required for UK Spouse Visa Entry Clearance Application to the UK:
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When submitting a marital visa UK application, you need to be a partner of a Irish citizen, an British citizen, or an overseas national partner who holds Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Both you, and your partner need to be over 18 years old at the submission date. Furthermore, you both need to be either living and settled in the Great Britain or returning together to permanently settle in the United Kingdom. Which falls under the family visa UK spouse category.
To be successful in applying for spouse visa UK, you will need to demonstrate that you can adequately maintain yourselves without needing to access public funds. You must demonstrate that you meet the criteria outlined under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules and that you are in a legitimate, subsisting relationship. Spouse visas can lead to indefinite leave to remain or settlement visa UK spouse after a qualifying period, usually 5 years. If you are already in the UK on a different type of visa, you might be able to consider if you can i switch to a spouse visa from another visa in the UK.
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Section Bar:
Section 1: Spouse visa UK Documents & Eligibility
Section 2: What you need to demonstrate for Your UK Partner visa application
Section 3: Spouse visas Appendix FM requirements
Section 4: How MYG LTD can support you with your Marriage Immigration UK
Before submitting your application, it's crucial to check that you meet the correct criteria to ensure your UK spouse visa is considered valid:
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You and your partner are both over the age of 18;
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You and your partner are not in a prohibited relationship;
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You and your partner have met in person;
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You and your partner are in a legally recognised marriage in the United Kingdom or overseas. For a marriage visa UK, if the marriage took place outside the UK, it must be recognised under law within country marriage took place.
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Your relationship is genuine and subsisting;
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You and your partner intend to live permanently together in the United Kingdom;
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Any previous relationships you both have been in are permanently dissolved;
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You meet the Spouse Visa UK income threshold requirements under appendix FM; It's important to understand what are the financial requirements for a UK spouse visa in 2025 as these thresholds changed in April 2024.
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You have adequate accommodation for you and any dependents without requiring access to public funds. These are the accommodation requirements for UK spouse visa applications.
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You have passed an English Language test for UK spouse visa at the required level (A1 for Out of Country applications, A2 for FLR extensions, B1 for ILR) if English isn't your native 1st language.
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You may need a TB (tuberculosis) certificate if submitting your application from outside United Kingdom.​​
Prohibited relationship:
This means that you and your partner must not be directly related in anyway:
Required to have met in person
You must have met face-to-face in person which developed into a mutual acquaintance and from their developed into a relationship.
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Marriage in the United Kingdom
To qualify for a wife visa in the UK or married visa, you and your partner will need to be in a legally recognised marriage in the UK. In the United Kingdom you are required to give your intention to marry and complete the notice period required. Your marriage must have taken place at an authorised place of marriage and your marriage must have been conducted by a person authorised to register marriages. A marriage in the UK must be evidenced using a marriage certificate.
Marriage outside the United Kingdom
An overseas marriage will be recognised in the UK if it is formally recognised in the country where it took place and correctly followed the legal requirements of that country. Additionally, there must be no legal impediments to the marriage under the laws of either person’s country of domicile at the time of the marriage, and any previous marriages must have permanently broken down. To meet the spouce visa uk requirement, a marriage outside the UK must be evidenced by a reasonable equivalent to a UK marriage certificate, valid under the law in force within the relevant country.
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Genuine and Subsisting Relationship:
To meet the mariage visa uk requirement, you need to provide the Home Office with evidence that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) makes decisions on a case-by-case basis, considering all the evidence you provide and using the balance of probabilities based on your individual circumstances.
Factors UKVI may consider:
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The length of your relationship;
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Whether you are now living together or have done so in the past
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Do you have children together (biological, adopted or step-children) and shared responsibility for them;
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Whether you have shared responsibilities;
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Whether you have visited one another’s home country
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Whether you have meet each others families;
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Whether you have made or discussed plans of living together in the UK;
Should UKVI have any concerns about the genuineness of your relationship, they will likely scrutinise your spouse visa to UK application more closely and may look for grounds to refuse it. Understanding potential grounds for spouse visa refusal UK and how to appeal is important.
Intention to live permanently in the UK
Spouse visa UK applicants can qualify under various routes, including family visa, fiancé visa, partner visas UK, and civil partner visa. UK Visas & Immigration wants clear evidence that you and your spouse intend to live together permanently in the UK immediately after the successful issue of your visa UK spouse or as soon as your circumstances allow.
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For more information about ILR using the Settlement visa UK spouse route check out our ILR webpage.
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Previous Relationships are Permanently dissolved
UKVI will require proof that neither you nor your partner is married to another person at the date of your application for entry clearance as a UK married partner. If either of you has been previously married, you will need to provide evidence that any prior marriage has ended. Divorce certificates are the most straightforward way to demonstrate the end of a marriage, but other documentation can also be used. A divorce in the UK is evidenced by a decree absolute from a civil court. Overseas divorces must be evidenced using an equivalent document that is lawfully valid in the relevant country.
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UK Accommodation Requirement
Whether you apply for a visa spouse UK from outside or within the UK, you need to provide evidence that adequate accommodation is available to you and your partner upon arrival in the UK. This accommodation must be owned or occupied exclusively by you without the need to access public funds.
SELT Test English Language requirement
To meet the English language requirements when English is not your native language, you will need to sit a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at the required level to meet the requirements for spouse visa UK. There are three different language levels required for family visas, spouse visa applications, and when you apply for indefinite leave to remain spouse UK before acquiring British Citizenship:
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SELT level A1 Test applies for Entry clearance
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SELT level A2 Test applies for Further Leave to Remain
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SELT level B1 Test applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain
For an in-depth look at obtaining an appropriate SELT language certificate check out:
What SELT Test do I need to sit:
TB (tuberculosis) certificate if applying from outside UK
Depending on where you live when applying from outside the UK, you may need a TB certificate as part of your spouse visa UK requirement. For more information on when and from where you will need to obtain a certificate, check out my post:
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To meet the spouse visas financial requirements under Appendix FM for a Spouse visa in UK, you have several options depending on their circumstances:
Minimum Income Threshold:
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New applications on or after April 11, 2024, need to meet a minimum income threshold of £29,000.
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Existing candidates under the 5-year partner route applying to stay with the same partner benefit from transitional arrangements, requiring a minimum income of £18,600, capped at £29,000.
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Applicants who applied before April 11, 2024, must meet the previous threshold of £18,600, without a cap.
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First-time applicants as partners or children of HM Armed Forces on or after April 11, 2024, have a threshold of £23,496.
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Existing partners or children of HM Armed Forces who applied before April 11, 2024, have a lower threshold of £18,600, capped at £23,496.
Dependent Children:
Additional gross annual income requirements apply for sponsored children: £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child. The total income requirement is capped at £29,000 if the total exceeds this amount due to the number of children.
Exemptions through Adequate Maintenance:
Those with spouse visas who receive certain benefits due to a long-term illness or disability can apply under "adequate maintenance" instead of meeting the minimum income threshold. If your UK married partner has a long-term illness or disability and receives any of the following benefits or allowances through the Department of Work & Pensions in the UK, then you may be able to apply under "adequate maintenance" through appendix FM. To meet Appendix FM, you will need to provide evidence of “adequate maintenance” rather than demonstrating you meet the minimum income threshold spouse visa UK requirements above. Your family application can be considered on “adequate maintenance” grounds by providing supporting evidence of any of these benefits:
• Carer’s Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or
• Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
• Police Injury Pension
“Adequate Maintenance” threshold requirements will continue to apply on your next spouse visa UK application as long as your partner continues to receive any of those benefits or allowances indicated above at the time of your next submission.
Financial Categories:
Category A: Employment with the current employer for 6 months or more.
Those submitting for the first time after April 11, 2024, the minimum income threshold is £29,000. However, existing applicants under the 5-year partner route, who are applying to stay with the same partner, benefit from transitional arrangements. They need to meet a minimum income of £18,600, capped at £29,000 if they have dependent children.
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If you are applying from outside the UK, your partner (sponsor) must demonstrate that they meet the financial requirements specified in Appendix FM on their own. However, if you are already in the UK with Leave to Remain (LTR) or Further Leave to Remain with permission to work, your application can be considered under joint household income. Joint household income includes both the sponsor's and applicant's combined employment income from all income sources recognized under Category A. Additionally, you can combine income from Category C (non-employment income), Category D (cash savings), and Category E (pension) if necessary to meet the minimum spouse visa UK financial requirements.
Category B: Less than 6 months with the employer or variable income.
This category is used when your partner and/or you are in the UK with permission to work. Either your partner and/or you are in salaried or non-salaried employment at the date of submission, haven't been with the same employer and/or not earning the same income level relied upon in the application for at least 6 months prior to the submission date of your spouse visa UK application. Category B can be used by anyone who has been with their current employer for less than 6 months, or who has been with their current employer for more than 6 months but their earnings our variable and need to be considered under category B rather than under Category A.
Category B, financial requirements must be met and evidenced in 2 parts.
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Part 1: Initially, you or your partner, both having permission to work in the UK, should be engaged in salaried employment at the time of submitting the application. If either of you has been employed with a new employer for less than 6 months, you can consider the gross annual salary at the application date to meet the financial requirements if it surpasses the minimum income requirements under Appendix FM for this recent employment period. For new applications after April 11, 2024, the minimum income threshold is £29,000. However, existing applicants under the 5-year partner route, applying to remain with the same partner, are subject to transitional arrangements, necessitating a minimum income of £18,600, capped at £29,000 when dependents are applicable. If you lodged a successful application before April 11, 2024, then you qualify under the previous income threshold of £18,600, without any cap.
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Part 2: Furthermore, to meet part (2) of the requirement, you and/or your partner must have received income collectively over the 12 months preceding the application submission date, meeting or surpassing the income level required to fulfil part (2) of the Category B calculation. This will depend on whether it exceeds either the £18,600 or £29,000 per annum income threshold requirement based on your individual circumstances.
Category C: Non-employment income (e.g., property rental, dividends).
Non-employment income, is from property rental or dividends from shares. Property rental dividends or income from investments, stocks and shares, bonds or trust funds interest from savings maintenance payments from a former partner of the applicant. UK Maternity Allowance, Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment
Widowed Parent’s Allowance, payments under the War Pensions Scheme, Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
The Armed Forces Attributable Benefits Scheme. Maintenance grant or stipend (not a loan) associated with undergraduate study or postgraduate study or research. Ongoing insurance payments or ongoing payments from a structured legal settlement or ongoing royalty payments
Category D: Cash savings (savings above £16,000)
If you and or your partner have savings above £16,000, these can be used solely or in combination with salaried or non-salaried employment. Spouse visas relying on savings to satisfy financial requirements should bear in mind the level of savings required on a entry clearance & In-country UK applications are different from the level needed when applying for ILR under UK spouse visas.
(Savings value – £16,000) ÷ 2.5 = (£) qualifying value
Category E: Pension income.
If your partner or both of you are retired you can use your State (UK or foreign), occupational or private pension to demonstrate you meet Appendix FM requirements. Pension income can be combined with categories A-D in order to meet Appendix FM requirements.
Category F & G: Self-employment.
Under Category F and G of Appendix FM, self-employed individuals have options for demonstrating their income to meet the financial requirement for Spouse visas:
Income from the Last Full Financial Year:
Self-employed individuals, including company directors or employees of specified limited companies in the UK, can use income from their self-employment activities in the last full financial year. This income can be used to meet the financial requirement.
Average of the Last 2 Full Financial Years:
Alternatively, self-employed individuals can choose Category G, which allows them to use an average of the income received in the last 2 full financial years to meet the financial requirement. This average is calculated as the mean average of the income over the two years.
Both Category F and G incomes can be combined with income from salaried and non-salaried employment, non-employment income, and pension income to meet the financial requirement. However, cash savings cannot be combined with income under Category F or G.
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Self-employed individuals can also consider joint household income, combining various sources of income from different categories, to meet the minimum financial requirement. It's essential to carefully assess and choose the most appropriate category based on individual circumstances to ensure compliance with marriage immigration UK regulations.
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How long does it take to get a UK Spouse visa Decision:
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Once you have sourced all necessary application documentation you have couple of options you can either use standard application service (60 working days) or priority submission service (30 working days) when applying from outside the UK.
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UK Spouse Visa Cost:
Application fee is £1938.00 (Applying from Outside the UK) or £1321.00 (Applying from Inside the UK)
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UK Immigration Health Insurance Charge:
For each adult (18 or older) it costs:
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£2,587.50 if you’re staying for 2 years and 6 months
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£3,105 if you’re staying for 2 years and 9 months
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£5,175 if you’re staying for 5 years
For each child (under 18), it costs:
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£1,940 if you’re staying for 2 years and 6 months
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£2,328 if you’re staying for 2 years and 9 months
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£3,880 if you’re staying for 5 years
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What happens after my spouse visa is granted UK?:
Were often asked this question by clients, once your visa has been approved you normally receive a vignette stamp within your passport allowing entry into the UK. When your visa is approved UKVI send email confirmation of the application decision including a decision letter, included within this email are instructions on activating your E-Visa Account. You can activate your account either before you travel or after arriving in the UK. ​
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How our Immigration adviser can help you
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Marc Gibson our immigration adviser specialises in assisting on how to apply for a spouse visa in the UK from outside the UK when foreign national spouses relocate and settle in the UK with their partners. Marc has supported hundreds of UK and other settled nationals sponsor their foreign married partners to prepare and submit successful application including updating my spouse visa after getting married in the UK. Whether you require a consultation to understand the Immigration Rules for UK married partner visas, or have your partner visa application professional checked by him before submission or use his representation service to prepare and submit your own spouse visa renewal for you, Marc can help.
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Appendix FM financial requirements are particularly complex and include mandatory requirements in terms of the documentary evidence needed to demonstrate you can meet the requirements of spouse visa renewal UK application process. Our immigration adviser specialises in assisting married couples with complex financial circumstances complete and submit successful marriage applications.
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Marc prides himself on being friendly, approachable and professional in meeting his clients’ needs, he is dedicated to providing clear and reliable immigration advice to his clients when providing his Spousal Visa UK service.
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