UK Spouse visa 2026: £29,000 income threshold, evidence, timeline (2026)

The UK Spouse visa rules tightened sharply in 2024. The minimum income threshold jumped from £18,600 to £29,000 in April 2024, with potential further rises planned. Here’s what stands in 2026.

Last verified: May 6, 2026.

Eligibility

Genuine relationship: married, civil partnership, or 2+ years cohabiting
Both 18+
Sponsor (UK partner) is British, settled, refugee, or pre-settled status holder
Minimum income: £29,000/year (sponsor’s income, or both combined under specific rules)
Adequate accommodation in the UK
English at A1 level (CEFR) for entry

The £29,000 threshold — the math

This is the gross annual income required, evidenced over the 6 months preceding application:

Single salary route: sponsor must earn £29,000+/year, evidenced with 6 months of payslips + bank statements + employer letter
Combined income only counts in limited situations (applicant already in UK on visa with permission to work, etc.)
Self-employed sponsors: use SA302 from HMRC + business accounts. Must show £29,000+ profit (not turnover)
Cash savings alternative: £88,500 held for 6 months can replace income evidence (the math: 16,000 + 2.5 × annual income shortfall)
Pension / non-employment income can substitute fully or partially

Evidence checklist

Relationship evidence: marriage cert, joint accounts, joint tenancy/mortgage, photos across years, communications history
Income evidence: 6 months payslips + bank statements showing salary deposits + employer letter on company letterhead
Accommodation: tenancy agreement OR mortgage statement showing UK property
Sponsor’s status: British passport, settled-status share-code, BRP
English test: A1 listening + speaking. SELT-approved providers (Trinity, IELTS Life Skills, LanguageCert)

Timeline

Standard: 12 weeks from biometrics appointment
Priority: 5 working days (+£500)
Super Priority: 1 working day (+£1,000) — only available in some countries

Cost

Visa fee: £1,938 (out-of-country) or £1,258 (in-country)
IHS: £1,035/year × 2.5 years = £2,587.50
Biometric: £19.20
SELT English test: £150–£200
Translations + courier + apostille: £100–£300
Total: ~£4,800 per applicant — before any legal fees

Path to settlement

First visa: 33 months (entry clearance) + 30 months (FLR(M) extension)
Total: 60 months / 5 years on the Spouse route
Then: ILR application (Life in the UK test + English at B1)
Citizenship: 12 months after ILR if British spouse

What gets people refused

Income evidence gaps: any single month of payslips missing = refusal
Bank statements not matching payslips: if your salary deposits don’t match payslip net pay, scrutiny
Insufficient relationship evidence: just photos isn’t enough — need joint financial commitments
Sponsor was on benefits in the 6 months prior to application

The 2024 income threshold rise: what it actually means

The UK Spouse visa minimum income threshold jumped from £18,600 to £29,000 on 11 April 2024. This was the first part of a planned three-stage rise: £29,000, then £34,500, then £38,700. Stage 2 was announced for early 2025 then quietly paused; as of 2026 the threshold remains at £29,000 but is reviewed annually.

The difference between £18,600 and £29,000 is roughly the gross income of a UK average full-time worker, vs. a London median worker. Many couples who easily met the previous threshold — sponsor on a UK average wage — now don’t qualify on income alone and need to use the savings route or a combination.

The savings route in detail

If your sponsor doesn’t earn £29,000+, you can substitute cash savings. The formula: £16,000 + (2.5 × annual income shortfall). For a couple with zero salary income, that’s £16,000 + (2.5 × £29,000) = £88,500 in cash savings, held in either applicant’s name (or jointly) for 6 consecutive months prior to application.

Where the money is held: any regulated bank account in any country, in any currency. Bank statements must be original (or certified) and must show the balance NEVER dropped below the threshold during the 6 months.
Cash + income combination: if sponsor earns £20,000 (shortfall £9,000), then required savings = £16,000 + (2.5 × £9,000) = £38,500.
Jointly-held: savings can be in the applicant’s name, sponsor’s name, or jointly held. Cannot be in the name of family members.
Source of funds: not formally checked but must be lawful. Large recent deposits attract scrutiny; build the balance over time or document the source.

The category-by-category income evidence rules

Income evidence requirements differ by income category. Get the wrong evidence package and the application is refused regardless of how much your sponsor earns.

Category A: salaried employment, 6+ months with current employer

6 months of payslips (consecutive)
6 months of bank statements showing salary deposits matching payslips
Employer letter on company letterhead confirming employment, role, start date, salary, and that employment will continue
Annual income calculated as: lowest gross monthly salary × 12 OR average of last 6 months (whichever is lower for borderline cases)

Category B: salaried employment, less than 6 months

Two-part calculation: (1) Annualised current salary must meet threshold AND (2) total gross earnings in the past 12 months must meet threshold. This catches people who started a higher-paying job recently — previous lower earnings can disqualify.

Category C: pension, dividend, rental income, maintenance

12 months of evidence required. Pensions need annuity statements; rental needs tenancy agreements + bank deposits; dividends need company accounts + dividend vouchers. This is the most evidence-heavy route — consider hiring an OISC adviser.

Category F/G: self-employment / company director

Most-rejected category. Requires: SA302 from HMRC for the most recent (full) tax year, company accounts (if Ltd company), CT600 corporation tax filing, business bank statements, personal bank statements showing dividend or salary draws, audited or unaudited accounts depending on company size. Allow 4–6 weeks just to assemble evidence.

What gets Spouse visas refused (real causes)

Genuineness doubts: photos all from one trip, no joint financial commitments, large age gap with no explanation, communications history showing only short engagement
Income gaps: a single missing payslip, bank statement covering a period where the salary deposit doesn’t match the payslip net, employer letter older than 28 days at submission
Sponsor on benefits: if the sponsor received Universal Credit or other means-tested benefits in the 6 months before applying, it disqualifies many income calculations
English certificate issues: taking a non-SELT-approved test (very common mistake), expired certificate, or test taken at unapproved center
Accommodation: sponsor lives with parents and the property is overcrowded under the Housing Act 1985 metric — refusal under accommodation grounds

The 5-year route to ILR (and what comes after)

The Spouse visa runs in two stages: 33 months entry clearance + 30 months FLR(M) extension = 63 months on the route, but ILR can be applied at month 60 (5 years). The extension at month 33 has its own income evidence requirement — you cannot fail this and stay legal.

FLR(M) extension cost: £1,258 in-country + IHS £1,560 (2.5 years × £624 student rate, NOT £1,035) + biometric £19.20 = ~£2,837
ILR cost: £3,029 + biometric + Life in the UK test (£50) + English certificate (£150–£200 if needed)
Citizenship after ILR: if married to a British citizen, apply immediately for naturalisation (£1,630 + £80 ceremony). If sponsor isn’t British, wait 12 months from ILR.
Total cost over 5 years: ~£11,500 per applicant before legal fees. Family of 4 (couple + 2 children) on this route: ~£42,000 over 5 years.

What happens if the relationship breaks down

If you separate or divorce while on the Spouse visa, your visa becomes invalid. You have a duty to inform the Home Office; failure to do so risks being found in breach of conditions and damages future applications. You then have options: switch to a different route (Skilled Worker, Student, Graduate if eligible), apply under domestic violence concession (DVC) if abuse is involved, or leave the UK.

DVC is a critical and underused protection. If your relationship ended due to domestic abuse, you can apply for ILR independently of the sponsor (no income requirement, no extension period). Evidence requirements are: police reports, GP/medical records, refuge/shelter letters, social services reports, or court orders. The application fee is waivable in cases of destitution.

Working, studying, NHS, and benefits on the Spouse visa

Work: any role, any employer, full-time or part-time. Self-employment allowed. No sponsor needed.
Study: any course at any level, including subsidised home-fee university courses if you meet residency requirements (typically 3+ years in the UK before course start)
NHS: full access from day one of arrival (you paid IHS; this is your healthcare)
Benefits: mostly excluded. NO recourse to public funds: cannot claim Universal Credit, housing benefit, child benefit, council tax support. Exception: you can claim Child Benefit if your sponsor is a UK or Irish citizen.
Driving: can drive on home country license for 12 months after arrival, then must obtain UK license. Some countries have license exchange agreements (Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, etc.); others require taking the UK driving test.

Tips that the OISC advisers wish more applicants knew

Start the income evidence 7 months ahead. The 6-month rule is strict, and you need a buffer for the application processing time.
Photograph every step of relationship history. Boarding passes, hotel bookings, restaurant receipts — all dated. UKVI looks for genuine continuous relationship not staged photo shoots.
If your sponsor is self-employed, add 2–3 months to evidence prep. SA302s are issued 4–6 weeks after tax filing; you may need to file early.
Use tracked priority service if you can afford it. £500 priority cuts processing from 12 weeks to 5 working days — useful if you have a job offer waiting.
Take the English test early — before you finalise other evidence. SELT bookings can be 6 weeks out at major test centers.

Sponsor’s salary scenarios that often catch people out

The income calculation gets specific in three common edge cases that the Home Office handles strictly. Bonus and overtime: ONLY guaranteed contractual bonuses count. Discretionary year-end bonuses don’t count toward the £29,000 unless they’ve been paid for 6 consecutive months in the same amount — which never happens for true bonuses. Salary sacrifice schemes: if your sponsor is on cycle-to-work or pension salary sacrifice, gross salary on payslip is reduced; UKVI uses gross-after-sacrifice for the calculation.

Variable hours / zero-hours contracts: requires 12 months of bank statements (Category B) showing total annualised earnings ≥ £29,000. Zero-hours contracts almost never qualify in low-income periods. The pragmatic fix is to switch to a salaried role at least 6 months before applying.

Visa appointments and biometrics — what to expect

After submitting online, you book a biometric appointment at a VFS Global or TLS Contact center (locations depend on country). Expect 30–90 minutes for fingerprints + photo. Some countries offer document upload options where you keep originals; others require submitting passports with the application.

Decision time: 12 weeks standard from biometrics for out-of-country applications, 8 weeks for in-country FLR(M)
Priority service: +£500 for 5 working days; available in roughly 70 countries
Super priority: +£1,000 for 1 working day; available in some countries (US, India, UAE, Singapore, etc.)
Passport return: with your visa stamped, after decision

Real applicant scenarios that work and don’t

Scenario A — salaried sponsor, straightforward route: UK sponsor employed 4 years at the same employer, £42,000 base salary, applicant is non-EEA spouse with English at A1. 6 months payslips + bank statements + employer letter, no income gaps. Genuine relationship evidence (joint mortgage, 3 years cohabiting). Application typically approved in 8–10 weeks. Costs ~£4,500 entry visa.

Scenario B — recently-changed-employer sponsor: UK sponsor switched jobs 4 months ago, new salary £36,000 (up from previous £28,000). Cannot use Category A (need 6 months at current employer), must use Category B (annualised current + last 12 months). Last 12 months total: £28,000 × 8/12 + £36,000 × 4/12 = £30,667. Below £29,000? No, above. Approved.

Scenario C — freelance sponsor: UK sponsor freelance graphic designer, £38,000 last tax year. Need full Category F evidence: SA302, business bank statements, personal bank statements, accountant letter. The administrative burden is genuinely 6–8 hours of paperwork. Approved if evidence is complete — refused 30%+ of the time when evidence has gaps.

Scenario D — below threshold but with savings: UK sponsor part-time at £20,000, but both have built £90,000 in savings over 6+ months. Use savings route: required £88,500 (£16,000 + 2.5 × £29,000). Approved with 6 months bank statements showing balance never dipped below threshold.

Related: UK visa cost breakdown.