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Spouse Visa Financial Requirement

The financial requirement is where most spouse and partner applications fail. Here is the £29,000 threshold, who is still protected at £18,600, and what evidence the Home Office demands.

Reviewed against GOV.UK on 18 August 2026.

The minimum income requirement in 2026

A partner applying under Appendix FM on the five-year route must normally show a specified gross annual income of at least £29,000, set out at E-ECP.3.1 (entry clearance) and E-LTRP.3.1 (leave to remain). It has not changed in 2026: the statement of changes HC 259 of 9 July 2026 amended the duration of permission for partners of protection-status sponsors but left the financial requirement untouched.

The threshold rose from £18,600 to £29,000 on 11 April 2024. It applies to anyone new to the five-year partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner route from that date, and to anyone applying with a different partner.

Transitional protection and children

If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending or settling with the same partner, transitional protection applies: you are still assessed against £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first sponsored child and £2,400 for each additional child, capped at £29,000.

For everyone else the threshold no longer varies by number of children: it is a flat £29,000 whatever the size of the family. Child amounts are never counted for a child who is a British or Irish citizen, or who has settled or pre-settled status.

Permitted categories of income under Appendix FM-SE

Appendix FM-SE divides qualifying income into lettered categories, each with its own calculation and evidence list.

Cash savings and the six-month rule

Only savings above £16,000 count. At entry clearance and extension the amount above £16,000 is divided by 2.5, reflecting the 30-month period before the next application. At the indefinite leave to remain stage the whole amount above £16,000 is added to income.

Savings alone must therefore total £16,000 + (2.5 × £29,000) = £88,500, or £62,500 for a protected applicant on £18,600.

The six-month holding rule is strict: the money must be held in an account in the name of the applicant, the sponsor or both jointly throughout the six months before the application, and be under their control. Funds released from investments or a property sale within that window can count if the asset was owned and controlled for the full six months and the source is evidenced.

Which categories can be combined

• Category A combines with Categories C, D and E.
• Category B part (1) combines with C, D and E; under part (2), cash savings cannot be used.
• Self-employed income cannot be combined with cash savings (Appendix FM-SE paragraph 13(f)).
• Category A and B calculations cannot be mixed for the same employment.
• Income or savings count once only; third-party or other household income is not permitted.

The adequate maintenance test

Where the sponsor receives a specified disability or carer's benefit, the income threshold is replaced by the adequate maintenance test. Qualifying benefits include Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Carer Support Payment, Adult and Child Disability Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment, Severe Disablement Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Constant Attendance Allowance and War Disablement Pension.

The test is A - B ≥ C: A is net income after tax and National Insurance, B is housing costs, and C is the Income Support an equivalent British family of that size would receive. It also applies to parents on the five-year route and to adult dependent relatives.

Exceptions: EX.1, GEN.3.1 and GEN.3.2

EX.1 disapplies the financial requirement for in-country applications where there is a genuine parental relationship with a British or seven-year-resident child whom it would be unreasonable to expect to leave, or there are insurmountable obstacles to family life continuing outside the UK. EX.2 defines those as very significant difficulties that could not be overcome without very serious hardship.

GEN.3.1 allows other credible and reliable sources of income or funds to be counted where the specified sources fall short and refusal would produce unjustifiably harsh consequences under Article 8. GEN.3.2 is broader: where an application does not otherwise meet the rules, the decision-maker must consider whether exceptional circumstances mean refusal would breach Article 8. GEN.3.3 makes a child's best interests a primary consideration.

Specified evidence and the failures we see most

Appendix FM-SE prescribes the documents; a document that is merely persuasive will not do. Salaried employment needs six months of payslips, corresponding bank statements showing the salary credited, and an employer's letter confirming the employment, gross annual salary, length of employment, the period over which the salary relied on was paid and the contract type. Self-employment needs the self-assessment return and SA302 or Statement of Account, plus audited accounts, or unaudited accounts with an accountant's certificate from a member of a UK Recognised Supervisory Body. Limited company cases need the CT600 and proof of filing.

• Payslips that do not reconcile with bank statements - credited net pay differs, or a month is missing.
• No employer letter, or one that omits the length of employment or the salary period.
• The wrong period covered - five months instead of six, or evidence more than 28 days old.
• Unsigned or uncertified accounts, or an accountant outside a Recognised Supervisory Body.
• Savings dipping below the level relied on at any point in the six months.

Accommodation and English language

Accommodation must not be overcrowded within the meaning of the Housing Act 1985 (or the Scottish and Northern Irish equivalents) and must not contravene public health regulations. English is required at A1 speaking and listening for the first application, A2 at extension and B1 for settlement, met by a Secure English Language Test, a majority English-speaking nationality or a degree taught in English. Exemptions apply at 65 or over and for a physical or mental condition.

Fees and the health surcharge

The application fee is £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 from inside the UK, per applicant including each dependant; super priority processing in the UK costs a further £1,000. The immigration health surcharge is £1,035 a year for adults and £776 a year for children - £3,105 for a 2 year 9 month entry clearance grant, £2,587.50 for a 2 year 6 month extension and £5,175 over five years. Fee waivers are available in limited circumstances.

How PRIMEVISA helps

• We test your income against every category open to you - A to G - and choose the route with the strongest evidence, not simply the highest figure.
• We audit every document against Appendix FM-SE before submission, reconciling payslips to bank statements and checking each date window.
• We build EX.1, GEN.3.1 and GEN.3.2 arguments where the threshold cannot be met, with the Article 8 evidence to support them.
• We advise on transitional protection, adequate maintenance and fee waivers, and represent you on appeal if a refusal follows.

Common questions

What is the minimum income requirement for a UK spouse visa in 2026?
£29,000 gross a year. The threshold rose from £18,600 to £29,000 on 11 April 2024 and remains at £29,000 as at August 2026. It applies to anyone new to the five-year partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner route from that date, or applying with a different partner.

Does the threshold still go up if we have children?
Not for new applicants. £29,000 is a flat figure regardless of family size. Child amounts survive only under transitional protection, where the figure is £18,600 plus £3,800 for the first sponsored child and £2,400 for each additional child, capped at £29,000. No amount is added for a child who is British or Irish, or who is settled or has pre-settled status.

How much do we need in savings if we have no qualifying income?
Only savings above £16,000 count, and at entry clearance or extension the excess is divided by 2.5. To meet £29,000 on savings alone you need £16,000 plus 2.5 times £29,000, which is £88,500. The money must be held in the applicant's, the sponsor's or a joint account, under their control, for the whole six months before the date of application.

When does the adequate maintenance test apply instead of the income threshold?
When the sponsor receives a specified disability or carer's benefit, for example Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Carer Support Payment or Armed Forces Independence Payment. The test is that net income after tax and National Insurance, less housing costs, must be at least the Income Support level for an equivalent British family.

What happens if we cannot meet the financial requirement at all?
EX.1 can disapply it for in-country applications where there is a qualifying child in the UK or insurmountable obstacles to family life abroad. GEN.3.1 allows other credible and reliable income or funds to be counted, and GEN.3.2 requires the Home Office to consider whether refusal would breach Article 8 through unjustifiably harsh consequences, with any child's best interests a primary consideration.

Related guides

• UK family and partner visas
• Settlement and British citizenship
• The 180-day rule and ILR absences
• UK visa fees 2026

This page summarises guidance published on GOV.UK and was last reviewed on 18 August 2026. It is general information, not immigration advice on your own case. PRIMEVISA LTD is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, registration F201600043.

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