Spouse, Partner and Family Visas

The requirements for a partner visa

Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules sets out five requirements. All must be met, and most refusals come from one of the first two.

1. Relationship. You are married, in a civil partnership, or have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years; the relationship is genuine and subsisting; and you intend to live together permanently in the UK. Fiancé(e)s can apply for a 6-month visa to marry in the UK.
2. Financial. Your sponsoring partner (and you, if you are in the UK with permission to work) have a combined income of at least £29,000 a year, or cash savings of £88,500 held for 6 months, or a combination. Income can come from employment, self-employment, pensions and some non-employment sources, each with its own evidence rules in Appendix FM-SE. A lower threshold of £18,600 applies to those extending who first applied before 11 April 2024.
3. Accommodation. Adequate accommodation without overcrowding, owned or occupied exclusively by the family.
4. English. A1 for the first application, A2 for the extension and B1 for settlement, by approved test or a degree taught in English, with exemptions for some nationalities and circumstances.
5. Suitability. No criminality, deception or debts to the NHS that engage the refusal grounds.

Where the financial or other requirements are not met but refusal would breach the right to family life, the Home Office can grant leave on a 10-year route. We tell you which route you are on before you apply, because it changes the evidence, the cost and the timeline to settlement.

Evidence that wins partner applications

The Home Office decides on paper. A genuine relationship poorly evidenced is refused as readily as a sham one. We build the evidence file in three layers:

• Relationship: marriage certificate, cohabitation evidence covering the required period (joint tenancy, council tax, bank statements, official letters to each of you at the same address), photographs, travel, communication history and, where relevant, evidence explaining periods apart.
• Financial: exactly the documents Appendix FM-SE lists for your income category, for exactly the period required, with payslips matching bank credits, employer letters in the prescribed form and, for the self-employed, tax returns and accounts.
• Everything else: accommodation report or tenancy, English certificate, tuberculosis certificate where required, and a covering letter that walks the caseworker through each requirement.

Common mistakes we fix

• Using a 6-month salaried period when a job change means 12 months of evidence is required.
• Relying on savings that have not been held for 6 months or that cannot be sourced.
• Employer letters missing the required statements.
• Unmarried partners who cannot document 2 full years of living together.

How we work

1. Free assessment

   We confirm which category you fit and whether the financial requirement can be met, and give you a fixed-fee quote.

2. Tailored checklist

   A checklist built around your income sources and relationship history, with template letters for employers and family.

3. Review and application

   We check every document, prepare the online form and covering letter, and manage biometrics. For in-country applications we advise on the super priority service.

4. After the decision

   We explain your conditions, diarise your extension date and plan for settlement, including the English and Life in the UK requirements.

Fees and costs

Figures from the Home Office fee table effective 8 October 2026, checked September 2026. Children applying with a parent pay the same fees.

Bringing your fiancé(e) to the UK: mistakes to avoid

Watch

Bringing your fiancé(e) to the UK: mistakes to avoid

The errors that cause delays and refusals on fiancé(e) and partner applications.

More on this topic:

• Another family visa granted, with nothing stressful about it
• Having a British child does not guarantee a Parent visa

All videos and guides

Frequently asked questions