How to Apply for a UK Family Visa as a Spouse or Unmarried Partner

Who qualifies for the UK partner family visa

The partner route is for people who want to live in the UK for more than 6 months with an eligible spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner. Both partners must be at least 18.

The partner you are joining must normally be one of the following:

• a British or Irish citizen;
• settled in the UK, for example with indefinite leave to remain, settled status or qualifying permanent residence;
• an EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein national with qualifying pre-settled status who started living in the UK before 1 January 2021;
• a person with a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa;
• a person with qualifying refugee or humanitarian protection status;
• a person who obtained qualifying permission to stay as a stateless person before you became partners.

You and your partner must intend to live together permanently in the UK after the application.

If your partner is temporarily in the UK on a work visa or student visa, the family visa route is normally not the correct route. GOV.UK directs family members in that situation to the dependant rules for the relevant work or study visa.

Relationship evidence for a spouse or unmarried partner application

You must prove that your relationship fits one of the partner categories recognised by the Home Office. You can qualify if:

• you are married or in a civil partnership that is recognised in the UK;
• you have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply; or
• you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years but cannot live together, for example because of work, study or cultural circumstances.

UKVI asks for evidence showing the relationship is genuine. Strong evidence can include a marriage or civil partnership certificate, tenancy agreements, Council Tax or utility bills, joint bank statements or other reliable records showing that you live together or share financial responsibilities.

Where you do not live together, you can provide evidence of your ongoing commitment, such as regular communication, financial support, care of children together and time spent together as a couple.

Previous marriages and civil partnerships

The application asks for information about previous relationships. Where relevant, provide evidence showing that a previous marriage or civil partnership has ended, such as a divorce certificate or other appropriate legal evidence.

The £29,000 financial requirement

For a new application as a partner, you and your partner normally need to prove combined qualifying income of at least £29,000 a year. This is the Home Office minimum income requirement.

The evidence required depends on the type of income being used. The Immigration Rules contain detailed evidential requirements, so applicants relying on employment, self-employment, pension income, other permitted income or cash savings should use the evidence specified for their circumstances rather than sending informal substitutes.

Cash savings can be used in qualifying circumstances instead of, or together with, income. The Immigration Rules provide a specific calculation for the amount required.

When the £29,000 threshold does not apply

The standard minimum income requirement does not apply if the sponsoring partner receives certain specified disability or carer's benefits. In those cases, the application is assessed under an adequate maintenance requirement, which considers whether the family can be housed and supported without relying on additional public funds.

There are also limited circumstances in which a partner may still be granted permission despite not meeting the usual financial or other requirements, including certain cases involving a qualifying child or where refusal would breach human rights. These cases can follow a different route to settlement and should not be treated as a routine alternative to meeting the standard requirements.

English requirement for spouses and partners

Most applicants must prove knowledge of English. For a first family visa application, an applicant using a Secure English Language Test must normally pass an approved test at CEFR level A1 or higher in speaking and listening.

You may instead qualify through a degree taught in English. A degree awarded outside the UK normally requires an Ecctis assessment confirming the relevant qualification and English-language criteria.

You do not have to prove English in certain circumstances, including if you are over 65, have a qualifying physical or mental condition preventing you from meeting the requirement, or are a national of a country or territory listed by the Home Office as exempt.

Documents and information to prepare

The exact evidence depends on your circumstances, but a partner application normally requires information and documents covering:

• your identity and passport details;
• your partner's name, date of birth, nationality, passport and right to live in the UK;
• your marriage, civil partnership or qualifying partner relationship;
• how long you have lived together and evidence of your shared address where applicable;
• shared financial commitments and other evidence of an ongoing relationship;
• previous marriages or civil partnerships and evidence that they ended where applicable;
• your finances and the specified evidence for the income or savings being relied on;
• your English-language evidence or exemption.

Documents not in English or Welsh can require an appropriate translation that meets UKVI requirements. The online application tells you how and when to provide your supporting evidence.

How much a spouse or partner family visa costs

The current family visa application fee for joining a partner is £2,064 when applying from outside the UK or £1,407 when applying from inside the UK.

You will normally also pay the immigration health surcharge. For an adult, GOV.UK currently lists:

• £3,105 for permission lasting 2 years and 9 months;
• £2,587.50 for permission lasting 2 years and 6 months.

The surcharge is calculated according to the length of immigration permission granted. Each dependant has their own application fee and, where applicable, health surcharge.

A fee waiver may be available in specified circumstances for applicants who cannot afford the application because, for example, they cannot afford housing or essential living costs. Eligibility must be established through the official fee-waiver process.

Apply online through UK Visas and Immigration

The partner family visa application is made online through UK Visas and Immigration. The correct form depends on whether you are applying from outside the UK or applying to extend or switch from inside the UK.

After completing the form, you pay the required fees and follow UKVI's instructions for proving your identity, providing supporting documents and completing biometric requirements.

Check before switching from another UK visa

If you are already in the UK on another visa, you may be able to switch to the partner family route before your current permission expires. However, if you are in the UK as a visitor or your permission is for 6 months or less, you will usually need to leave the UK and apply from outside.

Specific exceptions include certain people already in the UK on a 6-month fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner family visa and some people allowed to remain for the outcome of family court proceedings or divorce.

If you only intend to visit rather than make the UK your home with your partner, the immigration route is different. See how to apply for a UK Standard Visitor visa where that route matches your circumstances.

What happens after you submit the application

After applying, UKVI tells you how to provide your biometric information and supporting evidence. This can include an appointment to provide your fingerprints and photograph. If an appointment is required, take the identity document specified in your application instructions.

If the application is approved, you receive an eVisa. Your decision email or letter explains how to access your digital immigration status through a UKVI account.

Once you have immigration status that can be proved online, you may also need to provide an employer, landlord or another organisation with evidence of your status. Helpydo has a separate guide explaining how to get a share code to prove your UK immigration status.

How long a spouse or partner visa decision takes

If you apply from outside the UK, a standard partner or spouse application usually receives a decision within 12 weeks.

If you apply from inside the UK and meet the financial and English-language requirements, the standard processing time is usually 8 weeks.

UKVI currently says that an in-country partner application where the financial and English requirements are not met takes about 12 months. A faster decision service may be available in some cases. For applications made inside the UK, GOV.UK currently lists a £1,000 additional charge for super priority where the service is available.

How long the visa lasts and the route to settlement

A successful initial spouse or partner application from outside the UK normally allows a stay of up to 2 years and 9 months. An extension or qualifying switch inside the UK can grant up to a further 2 years and 6 months.

On the standard partner route, the earliest point at which you can normally apply for indefinite leave to remain is after 5 continuous years in the UK on a family visa as a partner. Time spent in the UK on another visa or as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner does not count toward that 5-year partner period.

When you reach the settlement stage, the requirements are different from the initial family visa. See the separate guide on how to apply for indefinite leave to remain as a partner.

Common mistakes that can cause problems

• Using the wrong visa route. A partner of someone temporarily in the UK on a work or student visa normally uses the relevant dependant route, not the family visa route.
• Providing weak relationship evidence. Use reliable documents that demonstrate marriage, cohabitation, shared responsibilities or an ongoing committed relationship as appropriate.
• Using the wrong financial documents. The minimum income figure alone is not enough; the evidence must meet the rules for the income source being relied on.
• Trying to switch while visiting the UK. Visitors usually have to leave the UK and submit the family visa application from outside the country.
• Taking an unsuitable English test. If a test is required, use an approved Secure English Language Test and meet the required CEFR level.
• Budgeting only for the application fee. Most spouse and partner applicants also need to pay the immigration health surcharge.