Requirements for Spouse Visa Entry Clearance
To qualify for a spouse visa entry clearance from outside the UK, you must meet the following criteria:
Submit a valid online application for a UK spouse visa.
Be married to a British Citizen, a person with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or Settled Status,
an EU national with pre-settled status, a refugee, a Turkish Businessperson visa holder, or a
Turkish Worker visa holder.
Both you and your partner must be at least 18 years old.
Your UK partner must earn a minimum of £29,000 per year, unless you meet the adequate
maintenance requirement.
Meet the English language requirement at CEFR level A1 in listening and speaking.
Your application should not be refused on suitability grounds as per Appendix FM: Family Life of
the Immigration Rules.
Provide a Tuberculosis test certificate if required under Appendix T of the Immigration Rules.
Relationship Requirements for Spouse Visa Entry Clearance
Your UK partner must:
Be a British Citizen, hold Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), have Settled Status, be an EEA
national with pre-settled status, hold a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa, or have
refugee status or Humanitarian Protection (HP).
Ensure that neither you nor your partner fall within the prohibited degree of relationship.
Have met in person and maintain a genuine and subsisting relationship.
If married, the marriage must be legally valid. Any previous relationships must have
permanently ended unless they fall under specific exceptions outlined in paragraph 278(i) of the
Immigration Rules.
Intend to live together permanently in the UK.
Updated Financial Requirement of £29,000 Gross Per Year from 11 April 2024
Starting from 11 April 2024, Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules introduces a new financial
requirement of £29,000 gross annually for individuals applying for a partner visa. This new threshold
applies to first-time applicants on the partner route from this date onwards. If the applicant is applying
with dependent children, the financial requirement remains at £29,000 gross per year.
To meet this requirement for a spouse visa, the applicant's UK partner must earn at least £29,000 gross
annually. If the partner's income falls short, it can be supplemented with savings. Specifically, if the
employment income is less than £29,000, savings of £16,000 plus an additional amount equivalent to
2.5 times the shortfall must be available.
Overseas salaried income of the applicant does not contribute towards this financial requirement.
However, savings, rental income, or pension income (if applicable) can be included to meet the
requirement alongside the UK partner's income.
Methods to Meet Financial Requirements
There are five main ways to meet the financial requirement:
1. Employment Income: Includes earnings from salaried or non-salaried work by the partner or
applicant (if permitted to work in the UK). This is categorized as either Category A or B
depending on employment history.
2. Non-Employment Income: Includes income from property rental or dividends, categorized
under Category C.
3. Savings: Cash savings exceeding £16,000 held by the partner or applicant for at least 6 months.
This falls under Category D.
4. Pension Income: State, occupational, or private pensions of the partner or applicant,
categorized as Category E.
5. Self-Employment Income: Earnings from self-employment or as a director/employee of a UK
limited company, categorized as Category F or G, depending on the financial year(s) considered.
Exemptions from the £29,000 Financial Requirement
Applicants may meet the financial requirement through "adequate maintenance" if their partner is
receiving certain UK benefits or allowances. These include:
Carer’s Allowance
Disability Living Allowance
Severe Disablement Allowance
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Attendance Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Armed Forces Independence Payment
Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement, or War Disablement Pension
Police Injury Pension
