The spouse visa financial requirement explained

To get a UK spouse or partner visa, you need to show that you and your partner have enough money to live on. This is called the financial requirement. It is often the hardest part of an application because the evidence rules are strict. This guide explains how it works in plain English.

The rules are in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, and the evidence rules are in a part called Appendix FM-SE.

The minimum income figure

At the time of writing (October 2026), GOV.UK says your combined income must be at least £29,000 a year before tax. The figure went up from £18,600 to £29,000 on 11 April 2024. The government has since been reviewing it, and it could change again.

Always check the current figure on GOV.UK before you apply. Your application is assessed against the rules in force on the date you apply.

If you were first given a partner visa before 11 April 2024 and are now extending it, the older figure of £18,600 usually still applies. Extra amounts are added for children in that situation.

Whose income counts

Your partner's income counts. That is the British or settled person you are joining.

Your own income from a job or self-employment counts only if you are already in the UK and allowed to work. If you are applying from abroad, your overseas wages do not count. Your partner's job abroad can count if they are coming back to the UK to work.

Your savings and some other income, such as rent from a property, can count whoever holds them.

Promises of money from someone else, such as parents, are not normally accepted. There is a narrow exception in rare cases where refusal would cause unjustifiably harsh results for the family.

The ways you can meet it

The Home Office groups sources of money into categories, usually called A to G. You do not need to learn the letters, but you will see them on forms and in guidance.

Income from a job (categories A and B)

Category A applies if your partner has worked for the same employer for at least six months. Their current yearly salary must meet the figure, and they must have been paid at that level for the last six months.

Category B applies if they have been with their employer for less than six months, or their pay goes up and down. Their current salary must meet the figure, and they must also have earned the figure in total over the last 12 months.

Income from other sources (category C)

This covers money that does not come from working, such as rent from a property you own, dividends, or interest. It is counted over the 12 months before you apply.

Savings (category D)

Cash savings can be used on their own or added to income. The first £16,000 does not count. After that, savings count at two and a half times the shortfall in income.

Here is how it works. If your income is £20,000, you are £9,000 short of £29,000. You would need £16,000 plus £22,500 (two and a half times £9,000), so £38,500 in savings.

If you are using savings alone, you need £16,000 plus two and a half times the full figure. At £29,000, that is £88,500.

The savings must usually have been in your name, your partner's name, or a joint account for at least six months. They must be in cash and easy to access. Money from selling a property or cashing in investments can sometimes count over a shorter period.

Pension (category E)

A state or private pension counts if it has been paid for at least 28 days before you apply.

Self-employment (categories F and G)

If your partner is self-employed, or a director of their own company, their income is usually assessed using their tax returns. Category F uses the last full financial year. Category G uses the average of the last two full financial years.

The evidence needed for self-employment is detailed. It can include tax returns, accounts, and business bank statements.

Combining income and savings

You can often add different sources together. For example, a salary plus rental income, or a salary plus savings.

There are limits:

• if you rely on self-employment income (categories F or G), you cannot add savings to it
• income from you and your partner can be combined, but each pound only counts once
• if you both have jobs, both incomes must be worked out under the same category

The evidence

This is where many applications go wrong. The Home Office expects particular documents, for set periods, in a set form. Missing one document can lead to refusal.

For a job, you will usually need:

• payslips covering the right period, six months for category A
• a letter from the employer confirming the job, salary, start date, and type of contract
• personal bank statements showing the wages being paid in

For savings, you will usually need bank statements covering the full six months.

The most recent evidence must usually be dated no more than 28 days before you apply. Documents not in English or Welsh need a certified translation.

If your partner gets certain benefits

If your partner receives certain disability or carer's benefits, you do not need to meet the minimum income figure. These include Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, and Carer's Allowance. Instead, you need to show you can be adequately supported and housed without relying on public funds.

If you cannot meet the figure

If you cannot meet the requirement, it may still be possible to succeed in limited cases. Where refusal would breach your right to family life, for example because of the effect on a British child, the Home Office must look at other sources of money and whether there are exceptional circumstances. This needs careful evidence.

You also still need to meet the other requirements, such as accommodation and English language. See our guide to spouse visa requirements.

When to get advice

Get advice if your partner is self-employed, has changed jobs recently, has variable pay, or if you plan to rely on savings or more than one source of money. It is easier to fix gaps before you apply than after a refusal. If you have already been refused, see spouse visa refused. We can help you check your documents against the rules. You can book a call with us.