For most new UK spouse and partner visa applicants, the minimum income requirement is £29,000 gross a year. That figure applies where the first successful partner-route application was made on or after 11 April 2024. It can be met through permitted income, cash savings or, in some circumstances, a combination of the two.
There is an important transitional exception. If you first successfully applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner, the previous £18,600 threshold normally continues to apply, together with child additions where relevant.
The evidence is just as important as the figure itself. Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE prescribe which income sources can be used and what evidence must support them. If you are early in the process, our overview of family visa applications sets the wider scene.
What is the spouse visa financial requirement in 2026?
For a new application under the current rules, the minimum income requirement remains £29,000 gross a year. It applies to qualifying spouse, civil partner, fiancé, fiancée and unmarried partner visa applications.
The planned increases to £34,500 and then £38,700 did not take effect. The Migration Advisory Committee published its review in June 2025 and presented several approaches to setting the threshold, noting that a number of measures fell around £23,000 to £25,000. The Immigration Rules nevertheless continue to set the current requirement at £29,000.
You can confirm the current position on the GOV.UK family visa income guidance.
For applicants under the post-11 April 2024 rules, there is no additional income amount for dependent children. The £29,000 figure remains the same. The position is different for some applicants protected by the pre-April 2024 transitional rules, where child additions can still apply, subject to an overall £29,000 cap.
Children can still affect other requirements, including the accommodation requirement. If children are applying too, our guide to dependent children explains the wider rules.
Whose income counts?
At entry clearance, the sponsoring partner’s qualifying employment or self-employment income can count. Where the sponsor is returning to the UK with the applicant, qualifying overseas earnings can sometimes be relied on together with qualifying employment in the UK that the sponsor will start after returning.
The applicant’s overseas employment earnings do not normally count towards an entry-clearance application. However, certain other sources belonging to either partner can qualify, including specified pension income, non-employment income and cash savings.
Once the applicant is lawfully in the UK with permission to work, qualifying UK employment or self-employment income from both partners can generally be counted. If you are already here, our guide to switching visas from inside the UK explains how your immigration position can affect an application.
The ways to meet the requirement
The financial rules divide permitted income into categories, each with its own calculation and evidence requirements.
| Category | Who it commonly applies to | What broadly counts |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | Employment with the same employer for at least 6 months | Qualifying salaried or non-salaried employment |
| Category B | Employment held for less than 6 months or cases assessed using the previous 12 months | Current employment plus qualifying earnings during the relevant 12-month period |
| Category C | Applicants with qualifying non-employment income | Rental income, dividends and other specified income |
| Category D | Those relying on savings | Qualifying cash savings above £16,000 |
| Category E | Applicants relying on pension income | Specified state, occupational or private pension income |
| Categories F and G | Self-employed people and certain company directors/employees | Income calculated using the relevant financial year or years |
The rules on combining categories are detailed. Cash savings, for example, cannot simply be combined with every form of income calculation. Self-employment and employment through certain specified limited companies have particularly detailed evidence requirements.
If that applies to you, read our guide to meeting the requirement when you are self-employed or combining income sources before preparing the application.
The cash savings route, with worked scenarios
For an entry-clearance or further-permission application under the £29,000 requirement, qualifying cash savings can make up an income shortfall.
The basic calculation is:
£16,000 + 2.5 × annual income shortfall
That means somebody relying entirely on savings normally needs £88,500:
£16,000 + (£29,000 × 2.5) = £88,500.
For example:
- Sponsor earns £24,000. The £5,000 shortfall requires £28,500 in qualifying savings.
- Sponsor earns £20,000. The £9,000 shortfall requires £38,500.
- No qualifying income is being used. £88,500 is required.
Savings normally need to have been held under the control of the applicant, their partner or both for at least six months before applying. The funds must normally be in an eligible cash account and their source declared.
There are exceptions to the straightforward six-month cash-holding rule. For example, qualifying proceeds from property owned during the relevant six-month period can sometimes be converted into cash within that period without losing eligibility, provided the detailed evidential requirements are met.
The £88,500 calculation relates to entry clearance and further permission under the £29,000 threshold. Different savings calculations apply at settlement.
Where applications can go wrong
Financial eligibility and financial evidence are separate questions. An applicant may earn enough but still fail to demonstrate it using the evidence required by Appendix FM-SE.
Problems can include payslips that do not correspond with bank credits, an incomplete employer letter, statements covering the wrong period or unexplained savings.
The Home Office rules specify evidence for different income categories, so documents should be prepared around the category being relied upon rather than assembled as a general financial bundle.
A clear covering letter can help explain how the evidence fits the rules. If an application has already failed, our guide to spouse visa refusals explains common issues, while what to do after a refusal covers the next steps.
If you cannot meet the £29,000
There are important situations where the normal minimum income requirement does not apply.
If the sponsoring partner receives one of the specified disability or carer’s benefits, including Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Carer’s Allowance, the application is normally assessed using the adequate maintenance test instead. This considers the family’s available resources and housing costs rather than requiring £29,000 of income.
There are also cases where the standard financial requirement is not met but refusing the application could produce consequences that engage Article 8 family-life rights. Appendix FM contains provisions for exceptional circumstances and, where applicable, allows other financial support or resources to be considered.
An applicant granted on this basis will generally be placed on a 10-year route to settlement rather than the standard five-year route. These provisions are fact-specific and are not simply an alternative way to avoid the usual financial rules.
Beyond the money: the rest of the case
Meeting the financial requirement is only part of a spouse or partner visa application. You must also establish a genuine and subsisting relationship, covered in our guide to relationship evidence, and meet the relevant accommodation, English-language and immigration-status requirements.
If your partner is currently on the fiancé route, see our guide to switching from a fiancé visa. Some applicants may also be asked to attend a family visa interview.
Different family members may need different routes. A child coming independently to study at an eligible UK school may need a child student visa.
Business routes should also be kept separate from the spouse visa rules. The Start-up visa is closed to new applications; applicants looking to establish an innovative business may instead need to consider the Innovator Founder route. The UK Expansion Worker visa applies to qualifying sponsored workers establishing a UK presence for an overseas business.
Further down the line, our guide to British citizenship explains the naturalisation requirements after settlement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum income for a UK spouse visa in 2026?
For most people making their first qualifying partner application on or after 11 April 2024, it is £29,000 gross a year. Applicants covered by the pre-11 April 2024 transitional rules can remain subject to the previous £18,600 requirement and relevant child additions.
Can my partner’s overseas income count towards the £29,000?
The applicant’s overseas employment income normally cannot be counted for an entry-clearance application. A sponsoring partner returning to the UK can, in specified circumstances, rely on overseas employment alongside qualifying UK employment they will take up after returning. Other permitted income and savings belonging to the applicant can also count.
How much savings do I need if I have no income?
For an entry-clearance or further-permission application subject to the £29,000 threshold, £88,500 in qualifying cash savings is normally required.
Does the £29,000 increase if we have children?
Not under the current post-April 2024 rules. The £29,000 figure is not increased for dependent children. Different transitional rules can apply to applicants who entered the route before 11 April 2024.
Is the requirement going up to £38,700?
No such increase is currently in force. The Immigration Rules continue to use £29,000 for applicants subject to the current minimum income requirement.
Why do spouse visa applications get refused on finances?
Common problems include failing to meet the threshold, relying on an income source that cannot be combined in the proposed way, or failing to provide the specified evidence required for the relevant category.
Get your spouse visa finances checked before you apply
The financial rules can become complicated where income changes, savings are being combined with earnings or self-employment is involved. If you want your figures and documents reviewed before submitting the application, our immigration solicitors in London can identify the relevant financial category and the evidence required for your circumstances.
