The financial requirement for a UK Spouse Visa is the income or savings a couple must show to bring a partner over. For most new applicants in 2026, the UK spouse visa minimum income is £29,000 a year before tax. It falls on the sponsoring partner who already lives in the UK.
You can meet it through income, savings, or a combination of both. It is the top reason spouse visa applications fail, and most refusals come from evidence, not a lack of money.
| Quick answer | |
| What is the requirement? | The income or savings needed to sponsor a partner |
| How much for new applications? | £29,000 a year before tax |
| Who must meet it? | The UK-based sponsor |
| Can savings be used? | Yes, alone or combined with income |
| Why do applications fail? | Incomplete or wrongly formatted evidence |
Table of Contents
What Is the UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement?
The UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement exists so the Home Office can be satisfied a couple will support themselves without public funds. It applies at every stage: the first application, the extension, and settlement.
The threshold began at £18,600 in 2012, and in April 2024 it rose to £29,000. That is where the financial requirement for a spouse visa UK-wide sits in 2026. A review by the Migration Advisory Committee suggested a lower figure, but the government has not acted, so the published family visa rules still say £29,000.
Two different tests can apply across the UK family visa financial requirement. Most sponsors meet the minimum income requirement. Sponsors on certain disability or carer benefits meet a separate, and usually lower, adequate maintenance test instead.
How Much Income Do You Need?
The UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement is not the same for everyone. This is the financial requirement for spouse visa UK applications, and your exact spouse visa income requirement UK depends on when the route began.
| Applicant type | Requirement |
| New applications from 11 April 2024 | £29,000 a year before tax |
| Transitional applicants (route began before that date) | £18,600, if with the same sponsor |
| Sponsor on qualifying disability or carer benefits | Adequate maintenance test |
Transitional protection matters. Say the overseas partner was first granted a spouse visa before 11 April 2024 with the same sponsor. They then stay on £18,600 for every future stage, across the full five years.
What Are the 7 Ways to Meet the Financial Requirement?
The Home Office recognises seven income routes, and you can use them alone or in combination. Find the one that matches your situation in the selector below.
Which income category are you?
Find your route to £29,000, then gather only the evidence it needs.
Read the category that fits you, and gather only the evidence it lists. Most refusals trace back to the wrong category or reference period.
How Do the Cash Savings Rules Work?
Savings can bridge a shortfall, or meet the whole spouse visa salary requirement on their own. The Home Office assesses them across the 2.5-year visa period, so the less you earn, the more you need.
The cash savings formula
Required savings = £16,000 + (annual shortfall × 2.5)
£0 income
£88,500
£15,000
£51,000
£20,000
£38,500
£25,000
£26,000
Held for 6 continuous months. The balance must never dip below the required level, or the whole savings case fails.
Cash in current, savings or deposit accounts qualifies, as do proceeds from a sold property held for six months. Pension funds, property equity, and unsold shares do not.
Can You Combine Different Sources of Income?
Yes. Most couples who fall short on salary alone reach the partner visa financial requirement UK by combining sources. Employment can join non-employment income and pension income, and savings can bridge a remaining gap.
Two limits catch people out. Savings cannot top up the 12-month income total under Category B. For the self-employed, only income within the same tax year can be combined.
For the first application from overseas, only the UK sponsor’s income counts. The applicant’s overseas earnings cannot be included. Once the applicant is in the UK and allowed to work, after switching from a Fiancé Visa for example, their income can join at the extension stage.
What Financial Documents Do You Need?
Evidence for the UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement follows two fixed rules. Your most recent financial document must be no more than 28 days old when you submit. The salary on your payslips must also appear in your bank statements for the same period.
- Payslips covering the required period
- Employer letter on company letterhead
- Bank statements matching the payslips
- Employment contract, where relevant
- SA302 and Tax Year Overview, for the self-employed
- Company accounts and dividend vouchers, for directors
- Pension provider letter and statements
- Six months of statements for any savings
What Are the Most Common Financial Requirement Mistakes?
Most refusals against the UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement happen when the money is there but the evidence is not. These are the failures behind a spouse visa refusal that our solicitors see most often.
- Choosing the wrong income category or reference period
- Failing the Category B 12-month test while passing on current salary
- Savings dipping below the required level during the six months
- Bank statements that do not match the payslips
- Self-employed sponsors using net profit instead of gross taxable profit
- A generic employer letter that omits the Appendix FM-SE details
- Documents finalised more than 28 days before submission
What Do Real Scenarios Look Like?
Scenario one, the straightforward case. A sponsor has earned £31,000 at the same employer for two years. They meet Category A on salary alone, needing only payslips, matching bank statements, and an employer letter.
Scenario two, salary plus savings. A sponsor earns £24,000, leaving a £5,000 shortfall. Applying the formula, they need £16,000 plus £12,500, so £28,500 in savings held for six months clears it.
What If You Cannot Meet the Financial Requirement?
Falling short of the standard threshold does not always end the application. A sponsor on qualifying disability or carer benefits is assessed under the adequate maintenance test, which many families find easier to meet.
Where the requirement genuinely cannot be met, a route may exist under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It applies where refusal would cause unjustifiably harsh consequences. This is a high bar that needs careful legal argument, so take advice first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can both partners combine income?
Only at the extension stage, once the applicant is in the UK with permission to work.
Can overtime or bonuses count?
Yes, as part of your gross income, provided they are properly evidenced.
Can overseas income count?
Not for the first application, unless the sponsor is returning to a confirmed UK job.
How much in savings do I need?
From £88,500 with no income, down to less as your income rises.
Can I use gifted money?
Yes, if it is a genuine gift held in your account for the full six months.
What if I change jobs?
A recent change usually moves you into Category B, with its two-part income test.
Does rental income count?
Yes, under Category C, from a property you own that is not your future home.
What if I cannot meet the requirement?
You may qualify under adequate maintenance or a human rights route, depending on your circumstances.
How A Y & J Solicitors Can Help
The UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement is the single most common reason applications fail, and nearly every failure is preventable. A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration firm, regulated by the SRA and ranked in the Legal 500. We bring over 5,000 successful applications and a 98% success rate.
We confirm the right income category, pressure-test your evidence against Appendix FM-SE, and catch refusal risks before you submit. Get it right, and the same route later supports your extension, settlement, and British citizenship through marriage. A short assessment costs a fraction of a refused application, so speak to our team before you apply.
