UK Spouse Visa Requirements: What You Have to Prove, and With What Evidence
Getting a spouse visa approved means ticking every box the Home Office sets out under Appendix FM — the financial requirement, English language, accommodation, and proving your relationship is genuine. It's a detailed process, and the rules leave little room for error.
Reviewed by Imran Shah — immigration & litigation solicitor.
SRA #509359 · Admitted 2012 · Verify on SRA register
Last reviewed: May 2026
Your legal framework
The sources of law that govern this route
We cite each source so you can verify it yourself.
Appendix FM, Section EC-P (E-ECP.2.1 onwards)
Eligibility for entry clearance as a partner — financial requirement, English language, accommodation.
Read sourceSection 117B, Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
Public interest considerations for Article 8 family-life arguments (inserted by Immigration Act 2014 s.19).
Read sourceArticle 8, European Convention on Human Rights
Right to respect for family life — residual route where the Rules cannot be met.
Read source01
Essential Spouse Visa Requirements Checklist
A spouse (partner) visa under Appendix FM covers four main requirement areas. Thresholds and fees do change, so always check the current figures on GOV.UK before you apply. Our immigration solicitors check every requirement against the Rules in force on the date of your application.
- *Financial Requirement:**
- A minimum income threshold set by the Home Office — this has changed recently, so check the current figure at gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse
- Usually 6 months of payslips and corresponding bank statements
- An employer letter confirming your employment
- Tax documents (P60; SA302 and accounts if you're self-employed)
- Cash savings can be used to meet — or part-meet — the requirement under set rules
- *Relationship Evidence:**
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate (or evidence of a durable relationship if you're unmarried partners)
- Evidence the relationship is genuine and subsisting — cohabitation records, communication history, photographs over time, joint financial commitments
- *English Language:**
- An approved A1 (entry) or A2 (extension) Secure English Language Test, or
- A degree taught in English (with Ecctis/UK ENIC confirmation where required), or
- Nationality of a majority English-speaking country
- *Accommodation:**
- Evidence of adequate accommodation owned or occupied exclusively by the family — and that it isn't, and won't become, overcrowded
- Tenancy agreement or mortgage documents, plus a property inspection report where appropriate
Here's the thing: missing or incorrectly evidenced requirements are one of the leading causes of refusal. We review every requirement against the current Rules before anything goes near a submission.
02
What a Spouse Visa Costs: Home Office Fees and Ours
Fixed fees, agreed in writing, before we do a single thing. That's how we work. So there are no surprises when an invoice lands — you know what you're paying from the outset. We'll confirm the exact figure at your consultation.
One thing to flag: Home Office application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge aren't set by us. Those are separate costs determined by the Home Office — you can check the current amounts at gov.uk.
- *Initial Spouse Visa Application**
- Complete application preparation and document review
- A tailored document checklist built around your circumstances
- Direct solicitor support throughout
- Free initial consultation included
- *Spouse Visa Extension (further leave to remain)**
- 30-month extension applications
- Updated financial and relationship evidence review
- *Visa Refusal Appeals / Administrative Review**
- Analysis of the refusal letter
- Administrative review, appeal or fresh-application strategy
Before you instruct us, we'll walk you through exactly what's included — no jargon, no vague promises. Get in touch for a fixed-fee quote tailored to your situation.
03
Our Spouse Visa Application Process
You speak directly to a qualified immigration solicitor — not a paralegal, not a call handler. We look at your circumstances honestly, flag any issues early, and tell you straight if the requirements are going to be difficult to meet.
- *Step 1: Free Consultation (30 minutes)**
We'll give you a checklist tailored to your situation. Every document gets reviewed before anything is submitted, checked against the Rules as they stand at the time.
- *Step 2: Document Collection & Review**
Your solicitor prepares the application and supporting representations. That means covering the financial requirement, English language, accommodation, and the genuineness of the relationship — properly, not as an afterthought.
- *Step 3: Application Preparation**
We submit everything and keep you updated as things progress. You've got direct access to your solicitor throughout — so you're never left wondering what's happening.
- *Step 4: Submission & Tracking**
If it's granted, we'll walk you through the next steps towards extension and settlement. If it's refused, we move quickly — advising on administrative review, appeal, or whether a fresh application makes more sense.
- *Step 5: Decision Support**
- --
One thing worth knowing: processing times are set by the Home Office and change regularly. Always check the current service standards on GOV.UK. Priority and super-priority services may be available, though these carry an additional Home Office fee.
04
Common Spouse Visa Refusal Reasons — and How We Address Them
The most reliable guide to refusal reasons is the Home Office's own caseworker guidance on GOV.UK. In our experience, applications most often run into difficulty in four areas:
Proving the minimum income correctly is where most applicants come unstuck — particularly the self-employed (Category F/G), those with variable income, or where savings are being combined with income. We make sure the specified evidence matches the category you're relying on.
- *Financial Requirement**
The Home Office needs to be satisfied the relationship is genuine and subsisting. We help you pull together cohabitation, communication and financial evidence that actually addresses the relevant Rules — not just what looks convincing.
- *Relationship Evidence**
Using the wrong test, an out-of-date certificate, or missing exemption evidence is enough to get you refused. We'll confirm exactly which qualification the Home Office accepts at your stage of the application.
- *English Language**
It's not enough to simply show you have somewhere to live. We make sure your accommodation evidence demonstrates the property is adequate and won't fall foul of the overcrowding standards the Home Office applies.
- *Accommodation**
Already been refused? We can advise on appeal or a fresh application — take a look at our visa refusal and appeals service.
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How We Strengthen a Spouse Visa Application
Every application is prepared by a qualified, SRA-regulated immigration solicitor — not a call centre or an unregulated adviser. In practice that means:
- Matching your evidence to the correct financial-requirement category before you apply, so you are not relying on documents the Rules do not accept.
- Drafting representations that deal squarely with the genuineness of the relationship and any history of previous applications or refusals.
- Checking English-language and accommodation evidence against the current requirements.
- Flagging anything that needs to be resolved before submission rather than after a refusal.
We handle straightforward and complex cases, including previous refusals, self-employed income, and applications involving children, and we will tell you honestly where a requirement is difficult to meet.
Past results do not guarantee any particular outcome; every application is decided by the Home Office on its own facts.
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Book Your Free Spouse Visa Consultation Today
Our UK spouse visa service includes:
- A free 30-minute consultation with a qualified solicitor
- Fixed fees agreed in writing before we do anything
- Thorough preparation against the current Appendix FM requirements
- Direct access to your solicitor whenever you need them
- A nationwide service by phone and video, with offices in London and Bradford
Call 0203 355 9823 or email info@abrahamssolicitors.co.uk to book your consultation. Your application matters too much to leave to chance — we'll walk you through every requirement and keep your case on track from start to finish.
Pricing
UK SPOUSE VISA REQUIREMENTS: From £240*
*Consultation fee. Full service fees vary by case — see our fees page.
Based in West Yorkshire? Our registered office is at Listerhills Science Park in Bradford, and Bradford immigration appeals are listed locally at Phoenix House. See our Bradford immigration solicitors for office details, the areas we cover and the solicitors who run Bradford files.
Common Questions
UK SPOUSE VISA REQUIREMENTS FAQ
Plain-English answers to the questions we hear most often about uk spouse visa requirements.
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Imran handles immigration and litigation cases that need methodical preparation and clear strategy.
SRA #509359
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Humaira walks families through every stage of immigration and litigation matters with calm, careful guidance.
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*Fixed fee price subject to our free case assessment. All fees are quoted upfront — no hidden charges. UKVI government fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are separate and change periodically — confirm current rates at gov.uk before applying.
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. For advice on your circumstances, contact us. Abrahams Solicitors · SRA-regulated firm #809071. Last reviewed: May 2026.