Quick answer
The spouse visa financial requirement is £29,000 a year in gross income for applications made from 11 April 2024, with no extra for children. If income falls short, cash savings can cover it: £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall (1 times at the ILR stage), so £88,500 if you rely on savings alone.
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Check your figures
An indicative check on the rules as of 12 October 2026. Your figures stay in your browser unless you ask us to email the result. If you accept analytics cookies, we count which result was shown, never your figures.
The rule in short: £29,000 a year in gross income, or cash savings of £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall (1 times the shortfall at the ILR stage). People first granted before 11 April 2024 may need less: £18,600, plus amounts for children.
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| Income required | |
|---|---|
| Your counted income | |
| Shortfall | |
| Savings needed to cover it | |
| Your savings |
This is an indicative check, not advice. Whether your income counts depends on your evidence: we check this for you.
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How the requirement works
| Applications from 11 April 2024 | £29,000 a year, with no extra for children |
|---|---|
| First granted before 11 April 2024 (extensions and ILR on the same route) | £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each further child, up to £29,000 |
| Savings, first application or extension | £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall (£88,500 with no income) |
| Savings, indefinite leave to remain | £16,000 plus the shortfall (£45,000 with no income) |
Whose income counts
Your partner’s income always counts. Yours counts only if you are already in the UK with permission to work. Income from a job abroad, or a job you will start after you arrive, does not count for a first application from outside the UK. Money from parents or other family members usually does not count.
Income and savings
Pay from a job is usually counted at its gross annual rate if you have worked for the same employer for 6 months or more; for a newer job, the rules also look at what was earned over the last 12 months. Self-employment is usually worked out from the last full financial year, or an average of the last two. Rent, a pension or dividends can be added to pay. Cash savings must have been held for at least 6 months, by either or both of you, and usually cannot be added to self-employment income. We check this for you.
If your partner receives certain benefits
If your partner receives a disability or carer’s benefit such as Carer’s Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, the figure usually does not apply. You show instead that you can support yourselves adequately without extra public funds ("adequate maintenance").
Older cases and possible changes
The figure rose to £29,000 on 11 April 2024. If you were first granted permission on the partner route before then, the older figure normally still applies when you extend or apply for indefinite leave to remain on that route. The Migration Advisory Committee reviewed the requirement in June 2025 and suggested a figure between £21,000 and £28,000. As of 12 October 2026 the government has not changed it, and £29,000 still applies.
What we do for you
- Work out which income and savings you can rely on, and the documents each one needs
- Check your payslips, bank statements, tax returns and savings against the evidence rules
- Confirm which figure applies to you if you were first granted before 11 April 2024
- Prepare and submit your spouse or partner visa application, extension or indefinite leave to remain application
Our legal fee is typically £1,500 – £2,500 for an entry-clearance application, and £1,500 – £2,500 for a Further Leave to Remain application on the partner route, plus VAT where it applies. Home Office fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are paid separately. Our fees page lists every published range.
Who oversees our immigration work
Oliverta Mediu
Partner — Immigration & Family
Immigration work is carried out by our team of solicitors, legal advisers and paralegals, supervised by Partner Oliverta Mediu.
Questions people ask
What is the financial requirement for a spouse visa in the UK?
For applications made from 11 April 2024 it is £29,000 a year in gross income, between you and your partner where your income can count. There is no extra amount for children. Savings can make up a shortfall. GOV.UK explains the requirement.
Has the £29,000 threshold changed?
Not as of 12 October 2026. The Migration Advisory Committee reviewed the requirement and reported in June 2025, suggesting a figure between £21,000 and £28,000. The government has not announced a change, so £29,000 still applies. We will update this tool if it changes.
How much savings do I need for a spouse visa?
With no income, £88,500 for a first application or an extension: £16,000 plus 2.5 times £29,000. If you have some income, you need £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall. At the indefinite leave to remain stage it is £16,000 plus the shortfall itself. The money must be cash savings held for at least 6 months.
Does my income count, or only my partner’s?
Your partner’s income always counts. Your own earnings count only if you are in the UK now with permission to work; earnings from a job abroad, or a job offer in the UK, do not count for a first application from outside the UK. Money from other family members usually does not count.
I was first granted my spouse visa before 11 April 2024. Which figure applies?
If you are extending, or applying for indefinite leave to remain, on the same route, the older figure normally still applies to you: £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each further child applying, up to a maximum of £29,000. If you are not sure when you were first granted, choose "Not sure" in the checker and we can confirm it from your documents.
Can self-employed income count?
Yes, but it is usually worked out from your tax returns and accounts for the last full financial year (or an average of the last two), not from what you earn now. Savings usually cannot be added to self-employment income to make up a shortfall. We check which way of counting works best for your evidence.
What if my partner receives disability or carer’s benefits?
If your partner receives certain benefits, for example Carer’s Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance, the income figure usually does not apply. Instead you show "adequate maintenance": that you can support yourselves without extra public funds. GOV.UK lists the benefits. We check this for you.
What if we do not meet the requirement?
In some cases, for example where refusal would breach your family’s human rights, the requirement can be met another way: ask us. If you have already been refused, see our refusals and appeals page.
Related pages
Want a solicitor to check your figures before you apply?
General information about the UK spouse and partner visa financial requirement as of 12 October 2026, not advice on your application. The Home Office decides, and the rules change often.