Written by Soumaya Eddridi, Associate Solicitor · SRA-regulated · Last reviewed 16 September 2026
One of the most common questions we receive from couples preparing a UK spouse visa application is whether they meet the financial requirement.
You may already know about the £29,000 minimum income requirement, but the calculation is not always as straightforward as checking your annual salary. How long you have been employed, whether you have recently changed jobs, whether you receive benefits, and whether you have savings can all make a difference.
There are also transitional rules for some people who were already on the partner route before the financial requirement changed in April 2024.
Prefer to speak to someone now? Call our team on +44 (0)20 3588 3500, or press the Enquire button at the top of this page and we will call you back.
Below, we answer 10 of the questions we are frequently asked about the spouse visa financial requirement. You can also discover the general top 10 questions about the spouse visa application here.
-
What is the minimum income requirement for a UK spouse visa in 2026?
For most new spouse and partner applications, the minimum income requirement is currently £29,000 gross per year.
However, not everyone applying for a spouse visa extension or settlement is necessarily subject to the £29,000 threshold.
If the first successful application as a partner was made before 11 April 2024 and the applicant is continuing on the route with the same partner, transitional provisions may apply. Under those provisions, the starting income threshold remains £18,600, with additional amounts potentially required for relevant dependent children, subject to an overall cap of £29,000.
There are also different provisions where the sponsoring partner receives certain specified disability- or carer-related benefits. In those circumstances, the usual minimum income requirement may not apply, and the application may instead be assessed against an adequate maintenance requirement.
It is therefore important to establish which financial requirement applies to you before considering whether your income is sufficient.
-
I have just started a new job earning £29,000. Can my spouse apply for a UK spouse visa now?
Potentially. Starting a new job does not necessarily mean that you have to wait six months before your spouse can apply.
Where someone has been employed by their current employer for less than six months, it may be possible to rely on what is commonly referred to as Category B. This is particularly relevant to people who have recently changed jobs.
However, it is not enough simply to show that your new employment contract states that you will earn £29,000. Under Category B, the Home Office will generally consider both your employment income at the date of application and the employment income actually received during the relevant 12 month period before the application.
This is where difficulties can arise. For example, someone may have recently started a job paying £35,000 but have had a period of unemployment before starting that job. Another person may have changed jobs several times during the previous 12 months but have been continuously employed.
Those two applicants may have very different calculations even though they currently earn the same salary.
If you have recently started or changed employment, it is therefore worth checking the financial calculation before submitting the application rather than assuming that your current annual salary is enough.
-
Can Universal Credit count towards the spouse visa financial requirement?
Receiving Universal Credit does not, by itself, mean that you are exempt from the minimum income requirement. This is sometimes confused with the rules relating to certain specified benefits.
If the sponsoring partner receives one of the specified disability- or carer-related benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Carer’s Allowance, the application may instead be considered under the adequate maintenance provisions.
Universal Credit itself does not automatically place an applicant within that category.
For example, if you are working and earning £28,000 per year while also receiving Universal Credit, you should not simply assume that the Universal Credit payment can be added to your salary to take you above the £29,000 threshold.
However, being slightly below £29,000 does not necessarily mean that you cannot meet the requirement. Depending upon your circumstances, there may be other permitted sources of income or qualifying cash savings that can be considered.
-
How much savings do I need for a UK spouse visa if I have no income?
If you are subject to the £29,000 minimum income requirement and intend to meet it entirely through cash savings, you would ordinarily need £88,500 in qualifying savings for an entry clearance or extension application.
The calculation is based on the first £16,000 of savings being disregarded and the remaining amount being used according to the formula prescribed by the Immigration Rules.
Where there is no qualifying income, the calculation is:
£29,000 x 2.5 = £72,500
£72,500 + £16,000 = £88,500
Having £88,500 in an account does not, however, automatically mean that the financial requirement is met.
There are rules concerning who can own the savings, where and how they are held and the period for which they must usually have been held. Different considerations can also arise where the money originates from the sale of property or from investments.
It is therefore important to consider not only the amount of savings available but whether those savings qualify under the Immigration Rules.
-
Can I combine my salary and savings to meet the £29,000 spouse visa requirement?
In certain circumstances, yes.
If your qualifying income falls below £29,000, cash savings above £16,000 may potentially be used to make up the difference.
The ability to combine savings with income does, however, depend upon the category of income being relied upon. Savings cannot simply be combined with every type of income in every situation. This is particularly important where self-employment, income connected with certain limited companies or particular employment circumstances are involved.
Before relying on a combination of income and savings, the relevant category should therefore be identified carefully.
-
What is the spouse visa financial requirement for a wife and two children?
For a new partner application subject to the current financial requirement, the minimum income requirement is generally £29,000. The amount does not increase simply because two dependent children are applying with the spouse.
This differs from the previous financial requirement. For applicants who fall within the transitional provisions, the starting requirement is generally £18,600, with an additional £3,800 for the first relevant child and £2,400 for each additional relevant child.
For example, where two relevant children are included, that calculation would produce:
£18,600 + £3,800 + £2,400 = £24,800.
Not every child is included in the calculation. The position can differ, for example, where a child is British, Irish or otherwise falls within one of the exclusions contained in the Rules.
The transitional financial requirement is also capped at £29,000.
This is why the date on which the family first entered the partner route and the status of the children can be important when calculating the applicable requirement.
-
I met the financial requirement for my first spouse visa but I no longer meet it. Can I still get an extension?
Meeting the financial requirement when your original spouse visa was granted does not mean that it is automatically treated as satisfied when you apply for an extension. Your circumstances will generally need to be considered again at the extension stage.
There can, however, be an important difference between an entry clearance application and an extension application. Once the applicant is living lawfully in the UK and is permitted to work, their qualifying UK employment income may potentially be taken into account. This can mean that a couple who initially relied entirely upon the sponsoring partner’s income can potentially rely upon both partners’ qualifying income at the extension stage.
If your household income has fallen and you no longer satisfy the usual financial requirement, that also does not necessarily mean that there is no basis upon which you can remain in the UK.
Appendix FM contains other provisions that can become relevant in particular family and human rights circumstances. Applications relying upon those provisions can have different consequences, including for the route towards settlement, so advice should be obtained before assuming that the only option is simply to submit the same type of extension application.
-
Can my spouse’s income be included in the £29,000 financial requirement?
This depends upon the circumstances of the application. If the applicant is already lawfully in the UK with permission to work, their qualifying employment income may potentially be taken into account together with their partner’s qualifying income.
The position is different where the spouse is applying for entry clearance from overseas. There are also specific rules concerning overseas employment where a sponsoring partner is returning to the UK with the applicant.
The fact that both partners work, therefore, does not by itself answer the question. Where the applicant is living, their current immigration status and the source of the income all need to be considered.
-
I earn more than £29,000. Can my spouse visa still be refused because of the financial requirement?
Earning more than £29,000 does not automatically mean that the financial requirement has been demonstrated correctly. The Immigration Rules contain detailed evidential requirements.
Depending upon the financial category relied upon, evidence can include payslips, corresponding bank statements and a letter from the employer confirming specified information. Different requirements apply where someone is self-employed, receives non-employment income, relies upon a pension or has income connected with certain limited companies.
Timing is also important. The Home Office may need to assess income over a particular period, and the documents provided need to correspond with the category being relied upon.
We regularly find that the important question is not simply “How much do you earn?” but “Which financial category applies and do you have the evidence required for that category?”
-
I cannot meet the £29,000 spouse visa financial requirement. What are my options?
The first step is to establish whether £29,000 actually applies to your application.
You may fall within the transitional provisions because of when you first entered the partner route. Alternatively, where the sponsoring partner receives certain specified benefits, the adequate maintenance provisions may apply instead of the usual minimum income requirement.
If the £29,000 requirement does apply, it is important to consider the complete financial circumstances before concluding that it cannot be met. Depending upon the circumstances, permitted sources can include employment income, certain non employment income, pension income and qualifying cash savings.
There are also provisions within Appendix FM which can become relevant where the normal requirements cannot be met and there are particular circumstances involving family life, children or human rights.
However, relying upon those provisions is very different from demonstrating that the ordinary financial requirement is met. It can also have significant implications for the applicant’s immigration route and the period before they may qualify for settlement.
If you are unable to meet the financial requirement, obtaining advice before making the application can therefore be particularly important.
Do I need an immigration solicitor for the spouse visa financial requirement?
The financial requirement can become complicated very quickly where circumstances do not fit neatly within the standard requirements. This can particularly be the case if you have recently started a new job, changed employers, had periods without employment, receive variable pay, are self-employed, are a director of a company, receive benefits, intend to rely on savings or need to combine different sources of income.
It can also be important to obtain advice if you previously qualified under different financial provisions or are unsure whether the transitional rules apply to you.
Even in straightforward cases, we have dealt with applicants who came to us after unexpectedly being refused or placed on the 10-year settlement route because they had failed to provide certain required documents.
At Saracens Solicitors, we advise individuals and families on spouse and partner applications, including the financial and evidential requirements. We can assess your circumstances, identify the relevant financial category and advise you on the documents required for your application.
If you are unsure whether you meet the spouse visa financial requirement, contact our immigration team on +44 (0)20 3588 3500 or press Enquire at the top of this page to discuss your circumstances before submitting your application.
