UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement (2026): The £29,000 Threshold, How to Meet It, and What Counts as Evidence

The minimum income requirement for a UK spouse or partner visa in 2026 is £29,000 gross per year. The threshold applies to the sponsoring partner, who is the British citizen or person settled in the UK. The applicant's earnings outside the UK generally do not count toward the figure at first application. Either the income is met or a cash savings alternative is shown.

The £29,000 number became the new threshold on 11 April 2024, replacing the £18,600 figure that had been in place since 2012. The Government had announced phased increases to £34,500 and then to roughly £38,700, but those increases have been paused pending policy review. The Migration Advisory Committee's June 2025 review suggested £23,000 to £25,000 might be more appropriate. As at June 2026, the threshold remains £29,000 with no published timetable for change.

This article covers who has to meet it, the five ways to do so, the £88,500 cash savings alternative, the adequate maintenance exception, and the refusal patterns that catch applicants out.

Who has to meet the requirement

The financial requirement sits in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. It applies to applications under the five-year partner route covering:

• Spouse visa
• Civil partner visa
• Unmarried partner visa (cohabiting for at least two years in a relationship akin to marriage)
• Fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner visa
• Parent of a child in the UK route (in certain circumstances)

The sponsoring partner is the person already in the UK with British citizenship, settlement, or refugee status. The applicant is the partner outside the UK seeking entry, or inside the UK seeking switching from another visa category.

The £29,000 figure is the sponsor's gross annual income before tax. Net or after-tax income does not satisfy the rule.

What £29,000 actually means

The £29,000 figure is a threshold, not a target. There is no benefit to earning more, and falling short by even a small margin triggers refusal unless the savings or maintenance routes apply.

Gross income includes employment salary before tax and national insurance, self-employment net profit, dividend income from companies the sponsor controls, pension income, rental income, and certain investment income. Bonuses and overtime can count if they meet the specified evidence requirements.

Income excluded from the calculation includes most state benefits, tax credits (where they still apply), child maintenance from the applicant, and one-off gifts.

For sponsors with dependent children also applying, the threshold rises. The original Appendix FM regime added £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child. The Home Office has not yet published its definitive position on whether those uplifts apply on top of £29,000 or whether they have been absorbed. Sponsors with children should expect the relevant Appendix FM uplift to still apply. Verify the figure on gov.uk before submission.

The five ways to meet the requirement

Appendix FM sets out five categories. Each has specified evidence rules that, if not followed exactly, lead to refusal.

Category A: Employment income in the UK (sponsor employed for at least six months). Six months of payslips, six months of bank statements showing the salary credited, employer letter confirming the role, gross annual salary, and length of employment.

Category B: Variable employment income in the UK (sponsor employed less than six months, or with variable income). Twelve months of payslips and bank statements. The Home Office looks at total gross income from employment over the twelve months.

Category C: Non-employment income. Rental income, dividends, pension, investment income. Twelve months of evidence required, including tax returns and source documents.

Category D: Cash savings. £88,500 held for at least six months in cash, in a regulated financial institution, accessible to the sponsor or applicant.

Category E: Sponsor on certain benefits (Carer's Allowance, DLA, PIP, AA, and others listed in Appendix FM-SE). The financial requirement is replaced by the adequate maintenance test (see below).

Combinations. Sponsors can combine some categories. Income from Category A or B can combine with savings or non-employment income to reach the threshold. The specified-evidence rules in Appendix FM-SE govern exactly which combinations are valid.

The £88,500 cash savings route in detail

Cash savings are calculated using the formula in Appendix FM-SE: £16,000 plus 2.5 times the income shortfall.

Sponsor's qualifying income	Cash savings required
£0	£88,500
£10,000	£63,500
£20,000	£38,500
£25,000	£26,000
£29,000	£16,000 (held for evidence)

The savings must be held in cash in a regulated financial institution. They must have been held by the sponsor, the applicant, or jointly, for at least six months before the application. The savings must be available to the couple (not tied up in third-party arrangements).

Property values, business assets, and pension pots do not count as cash savings. Cryptocurrency held in wallets does not count.

Gifts and lump sums received within the six-month period are problematic. The savings must demonstrably belong to the couple for the full six months. A wedding gift transferred two months before application will not satisfy the rule.

The adequate maintenance exception

Where the sponsor receives one of the specified benefits listed in Appendix FM-SE (Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Constant Attendance Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit), the £29,000 financial requirement does not apply.

Instead, an adequate maintenance test applies. The Home Office assesses whether the family unit will have enough income after housing costs to live without recourse to public funds at the income support level.

The calculation looks at net income (after tax and NI), subtracts council tax and housing costs, and compares the residue against the equivalent income support figure for a family of the relevant size.

The adequate maintenance route is more flexible but requires precise budgeting evidence. Applicants in this category benefit from instructing a solicitor or OISC-registered immigration adviser.

Common refusal reasons

Missing one payslip from the six- or twelve-month run. The specified evidence rules require an unbroken sequence. One missing month triggers refusal.

Bank statements that do not match the payslips. Salary credited dates, gross-to-net calculations, and employer references must align. Mismatches trigger requests for further information at best, refusal at worst.

Self-employment income calculated wrong. Net profit from self-employment is calculated after allowable business expenses but before personal tax. Sponsors often present turnover or post-tax figures instead.

Savings held outside the six-month window. Funds received within six months of the application date generally do not count.

Employer letter missing required elements. The Home Office letter format requires gross salary, start date, type of employment, role, and confirmation of paid leave. Missing elements lead to evidential refusal.

Income from multiple sources without combining correctly. Category combinations follow strict rules. Mixing sources without checking the Appendix FM-SE combination rules trips up many applications.

Wrong tax year for self-employed sponsors. Tax year evidence must match the period being relied on. Applicants often present last year's tax return when the current year's figure is what matters.

When to instruct a solicitor

The financial requirement looks simple. The specified evidence rules are not.

Instruct a solicitor or OISC Level 2 or 3 immigration adviser when any of these apply:

• The sponsor is self-employed or a director of their own company
• Income comes from multiple sources (employment plus rental plus dividends)
• The sponsor receives any of the specified benefits triggering adequate maintenance
• Savings have moved between accounts during the six-month qualifying period
• A previous spouse visa application was refused on financial grounds
• The relationship has complicating features (long-distance, recent move-in, prior refused application)

For the matter, find an immigration solicitor on the Law Society's directory, an OISC-registered adviser, or a barrister with direct access immigration practice. Free advice may be available through Citizens Advice or specialist charities for applicants on low incomes.

---

Current as at 1 June 2026. This is educational. For your specific facts, instruct a qualified immigration solicitor or OISC-registered adviser.

Part of the Janus Compliance UK Immigration cluster. See also: Legal hub, Family law, Employment law.