English Language Requirement for Spouse Visa: Complete Guide

The Three Levels Explained

The spouse visa route has three stages, each with a different English language level:

• First application: at least A1. GOV.UK says you must pass at least level A1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and that you can choose to take a higher level test.
• Extension after 2 years and 6 months: at least A2 in speaking and listening. That is if you passed A1 first time. GOV.UK says that if you passed A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2, you can use that result again, as long as the certificate has not been withdrawn by the provider.
• Settlement after 5 years: B1. GOV.UK says that a pass at B1 or higher taken earlier on the route can be used again here, provided the test is still on the approved list of qualifications and the certificate has not been withdrawn.

One consequence is worth planning around. Passing at B1 at the very first application can carry you through all three stages on one certificate, where passing at A1 means sitting a test again at the extension and again at settlement.

On the partner and settlement routes, the GOV.UK guidance on secure English language tests says the test assesses speaking and listening. It is the work and study routes that require reading and writing as well.

Approved Tests and Providers

You must take a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. For the full list of approved tests, see our English language tests guide or check the GOV.UK approved test list.

The provider list is not the same everywhere, which catches people out when they are abroad. GOV.UK gives two lists.

• If you are in the UK: Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, or Pearson.
• If you are outside the UK: PSI Services (UK) Ltd, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, or Pearson.

Trinity College London appears only on the in-UK list, and PSI Services only on the outside-UK list.

The name on the booking matters as much as the provider. GOV.UK names the products that are approved for this purpose:

• IELTS SELT Consortium: IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills. An ordinary IELTS Academic or General Training booking is not one of these.
• LANGUAGECERT: LANGUAGECERT International ESOL SELT, LANGUAGECERT Academic SELT, or LANGUAGECERT General SELT. GOV.UK notes that from 6 July 2025 the LANGUAGECERT ESOL SELT four-skills test was replaced by the Academic and General tests, and that a four-skills result already held remains valid for 2 years.
• Pearson: PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home.
• PSI Services: Skills for English UKVI.
• Trinity College London: Secure English Language Tests for UKVI, either Integrated Skills in English or Graded Examinations in Spoken English.

GOV.UK sets three conditions for a result to be accepted: the test must be on the list of approved English language tests, must have been sat at an approved test location, and must have been awarded in the two years before the date of your application. It adds that it is for you to decide which test to take, and that the approved list gives the level and minimum grade for each.

Exemptions

You do not need to take a test if you qualify for an exemption. The main exemptions are:

Your Circumstances

GOV.UK says you do not need to prove your knowledge of English or take a test if one of the following is true:

• you are applying as a child;
• you are applying as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative;
• you have been in the UK on a family visa for 5 years and are extending it as a partner or parent;
• you are over 65; or
• you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement.

Your Nationality

The nationality exemption is a fixed list, set out at paragraph GEN.1.6 of Appendix FM and repeated on GOV.UK. It has 18 entries:

• Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize
• the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada
• Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago, the USA

It is a closed list, and English being an official or widely spoken language somewhere does not put that country on it. India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Singapore and the Philippines are all not on it. Nor is Ireland, whose citizens have separate rights under the Common Travel Area.

Degree Taught in English

This is one of the three published ways of proving the requirement, alongside a test and a degree from a UK institution. Which evidence you need depends on who awarded the degree.

• Awarded by a UK institution: the qualification must be degree level and taught in English. GOV.UK says it counts even if you studied outside the UK, and that you only need your degree certificate.
• Awarded outside the UK: you apply for an assessment from Ecctis, which was called UK ENIC and before that NARIC. Ecctis gives you a code confirming that the qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English. GOV.UK adds that if you have already been assessed by Ecctis you do not need to reapply, and can use the certificate from that earlier assessment.

GOV.UK also says that if you have already proved your knowledge of English in a previous successful visa application, you may not have to prove it again.

Test Validity and Timing

The general rule from the GOV.UK guidance on secure English language tests is that the test must have been awarded in the two years before the date of your application. Taking it too early is therefore as much of a problem as taking it too late.

There are two published exceptions on this route, and both work in your favour:

• A pass at A2 or above at the first application can be used again at the extension, rather than sitting a new test.
• A pass at B1 or higher can be used again at settlement after 5 years, provided the test is still on the approved list of qualifications and the certificate has not been withdrawn by the provider.

How long results take to arrive is set by each provider, not by GOV.UK, so check with yours rather than working from a figure in a guide.

Preparing for the Test

On the partner and settlement routes the test assesses speaking and listening. GOV.UK sets that out directly: it lists the routes requiring reading, writing, speaking and listening, which are mostly work and study routes, and separately lists the routes requiring speaking and listening, which include partner, parent, settlement and citizenship.

• Practice speaking English regularly. Conversation with your partner, friends, or a language exchange partner is the best preparation.
• Familiarise yourself with the test format. Each approved provider publishes sample materials and practice tests on their website.
• Take a preparation class if needed. Many language schools offer IELTS Life Skills or SELT preparation courses.
• Use free online resources. The British Council, BBC Learning English, and IELTS preparation websites offer free materials.

The B1 test required at settlement is on the speaking and listening list too. It is a higher level than A1 or A2, not a different kind of test.

What If You Fail?

You can book and sit it again. GOV.UK publishes neither a limit on attempts nor a waiting period between them for a secure English language test, so this guide asserts neither; what governs it is your provider's terms and availability.

One published detail is useful if you nearly passed. GOV.UK says that where two or more components of a test are examined and awarded together, you must achieve the required scores in all of them with the same test centre provider, and that in certain circumstances, if you failed one component, you may be allowed to sit that component again. Check the provider's terms and conditions before booking.

If you fail, consider:

• Identifying your weaknesses (listening, speaking, or both)
• Taking a preparation course
• Practising with sample materials from the test provider
• Allowing more preparation time before retaking

Remember that you cannot submit your visa application without a valid test pass (unless you are exempt). Factor potential retakes into your timeline.

Next Steps

Check the exemption list first: it is the fastest answer, and it is fixed. If a test is needed, book the right product from the right provider for where you are sitting it, at an approved location, and keep the certificate. Consider whether taking B1 at the first application is worth it, since GOV.UK allows that result to be reused later on the same route.

Related guides:

• English Language Tests for UK Visas
• Spouse Visa UK: Complete Guide
• Spouse Visa Extension Guide
• Spouse Visa Documents Checklist
• Indefinite Leave to Remain Guide
• UK Visa Fees: Complete Guide
• Immigration Health Surcharge

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