English Language Tests Accepted for UK Visas

Why English Language Testing Is Required

The UK government requires most visa applicants to demonstrate their English ability. The purpose is to ensure that people coming to the UK can communicate in everyday life, work effectively, and integrate into their communities.

The requirement applies at different levels for different routes. A Spouse visa applicant needs a lower level of English than someone applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). A student applying for a degree-level course needs to prove a higher level than a student applying for a pre-sessional English course.

The levels are defined using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This is an international standard that ranges from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery). For a detailed comparison of what each level means in practice, see our English level comparison guide.

CEFR Levels Required for UK Visas

Here are the CEFR levels you will encounter in UK immigration:

• A1 (Beginner): You can introduce yourself and answer basic personal questions. Required for the initial Spouse visa application.
• A2 (Elementary): You can communicate in simple, routine tasks. Required for Spouse visa extensions.
• B1 (Intermediate): You can deal with most situations that arise while travelling or working. Required for study below degree level, for extending a Skilled Worker visa first granted before 8 January 2026, and for settlement and citizenship (rising to B2 for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027).
• B2 (Upper Intermediate): You can interact fluently and spontaneously. Required for new Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual and Scale-up applications since 8 January 2026, and for study at degree level or above. See our B2 requirement guide for details.
• C1 and C2: Higher levels on the same scale. They are on the approved test list, and a result at C1 or C2 can be used wherever a lower level is asked for.

Approved Secure English Language Tests

For UK visa purposes, you must take a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider. A regular English test, even from a well-known provider, is not accepted unless it is the specific Secure English Language Test version. GOV.UK also says English for Speakers of Other Languages qualifications can only be used if they are on the approved list, and that GCSEs, A levels and National Vocational Qualifications cannot be used as Secure English Language Tests. (Some UK school qualifications are accepted separately on the Skilled Worker and Student routes — see below.)

The approved providers differ depending on where you take it:

• Inside the UK: Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson.
• Outside the UK: PSI Services (UK) Ltd, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson.

So Trinity College London tests are only available inside the UK, and PSI's Skills for English only outside it. A test taken in the UK can be used for applications made overseas, and a test taken overseas can be used for applications made in the UK.

For full details on booking your test, see our English test booking guide.

IELTS for UKVI

IELTS for UKVI is the most widely used test for UK visa applications. It is available in two formats:

• IELTS for UKVI (Academic): Used for Student visa applications at degree level and above.
• IELTS for UKVI (General Training): Used for work and family visa routes. Tests practical, everyday English.

Both formats test reading, writing, speaking, and listening. For more detail, see our IELTS for UK visa guide.

Important: Standard IELTS Academic (not the UKVI version) is not on the approved list. There is one published exception to needing an approved test at all: on the Student route, where the course is at degree level or above, GOV.UK says the Higher Education Provider can assess the applicant's English itself and may ask for a different test, which must still be equivalent to CEFR level B2.

IELTS Life Skills

IELTS Life Skills tests only speaking and listening. It is designed for visa routes that only require A1 or B1 in these two skills, such as the Spouse visa and some settlement applications.

• IELTS Life Skills A1: For first partner or spouse visa applications.
• IELTS Life Skills A2: For family visa extensions.
• IELTS Life Skills B1: For settlement and citizenship applications.

Pearson: PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home

Pearson has two approved tests. PTE Academic UKVI covers reading, writing, speaking and listening, and is on the approved list at B1, B2, C1 and C2. PTE Home covers speaking and listening only, at A1, A2 and B1.

Trinity College London (inside the UK only)

Trinity offers two approved tests:

• Integrated Skills in English: Tests reading, writing, speaking and listening. On the approved list as ISE I (B1), ISE II (B2), ISE III (C1) and ISE IV (C2).
• Graded Examinations in Spoken English: Tests speaking and listening only. On the approved list as Grade 2 (A1), Grade 3 (A2) and Grade 5 (B1).

LANGUAGECERT

LANGUAGECERT has three approved tests: LANGUAGECERT International ESOL SELT (in speaking-and-listening and four-skill versions), LANGUAGECERT Academic SELT and LANGUAGECERT General SELT (both four-skill). From 6 July 2025 the LANGUAGECERT ESOL SELT four-skills test was replaced by the Academic SELT and General SELT tests; GOV.UK says a LANGUAGECERT ESOL SELT four-skills result already held remains valid for 2 years.

PSI Services: Skills for English UKVI (outside the UK only)

Skills for English UKVI is on the approved list in a two-component (speaking and listening) version at A1, A2 and B1, and a four-component version at B1, B2, C1 and C2.

English Requirements by Visa Route

Skilled Worker Visa

GOV.UK says a new Skilled Worker application needs level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. This has applied to new applications since 8 January 2026, and the same level applies to new High Potential Individual and Scale-up applications. Switching to a Skilled Worker visa from a different visa also needs B2.

Someone who held a Skilled Worker visa before 8 January 2026 and is extending or updating it needs level B1, and GOV.UK says they do not need to prove their knowledge of English again. Someone switching from a Health and Care Worker visa also does not need to provide proof again.

English can be proved on this route by:

• a UK school qualification begun when you were under 18 — a GCSE, an A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, or Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English;
• a degree taught in English and awarded by a UK institution;
• a degree from an institution outside the UK taught in English, with an Ecctis assessment;
• an approved Secure English Language Test; or
• nationality of one of the countries GOV.UK lists (see below).

GOV.UK adds that doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and vets do not need to prove their knowledge of English if they have already passed an English language assessment accepted by the relevant regulated professional body. For vets, that may mean an assessment with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Partner or Spouse Visa

The partner visa English requirement rises through the route:

• First application: at least level A1. A higher level can be taken by choice.
• Extension after 2 years and 6 months: what is needed depends on the level passed for the first visa. Someone who passed A1 needs at least A2 in speaking and listening. Someone who passed A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2 can use that result again, as long as the test provider has not withdrawn the certificate. Someone who was given an exemption at the first application needs to pass a test at level A1.
• Settlement: level B1. GOV.UK notes that a result at B1 or higher passed for the first visa can be used again at settlement, provided the test is still on the approved list and the certificate has not been withdrawn.

Student Visa

GOV.UK publishes two levels: a course at degree level or above needs the equivalent of CEFR level B2; a course below degree level needs CEFR level B1. Where you are studying at degree level or above with a Higher Education Provider, GOV.UK says the provider can assess your English itself and may ask you to take a different test, which must still be equivalent to B2.

Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

Most settlement applications require B1 in speaking and listening. For applications made on or after 26 March 2027, Appendix KoLL requires B2 instead. You also need to pass the Life in the UK test. See our English for settlement guide for the full requirements.

British Citizenship

Citizenship requires B1 in speaking and listening plus the Life in the UK test. GOV.UK adds that if you were exempt when you were granted settlement, you will need to submit an exemption form again for the citizenship application. See our English for citizenship guide.

GOV.UK also splits the routes by which skills are tested. Health and Care Worker, High Potential Individual, Innovator Founder, Minister of Religion, Scale-up Worker, Skilled Worker, Start-up, Student and Temporary Work (International Agreement, private servants in a diplomatic household applying for entry clearance) need a test covering reading, writing, speaking and listening. Citizenship, International Sportsperson, parent, partner, Representative of an Overseas Business and settlement need a test covering speaking and listening.

Exemptions from the English Language Requirement

Nationals of the countries GOV.UK lists as majority English-speaking do not have to prove their knowledge of English. The list is fixed, and identical on the family, Skilled Worker and settlement pages:

• 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
• USA

GOV.UK says in terms: "If you're from a country that's not on the list you'll need to prove your knowledge of English, even if English is an official language." Ireland appears on the settlement and citizenship list for citizenship applications only, and on the Student visa list. The full lists are published on GOV.UK.

The other published ways out of a test are:

• A degree taught in English. A degree-level qualification taught in English and awarded by a UK institution counts on the Skilled Worker, Student and family routes, even if you studied outside the UK; only the degree certificate is needed. A degree from an institution outside the UK needs an assessment from Ecctis, which issues a code confirming it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English. For settlement and citizenship, GOV.UK says the degree must be academic rather than vocational.
• A physical or mental condition. Where a long-term condition prevents someone from meeting the requirement, the requirement can be waived. GOV.UK asks for a completed exemption form from a doctor, with original copies of current relevant medical reports.
• Age. For settlement and citizenship, Appendix KoLL exempts applicants who are under 18 or aged 65 or over at the date of application, from both the English requirement and the Life in the UK test. The family route lists an exemption for people over 65.
• Family route situations. GOV.UK also lists applying as a child, applying as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative, and having been in the UK on a family visa for 5 years and extending as a partner or parent.
• Settlement situations. Settling on a Skilled Worker, Representative of an Overseas Business, Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson, Innovator Founder, International Agreement (Temporary Work), Domestic Worker in a Private Household or Scale-up Worker visa does not need the English requirement proved again. Nor do applications to settle as a refugee, with humanitarian protection or with discretionary leave, as a bereaved partner, as a victim of domestic violence, as an adult dependent relative aged 18 to 64, as a retired person of independent means, or as a Commonwealth citizen on discharge from the armed forces.

How Long Is My English Test Valid?

GOV.UK says test results are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded. Appendix KoLL puts the settlement version of the same rule as the test having been taken no more than two years before the date of application.

An expired result is not always useless. GOV.UK publishes two cases where a B1, B2, C1 or C2 qualification that has run out can still be used:

• For settlement: where it is on the current list of recognised tests and it was accepted for another UK immigration application, for example when you got permission to enter.
• For citizenship: where it was accepted when you settled in the UK. GOV.UK adds that it does not matter if the test is no longer on the current list, and that you do not need to take another test.

The family route has its own version: a result at B1 or higher passed for a first visa can be used again at settlement, provided the test is still on the approved list and the certificate has not been withdrawn by the provider. See our expired English test guide.

Minimum Scores for Each Level

Each test provider has its own scoring system that maps to CEFR levels. The Home Office publishes the minimum grade for each approved test and level in two spreadsheets, one for tests taken in the UK and one for tests taken outside it. The figures below are from those lists. Where a four-skill test is used, the minimum has to be reached in each component, not as an average or an overall score.

IELTS SELT Consortium

• A1, A2 and B1: IELTS Life Skills at that level, pass
• B1: IELTS for UKVI, 4.0 in each of listening, speaking, reading and writing
• B2: IELTS for UKVI, 5.5 in each component
• C1: IELTS for UKVI, 7.0 in each component
• C2: IELTS for UKVI, 8.5 in each component

Pearson

• A1, A2 and B1: PTE Home at that level, pass
• B1: PTE Academic UKVI, 43 in each component
• B2: PTE Academic UKVI, 59 in each component
• C1: PTE Academic UKVI, 76 in each component
• C2: PTE Academic UKVI, 85 in each component

Trinity College London (inside the UK)

• A1: Graded Examinations in Spoken English, Grade 2, pass
• A2: Graded Examinations in Spoken English, Grade 3, pass
• B1: Graded Examinations in Spoken English, Grade 5, pass
• B1, B2, C1 and C2: Integrated Skills in English I, II, III and IV, a pass in each of reading, listening, speaking and writing

LANGUAGECERT

• A1 and A2: International ESOL SELT (speaking and listening), 60/100
• B1: Academic SELT or General SELT, 40 in each component; International ESOL SELT four-skill, 33/50 in each component
• B2: Academic SELT or General SELT, 60 in each component
• C1: Academic SELT or General SELT, 75 in each component
• C2: Academic SELT, 90/100 in each component

PSI Services, Skills for English UKVI (outside the UK)

• A1, A2 and B1 two-component: pass
• B1, B2, C1 and C2 four-component: a pass in each component

The lists are updated from time to time. Check the current spreadsheets on GOV.UK as these can be updated.

Booking and Test Day

• Timing. GOV.UK says "you should be able to take a test within 28 days of booking, but it may not always be at the location nearest to you". If there is no approved test location in your country, you have to travel to another country to take the test.
• Book the right test. Book the version approved as a Secure English Language Test, not the standard academic version.
• Book in the name on your identity document. GOV.UK says the details used to book must be the same as on your passport or other identity document. If your surname has changed and you want to book in the new name, the passport or identity document has to be changed first.
• Bring the right identity document. It must be current and valid, an original rather than a photocopy, include a photo of you, and match the information given when booking. A passport, convention travel document or stateless person's travel document is accepted in and outside the UK. Inside the UK you can instead use an eVisa share code. If you cannot access your eVisa, an expired biometric residence permit or card can be used until 24 months after the expiry date printed on it or 31 December 2026, whichever is sooner. Emergency travel documents are not accepted.
• Every component counts. The minimum grade has to be reached in each component. GOV.UK adds that where two or more components are examined and awarded together, they must be achieved with the same test centre provider as part of one combined assessment, and that some providers allow a single failed component to be resat — check the provider's terms before booking.
• Reasonable adjustments. Special requests can be made when booking, for example extra equipment or help accessing the test location.
• Third-party booking sites. GOV.UK warns that some claim to be affiliated with official Home Office partners when they are not, and says to check that a third party is officially recognised by the test provider and that its fees are the same as, or lower than, the price on the provider's own website.

Common English Test Mistakes

• Taking the wrong version of the test. Standard IELTS Academic is not a Secure English Language Test. The approved test is IELTS for UKVI.
• Letting the result run out. A result is valid for 2 years from the date it is awarded.
• Not checking the route's specific requirements. Some routes need a test covering all four skills. Others need only speaking and listening. The two lists are set out above.
• Booking in a name that does not match the identity document. GOV.UK says the details used to book the test must match the document you present at the test location, and that you will not be allowed to take the test if you cannot prove your identity.
• Leaving out the reference number. GOV.UK says the Secure English Language Test unique reference number must be used when making the application, and that an application may be refused if it is not included.

After You Pass

• You are given a Secure English Language Test unique reference number, which must be used when making the application. It appears on the result as "UER" for Trinity College London, "UKVI number" for the IELTS SELT Consortium, "Candidate URN" for LANGUAGECERT, "SELT URN" for Pearson and "URN" for PSI Skills for English.
• You do not send any test documents with the application. GOV.UK says results and scores are checked using each provider's online verification system, using that reference number.
• The result is valid for 2 years from the date it is awarded, so the application falls within that window.
• On the partner route, the level rises through the route: A1, then A2 in speaking and listening at the extension, then B1 at settlement.
• Settlement and citizenship applications also need the Life in the UK test.

Questions and answers