Spouse Visa Application Mistakes: Top Errors to Avoid

Financial Evidence Mistakes

The income requirement is £29,000 a year for applications made on or after 11 April 2024. Appendix FM-SE then specifies, for each source of income, which documents prove it, what period they must cover, and what they must show. That is where the rules are most exact.

1. Bank Statements Not Covering the Correct Period

Category A income requires 6 months of payslips and matching bank statements. Category B requires 12 months. If your bank statements cover 5 months instead of 6, the application will be refused on this ground alone.

2. Payslips Not Matching Bank Statements

The threshold is measured on gross pay, before tax and National Insurance, while what lands in the account is net. A gap between the two figures is expected. What the evidence has to do is line up: each payslip should have a matching entry on the bank statement for the same period. GOV.UK also asks for a letter from the employer, dated and on headed paper, confirming that the person is employed there, their job title, how long they have worked there, the type of contract, what they earn before tax and National Insurance, how long they have been paid that salary, and that the payslips are genuine.

3. Savings Not Held for 6 Months

Cash savings must have been held for at least 6 months before the date of application, and be under the control of you, your partner, or both. The amount needed is £16,000 plus 2.5 times any shortfall against £29,000, so savings alone means £88,500. At settlement the rules disregard the words "2.5 times", so the same shortfall needs only £16,000 plus the shortfall itself. A deposit made shortly before applying does not meet the 6-month rule. See the sponsor income guide for the savings calculation.

4. Self-Employment Evidence Gaps

Paragraph 7 of Appendix FM-SE says all of the following must be provided for self-employment in the UK as a sole trader, a partner or in a franchise: evidence of the tax payable, paid and unpaid for the last full financial year; the self-assessment tax return and the Statement of Account (SA300 or SA302); proof of registration with HM Revenue and Customs as self-employed, if available; the Unique Taxpayer Reference; business bank statements for the same 12 months as the tax return, where a separate business account is held; personal bank statements for the same 12 months showing the income paid in; and evidence of ongoing self-employment dated no more than 3 months before the application. One further document is needed on top, from a list that includes audited accounts, or unaudited accounts with a certificate from an accountant who belongs to one of the named professional bodies.

Relationship Evidence Mistakes

5. Leaning on the Wrong Kind of Relationship Evidence

The Home Office caseworker guidance on relationship with a partner sorts relationship evidence into three columns, and it is worth knowing which is which before you assemble a bundle.

• Strong is evidence issued by an organisation that checks the person: a marriage or civil partnership certificate; a tenancy or mortgage agreement, deeds, or a letter from a landlord; utility bills such as council tax, electricity, gas and water; phone, TV licence and cable bills; driving licences, GP or medical letters, payslips and letters from the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs that link you both to the same address; bank statements, joint or individual; and, where you are apart, money transfers and bank transactions, children's birth certificates, a temporary work contract or employment letter, and study course documents. The guidance says that where an applicant shows enough strong evidence, the caseworker does not need to see other types.
• Acceptable is issued by a third party but may not have been checked or may be out of date: electoral register confirmation, student finance paperwork showing a UK address, dated UK-addressed domestic bills such as vet bills or home repairs, insurance, car finance, joint purchase receipts, flight, train and bus tickets, and holiday bookings.
• Weak is evidence from people with no official capacity, or that the provider has not verified: communication records, photographs of times spent together, written statements from the applicant, and letters of support from family, friends, doctors, religious or tribal leaders.

The guidance does not say weak evidence is worthless. It says to give it some weight, to look for it alongside one or two pieces of strong or acceptable evidence, and that you should not refuse an application simply because the applicant has only provided weak evidence. But a bundle made entirely of photographs and message screenshots is a bundle made entirely from the weak column. See our relationship evidence guide for detailed examples.

6. Assuming a Document List Exists

It does not. The same guidance says there is no specified evidence for proof of relationship, so a caseworker cannot refuse an application for the lack of a particular document, and must decide on the balance of probabilities whether the relationship is genuine and subsisting. It also tells caseworkers not to presume that relationships start and continue the way they commonly do in the UK, and gives examples: customs that permit living together only after marriage, discrimination that stops same-sex couples living together, and patriarchal practices that keep women off household bills and financial documents.

Where you and your partner live apart, the guidance asks for a reasonable explanation, and expects additional evidence of commitment such as shared financial responsibility or visits.

Documentation Mistakes

7. Missing Marriage Certificate or Translation

The marriage or civil partnership certificate is the strong evidence that the relationship is genuine, and the guidance table lists it as the only entry in that row. GOV.UK requires a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh. You are told how to provide your documents when you apply.

8. Expired English Language Certificate

Your English language test certificate must be from an approved provider and must not be expired. Check the English language requirement guide for the list of approved tests and validity periods.

9. Wrong Application Form

There are different application forms for applying from outside the UK versus inside the UK, and for initial applications versus extensions. Using the wrong form results in rejection. Check the GOV.UK family visa page to ensure you are using the correct form.

10. Passport and Previous Passports

GOV.UK asks for your current passport or other valid travel ID, and for copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports. There is no published rule that the passport must be valid for the whole length of the visa, so this guide does not state one, but an expired travel document is not a valid one. You will also be asked for details of any previous immigration applications and any criminal convictions, your National Insurance number if you have one, and, if you are applying from outside the UK, your parents' dates of birth and nationality.

Accommodation Mistakes

11. No Evidence of Accommodation

You must show that adequate accommodation is available. Common mistakes include providing no evidence at all, or providing a tenancy agreement in only one partner's name without a letter from the landlord confirming the applicant can live there.

Process Mistakes

12. Applying from Inside the UK When You Cannot

Appendix FM paragraph E-LTRP.2.1 says the applicant must not be in the UK as a visitor, or with valid permission granted for 6 months or less. The second limb has two exceptions, for someone here as a fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner and for permission granted pending family court or divorce proceedings. The visitor bar has none. There are two different online services, one for applications from outside the UK and one from inside. See our guides on applying from outside the UK and from inside the UK.

13. Not Paying the Immigration Health Surcharge

The surcharge is paid as part of the application. It is £1,035 a year for an adult and £776 a year for anyone under 18 at the date of application. GOV.UK gives the family visa totals directly: £2,587.50 for a 2 year 6 month grant and £3,105 for 2 years 9 months, and £1,940 and £2,328 for a child. There is no surcharge on a 6-month fiance visa applied for from outside the UK.

If you cannot pay the application fee, GOV.UK sets out a fee waiver for people who have no place to live and cannot afford one, who have a place to live but cannot afford essentials like food or heating, or who have a very low income where paying would harm a child's wellbeing.

14. Missing the Biometrics Appointment

After submitting the online application, you attend an appointment to give fingerprints and a photograph. There is no separate fee for this. The published decision times run from that appointment, so a late appointment moves the decision date with it.

How to Avoid These Mistakes

Before submitting your application:

• Use a checklist to verify every required document is included
• Cross-reference financial documents (payslips vs bank statements vs employer letter)
• Check that all names, dates, and reference numbers are consistent across documents
• Have someone else review the application before submission
• If you want an adviser, use one who is regulated. GOV.UK has a directory of regulated immigration advisers, and our DIY vs solicitor guide sets out what each option involves.

Next Steps

The refusal letter, if one comes, names the requirement the Home Office found was not met. That is what a further application has to answer. See our guide on reapplying after refusal.

Related guides:

• Spouse Visa UK: Complete Guide
• Documents Checklist
• Spouse Visa Costs 2026
• Spouse Visa Appeal

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