Spouse Visa Cost: Full Breakdown

Overview of Spouse Visa Costs

The UK Spouse Visa route involves several separate fees, paid at different stages.

This guide covers every cost for the initial application, the extension, and the journey to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). For costs across all UK visa routes, see our complete visa fees guide.

Initial Application Costs

When you first apply for a Spouse Visa, you will pay the following:

Application Fee: £2,064

This is the main fee paid to the Home Office. If you apply from outside the UK, the fee is £2,064. If you are switching from another visa inside the UK, the fee is £1,407.

Immigration Health Surcharge: £3,105

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) gives you access to the NHS for the duration of your visa. It costs £1,035 per year, charged in half-year steps and rounded up to cover the whole visa. A 33-month initial Spouse Visa is charged as 3 years, so the surcharge is £3,105.

Biometric Enrolment

You must provide your fingerprints and a photograph at an appointment. GOV.UK lists no separate fee for giving them.

English Language Test: No Published Price

You must prove your English at A1 level (speaking and listening) for the initial application. GOV.UK publishes no price for a Secure English Language Test; each approved provider sets its own fee. You do not need to take a test if you are a national of a country on GOV.UK's majority English-speaking list, or have a degree taught in English (a degree from outside the UK needs an Ecctis assessment). GOV.UK also lists exemptions, for example for people over 65. See our English language tests guide for details.

Optional Costs

Immigration Solicitor: No Published Price

A solicitor is not required, and GOV.UK publishes no figure for what solicitors charge. For more, see our immigration solicitor costs guide.

Priority Processing

From inside the UK, GOV.UK says you may be able to pay an extra £1,000 for the super priority service; the £500 priority service is not listed for family visas in the UK. From outside the UK, a priority service may be offered at some visa application centres; GOV.UK says priority family applications usually take 30 working days. See our processing time guide.

Document Translation

Any document not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation. GOV.UK publishes no price for translation.

TB Test Certificate

If you are applying from a country where tuberculosis screening is required, you must get a TB test from a clinic approved by the Home Office. GOV.UK publishes no price for the test.

Extension Costs (After 33 Months)

After your initial 33-month Spouse Visa, you must apply to extend for a further 30 months. The extension costs are:

• Application fee: £1,407 (applying from inside the UK).
• IHS: £2,587.50 (for 30 months, rounded up).
• English language test: You must prove A2 level English for the extension, unless you passed A2 or higher before. GOV.UK publishes no test price.
• Biometrics: No fee.

The published extension total is £3,994.50 (£1,407 + £2,587.50).

ILR Application Costs

After 5 years on a Spouse Visa, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. The costs at that stage include:

• ILR application fee: £3,226.
• Life in the UK test: £50 (you must pass this before applying). See our Life in the UK test guide.
• English: B1 in speaking and listening for settlement applications made before 26 March 2027, and B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. GOV.UK publishes no test price.
• No IHS: ILR holders do not pay the IHS.

Total Cost: Spouse Visa to ILR

Here is a summary of the published Home Office fees and health surcharge for the full Spouse Visa journey from initial application to ILR, for one person. English tests are extra, and GOV.UK publishes no price for them.

• Initial application: £2,064 + £3,105 (IHS) = £5,169
• Extension: £1,407 + £2,587.50 (IHS) = £3,994.50
• ILR: £3,226 + £50 (Life in UK test) = £3,276
• Total: £12,439.50

If you then apply for British citizenship, add another £1,839 (£1,709 to apply, plus a £130 citizenship ceremony fee). That brings the published total from Spouse Visa to British citizenship to £14,278.50 per person, before English tests.

For a broader view of costs that are easy to overlook, see our hidden costs of immigration guide.

Ways to Reduce Costs

The application fee and IHS are fixed. These published points affect the other costs:

• Solicitor: A solicitor is not required. GOV.UK publishes its own guidance, and our documents checklist lists the published document requirements.
• English test: Nationals of countries on GOV.UK's majority English-speaking list, and people with a degree taught in English, do not need to take a test.
• Priority processing: Standard processing has no extra fee; super priority costs £1,000.

IHS Refunds

If your Spouse Visa application is refused, you will not get the application fee back. The health surcharge is refunded automatically. GOV.UK says there is no refund if you leave the UK before your visa ends or are told to leave before it expires.

IHS refunds are paid automatically to the account or card used to pay, usually within 6 weeks of the decision. Check GOV.UK for the latest refund process.

Questions and answers