Spouse Visa £29,000 Income Requirement: Complete Guide

How the £29,000 Requirement Works

The UK-based sponsor (the British citizen or settled person) has to show a minimum gross annual income of £29,000. The figure applies to applications made as a partner on or after 11 April 2024, at the first application and again at each later stage.

Two groups sit outside it:

• People who first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending that visa are assessed against £18,600, plus £3,800 for a first child and £2,400 for each further child, capped at £29,000. See our transitional arrangements guide.
• Where the sponsoring partner receives one of the disability or carer benefits listed on GOV.UK, there is no minimum income figure. An adequate maintenance test based on income and housing costs is used instead.

The threshold can be met through various income sources. The GOV.UK income proof page and Appendix FM-SE set out the detailed rules. See our comprehensive sponsor income guide for a full breakdown of every income category.

Meeting the Requirement Through Employment

The most common way to meet the threshold:

Category A (Same Employer, 6+ Months)

If the sponsor has been with the same employer for at least 6 months, the Home Office looks at the gross annual salary. Provide 6 months' payslips, an employer letter, and matching bank statements.

Category B (Variable or New Employment)

If the sponsor has been employed for less than 6 months, or income varies, the Home Office looks at income over the last 12 months. The total must be at least £29,000, and the current salary must also be at least £29,000. Provide 12 months' evidence.

Using Savings

Savings above £16,000 can supplement or replace income. The formula:

(£29,000 - actual income) x 2.5 + £16,000 = savings needed

Examples:

• Income £25,000, shortfall £4,000: savings needed = (£4,000 x 2.5) + £16,000 = £26,000
• Income £20,000, shortfall £9,000: savings needed = (£9,000 x 2.5) + £16,000 = £38,500
• No income: savings needed = (£29,000 x 2.5) + £16,000 = £88,500

Savings must have been held for 6 months before the application date. They can be in the sponsor's account, the applicant's account, or a joint account.

Other Income Sources

• Self-employment: Tax returns (SA302), accounts, and bank statements required. See the income guide.
• Pensions: State, private, or workplace pensions all count.
• Rental income: From owned properties, with tenancy agreements and tax returns.
• Certain disability and carer benefits: where the sponsoring partner receives one of them — Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance are on the GOV.UK list — the minimum income figure does not apply at all, and an adequate maintenance test is used instead. Universal Credit and Housing Benefit are not on that list and cannot be counted as income.

When the Applicant's Income Counts

On initial applications from outside the UK, the applicant's overseas income generally does not count. However:

• If the applicant has permission to work in the UK (for example, already in the UK on another visa), their UK income can count
• On extension applications, the applicant's UK income always counts
• At ILR, both incomes count

This makes the extension stage easier for many couples, as both partners can contribute to meeting the threshold.

Will It Rise to £38,700?

In December 2023 the government announced that the requirement would rise in stages to £38,700, which was then the general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa. The first stage, £29,000, took effect on 11 April 2024. It is the only stage that did.

The stages above it, £34,500 and then £38,700, were announced in April 2024 but were never written into the Immigration Rules. The question was referred to the Migration Advisory Committee, the independent body that advises the government on immigration, which published its review of the family visa financial requirements on 10 June 2025. No government response has been published, no date has been set, and GOV.UK gives one figure for new applications: £29,000. Our guide to the £38,700 figure sets out that history in full.

What If You Cannot Meet the Requirement

If you cannot meet the £29,000 threshold through any combination of income and savings, you may still be able to apply on the 10-year route using Article 8 human rights grounds. This is a longer and more expensive route, but it provides a pathway when the standard requirements cannot be met.

Next Steps

The requirement is a figure and a set of evidence rules. Working out which figure applies comes first, then which income category the sponsor's income falls into, then the evidence that category calls for. Where income alone falls short, the routes the rules provide are savings, combining income sources, and — where the financial requirement cannot be met at all — the 10-year route.

Related guides:

• Sponsor Income Guide
• The £38,700 Figure Explained
• Spouse Visa UK: Complete Guide
• 10-Year Route
• Costs 2026

Questions and answers