Switching from Student Visa to Spouse Visa in the UK
If you came to the UK on a Student visa and have since married or entered a qualifying relationship with a British citizen or settled person, you can apply to switch to a spouse visa without leaving the country. This guide explains the process, timing, and what to prepare.
- Section
- Student & Graduate
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Last checked
- 21 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- You can switch from Student to partner visa without leaving the UK.
- The application must be made before your current Student visa expires.
- The published income requirement for new applications is £29,000 a year, which can be met from savings instead.
- The English requirement is A1 at the first application, A2 at extension after 2.5 years, and B1 at settlement.
- It costs £1,407 per person inside the UK, plus the healthcare surcharge — £2,587.50 for an adult staying 2 years and 6 months. There is no fee for fingerprints and a photograph.
- A decision on an in-UK application usually takes 8 weeks.
- Section 3C leave maintains your lawful status, on your Student visa conditions, while you wait.
You can switch from a Student visa to a partner visa from inside the UK. The same requirements apply as to any partner visa applicant: the £29,000 income requirement, English at level A1, evidence of a genuine relationship, and adequate accommodation. Applying before your Student visa expires is what keeps your status lawful, through section 3C leave.
Eligibility to Switch
To switch from a Student visa to a spouse visa, you must:
- Be in the UK with valid leave (your Student visa must not have expired)
- Be married to, in a civil partnership with, or in a qualifying relationship with a British citizen, someone with settlement (indefinite leave to remain), or someone with certain other settled statuses. For an unmarried partner, the rules require a relationship similar to a marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years before the date of application
- Meet the financial requirement
- Meet the English language requirement at level A1 for a first application
- Meet the accommodation requirement
- Provide evidence of a genuine relationship
The application is for permission to stay as a partner, made from inside the UK. You can find details on GOV.UK. A grant on this route is normally for 2 years and 6 months at a time, with settlement available after 5 years on the standard route.
Timing Your Application
The most important timing consideration is that you apply before your Student visa expires. If your Student visa expires before you submit the spouse visa application, you become an overstayer, which creates serious immigration problems.
You do not need to wait until your course finishes. You can apply at any point during your Student visa, as long as:
- Your Student visa is still valid
- You have all the required evidence and documents
- You can afford the fees
If you are on the Graduate route, you can also switch from there to a spouse visa using the same process.
Section 3C Leave
When you apply to switch before your current visa expires, you get section 3C leave. This is automatic and means:
- Your leave is extended on the same conditions as your Student visa
- You remain in the UK lawfully while waiting for a decision
- Your work rights remain those of your Student visa (typically 20 hours per week during term time, full-time during holidays)
- You cannot access spouse visa work rights until the decision is made
Financial Requirement
The same financial requirement applies as to any partner visa applicant. GOV.UK puts it as a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. The older £18,600 figure, with £3,800 for a first child and £2,400 for each further child up to a £29,000 cap, applies only to people extending who first applied before 11 April 2024. Where the sponsor receives certain disability or carer benefits, an "adequate maintenance" test applies instead. The requirement can be met through:
- Your British/settled partner's employment income
- Your own employment income (if your student visa permits work)
- Combined income and savings
- Cash savings alone
Note that if you are switching from a Student visa, your own income from part-time work may be limited. The burden often falls on your partner's income.
English Language
The partner route requires English at level A1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for a first application. A bachelor's degree, master's degree or doctorate awarded in the UK meets the requirement outright, so a completed UK degree can be used as evidence instead of a test. A degree awarded outside the UK that was taught in English needs an Ecctis assessment first. Being enrolled on a UK course is not the same thing: the exemption attaches to the awarded qualification.
GOV.UK adds a point worth planning around: if you pass at level B1 or higher now, you can use the same test result again when you apply for settlement after 5 years. If you pass only A1, you will need at least A2 in speaking and listening when you extend after 2.5 years. See our English language requirement guide for accepted evidence.
What Happens to Your Studies
Switching to a spouse visa does not automatically end your studies. However:
- Your university may need to report the visa change to UK Visas and Immigration
- You may lose any student-specific benefits or support
- Your fee status may change (though this depends on the university's policies)
- If you have not yet completed your course, check with your university about continuing under a different visa
The published rules do not require you to finish the course first. What they do fix is the deadline: the application must be made before your Student visa expires.
Costs
Switching to a spouse visa involves significant costs. See our spouse visa cost breakdown for full details. Key costs include:
- Application fee: £1,407 per person applying from inside the UK. It is £2,064 per person from outside.
- Healthcare surcharge: GOV.UK gives the totals for an adult as £2,587.50 for 2 years and 6 months, £3,105 for 2 years and 9 months, and £5,175 for 5 years. For a child under 18 they are £1,940, £2,328 and £3,880.
- Fingerprints and photograph: no fee.
- Super priority service (optional): £1,000 extra for an application made from inside the UK.
GOV.UK notes a fee waiver may be available in certain situations, for example where you cannot afford a place to live or your essential living costs. Check the GOV.UK family visa page for current fee amounts.
Next Steps
The requirements and fees are set out above, and the deadline is your Student visa expiry date. For advice on a particular case, only a regulated adviser can help: an immigration solicitor or an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Can I switch from a Student visa to a spouse visa in the UK?
Yes. You can apply to switch from a Student visa to a partner visa from inside the UK without leaving the country. The standard requirements apply: a combined income of at least £29,000 a year (or savings instead), English at level A1, adequate accommodation, and evidence of a genuine relationship. The application must be submitted while your Student visa is still valid. It costs £1,407 per person inside the UK, and a decision usually takes 8 weeks.
Do I need to finish my course before switching to a spouse visa?
No. The published rules do not require the course to be finished first. There are knock-on effects to check with your institution, though: your sponsor reports changes to UK Visas and Immigration, and once you are no longer sponsored as a student you may lose student-specific arrangements, including the council tax disregard when you stop being a full-time student.
What happens to my student visa while I wait for a decision?
If you apply before your Student visa expires, you will have section 3C leave, which extends your current leave on the same conditions until a decision is made. This means you can continue working within your student visa work limits while waiting, but you cannot access the full work rights of a spouse visa until it is granted.
Can I work full-time while waiting for my spouse visa decision?
While on section 3C leave from a Student visa, your work conditions remain those of your Student visa: 20 hours a week in term time on a full-time degree-level course, 10 hours below degree level, and full-time in vacations. Home Office guidance treats any period of permission after you have completed your course as outside term time, so the hour limit no longer applies once the course is finished. Full work rights come with the partner visa itself, once it is granted.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.