United Kingdom visaFamily routeUK spouse and partner visa for Indian applicants
A partner of a British citizen or settled person applies under Appendix FM for permission of two years and nine months. The fee is £2,064 plus the health surcharge of £1,035 a year, the sponsor must show £29,000 of income or £88,500 in savings, the applicant needs English at A1, and a decision from India usually takes 12 weeks.
8 min read Verified 29 October 2026 against gov.uk · How we verify
United Kingdom spouse and partner visa: quick answers
- Who can apply for a UK partner visa?
- The spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e) or unmarried partner of two years' cohabitation of a British or Irish citizen, a person with indefinite leave to remain or settled status, or a refugee. Both must be 18 or over, the relationship must be genuine and subsisting, the couple must intend to live together permanently in the UK, and the sponsor must meet the financial requirement with adequate accommodation.
- What does it cost?
- £2,064 for the entry clearance application plus the immigration health surcharge of £1,035 a year for the 33-month grant (£3,105), paid together online. Add the SELT English test at A1 (about INR 15,000), the TB test and certified translations. Children applying with you pay the same fee and surcharge each.
- How long does it take from India?
- The published service standard for family visas from outside the UK is 12 weeks from biometrics, and most Indian applications in 2026 were decided within it. A priority decision (£500) is offered for settlement routes at Indian centres, usually in about 30 working days. Apply as soon as the financial evidence covers the required six-month window.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa | Partner entry clearance under Appendix FM, 2 years 9 months |
| Government fee | £2,064 per applicant |
| Health surcharge | £1,035 per year: £3,105 for the first grant |
| Minimum income | £29,000 gross a year from the sponsor (and the applicant if already in the UK), or £88,500 in cash savings |
| English | CEFR A1 to enter, A2 to extend, B1 to settle |
| Processing from India | About 12 weeks; priority about 30 working days |
| Extension | 2 years 6 months, then indefinite leave to remain after 5 years (£3,226) |
| Fiancé(e) visa | 6 months to marry in the UK; same fee, no surcharge, no work |
Who qualifies, on both sides
The sponsor must be a British or Irish citizen, settled in the UK, or hold refugee or humanitarian status, and must be in the UK or returning with you. The applicant must be 18 or over, legally married under Indian law (registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act or the applicable personal law) or have lived with the sponsor for two years, with any previous marriage ended. Fiancé(e)s apply for a six-month visa and must marry in the UK before extending.
The financial requirement since 11 April 2024 is £29,000 gross a year with no additional amount for children. It can be met from the sponsor's salaried or self-employed income, pension, non-work income, or cash savings above £16,000 held for six months: savings alone need £88,500. The applicant's overseas income does not count for entry clearance; a job offer in the UK does not count either. Evidence must follow Appendix FM-SE exactly, which is where most refusals arise.
The relationship must be genuine and subsisting. Officers read how you met, the wedding, time spent together since, communication, visits, joint finances and whether the accounts match across both partners' statements. Arranged marriages are assessed on the same evidence and the file should explain the arrangement, the families' role and the timeline. The applicant needs English at CEFR A1 speaking and listening from a SELT provider, or a degree taught in English confirmed by Ecctis, and a TB certificate.
Fees
| Item | GBP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Partner entry clearance | 2,064 | Per applicant including each child |
| Immigration health surcharge | 3,105 | £1,035 per year for the 33-month grant; refunded if refused |
| Priority service | 500 extra | About 30 working days for settlement routes where offered |
| Super priority service | 1,000 extra | Where offered |
| Extension inside the UK after 2 years 9 months (leave to remain, other) | 1,407 | Plus £1,035 per year surcharge for the 30-month grant |
| Indefinite leave to remain after 5 years | 3,226 | Plus the Life in the UK test (£50) and English at B1 |
Fee waivers exist for applicants who cannot pay without becoming destitute, but they are rarely granted to applicants applying from India because the sponsor's income is tested at the same time. The health surcharge is refunded when a visa is refused; the application fee is not.
How the application runs, step by step
- 1
Confirm the financial category and start the six-month evidence window
Choose salaried income (six months of pay slips and matching bank statements plus an employer letter), self-employment (last full tax year) or savings (six months at or above £88,500), and gather the documents in the exact Appendix FM-SE format.
- 2
Take the A1 English test and the TB test
A SELT at an approved centre in India (IELTS Life Skills A1 or equivalent) and a TB certificate from an IOM-approved clinic, both valid when you apply.
- 3
Apply online and pay £2,064 plus £3,105
The Appendix FM form for a partner outside the UK; pay the fee and the surcharge; the sponsor completes the sponsorship declaration.
- 4
Upload evidence and attend VFS Global
Relationship evidence in chronological order with an index, accommodation evidence, the sponsor's status and financial documents; give biometrics at a centre in India.
- 5
Decision, eVisa and travel
About 12 weeks; the visa starts on the date you chose, you can work from arrival, and you apply to extend before the 33 months end.
Timeline at 2026 rates
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Six-month financial evidence window | 6 months before applying (salaried) or one tax year (self-employed) |
| English test and TB certificate | 2 to 4 weeks for appointments and results |
| Decision from India | About 12 weeks; priority about 30 working days |
| To indefinite leave to remain | 5 years on the partner route (2 years 9 months plus 2 years 6 months) |
Couples where the sponsor has just moved back to the UK often wait for the six months of UK pay slips before applying; a confirmed job offer in the UK starting within three months, combined with six months of overseas earnings above £29,000, is an alternative category for returning sponsors.
After arrival: work, extension and settlement
A partner visa holder can work in any job, be self-employed and study from the day they arrive, but has no access to public funds. You must live together at the address given; a change of address or circumstances is reported through the UKVI account. The extension after two years and nine months tests the same requirements again, with English at A2.
Indefinite leave to remain comes after five years on the route with English at B1 and the Life in the UK test, and British citizenship can be applied for immediately after settlement when the sponsor is a British citizen (£1,709). A relationship that ends before settlement ends the visa unless the domestic abuse or bereaved partner provisions apply.
Document checklist: sponsor's status and accommodation
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| British passport, eVisa share code or ILR evidence | For a refugee sponsor, the grant letter |
| Accommodation evidence | Tenancy or mortgage statement, landlord consent for the applicant to live there, and a property inspection report where the home is shared |
| Sponsorship declaration | Completed as part of the online form |
Financial requirement (Appendix FM-SE)
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Six months of pay slips and bank statements | Every salary credit matching a pay slip; statements on letterhead or stamped if printed |
| Employer letter | Confirming employment, salary, type of contract, length of employment and that the pay slips are genuine |
| Self-employed: tax return and accounts | SA302 or tax year overview, business bank statements, accountant's letter and registration |
| Cash savings | £88,500 or the combination amount held for six months, with the source of any recent deposit |
Relationship
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Marriage certificate | Registered certificate with certified translation; for unmarried partners, two years of cohabitation evidence |
| Evidence across the whole relationship | Photographs with dates, chat samples, call logs, travel records of visits, remittances, joint accounts |
| Both partners' statements | A short signed account from each of how you met, the wedding and the plan to live together |
| Previous marriages ended | Divorce decrees or death certificates |
Applicant
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passport and previous passports | Valid passport; travel history |
| SELT English result at A1 | Speaking and listening; valid two years |
| TB test certificate | IOM-approved clinic in India, valid six months |
Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix
Financial evidence not in the Appendix FM-SE format
A pay slip or a statement missing from the six months, salary paid in cash, or the employer letter lacking a required statement, so the income was not counted even though it was earned.
The fix. Work from the FM-SE checklist line by line; every pay slip must match a bank credit, and the employer letter must confirm employment, salary, contract type and that the pay slips are genuine.
Relationship not genuine and subsisting
Few meetings before and after the wedding, inconsistent accounts of how you met, no evidence of communication over time.
The fix. Build a chronological bundle covering the whole relationship with a short index, include both partners' statements, and explain cultural context where the marriage was arranged.
English evidence not accepted
A non-SELT test, an expired certificate or a degree without an Ecctis statement.
The fix. Book IELTS Life Skills A1 or another SELT at an approved centre and keep the result within its two-year validity.
Accommodation inadequate or unproven
No tenancy or landlord consent, or a shared house without a property inspection report.
The fix. Provide the tenancy or mortgage statement, a landlord letter permitting the applicant to live there, and an inspection report from the council or a qualified surveyor.
Immigration history or deception
An undeclared refusal or an unverifiable document brings a refusal under the suitability rules and, for deception, a ban of up to ten years.
The fix. Declare every refusal with the letter, use documents the issuer will confirm, and take advice before reapplying after any deception finding.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: apply as a partner or spouse ↗
- GOV.UK: proof of income for a partner visa ↗
- GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE (specified evidence) ↗
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees (8 Oct 2026) ↗
- Immigration health surcharge: how much you pay ↗
- Visa processing times: applications outside the UK ↗
- GOV.UK: knowledge of English for a family visa ↗