FURTHER DETAILS

What the financial requirement is

The financial requirement is the rule that requires many partner visa applicants to show that they and their partner can support themselves in the UK without relying on public funds.

It applies across the partner route, including spouse visas, civil partner visas, unmarried partner visas, fiancé(e) visas and proposed civil partner visas. It usually applies at the first application, extension stage and settlement stage.

The requirement is set out in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, with detailed evidence rules in Appendix FM-SE. The financial requirement is one of the most technical parts of a partner visa application, and one of the most common reasons applications are refused.

This guide focuses on the financial requirement. For the wider relationship and route-specific rules, see our UK spouse visa guide, unmarried partner visa guide and LGBTQ+ partner visa guide.

The current minimum income threshold

For new applicants, the minimum income requirement is currently £29,000 a year gross. This figure has applied since 11 April 2024.

The previous threshold was £18,600. Some applicants who first applied under the partner route before 11 April 2024 and are continuing with the same partner may still benefit from transitional arrangements.

Under the current £29,000 threshold, there is no additional income requirement for children. Under the older £18,600 transitional threshold, additional amounts may apply for children.

The financial requirement is assessed by reference to the rules in force when the application is submitted. Because this area can change, the current threshold should always be checked before applying.

Who needs to meet the financial requirement?

The financial requirement usually applies where a person is applying as the partner of a British citizen, settled person or other qualifying sponsor.

This includes applications by:

• spouses and husbands or wives;
• civil partners;
• unmarried partners;
• fiancé(e)s;
• proposed civil partners;
• partners applying for an extension;
• partners applying for settlement after time on the partner route.

If you are unsure which partner route applies, our spouse visa guide, unmarried partner visa guide and LGBTQ+ partner visa guide explain the relationship routes in more detail.

Whose income counts?

In many cases, the financial requirement is met through the sponsor’s income or resources. The sponsor is usually the British, settled or qualifying partner in the UK.

The applicant’s income can usually only be counted if they are already in the UK with permission to work, for example where they are applying to switch into the partner route or extend an existing partner visa.

Income earned abroad by an applicant who is still overseas is generally not counted. Promised support from parents, relatives or other third parties usually cannot be relied on to meet the standard minimum income requirement.

A genuine gift may be relevant if it has become the applicant’s or sponsor’s own cash savings and meets the rules on savings, but this must be evidenced properly.

When the £29,000 income requirement does not apply

In some cases, the fixed minimum income requirement is replaced by a different test called adequate maintenance.

This may apply where the sponsor receives certain disability or carer’s benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Carer’s Allowance.

The adequate maintenance test is different from the standard £29,000 income requirement. It looks at whether the family will have enough income left after housing costs, usually by comparison with the level of basic income support for a family of that size.

If this may apply, it is important to take advice because the calculation, evidence and rules are different from the standard financial requirement.

WAYS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT

The income and savings categories

The financial requirement can be met in different ways. The correct category depends on the source of the income or savings and the applicant’s circumstances.

Choosing the right category matters because each category has its own calculation method and evidence requirements. This is where many avoidable refusals happen.

Category A: employment with the same employer for six months or more

Category A is often used where the sponsor, or an eligible applicant in the UK, has been employed by the same employer for at least six months before the application.

For salaried employment, the annual gross salary is usually used. For non-salaried or variable income, the calculation may depend on average earnings during the relevant period.

The evidence usually needs to include payslips, corresponding bank statements and an employer letter that confirms the required information.

Category B: employment for less than six months or recent change in income

Category B is often used where the person has been with their current employer for less than six months, has recently changed jobs, or has variable employment income.

This category usually involves a two-part test: the current annualised income must meet the requirement, and the person must also have received enough gross income during the 12 months before the application.

Category B is more document-heavy than Category A and is easier to get wrong, especially where there has been a promotion, job change, gap in work or variable pay.

Category C: non-employment income

Non-employment income can include income such as rental income, dividends or interest. It is usually assessed over the 12 months before the application.

This income may be used on its own or combined with other permitted income sources, depending on the rules.

Category D: cash savings

Cash savings can be used to meet the requirement in full or to top up a shortfall in income.

Savings must usually have been held for at least six months before the application, be under the control of the applicant or sponsor, and be immediately accessible.

Large deposits, including family gifts, need to be explained and evidenced properly so the Home Office understands the source of the funds.

Category E: pension income

Gross pension income may be used to meet the financial requirement. This can include state pension, occupational pension or private pension income.

Pension income can sometimes be used on its own or combined with other permitted sources.

Categories F and G: self-employment and company directors

Self-employment and specified company director cases are among the most technical partner visa financial requirement cases.

Income may be assessed by reference to the last full financial year, or the average of the last two full financial years, depending on the category used.

These cases usually require tax returns, accounts, business bank statements and other specified documents. The figures must reconcile properly across the evidence.

CASH SAVINGS

Using cash savings for a spouse or partner visa

Cash savings can meet the financial requirement either on their own or together with certain types of income.

The formula is: £16,000 plus 2.5 times the annual income shortfall.

The first £16,000 of savings is disregarded. Only savings above £16,000 count towards the financial requirement.

To rely on cash savings alone, with no qualifying income, the required savings figure is currently £88,500.

If there is some qualifying income, the required savings figure may be lower because the savings only need to cover the shortfall between the income and the threshold.

Combining income and savings

Some income sources can be combined. For example, employment income may sometimes be combined with rental income, pension income or cash savings.

However, the combination rules are technical and not every source can be combined in every way.

Cases involving more than one income source should be checked carefully before applying, because using the wrong combination can lead to refusal even where the couple appears to have enough money overall.

SPECIFIED EVIDENCE

Why well-off couples still get refused

Meeting the income level is only part of the task. The Home Office also requires the evidence to be provided in the correct form, covering the correct period, and matching the category relied on.

This is known as the specified-evidence requirement. It is one of the most important parts of a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner or fiancé(e) visa application.

For employment income, payslips and bank statements must usually cover the correct months and match each other. The employer letter must confirm the required information. For self-employment, tax returns, accounts and bank statements must reconcile.

A missing payslip, an incomplete bank statement, an employer letter that does not contain the required information, or figures that do not match can all create refusal risk.

Common financial requirement refusal reasons

Common refusal reasons include:

• using the wrong financial category;
• payslips and bank statements that do not cover the correct period;
• payslips that do not match the bank deposits;
• an employer letter that misses required information;
• self-employment documents that do not reconcile;
• cash savings held for less than six months;
• large unexplained deposits into savings accounts;
• relying on overseas applicant income when the rules do not allow it;
• relying on third-party support where it cannot be counted;
• combining income sources in a way the rules do not permit;
• making an arithmetic error in the income or savings calculation.

What if you cannot meet the financial requirement?

Not meeting the standard financial requirement is not always the end of the road, but it makes the case more complex.

In some cases, permission may still be granted where refusal would breach the right to family life, for example because there are insurmountable obstacles to family life continuing outside the UK or exceptional circumstances that would make refusal unjustifiably harsh.

These cases are usually more evidence-heavy and may place the applicant on a longer route to settlement.

Where the sponsor receives a qualifying disability or carer’s benefit, the adequate maintenance route may also need to be considered instead of the standard £29,000 income requirement.

HOW WESTKIN CAN HELP

How Westkin approaches the financial requirement

The financial requirement is not just a question of whether the money is available. It is a technical evidence exercise, and the Home Office can refuse an application where the documents do not match the exact rules.

This is where Westkin can help. Our immigration lawyers assess the financial position at the start, identify the correct category, check the calculation and build the evidence around the route being used.

This can include:

• checking whether the £29,000 threshold or transitional threshold applies;
• identifying the correct income category;
• reviewing payslips, bank statements and employer letters;
• checking Category A or Category B employment calculations;
• reviewing self-employment and company director evidence;
• calculating cash savings requirements;
• checking whether income and savings can be combined;
• reviewing pension or non-employment income evidence;
• advising on adequate maintenance where the sponsor receives qualifying benefits;
• preparing legal representations to explain the financial evidence clearly.

The aim is to identify financial issues before they become refusal reasons and to submit a complete, consistent and properly evidenced application.

Last reviewed: 13 July 2026. This guide is general information about the financial requirement for UK spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner and fiancé(e) visa applications and is not legal advice. Immigration rules and Home Office guidance change frequently. For advice on your circumstances, speak to a regulated immigration adviser.