Understanding the £29,000 Financial Requirement for UK Spouse Visas in 2025

The £29,000 Financial Requirement for UK Spouse Visas

In April 2024, the Home Office increased the minimum income requirement for British or settled partners to bring their foreign partner to the UK to £29,000 from the previous £18,600 threshold. The £29,000 financial requirement for UK Spouse Visas applies to British or settled partners seeking to to bring their foreign partners to the UK. The British or settled partner must earn at least £29,000 to qualify.

In this article, we break down the new £29,000 financial requirement for UK Spouse Visas. We explain who it affects, and how you can meet it—whether you’re employed, self-employed, or using savings. We also explore options for partners who do not meet the financial requirement. 

What is the financial requirement for UK Spouse Visas

The financial requirement is a minimum income threshold that a British or settled partner / sponsor must meet to bring their non-British spouse or partner to the UK on a family visa. Its purpose is to ensure that couples can support themselves without relying on public funds.

🔗 Check the latest UK Spouse Visa financial requirements

Previously, the threshold was £18,600, but the UK government raised this to £29,000. This change is part of the wider review of immigration policy, aiming to reduce overall net migration and ensure that family migrants are financially self-sufficient.

Who Is Needs to Meet the £29,000 Financial Requirement for UK Spouse Visas?

The £29,000 financial requirement applies to UK citizens or individuals with settled status (e.g. indefinite leave to remain or EU settled status) who are sponsoring a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner or fiancée to join them in the UK.

British or settled partners must meet the financial requirement whether if their foreign partner is:

• applying for the first time from outside the UK (entry clearance)
• applying to extend your spouse visa from inside the UK (further leave to remain)
• applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under the partner route of Appendix FM

Note: if a foreign partner was previously granted a partner visa before April 2024, they will only have to meet the previous £18,600 minimum financial requirement.

Does This Requirement Change if You Have Children?

No. In 2024, the government stated that dependent children will no longer require an additional income.

How to Meet the £29,000 Financial Requirement for UK Spouse Visas

While most sponsors will meet the financial requirement by employment income. There are several other ways to meet the financial requirement. The Home Office allows sponsors to use different categories of income, which can sometimes be combined depending on circumstances.

Employment Income (Category A or B)

You can meet the requirement through salaried employment:

• Category A: If the sponsor has been employed with the same employer for at least 6 months, they can meet the financial requirement if they earn at least £29,000 gross annually.
• Category B: If the sponsor has had the job for less than 6 months, income from the current job plus the average income over the past 12 months is considered.

The British or settled partner must include payslips, letter from employer and bank statements as evidence of employment income.

🔗 UK Government: Self-employment financial evidence – Appendix FM-SE

Self-Employment Income (Category F or G)

Self-employed sponsors must provide evidence from the most recent full financial year. This includes tax returns, business accounts, and other supporting documents to demonstrate that the income meets or exceeds £29,000.

If you’re self-employed, you must provide HMRC SA302s, Tax year overviews, Business accounts and Personal and business bank statements

Category F looks at the last completed financial year, while Category G averages the last two financial years.

🔗 Read out guide on using self-employment income to meet the UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement

Non-Employment Income (Category C)

British or settled partners can use income from non-employment sources to meet the financial requirement. This could include from a range of sources including:

• Rental income
• Dividends
• UK pensions
• Stocks and shares
• Maintenance payments
• Maternity allowances (in some cases)

The income must be verifiable and must be in the control of the British or settled partner.

Cash Savings (Category D)

Sponsors can also rely on cash savings to meet all or part of the financial requirement for the UK spouse visa. If your income is below £29,000, you can use cash savings to make up the shortfall. The Home Office uses the following formula to calculate the minimum required savings.

£16,000 + (2.5 x income shortfall) = Minimum required savings

That means that if your gross annual income if £20,000, you will need to show £38,000 in savings to meet the financial requirement.

To rely on savings alone, you need at least £88,500 held for 6 consecutive months in a cash account.

🔗 Learn more about using savings for your UK Spouse Visa

Combining Income Sources

The Home Office allows sponsors to combine various income sources to meet the minimum income requirement. Sponsors. In some cases, sponsors can combine:

• Income from employment (salary) and non-employment income (rental income)
• Self-employment income and cash savings
• Non-employment income and cash saving
• Income from both partners (in limited cases)

🔗 Learn more about combining income sources for your UK Spouse Visa

What if You Can’t Meet the Financial Requirement?

You cannot rely on third-party support (e.g., financial help from family) to meet the threshold for the UK Spouse visa.

However, there are certain circumstances where you may be exempt from the minimum income threshold. The exemption applies if the British or settled sponsor is in receipt of specific disability or carer benefits such as:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP),
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA),
• Carer’s Allowance.

In such cases, the minimum income threshold does not apply. Instead, you must show that they can be maintained adequately without recourse to public funds, often referred to as the adequate maintenance test.

Exceptional Circumstances and Human Rights

If you cannot meet the financial requirements and a refusal of your application would breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to family and private life), the Home Office may consider the application outside the rules.

The Home Office will consider the application especially where there are children involved or where there are insurmountable obstacles to family life continuing outside the UK. These cases are highly discretionary and requires making a case with strong supporting evidence.

🔗 Read bout third-party support and exceptional cases

What Evidence is Required to Prove Financial Requirements?

To meet the financial requirement, you must provide clear documentation. This includes:

• Payslips, bank statements, employment letters
• Tax returns and business documents (for self-employed)
• Savings account statements (held for 6 months)
• Proof of ownership or legal entitlement (for rental or dividend income)
• Accommodation documents

Always check the specific documentation list in Appendix FM-SE to ensure compliance.

🔗 Appendix FM-SE official documentation guide

In conclusion

The £29,000 financial requirement for UK Spouse Visas in 2025 is a significant change that affects thousands of families each year. Meeting this threshold—and proving it with the right documents—is essential for a successful application.

By planning early, understanding which income sources you can rely on, and seeking expert help, you can improve your chances of approval and begin your life in the UK with your partner.