How This Tool Works

📋 Purpose

The UK spouse and partner visa process involves multiple stages, fees and financial tests that catch many couples off-guard when they only budget for the first application. This calculator adds up the complete cost pathway — the initial entry clearance visa, the immigration health surcharge for each person, the further leave to remain extension, the ILR settlement fee, and optionally citizenship and passport costs — so you can plan the full financial commitment from the start. It also checks whether the sponsor meets the current minimum income requirement.

⚙️ How It Works

1
Choose whether you are applying from outside the UK (entry clearance) or extending from inside (FLR).
2
Enter the number of adult and child applicants — each person has their own visa fee and IHS charge.
3
The tool calculates the immigration health surcharge for each applicant based on visa length.
4
Enter the sponsor's gross annual income and any savings being used toward the financial requirement.
5
Review whether the income meets the minimum threshold and the size of any shortfall.
6
Toggle the ILR settlement stage to add the indefinite leave to remain fee to your total.
7
Toggle citizenship to include British naturalisation, registration and optional passport costs.
8
Review the stage-by-stage breakdown and grand total for the full family route.

Family visa pathway

Budget the full spouse visa journey

Stack application fees, Immigration Health Surcharge, ILR, tests and optional citizenship so the five-year route is visible upfront.

Family route inputs

Applicant location

Adult applicants

Child dependants

Sponsor income

Include citizenship

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Complete Guide: UK Spouse Visa Costs

Budget the complete UK family visa pathway — from initial entry clearance through to ILR settlement and optional citizenship.

📅 Last updated: May 2026

Quick Tips

Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips

Many couples budget only for the initial spouse visa and are surprised by the cost of subsequent stages. The immigration health surcharge (IHS) alone adds thousands of pounds for a family over the full route from first visa to ILR. This tool stacks every stage so you can see the realistic total from day one.

The minimum income requirement for a spouse visa sponsor increased to £29,000 in April 2024, rising further to £34,500 and ultimately £38,700 in later stages. The rules on how savings can supplement income are also complex. Check the current threshold and rules on GOV.UK before applying, as this tool uses the figures at the time of last update.

Home Office visa fees and the IHS rate are reviewed periodically and can change at short notice. This tool is updated regularly, but always check the current fee on GOV.UK before submitting any application. Overpaying is refunded but underpaying causes your application to be invalid.

The immigration health surcharge applies to every applicant (adults and children separately) for each year covered by the visa. A family of two adults on a 2.5-year visa pays IHS for all five person-years of coverage. Including children in the count is especially important for families with several dependants.

Most spouses reach ILR eligibility after five years of continuous lawful residence in the UK (usually two and a half years on the initial visa plus two and a half on the extension, or five years total from entry). Gaps in residence or certain breaches of conditions can restart the clock.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to get the most from this tool

Select whether you are applying from outside the UK (entry clearance, often called a spouse visa or partner visa) or from inside the UK (further leave to remain, FLR(M), for people already in the country on a previous visa). The application fee differs between these two routes, and the required financial documents also vary.

Each person travelling — the main applicant and any dependent children — needs their own application and pays their own IHS. Children under 18 pay the same IHS rate as adults. Enter the correct headcount as the total cost scales directly with the number of applicants.

The tool calculates the IHS for each applicant based on the visa length you select. The IHS rate is set annually by the government and applies per year of the visa period (including part years, which are charged at the full annual rate). The IHS entitles visa holders to most NHS services on the same basis as a UK resident.

Enter the UK-based sponsor's annual gross income. If cash savings are being used to meet part of the financial requirement, enter the amount held for at least 28 days prior to application. The tool checks whether the total meets the minimum income threshold and shows any shortfall. Note: the tool uses a simplified version of the income rules — complex income sources (irregular earnings, self-employment, investments) should be verified with an immigration adviser.

Switch on the ILR toggle to add the indefinite leave to remain application fee to your total — this is the major settlement application after five years in the UK. Switch on citizenship to also include the naturalisation fee and optional passport cost, giving you the full journey total from first visa to British passport.

The results show each stage as a separate cost: initial visa fee, IHS for all applicants, extension (FLR) fee, ILR fee and citizenship. The total at the bottom represents the complete financial commitment from the first application to British citizenship for the whole family. This is the number to put in your savings plan.

Before submitting any application, visit GOV.UK to confirm the current fee and the current financial requirement threshold. Fees can change between budget cycles, and submitting with an incorrect fee will invalidate your application.

Advanced Topics

Deep dives for advanced users

The minimum income requirement for a spouse visa sponsor is currently £29,000 gross per year (rising in stages as set out by the Home Office). The sponsor's income is assessed based on their gross employment earnings, self-employment profits, pension income and certain non-employment income, in that order of preference.

If the sponsor's income falls below the threshold, cash savings can be used to make up the shortfall, but only under a specific formula: the savings must exceed £16,000 (the minimum threshold) plus 2.5 times the annual income shortfall. This means a sponsor earning £20,000 against a £29,000 requirement would need savings of at least £16,000 + (2.5 x £9,000) = £38,500. The savings must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days before the date of application.

The IHS entitles visa holders to use NHS services in England on the same basis as a UK-settled person — which means free at the point of use for GP visits, hospital treatment and emergency care. The IHS does not cover NHS dental charges (which are charged to everyone in England unless exempt), NHS optical services (frames and lenses), or private treatment.

Despite its name, the IHS is not an insurance product — you cannot get a refund if you do not use NHS services, and you cannot use it to claim reimbursement for private treatment. It is a statutory charge that must be paid as part of the visa application; failure to pay it means the application is invalid.

To qualify for indefinite leave to remain, most partners and spouses must have five years of continuous lawful residence in the UK. This means no single absence from the UK of more than six consecutive months during the qualifying period, and absences totalling no more than 180 days in any 12-month period within that five years.

Absences for reasons outside the applicant's control — such as serious illness or COVID-related restrictions — may be disregarded at the Home Office's discretion. Keep a careful record of all travel dates and passport stamps throughout the qualifying period. Unexplained gaps can complicate the ILR application significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to common questions about this tool

No. It calculates the cost pathway only. Eligibility depends on the relationship, evidence of genuine and subsisting partnership, accommodation requirements, English language ability, financial requirement and criminal record checks. Use a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor for eligibility questions.

The IHS rate has increased significantly since it was introduced in 2015. It is set by the government as a contribution from visa holders to the cost of the NHS. The rate is currently £1,035 per person per year for most visas (students pay a lower rate). For a family of three on a 2.5-year visa, that is over £7,700 just in IHS.

Yes. People granted leave to remain under the family route (including spouse visas) are generally permitted to work in the UK without restriction, unless the visa includes a specific employment condition. The visa vignette and biometric residence permit will confirm the work condition that applies.

ILR (indefinite leave to remain) is the standard settled status for people on the family route and other non-EU visa routes. EU Settled Status (EUSS) is a separate scheme for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who were resident in the UK before 31 December 2020. The two schemes have different application processes, but the practical outcome — permanent permission to live and work in the UK — is similar.

The standard route for spouses is five years total residence (initial visa plus extension). There is no standard accelerated route. Victims of domestic abuse may qualify for ILR earlier under a specific concession. EEA nationals with pre-settled status are working toward settled status under different timescales.

Yes. When you enter the number of children, the tool includes the application fee and IHS for each child in the total. Child naturalisation (registration as a British citizen) uses a different fee from adult naturalisation, which is also reflected when you toggle citizenship costs on.

Yes. The full application fee and IHS must be paid at the time of submitting the application. There is no instalment option. Applications submitted without the correct fee payment are treated as invalid. This is why budgeting early — ideally before the relationship becomes subject to immigration rules — is so important.

If a visa application is refused, the fee is generally not refunded. You may be able to appeal or request an administrative review, depending on the grounds of refusal and the type of application. Legal fees for an appeal add further cost. This is why correct documentation and meeting all requirements before applying is critical.

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