UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement 2026: £29,000 Rule Explained

The financial requirement is the part of the UK spouse visa that causes the most confusion and the most refusals. The rules changed significantly in April 2024 when the threshold jumped from £18,600 to £29,000, and the framework is built on seven distinct income categories — each with its own documentary requirements. Getting the category wrong, or submitting evidence in the wrong format, results in automatic refusal regardless of whether you actually earn enough. This is the complete picture for 2026.

The £29,000 Threshold: Who It Applies To

Since 11 April 2024, the minimum gross annual income required is £29,000 for all new partner visa applicants. This applies as a flat rate regardless of how many dependent children are included — the previous child supplement (£3,800 for the first child, £2,400 for each additional) has been abolished for new applicants.

The Labour government's 2024 pause on further increases, and the Migration Advisory Committee's June 2025 recommendation against raising the threshold to £38,700, means the £29,000 figure is frozen for 2026.

Transitional Protections: Who Still Uses £18,600

If you submitted your first partner or fiancé(e) visa application before 11 April 2024 and are now extending with the same sponsor, you are protected by the old rules. Your base threshold remains £18,600. However, the old child add-on still applies: add £3,800 for the first non-British, non-settled dependent child, and £2,400 for each subsequent child (capped overall at £29,000).

This is the single most important first question to answer before choosing your income category: which threshold applies to your application?

The Seven Income Categories

The Home Office divides qualifying income into seven categories (A through G). You must identify which category applies to your situation and provide exactly the specified evidence for that category. Mixing categories or providing evidence for the wrong category triggers refusal.

Category A: Salaried Employment (Same Employer 6+ Months)

The lowest-risk category. The sponsor has been employed by the same employer for at least six months continuously and earns above the threshold.

• Salaried income: The calculation uses the lowest gross monthly salary in the six-month period multiplied by 12. So if your salary dipped one month due to a bonus structure, that lower month determines your annual figure.
• Non-salaried (hourly/variable): Total gross earnings over six months, divided by six, then multiplied by 12.

Required evidence: 6 months of payslips, 6 months of corresponding bank statements (official stationery or stamped if electronic), and an employer letter on headed paper signed by a senior official confirming job title, gross annual salary, length of employment, contract type, and confirmation of salary level.

Category B: Short Employment or Variable Income

Used when the sponsor has been with their current employer for less than six months, or has highly variable income (commission, zero-hours). This category carries significantly higher risk because it requires passing a two-part test:

• Part 1: The gross annual salary at the date of application must meet the threshold (£29,000 or £18,600).
• Part 2: The actual total gross income received from all employment in the 12 months immediately before the application date must also meet the threshold.

Cash savings can be combined to help meet Part 1 but cannot be used to meet any shortfall in Part 2. Both parts must independently satisfy the threshold.

Category C: Non-Employment Income

Covers passive income generated in the 12 months before application: rental income from properties not used as the main residence, dividends from non-specified limited companies, interest from savings, maintenance payments, and royalties. The asset generating the income must still be owned at application.

Category D: Cash Savings

Cash savings can either meet the requirement independently or bridge a shortfall in Categories A, B (Part 1 only), C, or E. They cannot be combined with self-employment income (Categories F or G) under any circumstances.

The core rules:

• Savings must have been held continuously in an immediately accessible account for a clear six months before the application date. If the balance drops below the required minimum for even a single day, the savings do not qualify.
• The account must be with a regulated financial institution.

The savings formula:

(Income Shortfall × 2.5) + £16,000 = Total Savings Required

The £16,000 base represents funds the Home Office deems necessary for living emergencies. The 2.5 multiplier covers the 30-month visa duration.

To meet the £29,000 threshold entirely through savings with zero income:

(£29,000 × 2.5) + £16,000 = £88,500

To meet the legacy £18,600 threshold entirely through savings:

(£18,600 × 2.5) + £16,000 = £62,500

At the ILR stage, the 2.5 multiplier is removed. Savings above £16,000 offset the income shortfall directly on a 1:1 basis.

Category E: Pension Income

Gross annual income from state, occupational, or private pensions, provided the pension has been received for at least 28 days before the application date. Requires official pension statements and corresponding bank deposits.

Categories F and G: Self-Employment

Self-employment is covered separately — see the dedicated article on the UK spouse visa self-employment financial requirement.

The Adequate Maintenance Exemption

If the UK sponsor receives specific disability or care benefits — specifically Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Carer's Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, or Armed Forces Independence Payment — the standard income thresholds do not apply.

Instead, the application must satisfy the "adequate maintenance test":

Net weekly income (A) minus weekly housing costs (B) must be greater than or equal to the equivalent Income Support rate for the household size (C)

For 2026/2027, the Income Support baseline for a couple is approximately £150–£154 per week depending on age, with an additional £87.88 per dependent child.

Why the Evidence Format Is as Important as the Amount

Even if the sponsor earns well above £29,000, the application can be refused if the supporting documents do not match the exact format specified under Appendix FM-SE. Common evidence failures:

• Electronic bank statements submitted as PDFs without a stamped certification on every page or an accompanying bank confirmation letter
• Employer letters that omit any one of the required data points (contract type is often missing)
• Bank statement dates that do not align with the payslip period

The Home Office operates on a binary pass/fail standard for documentary evidence. A document that deviates from the specified format is simply disregarded, and the application fails as if the income did not exist.

If you want the exact document lists for each category so you can check your evidence before submitting, the UK Spouse/Partner Visa Guide breaks down every requirement under Appendix FM-SE by financial category.