UK Spouse Visa Changes 2026: What Changed and What Did Not
If you are planning a UK spouse or partner visa, these are the changes in 2026 that matter. This post also lists the rules that stayed the same.
What changed in 2026
- Application fees went up on 8 April 2026. The first visa from outside the UK went from £1,938 to £2,064. The extension from inside the UK went from £1,321 to £1,407. Settlement (ILR) went from £3,029 to £3,226.
- A new rule for partners of refugees. Appendix FM was updated on 3 August 2026, in line with Statement of Changes HC 259. Where the sponsor has 30 months' permission based on protection status, the partner's permission can end on the same date as the sponsor's.
What did not change
- For the first visa and the extension, the income threshold is still £29,000 a year.
- The English levels are still A1 for the first visa and A2 for the extension.
- Partners can still apply for settlement after 5 years.
All figures and rules were checked on GOV.UK on 15 October 2026. Rules and fees can change, so confirm them on GOV.UK before you pay.
The 2026 fee increase
The Home Office publishes a new fees table each time fees change. For the family route, the table for 8 April 2026 shows these increases:
| Application | Fee before 8 April 2026 | Fee from 8 April 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| First visa (outside the UK) | £1,938 | £2,064 | +£126 |
| Extension (inside the UK) | £1,321 | £1,407 | +£86 |
| Settlement (ILR) | £3,029 | £3,226 | +£197 |
The next table, for 8 October 2026, keeps all three fees at the April 2026 level. The GOV.UK family visa page also shows £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 in the UK, for each person on the application.
You also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. GOV.UK lists it at £1,035 a year for adults and £776 a year for applicants under 18. For the full cost of each stage, see our UK spouse visa fees 2026 breakdown.
What this means for your documents: if you made a budget before 8 April 2026, check the amounts again.
Partners of people with protection status
This change affects a small group: people whose partner is in the UK as a refugee or with humanitarian protection.
Since 2 March 2026, protection status is granted for 30 months. The explanatory memorandum to HC 259 says this created a risk: a partner's permission could last longer than the sponsor's. The rules now say that where the sponsor has 30 months' permission based on protection status, the partner's permission ends on the same date as the sponsor's.
The GOV.UK partner visa page explains it in simple words. If your partner with protection status claimed asylum after 2 March 2026, and their permission ends sooner than the normal length of your visa, your permission ends at the same time as theirs.
For everyone else, GOV.UK still gives the same normal lengths. The first visa is up to 2 years and 9 months, and an extension is up to a further 2 years and 6 months.
What did not change: the £29,000 threshold
GOV.UK says that partners usually need to show a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. This figure has applied since April 2024. Different rules apply if your partner gets certain disability or carer's benefits. They also apply if you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and you are extending.
You may have read about a review of this figure. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published its review of the family visa financial requirements on 10 June 2025. The GOV.UK page for that review does not show a government decision to change the threshold. The GOV.UK financial requirements page still says £29,000.
To see how the published calculation works with income and savings, use our spouse visa financial requirement calculator.
What did not change: English language levels
The GOV.UK English language page for family visas still lists these levels on the CEFR scale:
| Stage | Level on GOV.UK |
|---|---|
| First visa | At least A1 |
| Extension (after 2.5 years) | At least A2 in speaking and listening, if you passed A1 for the first visa |
| Settlement (after 5 years) | B1 or higher. B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027 (see below) |
GOV.UK also says that if you pass B1 or higher for your first visa, you can use the result again for settlement. The test must still be on the approved list, and the provider must not have withdrawn the certificate. This changes for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 (see below).
The B2 settlement change in March 2027
You may see news that settlement will need a higher English level. Statement of Changes HC 1691 (5 March 2026) raises the settlement requirement from B1 to B2, from 26 March 2027. Paragraph 5.60 of the explanatory memorandum says the change applies to "those routes covered by Appendix KoLL", and to a list of other routes. They include Skilled Worker, Global Talent, UK Ancestry, Long Residence, Private Life, Bereaved Partner and Settlement Family Life.
This includes the spouse and partner route. Appendix FM paragraph E-ILRP.1.6 says partners applying for settlement must meet the English requirement "in accordance with the requirements of Appendix KoLL". Appendix KoLL paragraph 2.2(c)(ii) says that where the date of application is on or after 26 March 2027, the applicant must have passed an English test in speaking and listening "at a minimum level B2". Paragraph 2.2(ba) says that, from the same date, an earlier English qualification only counts if the applicant's permission was given on the basis of a qualification at a minimum level of B2.
So a partner settlement application made on or after 26 March 2027 needs B2, not B1. Check Appendix KoLL and the GOV.UK English page again before you apply for settlement.
Settlement after 5 years
In November 2025 the government published a consultation called "A Fairer Pathway to Settlement". It proposes a standard qualifying period of 10 years for most migrants. The consultation document says partners of British citizens will be able to settle after 5 years, as they can now. It also says this part is not subject to consultation.
The consultation closed on 12 February 2026. On 15 October 2026, the GOV.UK page said the feedback was still being analysed. No outcome had been published.
Small changes that do not affect most spouse visas
Two other statements of changes updated Appendix FM in 2026:
- HC 1691 (March 2026): replaced the provider name "Ecctis" with a general term across the Immigration Rules, including Appendix FM. The explanatory memorandum says this does not change any requirement.
- HC 584 (Appendix FM updated 8 October 2026): sets out how families in the Family Returns Process can make a human rights claim without a fee or a form. This does not affect a normal spouse visa application.
What this means for your document list
The 2026 statements of changes we checked did not change the list of documents GOV.UK asks for. For a typical application you still need:
- passports, and your partner's proof of status
- your marriage or civil partnership certificate, or evidence that you have lived together
- financial evidence for the £29,000 rules (for example payslips, bank statements and an employer letter)
- evidence of your accommodation
- an English test certificate or qualification, unless you are exempt
- a TB test certificate, if you apply from a country on the GOV.UK list
- confirmation that you paid the application fee and the health surcharge
The fee is the main figure that changed. Make sure your budget and your payment records use the fees from 8 April 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Did the UK spouse visa income threshold change in 2026? No. On 15 October 2026, GOV.UK still listed £29,000 a year as the usual minimum income for the first visa and the extension.
How much is the spouse visa fee in 2026? £2,064 from outside the UK, and £1,407 for an extension inside the UK. Both went up on 8 April 2026. You pay the health surcharge on top of the fee.
Is the English requirement for spouse visa settlement going up to B2? Yes, for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. HC 1691 raises the settlement level from B1 to B2 for the routes covered by Appendix KoLL. Appendix FM partner settlement uses Appendix KoLL (paragraph E-ILRP.1.6). The GOV.UK English page for family visas still says: "If you pass level B1 or higher, you can use your test result again when you apply for settlement after 5 years." But from 26 March 2027, Appendix KoLL paragraph 2.2(ba) says an earlier qualification only counts if it was at a minimum level of B2.
Do spouses of British citizens now need 10 years to settle? The earned settlement consultation says partners of British citizens will still be able to settle after 5 years. The government has not published the outcome of the consultation yet.
Where can I check for new changes? GOV.UK publishes every statement of changes to the Immigration Rules. It also publishes a new Home Office fees table each time fees change. The family visa pages on GOV.UK show the current rules.
How Stratovisa helps
The 2026 changes did not change much about the documents, and you still have to collect all of them. Stratovisa builds your Family visa checklist from the GOV.UK document list, with a slot for each document. As you go, you upload your passport, financial evidence, English certificate and other files to their slots, and you can see what is still missing. For the application fee and the health surcharge, you enter the payment reference and amount in a short form, and Stratovisa creates the confirmation page. At the end, you download one organised package for your online application.