UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement Calculator (2026)

The financial requirement is the part of a UK spouse visa that worries people most, and for good reason. It is the single most common reason applications are refused. The surprising part is that refusals are almost never because the income is genuinely too low. They happen because of how the money is proved. Use the calculator below to see where you stand against the £29,000 figure, then read on for the mistakes that catch people who already earn enough.

What the £29,000 figure means

Since 11 April 2024, most new spouse and partner visa applicants must show a gross annual income of £29,000. Gross means before tax. It is usually met with your UK partner's income, and you can count several income sources together, not just one salary. This is the number the calculator above checks first.

If you are extending an existing visa with the same partner, and your original visa was granted before April 2024, a lower figure may still apply to you. That is an older set of rules, so always confirm your own position on GOV.UK.

If your income is short, savings can help

Cash savings can make up the gap between your income and the £29,000 figure. The catch is that the rules do not add savings to income pound for pound. They use a formula:

Savings needed = £16,000 + (the income shortfall × 2.5)

So if you earn £25,000, the shortfall is £4,000, and you would need £16,000 + (£4,000 × 2.5), which is £26,000 in savings. If you have no qualifying income at all and rely on savings alone, the figure is £16,000 + (£29,000 × 2.5), which is £88,500. Most people are surprised by that number. The money also has to sit in the account, untouched, for six full months before you apply.

Meeting the number is not the same as proving it

This is the part that catches people. You can earn well over £29,000 and still be refused, because the evidence did not meet the Home Office rules in Appendix FM-SE. These are the common ones:

• Your bank statements have to match your payslips. Caseworkers check each payslip against the exact deposit in your account.
• Your employer letter has to state five specific things, including your gross annual salary and how long you have been paid that rate.
• Every document has to be dated within 28 days of the day you apply.
• If you are self-employed, you cannot top up a shortfall with savings, and you need separate proof the business is still trading.
• If you run a limited company, you need a dividend voucher for every dividend in the year, not just the recent ones.

None of these are about how much you earn. They are about how you present it. The calculator above lists the ones that apply to your situation when you open the paperwork section.

How Stratovisa helps

Stratovisa gives you a labelled slot for every document your visa type asks for, and hides the ones that do not apply to you. So each of the traps above is either ticked off or clearly still empty before you submit. You upload straight into each slot, track what is done, and download one organised package for the online application.

Stratovisa organises documents and does not assess your eligibility or give immigration advice. Providing immigration advice in the UK is regulated. For guidance on your own circumstances, speak to an adviser registered with the IAA, and confirm all figures on GOV.UK.