UK Spouse Visa Document Checklist Explained

There is no single UK Spouse Visa document checklist that applies to every applicant. This is because the evidence you need to provide depends on your circumstances, including how you meet the financial and English language requirements and whether you and your partner currently live together. For a standard Spouse Visa application, the documents needed generally fall into the following categories:

• Applicant and sponsor identity documents
• Relationship evidence
• Financial evidence
• Accommodation evidence
• English language evidence, and
• Other documents where applicable, such as a tuberculosis test certificate, certified translations and documents concerning children

The Home Office may request additional evidence for your individual case.

Applicant and sponsor identity documents

Spouse Visa applicants will normally need to provide:

• Their current passport or another valid travel document
• Copies of the photo page and any pages containing visas or entry stamps from previous passports

In addition, their sponsoring spouse will be expected to provide:

• Their current passport, and
• Evidence of their qualifying British citizenship or UK immigration status, where this is not shown by a British passport. This might include a certificate of naturalisation or registration, or an eVisa share code showing settled or other qualifying status.

If the applicant is already in the UK, they should also provide evidence of their current UK immigration status, such as their eVisa details or share code. They should also provide their National Insurance number if they have one.

Proof of relationship evidence for a UK spouse visa

If you are married or in a civil partnership you will need to provide your marriage or civil partnership certificate and evidence showing that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. The exact evidence needed depends on whether the couple live together or currently live apart. Couples who live together can provide official and verifiable documents showing a shared address or shared financial responsibilities. Examples include:

• A tenancy agreement or mortgage document showing that both partners live at the same address
• Council Tax or utility bills covering the same address
• Joint bank statements or separate bank statements sent to each partner at the same address
• Letters from a doctor or dentist confirming that both partners live at the same address, and
• Other correspondence showing that the couple share their home or household expenses

If documents are not in both names, separate evidence for each partner can be used if it covers the same address and period. The Home Office considers the evidence as a whole, and you don’t always need numerous documents covering the same period.

Couples who live apart should explain why and provide evidence of their ongoing commitment. This can include evidence that they:

• Communicate regularly
• Visit each other or spend holidays and important events together
• Support each other financially
• Share responsibility for any children they have together
• Previously lived together and intend to do so again

The fact that a couple lives apart does not necessarily prevent them from showing a genuine and subsisting relationship. The explanation and supporting evidence must show that the arrangement is consistent with an ongoing committed relationship, for example where the partners live apart temporarily because of work, study, immigration restrictions or cultural circumstances.

If either partner was previously married or in a civil partnership, they should also provide evidence that the earlier relationship legally ended. This may include a death certificate, final order (decree absolute) or dissolution order, depending on the circumstances.

Financial evidence for a UK spouse visa

To qualify, new applicants must prove they meet a Minimum Income Requirement of £29,000 gross per year. The permitted sources to reach this threshold include:

• salaried or non-salaried employment
• specified non-employment income
• pension income
• self-employment
• income from a specified limited company, and
• cash savings.

Under current rules, there are no additional income increments for dependent children. Applicants who first successfully applied for a spouse visa before 11 April 2024 and continue to apply with the same partner may benefit from transitional arrangements. They are generally subject to the historic £18,600 base threshold, plus any applicable child increments, capped at £29,000. For more information, check Spouse Visa financial requirement and exemptions

Where financial evidence is required to cover the period leading up to the application date, such as recent employment income or cash savings, the most recent evidence must generally be dated within 28 days of the application.

Salaried income documents

If the applicant or sponsor relies on salaried employment in the UK, the following documents will be required:

• Formal payslips covering the required period. This is normally six months where the person has worked for the same employer for at least six months
• Personal bank statements covering the same period and showing the salary being paid into the person’s sole or joint account, and
• A signed letter on the employer’s headed paper confirming the employment, gross annual salary, length of employment, period for which the salary has been paid at that level and whether the job is permanent, fixed-term or agency work

If the person has worked for their current employer for less than six months, the evidence may need to cover relevant salaried employment during the 12 months before the application. The exact period and calculation depend on the financial category used. A P60 and signed employment contract may also be provided where available, although the specified payslips, bank statements and employer letter remain central to the evidence.

Other income documents

Different documents apply to each form of non-employment income. Examples include:

• Property rental income: Evidence of ownership, such as title deeds, a Land Registry title or mortgage statement; the rental agreement; and personal bank statements showing receipt of the rent during the relevant 12-month period
• Investment or dividend income: Evidence of ownership of the investments; an appropriate portfolio report or dividend voucher; and personal bank statements showing the income received during the relevant period
• Interest from savings: Personal bank statements showing the savings held and the interest paid, and
• Pension income: Official evidence from the pension provider or relevant government body confirming the entitlement and amount, together with at least one bank statement showing receipt of the pension during the 12 months before applying

The documents provided to the Home Office must show both the source of the income and that the relevant payments were actually received by the applicant, sponsor or both, as permitted by the rules.

Self-employment documents

A sole trader, partner or franchise operator relying on UK self-employment will normally need evidence relating to the last full financial year, or the last two full financial years where an average is relied upon. The documents required typically include:

• Evidence of the tax payable, paid and unpaid for the relevant financial year
• The annual Self Assessment tax return and the relevant HMRC Statement of Account, such as an SA300 or SA302
• Proof of registration with HMRC as self-employed, where available, and the relevant Unique Taxpayer Reference
• Business bank statements, where a separate business account is held, and personal bank statements showing receipt of the self-employment income
• Evidence that the business is continuing to trade, dated no more than three months before the application
• The applicable audited or unaudited accounts and accountant’s certificate, together with any other document required for the type of business, such as VAT evidence, planning permission or a franchise agreement

The evidence requirements for self-employment are detailed and depend on the legal and accounting structure of the business. Failure to provide the specified evidence may mean the income cannot be relied upon, although the Home Office has limited discretion in certain circumstances to request missing evidence or accept alternative evidence.  

Director of a limited company documents

Special evidence rules apply if a person receives income from employment or shares in a specified limited company. The required company documents normally include:

• The Company Tax Return, CT600, for the last full financial year and evidence that it was filed with HMRC
• Evidence that the company is registered at Companies House
• Audited accounts, or unaudited accounts with the required accountant’s certificate, for the last full financial year
• Corporate bank statements covering the same 12-month period as the CT600
• One of the additional specified documents where applicable, such as VAT records, proof of ownership or lease of business premises, or PAYE and National Insurance registration details

If the person receives a salary, they should also provide the relevant payslips, P60 if issued and personal bank statements showing payment. If they rely on dividends, they should provide dividend vouchers and personal bank statements showing receipt. Evidence of ongoing employment or dividend income is also required.

Cash savings documents

If using cash savings to meet the financial requirements as a spouse visa applicant, the following document should be provided

• Personal bank statements showing that the savings have been held in an eligible account throughout the six months before applying. If you are relying entirely on cash savings to meet the financial requirement, you must hold at least £88,500 (calculated using the formula: £16,000 + (2.5 × £29,000)).
• A declaration from the account holder or holders explaining the source of the savings

The account must be in the name of the applicant, their partner or both jointly and must allow immediate access to the money, with or without a withdrawal penalty. Different evidence provisions apply where the money comes from investments transferred into cash or a property sold within the six-month period.

Accommodation evidence for a UK spouse visa

The applicant must show that there will be adequate accommodation in the UK that the family can legally occupy without overcrowding or breaching public health regulations.

The evidence depends on the proposed living arrangement:

• If the sponsor or applicant owns the property, documents can include the Land Registry title or title deeds, a current mortgage statement where applicable, and evidence of the housing and Council Tax costs
• If the property is rented, documents can include the tenancy agreement, a letter from the landlord confirming the rent and permission for the applicant to live there, bank evidence of rent payments and evidence of Council Tax
• If the couple will live with family or friends, documents can include a letter from the owner or lawful occupier confirming consent, evidence of that person’s ownership or right to occupy the property, and details showing that the household will have sufficient space after the applicant arrives

Accommodation can be shared with other people, but the couple and their family must have exclusive use of at least the bedroom or bedrooms required for their household. The Home Office will consider everyone who will live in the property when assessing overcrowding.

For more information, read our guide on Spouse Visa accommodation requirements

English language evidence for a UK spouse visa

A Spouse Visa applicant will normally need to prove their knowledge of English unless an exemption applies. The required evidence depends on how the applicant meets the requirement.

• Approved English language test: The applicant must pass an approved Secure English Language Test with an approved provider and at an approved test centre. A first Spouse Visa application normally requires at least CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening. The result is checked through the provider’s online verification system.
• UK degree: The applicant can provide a degree certificate for a degree-level qualification awarded by a UK institution and taught in English. If the certificate is unavailable in the circumstances permitted by the rules, an appropriate academic reference or transcript may be used.
• Degree awarded outside the UK but taught in English: The applicant normally needs an Ecctis assessment confirming that the qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or higher and was taught or researched in English. The relevant certificate or assessment code should be provided.
• Exemption: Evidence may be required to show that the applicant is aged over 65 or has a physical or mental condition that prevents them from meeting the requirement. Nationals of the listed majority English-speaking countries and territories do not need to prove their knowledge of English, but should provide valid evidence of nationality.

An applicant who proved their English in a previous successful application may not need to provide fresh evidence, depending on the level previously met and the requirements of the new application. A test result may be rejected if the Home Office has reason to doubt that it was genuinely obtained or the provider has withdrawn it.

Other documents

Further documents may be required depending on where the applicant applies from and whether children are included or relevant to the application.

• Tuberculosis test certificate: An applicant applying from a country where tuberculosis screening is required must provide a valid test certificate confirming the relevant result.
• Certified translations: A document that is not in English or Welsh must be submitted with the original-language document and a full translation that can be independently verified. The translation must be dated, confirm that it is accurate, and include the translator’s name, signature and contact details. An in-country application also requires the qualified translator’s certification and credentials.
• Documents relating to children: The application asks for details of the applicant’s and partner’s children, even where they are not applying. This includes each child’s name, nationality, date of birth, passport details, normal living arrangements, other people with parental responsibility, the applicant’s day-to-day involvement, contact arrangements and relevant travel or residence history.

If a child is applying as a dependant, the child will need a separate application with their own identity and supporting evidence. Further documents may also be required where the applicant relies on their relationship with a child as an exception to the normal partner requirements.

References:

GOV.UK: Relationship with a partner

GOV.UK: Family visas: apply, extend or switch

GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence

GOV.UK: Family Migration: Appendix FM and Adult Dependent Relative – Adequate maintenance and accommodation