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Spouse visa extension UK: halfway to settlement

Two and a half years in, your spouse visa extension is the next application, and it is a full one, not a formality. This page sets out what the Home Office checks at the extension, what it costs, and how it leads to indefinite leave to remain at five years and then to citizenship.

Start with your extension ↓Looking ahead to ILR?

Where you are in the process

A guide to the five-year partner route for couples in the UK. General information, not legal advice.

  1. Arrival

    Keep your records

    Your first grant sets the terms for everything after it

    The date on your first decision letter matters more than most people expect. It decides which income threshold applies when you extend, and the clock towards settlement starts from your time in the UK as a partner. A first visa granted from outside the UK lasts up to 2 years and 9 months; each extension adds up to a further 2 years and 6 months. Partner visa length on GOV.UK

    Keep three things somewhere safe: the decision letter, a note of the date you first applied as a partner, and the endorsement type. A "standard endorsement" means you met all the requirements; a "non-standard endorsement" means you met only some, and GOV.UK says the type might affect when you can apply for settlement. Endorsement types

    From then on, keep joint post as it arrives: tenancy or mortgage letters, council tax and utility bills, bank statements, GP letters. That folder becomes your relationship evidence later. Find your route to settlement

  2. 2.5 years

    Extension stage

    Your next application

    Your spouse visa extension after 2.5 years

    The extension is assessed again from scratch. The Home Office looks at whether your relationship is still genuine and you still live together, whether you meet the money, English and accommodation rules today, and whether anything has changed since the last decision. Being approved once does not carry you through.

    You can apply at any time before your current permission runs out. Applying well ahead has a cost, though: only up to 28 days left on your current permission is added to the new grant, so applying three months early means losing around two months. When to extend, on GOV.UK

    28 days

    Best time to apply: the last 28 days before your visa ends. Apply earlier and you lose time.
    First, find your expiry date and the date you first applied.

    The expiry date sets your deadline. The first-application date decides whether the £29,000 or the £18,600 income rule applies to you.

    Income you need each year
    • First applied before 11 April 2024£18,600(more with children)
    • Everyone else£29,000

    Spouse visa extension requirements: money, English, home and relationship

    • Money.The standard rule is a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024, including if you first came as a fiancé or proposed civil partner, and you are extending with the same partner, the older threshold applies instead: £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each additional child, never more than £29,000 in total. At the extension, your own employment income earned in the UK can count alongside your partner's. Savings can make up a shortfall: £16,000, plus 2.5 times the gap between your income and the threshold, held for six months before you apply. If your partner receives certain disability or carer's benefits, you show instead that you can support yourselves without extra public funds. Financial requirements
    • English.If you passed an A1 test for your first visa, the extension needs at least A2 in speaking and listening. An earlier result at A2 or above can be reused if the certificate has not been withdrawn. If you were exempt at entry and are no longer exempt, you need an A1 test. The test must be a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider. English requirements · Approved English tests
      English level you need
      1. A1First visa
      2. A2Your extension
      3. B1Settlement (B2 from 26 March 2027)
    • Your home.The rules ask for adequate accommodation for the whole household, which you own or occupy exclusively, without relying on public funds. It must not be overcrowded or break public health regulations. If you have moved, have a child or have someone new living with you, check that this still holds. The accommodation rule in Appendix FM
    • Your relationship.GOV.UK asks for documents from the government, a bank, a landlord, a utility provider or a medical professional that show your relationship and are less than 4 years old: joint bank statements, council tax or utility bills, a tenancy agreement, a letter from your GP or dentist. Spread them across the period since your last grant rather than bunching them at the end. Relationship evidence · Information and evidence to provide

    Spouse visa extension fees and the health surcharge

    There are two payments, made when you apply, and both are per person. The immigration health surcharge is charged for the whole length of the new grant, which for an extension is 2 years and 6 months.

    Cost for one adult
    1. £1,407Application fee
    2. +£2,587.50Health surcharge, for using the NHS
    3. =£3,994.50Total
    What one adult pays to extend in the UK
    PaymentAmount
    Extension application fee, applying in the UK.
    Check application fees    		£1,407
    Immigration health surcharge for 2 years and 6 months, at £1,035 a year.
    Check the health surcharge    		£2,587.50
    Total£3,994.50

    GOV.UK also lists £3,105 for 2 years and 9 months. That is the surcharge for a first visa granted from outside the UK, not for an extension. A child's surcharge for 2 years and 6 months is £1,940. An optional super priority service costs £1,000 more, for a decision by the end of the next working day after your appointment. A fee waiver may be possible if you cannot afford the fee. Faster decisions · Fees table from 8 October 2026

  3. 5 years

    The next milestone

    ILR on a spouse visa: settlement at five years

    Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is permission to stay in the UK without a time limit. On the five-year partner route you can apply once you have lived in the UK for 5 continuous years on a family visa as a partner. Time on other visas or as a fiancé does not count. The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach the five years. ILR as a partner

    The fee is £3,226 for each person, and there is no health surcharge to pay on an ILR application. The application is form SET(M), and a decision usually comes within 6 months of giving your fingerprints and photo. ILR fee and timing

    • The same money rule as before.£29,000, or the £18,600 threshold (plus amounts for children, capped at £29,000) if you first applied before 11 April 2024. You must also have lived together since your last extension. Settlement requirements
    • English at B1, then B2.Applications made before 26 March 2027 need B1 in speaking and listening, or a degree taught or researched in English. Applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need B2, and the change applies to people already on the route. If your five years end near that date, plan the test early. The B2 change, confirmed 5 March 2026 · Appendix KoLL
    • The Life in the UK Test.If you are aged 18 to 64 you need to pass it. It costs £50. People under 18, aged 65 or over, or with a long-term physical or mental condition are exempt. Book the Life in the UK Test

    If you were granted on the 10-year route instead, settlement comes after at least 10 continuous years and there is no financial requirement. Check the settlement routes

  4. Then

    After settlement

    British citizenship through marriage

    Marriage does not make anyone British, and citizenship is a separate application with its own fee. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you can apply as soon as you have ILR, provided you have lived in the UK for at least 3 years before you apply. You must not have spent more than 270 days outside the UK in those 3 years, or more than 90 days in the last 12 months. Citizenship for the spouse of a British citizen

    Citizenship: most time allowed outside the UK
    • 270 daysin the last 3 years
    • 90 daysin the last 12 months

    You also need to meet the English requirement, have passed the Life in the UK Test and be of good character. The cost is £1,839: £1,709 to apply and £130 for the citizenship ceremony. A decision usually takes 6 months. The legal basis: British Nationality Act 1981, section 6

Before you apply

Small mistakes that complicate the next step

  • Applying months early "to be safe".Only up to 28 days of your remaining permission carries over, so an early application shortens your total time. Extension timing
  • Using £29,000 when £18,600 applies, or the other way round.The threshold depends on when you first applied and whether you are extending with the same partner. Financial rules
  • Booking the wrong English test.The extension usually needs A2, not another A1 test, and only approved Secure English Language Tests count. English evidence
  • Sending relationship documents that are too old.GOV.UK asks for evidence less than 4 years old, from an official source such as a bank, landlord or utility provider. Relationship evidence
  • Travelling while an ILR application is pending.Leaving the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision means the application is withdrawn. ILR guidance

Common questions

Questions about the spouse visa extension in the UK

Is a spouse visa renewal the same as an extension?

Yes. People search for "spouse visa renewal", but GOV.UK calls it extending your visa. It is the same application, and you can extend more than once. Read the extension guidance

How early can I apply for my spouse visa extension?

Any time before your current permission expires. The catch is that no more than 28 days of the time you have left is added to the new grant, so applying much earlier than that costs you time. When to apply

Our income has changed since my first spouse visa application, so which financial requirement applies to our extension now, and can my own wages count?

Start with the date you first applied as a partner. Before 11 April 2024 and still with the same partner, the £18,600 threshold applies (more with children, capped at £29,000); otherwise it is £29,000. At the extension, your own employment income earned in the UK can count with your partner's, and savings above £16,000 can help cover a gap. Check your financial requirements

How much does it cost to extend a spouse visa in the UK?

For one adult, £1,407 for the application plus £2,587.50 for the health surcharge, which is £3,994.50. Super priority is an optional extra £1,000. Application fees · Health surcharge

How long does it take to get a spouse visa extension in the UK?

Usually within 8 weeks if you meet the financial and English requirements. If you do not, GOV.UK says it currently takes about 12 months. Processing times

What happens after 5 years on a UK spouse visa?

If you are on the five-year route, you apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) on form SET(M). The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach 5 continuous years as a partner. The fee is £3,226 and there is no health surcharge. You still need to meet the money rule, English at B1 (B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027) and the Life in the UK Test. ILR as a partner

Does everyone get ILR after five years?

No. You need to be on the five-year route, have 5 continuous years as a partner and meet the requirements on the day you apply. Couples who were granted without meeting the money or English rules are usually on the 10-year route. Check the settlement routes

Are the rules changing before I apply for ILR?

One change is confirmed: ILR applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need English at B2 instead of B1. The government has also consulted on wider "earned settlement" changes. Those are proposals, not rules, and no date has been set. Statement of changes HC 1691

Do I have to wait after ILR to apply for citizenship?

Not if you are married to a British citizen. You can apply as soon as you have ILR, as long as you meet the 3-year residence and absence limits and the other requirements. Citizenship as a British citizen's spouse

Your circumstances matter

A question about your next step?

Send a short email saying where you are on the route and what you are unsure about. Your visa expiry date and the date you first applied are often the two details that matter most.

Please describe your situation first. Leave passports, bank statements and other sensitive documents out of your first email.