Key Overviews
- Applicants must meet a minimum income requirement of £29,000 per annum and cash savings can be used towards this financial requirement.
- Cash savings above £16,000 count, provided they have been held in a personal account for at least six months before applying.
- The amount that can be used is calculated based on your savings balance minus £16,000, divided by 2.5.
- Where no income is demonstrated, you need £88,500 in cash savings to meet the £29,000 financial requirement.
- The lowest balance across 6-months is counted towards the financial requirement, not the average balance.
- Cash savings can be combined with most permitted income, but not with variable employment income or self-employment income.
Introduction
The UK partner visa financial requirement is £29,000 a year for all new applications submitted on or after 11 April 2024. Cash savings are one of the five permitted ways to meet it, alongside salaried employment, non-employment income, pension income, and self-employment income. The rules are set out in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules and apply to first-time applicants from outside the UK and to those who are switching from another visa inside the UK.
This post covers the £29,000 threshold, the £88,500 figure that meets it on savings alone, the formula, the six-month holding period, what counts and what does not, the income categories that can be combined with savings, the evidence required, and the most common reasons applications fail.
Who is this guide for?
The minimum income requirement applies to first-time partner visa applicants applying for entry clearance from outside the UK, and applicants switching into the partner route from another visa inside the UK. Applicants are assessed against the same £29,000 financial requirement and the same Category D cash savings rules.
Routes covered from outside the UK: the UK spouse visa, the civil partner visa, the unmarried partner visa, the fiancé visa, and the proposed civil partner visa.
Routes covered for those who are switching inside the UK: the spouse visa, the civil partner visa, and the unmarried partner visa. The fiancé visa and proposed civil partner visa are entry-clearance routes only.
This guide does not cover transitional protection cases at the older £18,600 threshold, or indefinite leave to remain applications, which use a simpler calculation.
What is the cash savings requirement for the UK spouse visa in 2026?
The cash savings requirement is the rule in Appendix FM that allows the £29,000 UK partner visa financial requirement to be met using money held in a personal bank or savings account. Savings are treated as Category D and can be held in the name of the applicant, the sponsor, or both jointly.
The £29,000 threshold applies to every new partner application submitted on or after 11 April 2024. It does not increase for dependant children.
How much cash savings do you need?
£88,500 is the cash savings amount required to meet the £29,000 financial requirement on savings alone. The figure is set by the following formula: £16,000 plus 2.5 times the income threshold.
Below £88,500, savings can still be used to make up part of the £29,000 figure, with the balance met from other permitted income. The table below sets out the income counted at each level of savings.
| Lowest cash savings in the six months before applying | Income counted towards £29,000 | Other income still needed |
| £88,500 | £29,000 | None |
| £80,000 | £25,600 | £3,400 |
| £75,000 | £23,600 | £5,400 |
| £70,000 | £21,600 | £7,400 |
| £60,000 | £17,600 | £11,400 |
| £50,000 | £13,600 | £15,400 |
| £40,000 | £9,600 | £19,400 |
| £30,000 | £5,600 | £23,400 |
| £20,000 | £1,600 | £27,400 |
| £16,000 | £0 | £29,000 |
The figures assume the sponsor is not receiving a permitted benefits, and that the savings are held for the full six-month period.
How do you calculate cash savings towards the financial requirement?
The formula is the lowest single-day balance held across the six months before the date of application, minus £16,000, divided by 2.5. The result is the annual income the Home Office counts from cash savings, which can be combined with other permitted income to reach £29,000.
The three steps:
- Identify the lowest single-day balance held across every account being relied on, at any point in the six months immediately before the date of application.
- Subtract £16,000 from that figure.
- Divide what is left by 2.5.
Worked example. A couple relies on a single joint account with the following lowest monthly balances over the six months before submission:
| Month before submission | Lowest balance held during that month |
| 6 | £100,000 |
| 5 | £100,000 |
| 4 | £40,500 |
| 3 | £50,000 |
| 2 | £55,000 |
| 1 | £60,000 |
The lowest single point across the period is £40,500. £40,500 minus £16,000 equals £24,500. £24,500 divided by 2.5 equals £9,800. The Home Office counts £9,800 of annual income from cash savings, which the couple combines with other permitted income to reach £29,000.
The figure that counts is the lowest single point in the six months, not the average and not the closing balance. A dip below £16,000 for one day resets the credited income to zero.
For professional advice and support call 0208 757 5751 or use our contact form to get in touch with our experienced immigration team.
What if your savings are not in pounds sterling?
Foreign currency savings are converted into pounds sterling using the closing spot exchange rate on OANDA on the date of application. The rate at the date of application is the only rate used; any movement before that date is disregarded.
Where savings are held in more than one foreign currency, each is converted separately and then added together with any UK savings to give a total. Where OANDA cannot be used (Iranian Rials, Syrian Pounds, Mongolian Tugrik), the Home Office uses the FCDO consular services exchange rate published by GOV.UK and reviewed monthly. A five to ten per cent buffer above the minimum protects against an adverse rate on the day of submission.
What counts as cash savings?
Cash savings are funds held in cash, in a personal bank or savings account at a regulated financial institution, in the name of the applicant, the sponsor, or both jointly. The funds must be immediately accessible, lawfully derived, and held for at least the six months before the date of application.
What counts:
- Money in a UK or overseas current account, deposit account or savings account at a regulated bank or building society
- Money in a UK stocks and shares ISA, provided it can be withdrawn immediately
- Money in a pension savings account from which funds can be immediately withdrawn
- Gifted or inherited funds, once received and held in a qualifying account for the full six months, with the source declared
What does not count:
- Equity in property, including the family home or a buy-to-let
- Stocks and shares held outside a UK stocks and shares ISA
- Bonds, gilts, and other debt instruments
- Trust funds
- Pension pots not drawn down into a withdrawable account
- Cryptocurrency holdings, regardless of platform
- Funds in a brokerage account, betting account, or limited company account
- Funds in any account held in a third party’s name
- Borrowed funds, including bridging loans and personal loans
Do cash savings need to be held for six months before applying?
Yes. Cash savings must be held in a qualifying personal account for at least the six months immediately before the date of application. The account must be in the name of the applicant, the sponsor, or both jointly, the funds must be under their control, and the source must be lawful and declared.
The six-month rule applies whether the funds were earned, gifted, or inherited. The clock starts from the date the money is received into the qualifying account, not the date it became yours in principle.
Can you combine cash savings with other income?
Yes, with most permitted income. Cash savings under Category D can be combined with Category A salaried employment, Category B Part 1 current annualised salary, Category C non-employment income, and Category E pension income. They cannot be combined with Category B Part 2 historic earnings, or with Category F or G self-employment income.
What can be combined with cash savings:
- Category A: employment income where the sponsor or applicant has been with the same employer for at least six months
- Category B Part 1: current annualised gross salary, regardless of length of employment
- Category C: non-employment income such as rental income, dividends and interest from investments outside an ISA, maintenance payments, and certain stipends
- Category E: pension income, provided the pension has been a source of income for at least 28 days
What cannot be combined with cash savings:
- Category B Part 2: 12-month historic employment income
- Category F and G: self-employment income, including income as a director or employee of a specified limited company
For walk-through examples of permitted pairings, see our combining income for partner visa guide.
Can you use cash savings if switching from another visa inside the UK?
Yes. Switchers into the spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner route from inside the UK are assessed against the same £29,000 threshold and the same Category D rules as first-time entry clearance applicants. The £16,000 floor, the 2.5x formula, and the six-month holding period all apply.
The fiancé visa and proposed civil partner visa are entry-clearance routes only and cannot be switched into from inside the UK. Applicants already in the UK who are not yet married usually marry in the UK and then apply for initial permission to stay as a spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner.
What evidence do you need to submit?
Personal bank or savings account statements covering the full six months before the date of application, in the names of the holders relied on, plus a written declaration of the source of the savings. Statements must be on official bank stationery, accompanied by a letter from the bank on its headed paper, or bear the official stamp of the issuing bank on every page.
Cash savings evidence includes:
- Bank or savings account statements covering the six-month period. Full name of the account holder, the account number, the bank name, and the period covered visible on each statement. Both names on the statements where the account is held jointly
- A written declaration of the source of the savings
- A printed OANDA conversion using the date-of-application spot rate, if relying on foreign currency savings
Statements printed from an online banking portal are not specified evidence on their own. They require a signed and dated covering letter from the bank confirming the account holder, the account number, the period covered, and that the statements are genuine. Most high street banks issue these on request.
Why do cash savings applications get refused?
Refusals cluster around seven recurring failure points: a dip below £16,000 during the six months, missing bank covering letters, funds held in a third party’s name, currency conversion failures on the day of submission, pairing savings with the wrong income category, an undeclared source of funds, and prior refusals in the applicant’s history. Our spouse visa financial requirement mistakes to avoid guide covers the broader category.
The seven recurring refusal points:
- Lowest balance dipped below £16,000. A single withdrawal that takes the account below the threshold for one day resets the income credit to zero.
- Online banking statements submitted without a covering letter. Self-printed PDFs are not specified evidence on their own.
- Account in a third party’s name. Funds in a parent’s, sibling’s, or limited company’s account do not count.
- Currency conversion brought the figure below threshold on the date of application. A five to ten per cent buffer above the minimum is the standard protection.
- Pairing with Category B Part 2 or self-employment income. Cash savings cannot combine with either.
- Source of cash savings not declared through an suitable declaration.
A previous refusal in any visa category requires the financial requirement evidence to be rebuilt with the refusal letter in mind. Call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form to discuss your UK Partner Visa application.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The £29,000 figure applies to every new partner application submitted on or after 11 April 2024, with no uplift for dependant children.
Yes. The fiancé visa and proposed civil partner visa apply the same £29,000 financial requirement and the same Category D cash savings rules as the spouse and civil partner visa. The requirement is met at the fiancé visa stage and evidenced again when switching into spouse or civil partner leave after the wedding.
No. Cash savings must be held in a personal account in the applicant’s name, the sponsor’s name, or both jointly. Funds in a parent’s, sibling’s, or any other third party’s account are disregarded, even where you can show the funds are intended for you.
Yes, once they have been received and held in a qualifying personal account for the full six-month period.
Refusal. The financial requirement is mandatory under Appendix FM, and a shortfall normally results in refusal. The options are to rebuild the position and reapply.
How can Whytecroft Ford help?
Whytecroft Ford is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) and advises on UK partner visa applications under Appendix FM. Cash savings cases are mechanical, so most refusals come down to documentation and timing rather than the underlying financial position.
The three service options for Partner Visa cases:
- Full Representation: end-to-end handling of the cash savings calculation, the evidence pack, the covering letter, and the application submission. See our Full Representation service.
- Application Review: a written assessment of the savings position before submission, for couples running the application themselves.
- Immigration Consultation: a fixed-fee conversation to confirm whether the savings position meets the requirement, or whether to wait.
To talk through your savings position, call 0208 757 5751 or send your statements through the contact form for a same-week review.
Sources and Further Reading
- Appendix FM, Family members (GOV.UK)
- Family migration: Appendix FM section 1.7 Financial Requirement caseworker guidance, version 13.0 (GOV.UK)
- Apply for a UK family visa (GOV.UK)
About This Article
Written and reviewed by Whytecroft Ford’s immigration team, authorised and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, registration number F201900075. All guidance is researched against primary sources at GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a relevant rule change. Last reviewed: 11 May 2026.
