A UK Spouse Visa applied for from outside the UK costs £5,169 in Home Office charges up front, made up of a £2,064 application fee and a £3,105 Immigration Health Surcharge (as of June 2026). The total is lower for an application made inside the UK, and smaller costs such as the English test, biometrics and translations are added on top. Knowing the full cost in advance lets a couple budget for the application and for the later stages of the five-year route to settlement. This post provides an overview of the cost of a UK Spouse Visa in 2026.
How much does a UK spouse visa cost in total in 2026?
The two main costs of a Spouse Visa are the Home Office application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, both paid up front when the application is submitted. As of June 2026, an application from outside the UK carries a £2,064 application fee and a £3,105 surcharge, a combined £5,169. An application from inside the UK carries a £1,407 fee and a £2,587.50 surcharge, a combined £3,994.50.
The smaller costs sit on top of these two charges: the English language test, biometrics, any tuberculosis test and document translations. The figures here are current as of June 2026, and the Home Office reviews them periodically, so the live amounts are kept on the UK Visa and Immigration Fees guide.
The visa application fee
The application fee is the Home Office charge for processing the Spouse Visa application, and it differs depending on where the application is made. As of June 2026, the fee is £2,064 for an application for entry clearance from outside the UK, and £1,407 for an application to switch or extend from inside the UK (fees effective 8 April 2026).
The fee is not refundable once the application is submitted and decided, so confirming eligibility before applying protects it. A fee waiver may be available where an applicant cannot afford the fee and meets the published conditions.
The Immigration Health Surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge gives the visa holder access to the NHS for the length of the visa, and it is paid up front for the whole grant rather than year by year. As of June 2026 the rate is £1,035 per year for an adult, and it is usually the single largest cost in a Spouse Visa application.
The surcharge is calculated against the length of the grant, with any part-year over six months counting as a full year. A Spouse Visa granted for two years and nine months from outside the UK carries a surcharge of £3,105, while a 30-month in-country grant carries £2,587.50.
What the two main fees cost together
The application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge together make up almost all of the up-front cost, and both leave the applicant’s account at submission. As of June 2026, an application from outside the UK comes to £5,169 for the two charges combined, made up of the £2,064 fee and the £3,105 surcharge.
An application made inside the UK comes to £3,994.50 for the two charges, made up of the £1,407 fee and the £2,587.50 surcharge. A couple budgeting for the application should plan for the full amount to be paid at the point of submission.
Biometrics and appointment costs
Most applicants enrol biometrics as part of the application, and the cost depends on how this is done. Biometrics can be enrolled through the UK Immigration: ID Check app at no separate charge, or at a visa application centre where an appointment or optional service may carry a fee.
Visa application centres also offer paid options such as priority appointments, document scanning and document return. These are optional, and a standard appointment keeps this cost to a minimum.
Priority and super-priority services
The priority and super-priority services are optional add-ons that speed up the decision, charged on top of the application fee. As of June 2026, the six-week priority service on an application from outside the UK is £500, and the next-day super-priority service in the UK is £1,000.
These services change the time to a decision, not the outcome. They are useful where a couple needs an early decision, for example to plan travel or a move, and a standard application is decided within the published service window without them.
English test and TB test costs
The English language test and the tuberculosis test are smaller costs that apply to some applicants. The English test cost applies where the requirement is met by sitting an approved test at the required level, rather than by a degree taught in English or an exemption, and an approved A1 test typically costs in the region of £150 (as of June 2026), depending on the provider and location.
The tuberculosis test is required where the applicant is resident in a listed country, and it is arranged at an approved clinic before the application. The cost is paid to the clinic, not to the Home Office, and varies by country.
Translation and other smaller costs
Documents not in English need a certified translation, and the cost depends on the number and length of the documents. This applies to documents such as marriage certificates, bank statements or birth certificates issued in another language.
Other smaller costs can include certified copies and postage. These are minor next to the application fee and the surcharge, but they form part of the full budget for the application.
The full five-year route: extension and ILR costs
The initial Spouse Visa is the first of three Home Office applications on the five-year route to settlement. The route also includes an extension on form FLR(M) after two and a half years, and an application for indefinite leave to remain after five years, each with its own fee, and a further Immigration Health Surcharge on the extension.
As of June 2026, the initial visa from outside the UK costs £5,169 in fee and surcharge, and the FLR(M) extension costs £3,994.50 in fee and surcharge. The two visa stages alone therefore come to around £9,160 in Home Office charges, before the separate settlement fee, which is published on the fees guide.
- UK Visa and Immigration Fees
- UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement
- Spouse Visa Extension Cost (FLR(M))
What to budget in total
A realistic Spouse Visa budget combines the application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge for the full grant, the English test where it applies, biometrics or appointment options, and any translation costs. As of June 2026, the two Home Office charges alone are £5,169 from outside the UK or £3,994.50 from inside, and the rest are smaller additions.
Building the budget from the current published rates keeps it accurate, because the Home Office reviews fees and the surcharge periodically. The live figures are on the fees guide linked above.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a UK spouse visa cost in total in 2026? As of June 2026, the two main Home Office charges are £5,169 from outside the UK (a £2,064 fee plus a £3,105 surcharge) or £3,994.50 from inside the UK. Smaller costs such as the English test, biometrics and translations are added on top.
Do I have to pay the health surcharge up front for the whole visa? Yes. The Immigration Health Surcharge is paid in full at the point of application for the entire length of the visa, not year by year. At £1,035 per year (as of June 2026), it is usually the largest single cost in the application.
Is a spouse visa cheaper if I apply from inside the UK? The application fee is lower in-country. As of June 2026 it is £1,407 inside the UK against £2,064 for entry clearance from outside the UK, and the surcharge is also lower because the in-country grant is shorter.
Are spouse visa fees refundable if my application is refused? The application fee is generally not refundable once a decision is made, though the Immigration Health Surcharge is refunded where a visa is refused. Confirming eligibility before applying protects the application fee.
Do I have to pay for the priority service? No. Priority and super-priority services are optional. As of June 2026 they cost £500 (six-week, outside the UK) or £1,000 (next-day, in the UK), and a standard application is decided within the published service window at no extra cost.
How much will the whole five-year route to settlement cost? The route involves three Home Office applications: the initial visa, the FLR(M) extension and settlement. As of June 2026 the initial visa and the extension come to around £9,160 in fees and surcharges combined, before the separate settlement fee published on the fees guide.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The cost of a Spouse Visa is set by the Home Office, and the largest avoidable cost is a refused application that has to be paid for twice. The £2,064 application fee is not refundable (as of June 2026), so an application that meets the evidence rules first time protects the largest part of the budget.
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team prepares Spouse Visa applications so that each requirement is evidenced correctly before the fee is paid, and advises couples planning the full five-year route to settlement. The firm also prepares a corrected fresh application where a previous application has been refused.
To discuss your Spouse Visa application with our team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Visa fees
- GOV.UK — Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application (IHS)
- GOV.UK — Family visas: apply, extend or switch
The material in this article is provided for guidance and general information only and is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice upon which you should rely. In particular, the information should not be used as a substitute for a full and proper consultation with a suitably qualified professional. UK Immigration Rules are subject to change. Please do contact the Whytecroft Ford team if you require further advice.
