A UK spouse visa application involves more than the application fees. Mandatory charges, optional faster-decision services and third-party costs such as the English test all need budgeting for before the application goes in. This post provides an overview of the fees and other costs for a UK spouse visa application.
Contents
- UK Spouse Visa Application Costs at a Glance
- What is the UK spouse visa application fee?
- Do the same fees apply to other UK partner visas?
- Can I apply from inside the UK to pay the lower fee?
- How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge for a spouse visa?
- What do the priority and super priority services cost?
- How much does the English language test cost?
- How much does a tuberculosis test cost?
- What does a certified translation cost?
- What does a biometric appointment cost?
- Do I need to pay for a housing report?
- How much does it cost to add a child to a spouse visa?
- Is the spouse visa application fee refunded if the application is refused?
- How are spouse visa fees paid?
- Do spouse visa fees include legal or immigration advice?
- What requirements must be met before paying the fees?
- How much does the five-year route to ILR cost?
- What costs follow after the visa is granted?
- Frequently asked questions
UK Spouse Visa Application Costs at a Glance
Home office costs are fixed and increase every year.
| Home Office charge | Outside the UK (entry clearance) | Inside the UK (leave to remain) |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee, per person | £2,064 | £1,407 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, adult | £3,105 (33-month visa) | £2,587.50 (30-month visa) |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, child under 18 | £2,328 | £1,940 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge, fiancé or proposed civil partner | None (6-month visa) | Not applicable |
| Total for one adult | £5,169 | £3,994.50 |
| Priority visa service (optional) | £500 | Not applicable |
| Super priority service (optional) | Not applicable | £1,000 |
| Other cost | Typical cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Secure English Language Test (SELT) | £150 to £210 | Unless exempt |
| Tuberculosis (TB) test | £20 to £150 | Outside the UK, listed countries only |
| Certified translation | £30 to £80 per page | Documents not in English or Welsh |
| Biometric appointment | Free to £200 | Paid slots are optional |
| Property inspection report | £80 to £200 | Optional |
| Immigration advice or representation | £1,000 to £3,000+ | Optional |
Neither charge changes with the applicant’s nationality, income or savings. Official figures are published in the Home Office immigration and nationality fees table.
What is the UK spouse visa application fee?
The application fee is the Home Office cost for processing the spouse visa application. It is £2,064 for an application from outside the UK and £1,407 for an application to switch or extend from inside the UK.
Neither the fee nor the surcharge can be paid in instalments, so the full amount must be ready when the application is submitted. Home Office fees for every route are also listed in the UK visa fees guide.
Do the same fees apply to other UK partner visas?
Yes. Civil partner, unmarried partner, fiancé and proposed civil partner visas are all part of the same family route. They pay the same application fee as a spouse visa. The other costs on this page apply to them in the same way.
The one difference is the Immigration Health Surcharge on a fiancé or proposed civil partner visa. That visa lasts 6 months, so no surcharge is paid on it. Instead, the surcharge and the in-country application fee are paid when the applicant switches to a spouse or civil partner visa after the ceremony.
A civil partner visa is charged exactly as a spouse visa. An unmarried partner visa is charged the same way.
Can I apply from inside the UK to pay the lower fee?
Only if the applicant is already in the UK with permission that allows them to switch into the Spouse category. A visitor cannot switch to a spouse visa from inside the UK and must apply from outside, at the higher fee.
Paragraph E-LTRP.2.1 of Appendix FM rules out applicants in the UK as visitors or with permission of 6 months or less. A fiancé or proposed civil partner visa is the exception, as set out above. Applicants in breach of immigration laws are also excluded, subject to limited exceptions.
How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge for a spouse visa?
The Immigration Health Surcharge costs £1,035 per year for an adult and £776 per year for an applicant under 18 at the date of application. It is paid upfront for the whole grant, and gives the visa holder access to the NHS for the length of the visa. The surcharge covers NHS treatment on the same basis as a UK resident.
The Home Office calculates the surcharge against the length of the grant. A 2 year 9 month grant from outside the UK carries a surcharge of £3,105. The 9-month part-year is charged as a full year. From inside the UK, a 2 year 6 month grant carries £2,587.50, because a half-year there is charged at half the yearly rate.
The online application calculates the surcharge automatically, and an IHS reference number follows by email after payment. The Immigration Health Surcharge guide covers the surcharge in more detail.
What do the priority and super priority services cost?
A faster decision costs £500 for the priority visa service from outside the UK, or £1,000 for the super priority service from inside the UK. Both are optional, subject to availability and are paid on top of the application fee.
The priority service on a family visa application from outside the UK usually gives a decision within 30 working days. The super priority service on an application from inside the UK usually gives a decision by the end of the next working day. Neither service changes the outcome of the application, only the time it takes to reach a decision, and both are subject to availability.
A couple planning travel or a move around a fixed date may find the added cost worthwhile. A standard application is decided within the published service window without paying for either. The UK Spouse Visa priority service guide sets out how each service is booked. Standard service windows are in the UK Spouse Visa processing time guide.
How much does the English language test cost?
A Secure English Language Test (SELT) at A1 level costs around £150 to £210, depending on the provider and country. The test is only needed where the applicant does not already meet the requirement another way.
In the UK, the British Council prices the IELTS for UKVI Life Skills test from £182 to £209. LanguageCert prices its A1 test from US$200. Each fee covers one sitting, so a failed test is paid for again.
The partner route tests speaking and listening only. A test that also covers reading and writing, such as IELTS for UKVI Academic, costs more and is not needed for a spouse visa.
The level rises at each stage of the route, so the test fee can come up more than once.
| Stage | English level (speaking and listening) | When a new test is needed |
|---|---|---|
| First spouse visa | A1 | Unless an exemption or a qualifying degree applies |
| Extension (FLR(M)) after 30 months | A2 | Only where the first visa was granted on an A1 test |
| Indefinite Leave to Remain | B1, rising to B2 for applications from 26 March 2027 | A test taken in the 2 years before applying, unless an exemption or a qualifying degree applies |
Passing A2 at the first stage can save a second test fee. Under paragraph E-LTRP.4.1A of Appendix FM, only a partner who met the first requirement with an A1 test must show A2 at the extension. The settlement stage still needs its own test at the higher level, taken within 2 years of the application.
A degree taught in English, or nationality of a majority English-speaking country, can satisfy the requirement without a test. Applicants aged 65 or over, or with a disability that prevents them meeting it, are exempt under paragraph E-ECP.4.2 of Appendix FM. The English language requirement guide for partner visas sets out the approved tests and exemptions.
How much does a tuberculosis test cost?
A tuberculosis test typically costs around £20 to £150, paid directly to an approved clinic. It is needed only where the applicant is resident in a listed country and is applying from outside the UK.
GOV.UK publishes each clinic’s fee, for example ₹1,800 to ₹3,700 for adults in India and PKR 14,000 at IOM clinics in Pakistan.
The certificate is valid for six months from the date of the test. Timing the test close to the application date avoids the cost of a second test. Travel to a distant clinic can add more to the total than the test itself.
What does a certified translation cost?
Documents not in English or Welsh need a certified translation, which typically costs around £30 to £80 per page in the UK. The total depends on the number and length of the documents.
The documents that most often need translating are:
- marriage or civil partnership certificates;
- divorce or dissolution documents from a previous relationship;
- birth certificates for any children on the application;
- bank statements, payslips and other financial evidence;
Each translation must be dated and confirm that it is accurate. It must also give the translator’s full name, signature and contact details. An extension or settlement application from inside the UK needs more. There, the translation must also be certified by a qualified translator, with their credentials confirmed. These requirements come from Appendix FM-SE and the Home Office family guidance.
Certified copies and postage are usually the smallest costs in the budget, but they still form part of the full total.
What does a biometric appointment cost?
A standard biometrics appointment is free at a core UK service point, and paid or premium appointments cost around £50 to £200. Outside the UK, the visa application centre sets its own prices for optional extras. These include courier return of a passport, SMS updates and a premium lounge.
Paid slots at UK service points buy a more convenient time or place, such as an out-of-hours or enhanced service point appointment. Each extra is chosen separately and paid to the provider, not to the Home Office, and none of them affects the decision.
Do I need to pay for a housing report?
A property inspection report is not a standard requirement for a spouse visa, but some couples use one to show that the accommodation is adequate. Where one is used, it typically costs around £80 to £200 depending on the provider and location. The housing report guide for spouse visas explains when a report is useful.
How much does it cost to add a child to a spouse visa?
Each child pays the same application fee as the adult, and a surcharge at the lower under-18 rate. For a child granted in line with the parent, the surcharge comes to £2,328 from outside the UK and £1,940 from inside the UK.
The surcharge is calculated separately for each adult and each child, at the rate that applies to them.
Each child must also meet evidence requirements, set out on the guide to bringing a child on a spouse or partner visa. A child’s birth certificate, and any consent letter from an absent parent, may need certified translation if issued abroad.
Is the spouse visa application fee refunded if the application is refused?
No, the application fee is not refunded once a decision is made, whether the application succeeds or not. The Immigration Health Surcharge is treated differently and is refunded in full if the application is refused.
The surcharge is also refunded in full if the application is withdrawn before a decision. There is no refund where the visa is granted but the applicant does not travel, or leaves the UK before the visa ends.
Want your application checked before you submit it? Call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form to arrange a review.
How are spouse visa fees paid?
The application fee and the surcharge are paid online by debit or credit card as part of the application.
Both charges must be paid for the application to be valid. Under paragraphs 34 and 34A of the Immigration Rules, an application that fails the validity requirements is rejected as invalid. Payment is one of those requirements. For an online application, the date of application is the date the online application is submitted, under paragraph 34G.
An applicant paying in another currency from outside the UK is charged under the Home Office Exchange Rate Policy.
Do spouse visa fees include legal or immigration advice?
No. The fees and surcharge set out in this post are the Home Office charges only, and using a legal adviser is optional.
Where a couple does instruct an adviser, fixed fees for full representation commonly fall between around £1,000 and £3,000. The figure depends on the adviser and the complexity of the case. Anyone giving immigration advice in the UK must be regulated, for example by the Immigration Advice Authority. Checking an adviser’s registration before paying avoids unregulated advice.
What requirements must be met before paying the fees?
The couple must be married or in a civil partnership, or meet the unmarried partner or fiancé conditions. A fiancé or proposed civil partner must marry or form the civil partnership within 6 months of arriving. Both partners must be 18 or over. The applicant must meet the English requirement, and the couple needs adequate accommodation without relying on public funds. Suitability rules on criminal records and past immigration history also apply.
The financial requirement is money the couple must show, not money paid to the Home Office. Most couples need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year, and savings can be used instead of, or alongside, income. The spouse visa financial requirement guide sets out how income and savings are counted.
How much does the five-year route to ILR cost?
The five-year route to settlement costs £12,389.50 in Home Office charges for one adult who starts from outside the UK. That is the initial visa, one extension and the settlement application.
The FLR(M) extension falls due after two and a half years. Indefinite Leave to Remain follows after five years and carries no surcharge, because settlement has no time limit.
| Stage | Fee | Surcharge | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial spouse visa (outside the UK) | £2,064 | £3,105 | £5,169 |
| Extension, FLR(M) (inside the UK) | £1,407 | £2,587.50 | £3,994.50 |
| Indefinite Leave to Remain | £3,226 | None | £3,226 |
| Five-year route total | £12,389.50 |
What costs follow after the visa is granted?
Between Home Office applications, the main ongoing costs are everyday living costs, which the couple must meet without public funds. A spouse visa is granted with a condition of no recourse to public funds, so most benefits and housing assistance are not available. Rent, bills and daily costs must be covered from the couple’s income or savings for the whole grant.
Frequently asked questions
Does a child pay the adult surcharge rate after turning 18?
No. The child rate depends on the child’s age at the date of application. It applies for the whole grant, even if the child turns 18 during it.
Can my UK partner pay the fees for me?
Yes. An application can be submitted and paid for on the applicant’s behalf by a relative or sponsor in the UK. The Home Office surcharge guidance confirms the surcharge is still charged in the currency of the country the application is made from.
Do I pay the health surcharge again when I extend my spouse visa?
Yes. The surcharge paid on the first visa covers only that grant. The FLR(M) extension carries its own surcharge for the length of the new grant.
Have the spouse visa fees changed recently?
Yes. On 8 April 2026 the fee from outside the UK rose by £126, from £1,938. The fee from inside the UK rose by £86, from £1,321. The fees table that takes effect on 8 October 2026 leaves both, and the settlement fee, unchanged.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
Spouse visa application costs can vary based on the applicant’s circumstances. Whytecroft Ford’s IAA-regulated immigration team prepares spouse visa applications on a regular basis.
To discuss your Spouse Visa application costs with our team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026 (GOV.UK). The official fee table behind every application fee on this page.
- Immigration Health Surcharge: how much you have to pay (GOV.UK). The yearly rates and how part-years are charged.
- Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application (GOV.UK). Priority visa service and super priority service costs, timings and availability.
Disclaimer: 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.
