UK Family Visa 2026: Who Can Join You, Income and Costs
A UK family visa lets you live for more than 6 months with a partner, child, parent or relative who is British, Irish or settled in the UK. It is expensive, the partner route has an income test, and it does not cover everyone: if your family member is in the UK on a work or student visa, you need a different application. Here are the rules, checked against GOV.UK on 13 October 2026.
Quick answer
You need a family visa to live with a family member in the UK for more than 6 months. A partner visa requires you both to be 18 or over, the UK partner to be British, Irish or settled, and a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. Unless you are exempt, you must prove your knowledge of English, at level A1 or higher if you take a test. The fee is £2,064 per person from outside the UK or £1,407 from inside, plus a healthcare surcharge of £3,105 per adult for a visa of 2 years and 9 months. A decision usually takes 12 weeks from outside the UK. A partner can apply to settle after 5 years. If your relative holds a work or student visa, you apply as their dependant instead.
Who can apply for a UK family visa
From outside the UK you can apply for a family visa to live with your:
- spouse or partner;
- fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner;
- child;
- parent;
- relative who will provide long-term care for you.
If you are already in the UK on another visa, you might be able to switch to a family visa to stay with your spouse or partner, child or parent, at any time before your current permission expires.
When you cannot use a family visa
- Your family member is on a work or student visa. You cannot apply for a family visa to join someone who is in the UK temporarily on those visas. You apply to stay with them as a dependant instead.
- You are in the UK as a visitor, or on a visa of 6 months or less. You usually have to leave the UK to apply. The exceptions are a 6-month family visa as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, and permission to stay for the outcome of a family court case or divorce.
Applying as a partner or spouse
You and your partner must both be 18 or over, and you must intend to live together permanently in the UK. Your partner must be one of the following:
- a British or Irish citizen;
- settled in the UK, for example with indefinite leave to remain or settled status;
- from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status, having started living in the UK before 1 January 2021;
- the holder of a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa;
- a person with protection status, meaning leave or permission to stay as a refugee or with humanitarian protection;
- a person given permission to stay as a stateless person before you became their partner.
You must prove one of these about your relationship:
- you are in a civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in the UK;
- you have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply;
- you are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving.
If you cannot live together because of work or study, or for cultural reasons, you need to prove an ongoing commitment to each other, for example that you communicate regularly, support each other financially and spend time together as a couple.
A fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner can stay for 6 months and cannot work or study in the UK during the engagement. After you marry or become civil partners you apply to extend your stay.
The income requirement
You and your partner usually need to prove a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. GOV.UK lists what can count: income from employment before tax and National Insurance, where only income earned in the UK can be used; income from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK; cash savings above £16,000; money from a pension; and non-work income such as property rentals or dividends. Our guide to the family visa income requirement goes through the evidence.
If you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner, the figure is a combined income of at least £18,600 a year, plus £3,800 a year for the first child and £2,400 a year for each additional child you must show extra money for. If that total would be more than £29,000, you only need to prove £29,000.
The English requirement
| Stage | Level needed |
|---|---|
| First visa application | At least A1 |
| Extension, if you passed A1 first time | At least A2 in speaking and listening |
| Extension, if you already passed A2 or higher | You can reuse the result |
| Settlement after 5 years | A pass at B1 or higher can be used again when you apply |
You can prove your English with a degree from a UK institution, a degree taught in English from an institution outside the UK, or a test from an approved provider. You do not need to prove it if you are applying as a child or as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative, if you are over 65, or if you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement. Nationals of a list of countries and territories that includes Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and the USA do not need to prove it either.
How long the visa lasts
A partner visa lets you stay for up to 2 years and 9 months. You then extend. The earliest you can apply to settle, which is called indefinite leave to remain, is after you have lived in the UK for 5 years continuously on a family visa as a partner.
What a UK family visa costs
| Cost | Applying from outside the UK | Applying in the UK |
|---|---|---|
| Joining a partner, parent or child | £2,064 | £1,407 |
| Each dependant added to the application | £2,064 | £1,407 |
| Adult who needs care from a relative | £3,635 | £1,407 |
| Adult who needs care, where the relative has refugee or humanitarian protection status | £452 | £1,407 |
Healthcare surcharge
| Length of visa | Each adult | Each child under 18 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years and 6 months | £2,587.50 | £1,940 |
| 2 years and 9 months | £3,105 | £2,328 |
| 5 years | £5,175 | £3,880 |
GOV.UK advises telling your bank before you pay, because a payment this large may otherwise be blocked. If you cannot pay the fee you may be eligible for a fee waiver in certain situations, for example if you cannot afford a place to live or your essential living costs.
How long it takes
| Route | Applying from outside the UK | Applying inside the UK |
|---|---|---|
| Partner or spouse | Usually within 12 weeks | Usually within 8 weeks if you meet the financial and English requirements; about 12 months if you do not |
| Parent | Usually within 12 weeks | Currently about 12 months |
| Child | Usually within 12 weeks | Usually within 8 weeks; about 12 months if the parent is on the 10-year route to settlement |
| Adult cared for by a relative | Usually within 12 weeks | Usually within 8 weeks (extensions only) |
If you apply from inside the UK you may be able to pay an extra £1,000 for the super priority service. It is not available to adults applying to be cared for by a relative.
Applying as a parent or child
Parent. You can apply to live in the UK to care for your child. If you are eligible to apply as a partner you must do that instead. Your child must be living in the UK, must be under 18 on the date you apply or have been under 18 when you were first granted leave, and must live with you unless they are away from home in full-time education. The child must be a British or Irish citizen, settled in the UK, or from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status; if you apply from inside the UK, a child who has lived in the UK for 7 years continuously, and for whom it would not be reasonable to leave, also qualifies. You need sole or shared parental responsibility, and you must be able to prove that you take an active role in your child's upbringing. The visa lasts 2 years and 9 months, and the earliest you can apply to settle is after 5 years continuously on a family visa as a parent.
Child. A child can apply for a family visa to join a parent in the UK. A child may not need one if at least one parent has indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence.
Adult cared for by a relative. You must need long-term care from a parent, grandchild, brother, sister, son or daughter who is living permanently in the UK, and you can only apply from outside the UK unless you are extending. You must prove you need long-term care to do everyday personal and household tasks because of illness, disability or your age, that you are 18 or over, and that the care you need is not available or affordable in the country you live in. If your family member is British, Irish or settled in the UK, your stay is unlimited.
How to apply, step by step
- Check you are on the right route. A family visa if the person you are joining is British, Irish, settled or in one of the other eligible groups above; a dependant application if they hold a work or student visa.
- Collect evidence of the relationship, such as a marriage or civil partnership certificate, a tenancy agreement, or utility or Council Tax bills showing you live at the same address.
- Collect evidence of income of at least £29,000 a year, or the savings that count.
- Prove your knowledge of English, by degree or by an approved test at level A1 or higher, unless you are exempt. A pass at B1 or higher can be used again for settlement.
- Apply online and pay the fee and the healthcare surcharge.
- Attend an appointment to give your fingerprints and a photo, taking your passport with you. If you apply from outside the UK, the visa application centre could be in another country.
- Wait for the decision, usually within 12 weeks from outside the UK. If you are approved you get an eVisa, a digital record of your identity and immigration status.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a UK spouse visa cost in 2026?
£2,064 if you apply from outside the UK and £1,407 if you apply from inside, per person. On top comes the healthcare surcharge: £3,105 per adult for a visa of 2 years and 9 months.
What is the income requirement for a UK family visa?
You and your partner usually need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. Income from UK employment or self-employment, pensions, non-work income and cash savings above £16,000 can count.
How long does a UK spouse visa take?
Usually within 12 weeks if you apply from outside the UK. From inside the UK it is usually within 8 weeks if you meet the financial and English language requirements, and about 12 months if you do not.
What English level do I need for a UK partner visa?
At least level A1 for your first application if you prove it by test. To extend after passing A1 you need at least A2 in speaking and listening. If you pass B1 or higher, you can use the result again when you apply for settlement after 5 years.
Can I join my partner in the UK if they have a work visa?
Not with a family visa. If your family member is in the UK temporarily on a work or student visa, you apply to stay with them as a dependant on their route.
When can I get permanent residence on a UK partner visa?
The earliest you can apply for indefinite leave to remain is after living in the UK for 5 years continuously on a family visa as a partner.
Can I come to the UK to get married?
Yes, as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, if you will marry or enter a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving. You can stay for 6 months and cannot work or study during the engagement, then you apply to extend. If you are only visiting for 6 months or less, GOV.UK says to check whether you need a Standard Visitor visa or Marriage Visitor visa.
Sources (official only)
- GOV.UK — Family visas: apply, extend or switch
- GOV.UK — Visa processing times: applications outside the UK
- GOV.UK — Visa processing times: applications inside the UK
- GOV.UK — Healthcare surcharge: how much you have to pay
- Home Office — Immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026
All figures verified against the official pages above on 13 October 2026. Family immigration rules change often, so check GOV.UK before you apply. Information, not legal advice.