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Spouse visa documents: what UKVI asks for, and the rules on how to present them

A UK partner application needs your identity documents, your partner's details, proof of relationship, specified financial evidence (for example 6 months of payslips with bank statements and an employer letter), English evidence, a TB certificate if you are from a listed country, and certified translations. Missing or out-of-date documents are the commonest reason for avoidable refusals.

A partner application rises or falls on its documents. The Rules are exact about which documents count, how recent they must be and what they must show, and the decision-maker generally looks only at what you sent with the application. People who are genuinely in a relationship and have enough money still get refused because a payslip is missing, a statement is out of date or an employer letter leaves something out.

This page lists what GOV.UK says you must provide and what the Immigration Rules say about presenting it. It draws on GOV.UK's family visa pages ("Information and evidence you must provide" and "Apply as a partner or spouse"), Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE (the specified evidence appendix), read on 9 October 2026. It describes the rules in general. The online application tells you the exact documents to upload for your own case, and it may ask for things not listed here.

The checklist is arranged in the order most people prepare it: identity, relationship, money, language, health, then presentation.

Identity and immigration history

GOV.UK says you will need to provide:

  • all your names and your date of birth
  • your current passport or other valid travel identity document (Appendix FM E-ECP.A1.1 requires a passport or other document that satisfactorily establishes identity and nationality)
  • copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
  • details of any previous immigration applications you have made
  • details of any criminal convictions
  • your National Insurance number, if you have one
  • your parents' dates of birth and nationality, if you are applying from outside the UK

If you are already in the UK, GOV.UK says you will need either online proof of your immigration status (an eVisa share code) or your biometric residence permit (BRP). A BRP can be used for 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.

You must have an email address to make an online application.

You will also be asked about your life outside the UK: countries you have lived in or visited, and family and friends in the countries where you were born or hold nationality. Answer fully and consistently.

Your partner's details and your relationship

GOV.UK says you will be asked for your partner's name, date of birth, nationality, passport and right to be in the UK, for example that they are a British citizen. You will also be asked for details of:

  • anyone your partner was previously married to or in a civil partnership with, or had children with, with evidence of marriages ending, such as a divorce certificate
  • anyone your partner supports with money, for example their parents

You will also be asked for details of your own previous partners, and about children: their names, nationality, dates of birth, passport details, who they normally live with, other people with parental responsibility, your involvement in their day-to-day life, access arrangements, extended family and countries they have visited or lived in. You are asked about all children, even if they are not applying.

Marriage and civil partnership certificates. FM-SE paragraphs 22 to 26 say a marriage in the UK must be evidenced by a valid marriage certificate recognised in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and a civil partnership in the UK by a civil partnership certificate. For a marriage or civil partnership outside the UK, the evidence is a reasonable equivalent that is valid under the law of that country. A divorce in England and Wales is evidenced by a decree absolute or final order, in Scotland by a decree of divorce, and in Northern Ireland by a decree absolute.

Proving the relationship. GOV.UK says your evidence should:

  • come from the government, a bank, a landlord, a utility provider or a medical professional
  • confirm your relationship, for example that you live together, share expenses or are married or in a civil partnership
  • be less than 4 years old

Examples GOV.UK gives are a marriage or civil partnership certificate; a tenancy agreement, utility bills or Council Tax bills showing the same address or shared payment; a bank statement from a joint account or showing the same address; and a letter from a doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address. If you have none of those, GOV.UK lists a one-off bill such as vet's fees or home repair costs, letters confirming you are on the voting register at the same address, and student finance paperwork showing the same address.

If you cannot live together because of work, study or cultural reasons, GOV.UK says you must show an ongoing commitment. Examples are evidence that you communicate regularly, support each other financially, care for any children together and spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday.

For unmarried partners, the Rules require a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years before the date of application (GEN.1.2(iv)).

Financial evidence: the employed person's pack

The financial rules are covered in the article on the financial requirement. For the paperwork, FM-SE paragraph 2 says that for salaried employment in the UK you must provide all of the following:

  • Payslips covering the 6 months before the date of application if the person has been with their current employer for at least 6 months, or any salaried employment in the 12 months before the application if employed for less than 6 months. They must be formal payslips showing the employer's name, or accompanied by a letter from the employer on headed paper signed by a senior official confirming they are authentic (FM-SE 1(bb)).
  • A letter from the employer confirming the person's employment and gross annual salary, the length of employment, the period over which they have been paid the salary relied on, and the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term or agency).
  • Personal bank statements for the same period as the payslips showing that the salary was paid into an account in the name of the person, or of the person and their partner jointly.

GOV.UK's information page lists the same items and adds that the employer's letter should be dated and on headed paper. It also says payslips are counted back from the day you apply.

A P60 or signed contract of employment can be added but is not required (FM-SE 2A).

Bank statement rules (FM-SE 1(a)): statements must be from a financial institution to which Appendix Finance applies, in the name of the partner, the applicant or both, cover the specified period and be on official bank stationery, or be electronic statements accompanied by a letter from the bank on headed stationery confirming they are authentic, or bearing the bank's official stamp on every page. A building society passbook or a bank letter can substitute in some cases if it shows the information the Rules require.

Freshness. Where evidence covers a period that ends on the date of application, the evidence or its latest part must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the date of application (FM-SE 1(l)). A statement that was current when you prepared the bundle may be too old by the day you submit.

Money outside employment. Pension, rental income, dividends, maintenance, interest and benefits each have their own evidence list in FM-SE paragraph 10. Cash savings need statements covering the 6 months before the application and a declaration of the source (FM-SE 11). Self-employment and company director income are covered in the separate article.

English language, health and accommodation

English. Unless you are exempt, you must give evidence of one of the following: a valid passport from a listed English-speaking country; a degree certificate (plus an Ecctis code if the degree was from outside the UK); or the reference number of an approved SELT passed in the two years before the application. The article on the English requirement explains each route.

Tuberculosis test. GOV.UK says you must provide your TB test results if you are from a country where you have to take the test. The test applies if you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and were living in that country (or another listed country) in the last 6 months. Fiancé(e) applicants need it even if the stay is under 6 months. You are tested at a Home Office-approved clinic, which may be in another country, and the certificate is valid for 6 months from the X-ray. Children are seen by a clinician who decides whether an X-ray is needed.

Accommodation. The Rules require evidence that there will be adequate accommodation without recourse to public funds for the family, including other family members in the household, which the family own or occupy exclusively. Appendix FM-SE does not list specified accommodation documents in the way it does for income, so the online application tells you what it wants. Where the adequate-maintenance route applies, FM-SE 12A(f) asks for the monthly housing and Council Tax costs of the accommodation.

Sponsor details. GOV.UK says you may need other documents depending on your circumstances, for example a sponsorship form from your family member in the UK.

Translations, copies and presenting the bundle

FM-SE 1(j) sets out how foreign-language documents must be handled. Where a specified document is not in English or Welsh, you must provide the document in the original language and a full translation that can be independently verified. The translation must be dated and include:

  • confirmation that it is an accurate translation
  • the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company
  • the translator's or company's contact details

For an application inside the UK, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator's or company's credentials are also required. GOV.UK's information page says you need a certified translation of any document that is not in English or Welsh.

Income or savings in a foreign currency are converted to pounds using the exchange rate specified in FIN 1.1, FIN 1.2 or FIN 1.3 of Appendix Finance (FM-SE 1(f)). Where income or savings are in different currencies, each is converted to pounds before they are added together.

The application tells you how to provide your documents. GOV.UK says you will be told how to upload them, and that if you apply from outside the UK you attend an appointment at a visa application centre to give your fingerprints and a photograph and to hand in your passport. You usually get the passport back the same day. If you need documents back urgently, GOV.UK says you can ask for them, but you might have to cancel your application to get them.

What happens if something is missing. Under FM-SE paragraph D, the decision-maker considers the documents submitted with the application. They will consider documents sent afterwards only where paragraph D(b), (e) or (f) applies. D(b) lets them contact you if a document in a sequence is missing (for example one bank statement from a series), is in the wrong format or lacks specified information, but D(c) says they will not request documents if they do not expect that to lead to a grant. D(e) lets them waive a document where there is a valid reason it cannot be supplied, such as when it is not issued in a particular country or has been permanently lost. Do not rely on being asked.

A short checklist to work through

Use this as a prompt. It is not a substitute for the application form.

  1. Passport, previous passports, eVisa share code or BRP.
  2. Dates, names and details of previous immigration applications and any convictions.
  3. Marriage or civil partnership certificate, or evidence of living together for 2 years for unmarried partners.
  4. Divorce or dissolution documents for any earlier marriage of either of you.
  5. Relationship evidence under 4 years old from a bank, landlord, utility, government body or medical professional.
  6. Partner's details, children's details and your life abroad.
  7. Employer letter, 6 months of payslips and matching bank statements, or the self-employed equivalent.
  8. Savings statements for 6 months with a source declaration, if savings are relied on.
  9. English evidence: passport, degree and Ecctis code, or SELT reference number.
  10. TB certificate if you are from a listed country, within its 6-month validity.
  11. Accommodation evidence.
  12. Certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
  13. A final check that every statement is within the 28-day freshness period.

For a first application from outside the UK, the sponsor's evidence is the central item. For an extension inside the UK, the new payslips and the evidence of living together since the last grant are usually the key items. Each case has its own requirements, and people with complicated paperwork often ask a regulated adviser to check the bundle before it is sent.

Finding a regulated adviser

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number so you can check them on the official register. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work in general; it does not tell you what to do in your own case.

Questions people ask

What documents do I need for a UK spouse visa?

GOV.UK lists your passport and previous passports, application history, convictions, your partner's details, proof of relationship, financial evidence, English evidence, a TB certificate if you are from a listed country, and certified translations. The online form tells you exactly what to upload for your case.

How recent must spouse visa bank statements be?

Where evidence covers a period ending on the date of application, the evidence or its latest part must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the application (FM-SE 1(l)). Payslips and statements usually cover the 6 months before the application date.

What counts as proof of relationship for a spouse visa?

GOV.UK says evidence should come from a government body, bank, landlord, utility provider or medical professional, confirm the relationship, and be less than 4 years old. Examples include a marriage certificate, joint tenancy or utility bills, a joint bank statement and a letter from a doctor.

Do documents need to be translated for a UK spouse visa?

Yes. Anything not in English or Welsh needs a full, dated translation with the translator's name, signature and contact details, and an in-UK application also needs certification by a qualified translator.

Can I send missing documents after applying for a spouse visa?

Only in limited cases. The decision-maker considers documents submitted with the application and may contact you about a missing document in a sequence, a wrong format or missing information, but the Rules do not promise they will, and they will not ask if the application will be refused anyway.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Spouse visa financial requirement: how the £29,000 minimum income works — For a first partner application, the Immigration Rules require specified gross income of at least £29,000 a year, or cash savings of £16,000 plus 2.5 times any shortfall. A lower £18,600 figure applies only to people who first applied before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner. Loans, benefits such as Universal Credit and property equity do not count.
  • Spouse visa with self-employed income: how the financial requirement is calculated and evidenced — Self-employed income is measured over the last full financial year, or the average of the last two, using tax returns and accounts, not recent bank balances. A self-employed person cannot top up a shortfall with savings, and company directors who own most of a small company follow a separate set of tests. Evidence rules are in Appendix FM-SE paragraphs 7, 9, 13 and 19.
  • Using savings for a spouse visa: the £16,000 rule — Under Appendix FM, cash savings can replace some or all of the £29,000 income requirement, but not pound for pound. The Rules ask for £16,000 plus 2.5 times the gap between your income and £29,000, held in cash for the 6 months before you apply.
  • Spouse visa English requirement: A1, A2 and B1 explained — Partner applicants must show English at CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening for the first visa, and A2 at the extension after 30 months if A1 was used before. You can meet it by nationality of a listed country, a degree taught in English, or an approved SELT taken within two years. People aged 65 or over, and some with disabilities, are exempt.
  • Spouse visa extension after 2.5 years: how the FLR(M) application works — The partner visa is granted in two blocks of about 2.5 years. The extension (GOV.UK's FLR(M) online application) costs £1,407 plus £2,587.50 health surcharge per adult, and you can apply any time before your permission expires. Most people must meet the financial requirement again, show you still live together, and prove English at A2 if A1 was used last time.
  • Spouse visa refused: options and deadlines — A refused UK partner (spouse) application is not on the administrative review list. You can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal only if the decision refused a human rights claim, which your decision letter should say; the deadline is 14 days in the UK or 28 days outside it and the fee is £82 or £144. Otherwise the usual step is a new application at £2,064 (outside the UK) or £1,407 (inside), plus the healthcare surcharge.