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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.

The English requirement is one of the simplest parts of a partner application to understand and one of the easiest to get wrong on paperwork. The level is low at the start. The problems come from the wrong test, the wrong test centre, a result that is more than two years old, or assuming a level that was enough last time is enough again.

This page explains the rule using GOV.UK's Knowledge of English page for family visas, Appendix FM (E-ECP.4 and E-LTRP.4), the evidence rules in Appendix FM-SE paragraphs 27 to 32D, and GOV.UK's guidance on secure English language tests (SELT), updated on 5 October 2026. All were read on 9 October 2026. It describes the rules in general. It does not say whether you meet them.

"CEFR" is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the scale that gives levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. For the partner route the test covers speaking and listening only.

The levels at each stage

The level you need depends on how far along the route you are and what you proved last time.

  • First partner application (from outside the UK, or a first application inside it). At least A1 in speaking and listening, unless you meet the requirement another way or are exempt (E-ECP.4.1, E-LTRP.4.1).
  • Extension after 30 months, where you previously used an A1 test. At least A2 in speaking and listening (E-LTRP.4.1A). GOV.UK says that if you passed A1, you will need to pass at least A2 in speaking and listening to extend after 2.5 years.
  • Extension where you previously passed A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2. GOV.UK says you can use the result again, as long as the certificate has not been withdrawn by the test provider.
  • Extension where you were previously given an exemption. GOV.UK says you will need to pass a test at level A1.
  • Settlement after 5 years. GOV.UK says that if you pass B1 or higher, you can use that result again when you apply for settlement after 5 years, as long as the test is still on the approved list and the certificate is not withdrawn. The settlement application has its own English and Life in the UK requirements, so check the settlement page on GOV.UK before booking.

The Rules ask for "a minimum of" level A1 or A2 (E-ECP.4.1(b), E-LTRP.4.1A(b)), and GOV.UK says you can choose to take a higher level test. People who expect to settle sometimes take the higher test early. Whether that makes sense depends on cost, how comfortable you are with the language and the risk of a result becoming too old, because a test result must be awarded in the two years before the date of an application to be accepted.

Who does not need to prove English

GOV.UK lists people who do not need to prove their knowledge of English or take a test if one of the following is true:

  • you are applying as a child
  • you are applying as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative
  • you have been in the UK on a family visa for 5 years and you are extending it as a partner or parent
  • you are over 65
  • you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement

The Rules say the same for partners: an applicant is exempt if, at the date of application, they are aged 65 or over, have a disability (physical or mental condition) which prevents them from meeting the requirement, or there are exceptional circumstances which prevent them from being able to meet the requirement (E-ECP.4.2, E-LTRP.4.2). For entry clearance, the exceptional-circumstances limb is worded as preventing the applicant from meeting the requirement "prior to entry to the UK".

The Rules do not define exceptional circumstances for this purpose, and the decision-maker decides each case. GOV.UK's test booking guidance does say that if there is no approved test location in your country, you may have to travel to another country to take the test, so distance alone is not described as an exemption.

An exemption on the first application matters later: GOV.UK says that if you were given an exemption, you will need to pass a test at level A1 at the extension.

Nationality of a majority English-speaking country

You do not need a test or degree if you are a national of one of the countries listed in paragraph GEN.1.6 of Appendix FM. The list is the same on GOV.UK:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA.

The evidence is a valid passport or travel document (FM-SE 28). A dual national can rely on either nationality. If the applicant has not provided the passport, FM-SE 29 and 30 allow other evidence only in limited cases: the passport was lost or stolen, expired and returned to the authorities, or is with another part of the Home Office. Acceptable alternatives are a current national identity document or a letter from the national government, embassy or high commission confirming full name, date of birth and nationality.

Residence is not the same as nationality. Someone who has lived for years in a listed country but holds the passport of another country is not within this route, and being educated in English is a different route (below).

A degree taught in English

GOV.UK says you can prove your knowledge of English with a degree-level qualification that was both taught in English and awarded by a UK institution, even if you studied outside the UK. In that case you only need your degree certificate.

If the degree was taught in English but awarded by an institution outside the UK, you need to apply for an assessment from Ecctis. Ecctis gives you a code confirming that the qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English. If you have already been assessed by Ecctis, you do not need to reapply. The Rules (E-ECP.4.1(c)) say the provider must confirm that the degree was taught or researched in English to the relevant CEFR level or above.

FM-SE 31 sets out the document evidence for a degree. It is a certificate from the institution showing the applicant's name, the title of award, the date of award and the name of the awarding institution. If the applicant is awaiting graduation or has lost the certificate and cannot get a new one, FM-SE allows an academic reference or a transcript on official letterhead with specified content. For a degree awarded outside the UK, a document from the qualification and language assessments provider must confirm that the degree meets the UK standard and was taught in English.

FM-SE 32 adds a presumption. If the qualification was taken in one of these countries, it will be assumed to have been taught in English: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, the USA and Malta.

The Rules name a bachelor's degree, a master's degree or a PhD. They do not mention other qualifications.

Taking a Secure English Language Test (SELT)

If you have no qualifying degree and are not a national of a listed country, you must pass a SELT with an approved provider (GOV.UK, Knowledge of English). GOV.UK's SELT guidance, updated 5 October 2026, says partner and parent applications need a test that assesses speaking and listening only. Tests for other routes, such as Skilled Worker, cover all four skills, so make sure you book the right one.

Approved providers.

  • If you are in the UK: Trinity College London, IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson.
  • If you are outside the UK: PSI Services (UK) Ltd, IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson.

Approved test names. GOV.UK lists the test you should book for each provider: IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills; LANGUAGECERT International ESOL SELT, Academic SELT or General SELT; Pearson PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home; PSI Skills for English UKVI; and Trinity's Secure English Language Tests for UKVI (Integrated Skills in English or Graded Examinations in Spoken English). Which of these are approved at A1 or A2 for the partner route is shown in the list of approved tests on GOV.UK. Not every test is approved at every level or in every location.

Three conditions for the result to be accepted. GOV.UK says your test must be on the list of approved English language tests, have been sat at an approved test location and have been awarded in the two years before the date of your application. The Rules (FM-SE 27) say the same: a pass in speaking and listening, confirmed on the provider's online verification system, taken no more than two years before the date of application at an approved secure test centre.

Booking. The details used to book must match your passport or other identity document. If your surname has changed, book in the name on your passport. You must bring an original, valid photo identity document on the day. GOV.UK says you should be able to take a test within 28 days of booking, but it may not be at the nearest location. Use only the provider's website, and check the credentials of any third-party booking agent. GOV.UK warns that some third parties claim to be affiliated with official Home Office partners when they are not.

After the test. You are given a SELT unique reference number (called UER, UKVI number, Candidate URN or SELT URN depending on provider) which you must use in the application. GOV.UK says that if you do not include it, your application may be refused.

Reusing a result, withdrawn certificates and old tests

Three rules in FM-SE deal with results over time.

  • Previous successful application. Paragraph 27(ii) says the two-year limit does not apply if the applicant has already shown they met the requirement in this way, at the level required for the current application, in a previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay. GOV.UK says similarly that if you have already proved your knowledge of English in a previous successful visa application, you may not have to prove it again.
  • Providers or tests that stopped being approved. Paragraph 32D says that if the Home Office has already accepted a certificate in a successful previous application, it will be accepted as valid even if the provider, test or centre is no longer approved, or the certificate is past a validity date, provided it is at or above the required level and is not subject to a genuineness concern.
  • Withdrawn or doubtful results. Paragraph 32B lets the decision-maker discount a test certificate where there is reasonable cause to doubt it was genuinely obtained, or where the provider has withdrawn it, and require a new one.

GOV.UK's family visa page also notes that reuse at settlement needs the test to still be on the approved list and the certificate not to have been withdrawn.

The practical reading is that you should keep every English certificate and the reference number you used, even after a visa is granted.

Where applications go wrong

English is an evidence requirement, so refusals on this ground usually come from paperwork. The list below follows from the rules above.

  • Booking a four-skills test when the route needs speaking and listening, or a test that is not on the approved list.
  • Taking the test at a centre that is not an approved secure test centre.
  • A result awarded more than two years before the application date, when no earlier successful application allows reuse.
  • Missing the reference number in the online form.
  • A name or identity mismatch between the test booking and the passport.
  • Assuming a first-visa A1 pass will be enough at the extension.
  • Using a degree from a non-UK institution without the Ecctis assessment.

FM-SE paragraph D also lets a decision-maker contact an applicant to ask for a missing or incorrect document, but only where they expect that to lead to a grant. It does not allow documents sent after the application to be considered in other cases. So the safe assumption is that the evidence is judged as it stands when you submit.

If a refusal follows, the article in this set on spouse visa refusals sets out what the Rules provide.

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 English level do I need for a UK spouse visa?

At least CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening for the first application, unless you are exempt or meet it by nationality of a listed country or a degree taught in English. At the extension after 30 months you need A2 if you used an A1 test before.

Do I need an English test if I have a degree?

Not if the degree is at bachelor's level or higher and taught in English. A UK-awarded degree needs only the certificate. A degree from outside the UK needs an Ecctis assessment confirming it is equivalent and was taught in English.

How long is a spouse visa English test valid?

GOV.UK says the test must have been awarded in the two years before your application. A result can be reused at later stages if it was accepted in a previous successful application, or for settlement if you passed B1 or higher and the test is still on the approved list.

Who is exempt from the English requirement for a partner visa?

Applicants aged 65 or over, those with a physical or mental condition that prevents them from meeting it, and those with exceptional circumstances that prevent them. Nationals of listed majority English-speaking countries do not need a test, and children and adult dependent relatives are not required to prove English.

Do I need to take the English test again for the extension?

Only if the first result was A1 and you are extending after 2.5 years, when you need A2 in speaking and listening, or if you were exempt before, when you need A1. A result at A2 or above can be reused while the certificate has not been withdrawn.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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 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.
  • UK spouse visa cost in 2026: the application fee, the health surcharge and what else you pay — A partner or spouse visa costs £2,064 if you apply from outside the UK and £1,407 if you apply from inside it, plus the immigration health surcharge (£3,105 for the first 2 years 9 months from outside the UK, £2,587.50 for an extension). Settlement (ILR) is a separate £3,226. These are the 8 October 2026 fees and are per person.
  • 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.