£29,000 Test for UK Unmarried Partner Visas and New Evidence Rules

You can apply for an unmarried partner visa UK route if your partner is a British or Irish citizen, is settled here, holds protection status, or is a qualifying Turkish worker or businessperson. You must also show a durable relationship, normally two years, and meet the £29,000 income test plus English and health surcharge checks. Cohabitation is no longer an absolute condition.

TL;DR:

• Both partners must be at least 18, meet in person, and have ended any previous marriage or relationship permanently before starting their current relationship.
• Without shared housing records, explain each period apart and support it with dated visits, regular contact, shared finances, and plans for a UK home.
• Savings count only above a set baseline, and payslips must match bank deposits; explain any discrepancy before submission rather than waiting for a caseworker inquiry.
• Applicants who first successfully applied before April 11, 2024, may qualify for the transitional £18,600 threshold, plus any child component, capped at £29,000.
• If your partner holds a work or study visa, check dependent rules: that is a separate route from the family partner application.

Table of Contents

• Who can sponsor you and how the rules define a partner
• How to demonstrate a durable relationship: tiered evidence and how to present it
• The £29,000 income threshold and how you can meet it
• English language and the Immigration Health Surcharge
• Step-by-step application process, biometrics and timelines
• Fees and a worked example of your total up-front cost
• Grant length, extensions and the route to indefinite leave to remain
• A practical document checklist and how to present it
• Why some applicants benefit from regulated adviser support
• How we can help with your partner visa application
• FAQ
• Sources

Who can sponsor you and how the rules define a partner

The first question is not about love or paperwork. It is about your partner’s immigration status. Under the family rules, the person you want to join in the UK must hold one of a short list of statuses, and if they do not, the route is closed to you regardless of how strong your relationship is.

A sponsor qualifies if they are:

• a British citizen or an Irish citizen living in the UK
• a person with settled status, such as indefinite leave to remain
• a person with pre-settled or protection status (refugee leave or humanitarian protection)
• a qualifying Turkish worker or Turkish businessperson under the relevant routes

Both of you must normally be aged 18 or over at the date of application. Your sponsor must also be living in the UK, or be coming here with you, and you need to intend to live together permanently.

The definition of a partner sits in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. Under GEN.1.2, a partner includes an unmarried partner in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership. The companion guidance, the Immigration Rules Appendix Relationship with Partner, states that an unmarried couple must usually have been in that kind of relationship for at least two years before the date of application (RWP 5.1).

That two-year point is the one applicants most often misunderstand. It is not a count of days spent under one roof. It is a test of whether your relationship has been durable and genuine over that period. Marriage and civil partnership have no such waiting period, which is the main practical difference when you weigh a spouse route against an unmarried partner route. If you are still deciding between the two, our spouse visa guide sets out how the spouse route works. A fiancé route also exists for couples who plan to marry in the UK, and our fiancé visa page explains when that fits better.

Other eligibility constraints apply as well:

• You and your partner must not be so closely related that you could not lawfully marry each other.
• Any previous marriage or relationship, for either of you, must have permanently broken down before the new relationship began.
• You must both intend to live together permanently in the UK.
• You must have met in person at least once.

Those last two points are easy to overlook. A relationship that began and has continued entirely online does not qualify until the two of you have met face to face. Caseworkers also look at whether either partner is still legally tied to someone else, so if a divorce is not yet final, resolve that before you apply.

A common comparison is “dependent” versus “partner” status. If your partner holds a work or study visa, you may be able to join them as a dependant, which is a different route with its own rules. The unmarried partner route in this guide is a family route, and it applies where your partner is British, settled, or has protection status, as set out above.

How to demonstrate a durable relationship: tiered evidence and how to present it

A durable relationship is one that is genuine, subsisting and similar to marriage in its commitment, stability and permanence. Caseworkers apply the test using the published caseworker guidance on relationships, which says couples must have met in person and show that the relationship is genuine and subsisting. It also confirms that living apart can be acceptable in some circumstances, provided there is enough other evidence of durability.

That is the practical shift for applicants. Because cohabitation is no longer an absolute requirement, you are not automatically refused for living in different homes. But the burden of proof moves onto the rest of your evidence. If you share an address, the paperwork largely speaks for itself. If you do not, you have to explain why and prove the relationship in other ways.

Tier 1: strong, formal evidence

Think of Tier 1 as documents that come from third parties and tie both of your names to a shared life. The strongest examples are:

• a joint tenancy agreement or joint mortgage
• joint bank accounts showing regular shared spending
• household bills in both names at the same address
• official letters addressed to both of you at one address, such as council tax or utility correspondence

The application guidance on information and evidence asks for details such as how long you have lived together, shared payments and other proofs, and it says evidence should come from authoritative third parties where possible. That is the reason a bank statement carries more weight than a letter you wrote yourself.

Tier 2 and Tier 3: supporting evidence

These documents do not prove a relationship alone, but together they build a convincing picture:

• travel records, such as boarding passes, tickets, passport stamps and hotel bookings from trips together
• photographs across the whole relationship, with dates and places where you can show them
• call logs, message histories and video-call records, sampled across the full two years
• letters or statements from family and friends who know you as a couple
• evidence of one partner’s involvement in the other’s life, such as insurance, emergency contact details or medical appointments attended together

Quality beats quantity. A tidy set of dated material spread across the relationship is more persuasive than a large batch of screenshots from a single weekend.

How to assemble the evidence

The aim is to let a stranger read your file and understand the relationship quickly. Work through it in this order:

1. Write a short chronology: when you met, when the relationship began, each major step (moving in, trips, introductions to family, engagement or plans) and any periods apart with the reason for them.
2. Sort your documents into Tier 1, then supporting evidence, and make an index listing each item with a date and a one-line description.
3. Label every exhibit so the chronology can point to it, for example, a joint bank statement.
4. Collect witness letters from people who have seen you together, each stating who they are, how they know you both, how long, and what they have observed.
5. Add certified English translations of any document in another language, with the translator’s details and a signed statement of accuracy.
6. Use clear scans or copies, and keep originals safe in case they are requested.

Pro Tip: Spread your evidence evenly across the relationship period. A cluster of recent documents can look assembled for the application, while steady material over time looks like a real life.

If you have not lived together for two years

Many couples meet across countries or work in different cities, so this is common. Prioritise these points:

• Explain the reason for living apart plainly in your chronology: work, study, visa limits or family circumstances. A clear explanation is better than silence.
• Lead with financial links that exist despite the distance, such as transfers between you, a joint account or shared commitments.
• Show regular, documented contact over the full period, not only the recent past.
• Document each in-person visit with travel records and photos from the trip.
• Include strong witness letters, ideally from people who have met you together in more than one place.
• Show your plans for the future, such as a shared address once you arrive in the UK or evidence of how you will support each other.

If your evidence is thin in one area, do not hide it. Address the gap and build up the other areas so that the whole file still shows a durable relationship.

The £29,000 income threshold and how you can meet it

Money is the part of the application that causes the most refusals, and the rules changed recently. As of July 2026, the minimum income requirement for new applicants on the five-year partner route is a gross annual income of £29,000. This figure applies to everyone who applies on or after 11 April 2024 and is new to the route.

The minimum gross annual income for new five-year partner route applicants is £29,000. That is the figure you or your sponsor must be able to evidence, so check it first before spending money on anything else.

Transitional arrangements

Not everyone is caught by the new figure. Appendix FM and the family migration financial rules say that certain people who first successfully applied before 11 April 2024 may continue under a transitional arrangement. They can meet the lower earlier threshold of £18,600 (plus any child component), capped at £29,000 in total. If you are making a first application, assume the £29,000 figure applies to you. If you already hold a family visa from before that date, check carefully whether the transitional rules cover your extension.

Our income requirement guide goes through how the threshold works in more detail.

What counts as income

You can meet the requirement through several sources, and they can be combined:

• the sponsor’s salary from employment in the UK
• the sponsor’s net profits from self-employment or a company
• your own income from work, in some situations
• pensions, including state and private pensions
• non-employment income, such as property rental or dividends
• cash savings held for a required period, counted in a specific way

Savings follow a particular rule. Where savings make up some of the requirement, only the amount above a set baseline is counted towards the gap, so a large balance does not translate pound for pound into annual income. Check the current treatment before you rely on savings.

A worked example

The following is an illustrative example, not market data. If your sponsor’s employment income falls short of the £29,000 threshold, you would need to cover the shortfall through other permitted sources, such as pension income or savings that meet the rules. Alternatively, a pay rise or another source of earnings could close the gap before you apply. Check the applicable rules to confirm whether your income sources meet the requirement.

For a quick check against your own numbers, use our financial requirement calculator.

Documents to prove your finances

Caseworkers expect consistent, matching documents. Typical proof includes:

• payslips for the relevant period, matching the bank statements
• a letter from the employer confirming role, salary, length of employment and contract type
• personal bank statements showing the salary being paid in
• tax returns and accounts for self-employed sponsors
• pension statements and rental or dividend evidence where those apply

Mismatches are what sink applications. If payslips show one figure and bank deposits show another, explain the difference in a cover note before the caseworker has to ask.

English language and the Immigration Health Surcharge

Two further requirements apply alongside the income test. Neither is complicated, but missing either can stop an application.

English language

Most applicants must show they can speak and understand English, usually by passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider at the required level. The GOV.UK family visa guidance lists approved test providers and the level you need for your stage of application. Book early, because test dates and results can take time.

Some people do not need to take a test, and the common exemptions include:

• nationals of certain majority English-speaking countries, as listed in the guidance
• applicants who hold a degree taught or researched in English, when recognised through the official comparison service
• people with certain long-term health conditions or disabilities that prevent them from taking the test
• applicants over a specified age

Exemptions are narrow and defined in the rules. Check your own situation against the official guidance rather than assuming, because a wrong assumption can lead to a refusal on a point that is easy to fix.

The Immigration Health Surcharge

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a separate mandatory charge that gives you access to the NHS during your stay. It is paid on top of the application fee, not instead of it, and it is calculated according to the length of your visa. You normally pay it online as part of the application process, so you will be asked for it before you can submit.

Amounts change from time to time, so do not rely on a figure you saw in an old article or forum post. The Home Office immigration and nationality fees table, published 8 April 2026, is the reference for current charges. Check it on the day you apply.

Things to confirm before you submit:

• which SELT level applies to your application stage and whether you are exempt
• that your test result is valid and from an approved provider
• the current IHS amount for the length of visa you are applying for
• that you can pay both the application fee and the IHS at the same time

Step-by-step application process, biometrics and timelines

Applications are made online through the GOV.UK family visa service, and the family visa overview explains the main options. Here is the practical order of work.

1. Confirm your sponsor’s status and your relationship length against the rules above, and settle the financial position before anything else.
2. Gather and prepare your documents, using the tiered approach and the checklist later in this guide.
3. Take your English test if you need one, and keep the result reference.
4. Start the online application form for a partner visa and answer every question consistently with your documents.
5. Pay the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge online.
6. Book your biometrics appointment and upload or bring your documents as the service directs.
7. Attend the appointment, submit your biometrics and wait for the decision.

Applying from outside the UK or switching inside

Most applicants for this route apply from outside the UK. Application fees differ depending on whether you apply from abroad or from within the UK, and the guidance also notes circumstances where you cannot get or switch to a family visa. If you are already in the UK on another visa, do not assume you can switch. Check the switching rules for your current category before you apply, because applying when you are ineligible to switch can leave you without options and can affect your immigration history.

Biometrics and document formats

You will be asked to enrol your fingerprints and a photo, either at a visa application centre or through an approved method. Documents are usually uploaded as clear scans or photographs, so name each file clearly, for example “Exhibit 07 Joint tenancy agreement”. Keep originals safe and bring them if the instructions say so. Documents not in English need a certified translation, and your index should list both the original and the translation.

Timelines and the risk of applying too early

Processing times vary, and the Home Office publishes its own service standards that change. Plan for a decision to take weeks rather than days, and avoid booking non-refundable travel until you have a result. One timing risk matters in particular: applying before you meet the two-year relationship point, or before your finances are stable, usually leads to a refusal rather than a delay. It is better to wait a few weeks and apply with a complete file than to apply early and lose the fee.

For a smoother run, treat the build-up as the real project. Much of the work goes into gathering evidence, not into the form itself.

Fees and a worked example of your total up-front cost

Budget before you apply, because the charges add up. The Home Office fees table published 8 April 2026 sets current fee levels, and the family visa guidance notes that the application fee differs depending on whether you apply from outside the UK or from within it.

The Immigration Health Surcharge is charged on top of the application fee, and it is normally the larger cost over the length of a visa. Beyond those two, plan for these likely extras:

• priority or super-priority service, if you want a faster decision
• English test fees
• certified translations of documents not in English
• certified copies and postage or courier costs
• travel to a biometrics appointment or visa application centre

Your own total depends on your route and where you apply from, so use the table below as a framework. The cost lines are the ones to budget for, and you fill each with the current figure from the official fees page.

A realistic worked example works like this: add the application fee for your route to the IHS for the visa length you need, then add your test, translation and travel costs. The first two lines are fixed by the Home Office, so confirm them on the day you apply. The rest depend on your circumstances and are worth pricing early.

If a priority service is offered, decide in advance whether the speed is worth the extra charge. For most couples with a well-prepared file and no deadline, the standard route is enough.

Grant length, extensions and the route to indefinite leave to remain

An initial partner visa on the five-year route is normally granted for a fixed period, after which you must extend before it expires. You cannot let it lapse and then catch up, because overstaying can have serious consequences, including problems with later applications.

What to expect over the lifetime of the route:

• Your first grant covers a set period, and you will need to apply to extend before it ends.
• Each extension requires you to show that the relationship is continuing, that the financial requirement is still met and that you meet the English requirement for that stage.
• Extensions carry fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge again, so budget for them in advance.
• Continuous lawful residence builds toward settlement, so avoid long absences from the UK that could break the count.

Settlement (ILR)

Indefinite leave to remain is available after continuous lawful residence on a family visa as a partner. The ILR guidance for partners says this commonly happens after five years on the five-year route, and the application must show an ongoing qualifying relationship, evidence of income and the English and Life in the UK requirements set out there. Some routes have shorter residence periods, so check which applies to you rather than assuming the five-year count.

Timing matters at the end of the route:

• Apply for ILR within the permitted window before your current leave expires, as set out in the guidance.
• Keep evidence of residence throughout, such as tenancy or mortgage records, payslips and travel history.
• Keep your relationship evidence current, because it is reviewed again at settlement.

Our page on indefinite leave to remain explains the settlement stage in more depth. Treat the first application and the settlement application as one long project, and the documents you keep from day one will make the later stages far easier.

A practical document checklist and how to present it

Most avoidable refusals come from missing, inconsistent or unlabelled documents. Use this checklist as a working list and tick each item off before you submit.

Identity and status

• valid passports for both partners
• evidence of your sponsor’s status: a British or Irish passport, a biometric residence permit, or an eVisa share code showing settled or protection status
• previous visas or immigration history where relevant

Finance and home

• payslips, employer letter and bank statements for the required period
• tax returns and accounts, if self-employed
• pension and other income statements
• tenancy agreement or mortgage statement, plus recent household bills

The relationship

• Tier 1 documents: joint accounts, joint tenancy or mortgage, shared bills
• supporting evidence: travel records, photographs, communication history
• witness letters from people who know you as a couple
• evidence of in-person meetings

Translations and copies

• certified English translations for any document in another language
• clear scans or photocopies, with originals kept safe

Organising the file

• a chronology of the relationship, in plain English
• a document index with a number, date and one-line description for every item
• consistent file names that match the index

Present the chronology first, then the index, then the evidence in order. If a document needs context, add a short note rather than leaving the caseworker to guess. For example, if a bank statement shows an unusual deposit, explain it briefly.

Pro Tip: Do a final consistency check across every document. Dates, addresses, names and income figures should match everywhere. A single mismatch between your form, your payslips and your witness letters is a common reason for a request for more information.

If you struggle with translations or want help assembling and formatting a file, our document preparation service and certified translation service cover those steps.

Why some applicants benefit from regulated adviser support

Here is our honest view as a publisher of immigration guidance. The partner route can be completed without an adviser, and many couples do exactly that. The rules are public, the forms are online and the evidence is mostly paperwork you already hold. But the route is unforgiving about errors, and a refusal costs time and money that cannot be recovered.

Where we see regulated advice make a real difference is in the situations the guidance treats most carefully. Non-cohabiting couples need their evidence organised to answer a specific question, not just to look thorough. Borderline finances need someone to check how each source counts before the fee is paid. Applicants with a previous refusal need a plan that addresses the earlier reasons directly. Complex histories, such as earlier relationships or gaps in immigration status, are easier to handle when someone has read the whole file before submission.

A regulated adviser typically assesses the case against the rules, checks the documents for gaps and inconsistencies, and manages the submission so that nothing is missed. That is a practical service, not a guarantee, and no adviser controls the Home Office decision. What a good adviser can do is make sure your application is as complete and coherent as it can be when it reaches a caseworker.

If your situation is straightforward, you may not need help. If any of the points above sound like yours, a conversation before you apply is cheaper than a second application after a refusal.

— Danish

How we can help with your partner visa application

If you want a professional to look at your case, we offer a clear route from first check to submission. Our IAA-regulated advisers work with fixed fees and offer support while your case is live.

Our services for partner applicants include:

• a Quick Eligibility Check, which tests your sponsor status, relationship length and finances against the rules
• a Comprehensive Case Analysis, for cases with several moving parts
• document preparation, covering how your evidence is organised and presented
• Application Support and Full Application Management, where we prepare and submit the application with you

You can start with one of our consultations or the case assessment services, and you can use our visa eligibility quiz on the website to see where you stand first. To go further, book a consultation or request an assessment through Wesbridge Associates, and we will tell you what your application needs before you pay the Home Office anything.

FAQ

How long can I stay in the UK with an unmarried partner visa?

An initial grant is for a fixed period and must be extended before it expires. Continuous residence builds toward settlement, and indefinite leave to remain is commonly available after five years on the five-year route.

What are the new rules for unmarried couples in the UK?

For applications from 11 April 2024, new applicants on the five-year partner route must meet a gross annual income of £29,000. Transitional arrangements allow some earlier applicants to continue at a lower, capped threshold.

Can my girlfriend or boyfriend get a visa for the UK?

Yes, if you are in a durable relationship similar to marriage, normally for at least two years, and your partner meets the sponsor, income and English requirements. You must also have met in person. Living apart is not an automatic bar if other evidence shows the relationship is genuine.

Can I bring my unmarried partner to the UK with a skilled worker visa?

A partner of a skilled worker may be able to join as a dependant, which is a different route from the family partner visa in this guide. Whether it applies depends on your own visa and the dependant rules, so check the conditions that apply to your category before you plan your move.

Recommended

• Spouse Visa UK: Requirements, Cost and Settlement
• Complete UK Fiancé to Spouse Visa Package Guide 2025: Your Path to Permanent Settlement
• UK Fiancé Visa: Engagement and Marriage Route

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