Meeting the £29,000 income requirement

The financial requirement causes more spouse visa refusals than anything else, so it's worth understanding properly. As of 2026, the UK sponsor generally needs to show a gross income of £29,000 a year. (That figure has been under government review since 2025, but £29,000 is what applies now.)

Whose income counts

The first surprise: for an application made from outside the UK, it's usually only the UK sponsor's income that counts. Your partner's job abroad normally can't be used — which changes the picture for a lot of couples and is worth checking early.

The main ways to meet it

• A salaried job held for 6+ months (Category A) — broadly, lowest gross monthly payslip × 12.
• A newer or variable income (Category B) — current annual salary AND last-12-months earnings, both must clear the threshold.
• Self-employment (Categories F and G) — last completed tax year, or two-year average.
• Cash savings (Category D) — above £16,000, held for 6 consecutive months.
• Pensions and certain non-employment income.

The evidence is where people slip

Meeting £29,000 isn't enough on its own — the documents have to match the rules exactly. For a salaried sponsor that typically means six months of payslips, matching personal bank statements showing the salary landing, and a letter from the employer confirming the role, salary and that the job is genuine. A single missing payslip or a statement that doesn't reconcile can sink an otherwise strong case. The precise document list lives in Appendix FM-SE on GOV.UK and it's unforgiving.

A worked example

Say the sponsor earns £30,000 in a salaried job held for over a year. Under Category A, that's evidenced with six months of payslips and matching bank statements — straightforward. Now say they earn £30,000 but only started three months ago: that falls under Category B, a tougher test, because the previous 12 months' earnings also have to clear £29,000.

What if you're self-employed?

Self-employment is the most paperwork-heavy route: tax calculations (SA302s), tax year overviews, business bank statements and, for limited company directors, a specific bundle of company documents. It's doable, but it's the area where a second pair of expert eyes pays for itself.

Children change the maths only at the benefits stage

The £29,000 figure no longer rises per child for most applications since the 2024 rules. If you're relying on the adequate-maintenance route (where certain disability benefits replace the income test), different rules apply.

Get the financial requirement right and you've removed the single biggest risk in the whole application.