ILR for Spouse Visa UK 2026 — Requirements, Documents & Fees

To get ILR on a spouse or family visa, you must complete 5 years of continuous residence in the UK on that visa, meet the financial requirement, pass the Life in the UK test, and demonstrate your relationship is genuine and ongoing. The fee is £3,226 per person from 8 April 2026.

Key Facts at a Glance

Quick Overview

✅ You must have held your spouse or family visa for 5 continuous years before applying for ILR
✅ Your sponsor (the British citizen or ILR holder) must still meet the financial requirement at the time of your ILR application
✅ You must show the relationship is genuine and subsisting — UKVI can refuse if they doubt it
✅ The Life in the UK test certificate does not expire — a pass from any year is valid
⚠️ Spouse visa ILR requires more relationship evidence than Skilled Worker ILR — payslips alone are not enough
⚠️ If you switch from a different visa type to a spouse visa, the 5-year clock restarts from the switch date in most cases
⚠️ Your sponsor being unemployed at the time of your ILR application may not be fatal if they were employed throughout the 5 years — but get legal advice
📌 Children applying for ILR at the same time as a parent pay the same £3,226 fee each
📌 UKVI may request a biometric appointment even for online applications — plan for this
💡 Submit relationship evidence from across the 5-year period — bank statements, bills, photos, and letters from your 3rd or 4th year count as much as recent ones
💡 Use our ILR checklist to confirm you have every required document before submitting

How Spouse Visa ILR Differs from Skilled Worker ILR

This is the most important thing to understand before you apply. ILR on a spouse or family visa and ILR on a Skilled Worker visa share the same outcome — indefinite leave to remain — but the evidence requirements are very different.

Skilled Worker ILR is largely about employment history: payslips, a sponsor letter, continued employment in a qualifying role. The relationship element is not assessed.

Spouse visa ILR adds a complete relationship assessment on top of the standard requirements. UKVI will scrutinise:

• Whether you and your sponsor are still living together
• Whether the relationship is genuine and not one of convenience
• Whether your sponsor still meets the financial requirement
• Whether any children in the household are being adequately maintained

This means your document bundle for spouse visa ILR is significantly larger than for a work route ILR application.

The Financial Requirement at ILR Stage

When you applied for your original spouse visa, your sponsor needed to earn at least £18,600 per year (the old threshold). From 11 April 2024, the threshold for new applications rose to £29,000. If you got your visa before that date, your sponsor was assessed against the old threshold.

At ILR stage, the question is which threshold applies. The Home Office policy is that the threshold applicable at the time of the initial visa application continues to apply for ILR and extensions — provided the visa was granted under the rules in force at that time. However, this is a complex area. If in doubt, get legal advice before submitting.

Your sponsor must still be earning at or above the relevant threshold at the time of your ILR application. If they have lost their job or taken a pay cut, you need to take advice before applying.

Continuous Residence — What Breaks It

Your 5-year qualifying period must be continuous. A single breach of the 180-day absence rule — more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month rolling window — can break your continuous residence.

Two other things can break continuous residence:

1. Switching to a different visa category — if you move from a spouse visa to a student visa and back, the 5-year clock may restart
2. Letting your visa lapse — even a single day with no valid leave in the UK breaks the continuous residence chain

Use our free absence calculator to check whether any 12-month period in your qualifying period contains more than 180 days outside the UK.

Documents Required for Spouse Visa ILR

Your SET(M) application will need documents in several categories. This is a summary — use our ILR documents checklist for the complete list.

Identity documents

• Current passport and all passports held during the 5 years
• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

Sponsor documents

• Sponsor's passport or British citizenship certificate
• Evidence of sponsor's immigration status (if not British)
• Payslips — 6 months minimum, ideally the full 5 years
• Employer letter confirming salary and employment
• Bank statements showing salary credits

Relationship evidence (across the full 5 years)

• Joint bank account statements or evidence of shared finances
• Joint tenancy or mortgage agreements
• Joint utility bills
• Letters or documents addressed to you both at the same address
• Photographs together over the qualifying period (optional but useful)

Life in the UK test

• Pass notification letter from the test centre

English language evidence

• Degree certificate (if applicable)
• Approved SELT certificate

Life in the UK Test for Spouse Visa ILR

Yes — you must pass the Life in the UK test to get ILR on a spouse visa. The same test applies regardless of which visa route you are on.

The test has 24 questions. You need 18 correct (75%) to pass. It costs £50 per sitting. Exemptions apply if you are aged 65 or over, or have a serious long-term condition that prevents you taking the test.

Practice with our free mock tests and study guide before booking.

English Language at ILR Stage

You need to show your English is at B1 level (CEFR) or above. This is a slightly different requirement from the financial and relationship evidence — it is about you, not your sponsor.

From 26 March 2027, the requirement rises to B2 for ILR applications. If your ILR date is on or after that date, check the current position on our English language requirements guide.

If you already have a degree taught in English from a UK institution or a majority-English-speaking country, that satisfies the requirement without needing a separate SELT test.

What Happens After ILR Is Granted

Once you have ILR, you will receive a new BRP card valid for 10 years. You can work for any employer, access public funds, and travel without a visa. You can stay in the UK indefinitely — as long as you do not spend more than 2 consecutive years abroad, which would cause your ILR to lapse.

After 12 months of holding ILR, you can apply for British citizenship. As the spouse of a British citizen, you only need 3 years of total UK residence (not 5) for the citizenship application. See our citizenship by marriage guide for the full process.

Common Mistakes

❌ Failing to document the relationship across the full 5 years — Submitting only recent bank statements does not show UKVI your relationship was genuine throughout the qualifying period. Evidence from years 1–3 matters.

❌ Missing the financial requirement check — Some applicants assume the income threshold is only checked on initial visa application. UKVI can refuse ILR if the sponsor no longer meets the requirement at the time of the ILR application.

❌ Switching visa categories without advice — Changing to a student visa or visitor visa mid-qualifying-period can reset your 5-year clock. Always get immigration advice before switching.

❌ Submitting the wrong form — Spouse visa ILR uses SET(M). Skilled Worker ILR uses SET(O). Submitting the wrong form causes delays and may result in the wrong requirements being assessed.

❌ Not accounting for the full £3,226 fee per person — Families applying together need to budget £3,226 for each person. A family of four is £12,904 in fees alone — all non-refundable.

Expert Tips

1. Start gathering relationship evidence 6 months before you plan to apply. Collecting 5 years of statements, bills, and letters takes time. Some banks charge for printed statement requests — order early.

2. Get a letter from your GP or any professional who can confirm your relationship. A letter from a doctor, teacher, or employer confirming they know you as a couple adds independent corroboration.

3. Check the 180-day rule in every single 12-month window. One breach can sink the application. Use our absence calculator to test every possible 12-month window, not just calendar years.

4. Take the Life in the UK test at least 3 months before you plan to submit. Booking slots fill up fast at popular centres. You do not want a test date to delay your application submission.

5. Use a solicitor if you have any complexity in your case. Complexity includes: gaps in the qualifying period, a sponsor who changed jobs or income, any criminal record, or prior visa refusals. The £3,226 application fee is non-refundable. A £500–£1,000 solicitor fee is cheap insurance.

FAQs

How long do I need a spouse visa before applying for ILR? You need 5 years of continuous lawful residence in the UK on your spouse or family visa. You apply using form SET(M). The 5-year clock starts from the date your first spouse visa was granted.

What documents do I need for ILR on a spouse visa? You need identity documents, sponsor financial evidence (payslips, employer letter, bank statements), relationship evidence across the full 5-year period, your Life in the UK test pass letter, and English language evidence. Use our ILR documents checklist for the full list.

Can I apply for ILR if my partner is not British? Yes. Your sponsor (the person who brought you to the UK) can be a British citizen, a person with ILR, or a person with Settled Status. They do not need to be British — but they must have a qualifying immigration status.

What is the income requirement for spouse visa ILR? The income threshold depends on when your original visa was granted. Applications granted before 11 April 2024 used the £18,600 threshold. The threshold for new applications is now £29,000. The threshold applicable to your initial application continues to apply through extensions and ILR — but confirm this with a solicitor if you are unsure.

How is spouse visa ILR different from Skilled Worker ILR? Skilled Worker ILR is assessed on employment and salary history. Spouse visa ILR also requires you to demonstrate your relationship is genuine and subsisting, that you and your sponsor are still living together, and that your sponsor still meets the financial requirement. The document bundle is significantly larger.

How This Aligns With Official Guidance

The requirements for ILR on a spouse or family visa are set out in the Immigration Rules, Appendix FM, and the associated Home Office guidance on Family Life (as a Partner or Parent). The financial requirement thresholds, absence rules, and English language requirements are detailed in the relevant caseworker guidance on GOV.UK. All figures in this article reflect the rules as of May 2026.

Official Resources

• Apply for ILR — Appendix FM (partner and family route) — GOV.UK
• SET(M) application form — GOV.UK
• Financial requirement guidance — GOV.UK

Our Free Tools

Our ILR checklist walks you through every document you need for a spouse visa ILR application. Use the absence calculator to verify your 180-day compliance in every 12-month window. And practice the Life in the UK test with our free mock tests before booking your real test.

What to Do Next

Check your 5-year anniversary date on your first spouse visa. If that date is within 3 months, start gathering your relationship evidence today. Book the Life in the UK test immediately — waiting times can be 4–6 weeks. Then use our ILR checklist to confirm you have every required document before you pay the £3,226 fee.