UK Spouse Visa Document Checklist; Everything That You'll Need

UK Spouse Visa application

The UK Spouse Visa allows overseas nationals to join their partners in the UK. To be eligible you must be married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen or someone with settled status in the UK. Spouse Visas are valid for an initial period of 30 months but they can also be extended and used as a route towards Indefinite Leave to Remain.

The Spouse Visa application can be complex, this is because you will need to prove that you can meet the strict requirements. You must apply for the Spouse Visa online using the application form available on the gov.uk website. You will need to fill in the application form, pay the application fee and you will also be required to submit your supporting documents.

As part of the Spouse Visa application you will also need to attend an appointment at a visa application centre to have your biometric information taken, this is your photograph and fingerprints. Your biometric information will be used for your Biometric Residence Permit, this is a card that you can use to prove your immigration status whilst in the UK.

The Spouse Visa document checklist

Your supporting documents are a vital part of your Spouse Visa application, failure to supply the correct documents could result in your visa application being delayed or refused, so it’s important that you understand exactly what you will need.

The Spouse Visa document checklist is as follows:

• A valid passport or other form of valid travel ID
• Copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
• Your civil partnership or marriage certificate
• Your tuberculosis test results if you are from a country where this is required
• Proof that you meet the financial requirement, this may include bank statements
• Proof that your relationship is genuine, this could include photographs, booking confirmations from holidays you have taken together, shared tenancy agreements and more
• Proof that you will have adequate accommodation whilst in the UK, this could include a tenancy agreement or other documents
• An English language certificate unless you have an academic qualification that meets the English language requirement
• If you or your partner have previously been married then you will need proof that the previous marriage has ended such as divorce certificates

Your supporting documents must be written in English, if they are not in English then you will need to get them professionally translated before you submit them.

Spouse Visa requirements

Your supporting documents are used to prove your identity and to prove to the Home Office that you are able to meet the Spouse Visa requirements. The Spouse Visa requirements are as follows:

• You must be married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen or someone with settled status in the UK.
• You must meet the financial requirement, partner visa applicants must have a combined income with their partner of at least £18,600 per year, this can include employment income, self employment income, cash savings, money from a pension and some non-work income.
• You must meet the English language requirement, you will need to pass an approved English language test at at least level A1, you may be exempt from this requirement if you are from an English speaking country, you may also be able to prove that you meet it if you have a degree or academic qualification that was taught or researched in English and recognised by UK NARIC.
• You must intend to live with your spouse in the UK and will need to meet the accommodation requirement, to do this you must provide evidence of adequate accommodation.
• You and your partner must pass the genuine relationship test, this means that you must prove your relationship is genuine and subsisting and that you have not married just for the purpose of obtaining a Spouse Visa UK.

Failure to meet these requirements means that your UK Spouse Visa application could be refused. The Home Office has strict policies when it comes to identifying sham marriages, if they believe that you have married your partner purely for the purpose of obtaining a visa then you will not be granted a Spouse Visa. Providing adequate supporting documents could be the difference between your visa application being refused or accepted.