How do you get a UK spouse visa from Pakistan? (2026)

Who can apply for a UK spouse visa from Pakistan?

You can apply if your partner in the UK is a British or Irish citizen, has settled status, or holds one of a few other statuses GOV.UK lists, such as refugee or humanitarian protection. You must both be 18 or over, and your relationship must fit one of the recognised types.

The relationship types

Paragraph GEN.1.2 of Appendix FM defines a partner. It covers four situations:

• a spouse, where the marriage is valid and recognised in the UK;
• a civil partner;
• an unmarried partner, where you have been in a relationship similar to marriage for at least 2 years before applying;
• a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, coming to the UK to marry.

Most Pakistani couples apply as spouses after a Nikah in Pakistan. The unmarried partner route is rarely a fit, because it needs 2 years of a relationship similar to marriage, which in practice usually means living together.

The fiancé visa, in brief

If the wedding will take place in the UK, GOV.UK offers a fiancé visa. You can stay for 6 months, you must marry in that time, and you cannot work or study during the engagement. After the wedding, a further application is needed to stay as a spouse. For most families, marrying in Pakistan first and then applying as a spouse is simpler.

The core rules every couple must meet

Appendix FM also requires that you have met in person, that the relationship is genuine and subsisting, that you both intend to live together permanently in the UK, and that any previous marriage of either of you has broken down permanently. A wedding visit is a different matter: someone travelling only to marry in the UK and then leave needs a visitor route, and the UK visit visa guide covers visiting in more detail.

How much must your partner earn for a UK spouse visa?

As of 15 September 2026, GOV.UK and paragraph E-ECP.3.1 of Appendix FM set the minimum at £29,000 a year in gross income. It is one figure for the couple, and it does not rise with the number of children.

Has the £29,000 figure changed?

Not yet. The requirement rose from £18,600 to £29,000 for applications made from 11 April 2024. The Migration Advisory Committee then reviewed the family financial requirements and published its report in June 2025. As of 15 September 2026, the GOV.UK review page shows no government decision on that report, and GOV.UK still lists £29,000. Earlier talk of raising the figure further was a plan, not a rule in force.

Whose income counts

This is where many Pakistani families go wrong. Home Office guidance on the minimum income requirement counts employment income of the UK partner. It counts the applicant’s own employment income only if the applicant is in the UK with permission to work. So if you are applying from Lahore, your salary in Pakistan normally does not count. Savings and pensions of either of you can count.

The same guidance says support from a third party cannot generally be counted, and neither can loans. A father-in-law’s promise to help, or a brother’s salary, does not meet the requirement. A cash gift can become part of your savings, but only once it has been held in your own or your partner’s account for at least 6 months.

What are the ways to meet the financial requirement?

Home Office guidance describes five sources, known as categories, and several can be combined. The evidence for each is set out in Appendix FM-SE, which is strict about the form and period of documents.

Employment

If your partner has worked for the same employer for at least 6 months, they rely on Category A. The guidance says the figure used is the lowest annual salary paid in that 6-month period. A pay rise two months ago does not help if the earlier salary was below £29,000. If they changed jobs recently, Category B applies, with a different calculation set out in Appendix FM-SE.

Self-employment

Appendix FM-SE assesses self-employment on the last full financial year, or the average of the last two. A taxi driver or shop owner in Bradford therefore needs tax returns and business records, not just a bank balance.

Savings and the cash savings formula

Appendix FM allows savings of £16,000 plus 2.5 times any shortfall below £29,000. Home Office guidance puts it the other way round: the amount above £16,000 is divided by 2.5 and added to income at this stage. The savings must have been held for at least 6 months, under your control, in your name, your partner’s name or both.

• Partner earns £25,000, so the shortfall is £4,000. Savings needed: £16,000 plus £10,000, which is £26,000.
• With no income at all, savings needed are £16,000 plus £72,500, which is £88,500.
• Savings of £20,000 add only £1,600 to income, because £4,000 divided by 2.5 is £1,600.

Pension and other income

A state, occupational or private pension of either of you counts, including a foreign state pension. Income such as rent from property can count too, based on the 12 months before the application, if you still own the property.

The benefits exemption

GOV.UK lists benefits that take a couple outside the £29,000 figure, such as Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance. Under paragraph E-ECP.3.3, you must then show your partner can maintain and accommodate you both adequately without recourse to public funds. That is a separate test, not a free pass.

A partner returning from abroad

If your British partner also lives and works outside the UK and is coming back with you, the guidance lets them count their overseas salary. They need 6 months with their current employer and a confirmed UK job offer starting within 3 months of return. If the partner works in the UK on a visa of their own, the UK Skilled Worker visa guide explains the dependant route, which has different rules.

When the figure cannot be met

Paragraph GEN.3.1 of Appendix FM allows other credible sources of support to be considered where refusal could breach the right to family life under Article 8. This is for exceptional cases. Do not plan an application around it without regulated UK advice.

What English test does a spouse need?

For the first partner visa, you need English at CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening. GOV.UK says you prove it with a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider.

As of 15 September 2026, the GOV.UK page on approved tests, updated on 28 August 2026, names PSI Services, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert and Pearson as providers outside the UK. The exact tests and levels are in the Home Office list on that page. Check that your specific test is on it before you pay, because a general IELTS result may not be the right one.

Who is exempt

• Citizens of majority English-speaking countries on the GOV.UK list, which does not include Pakistan.
• People aged over 65.
• Anyone with a physical or mental condition that prevents them from meeting the requirement.
• Holders of a degree taught in English that is accepted under the rules.

The later stages

GOV.UK says that when you extend after 2 years and 9 months, a partner who passed at A1 must reach at least A2 in speaking and listening. For settlement, the requirement is B1. If you can reach B1 early, GOV.UK says that result can be reused later, as long as the certificate has not been withdrawn.

How do you prove your marriage is genuine?

You show two things: that the marriage is valid, and that the relationship is genuine and subsisting now. The first is proved with official documents. The second is proved with evidence of a shared life, even when you live in different countries.

Proving the marriage is valid

Home Office guidance on relationships says a marriage certificate issued under the law of the country where the ceremony took place is normally accepted. For a Nikah in Pakistan, couples usually provide the Nikah Nama and the computerised Marriage Registration Certificate issued through NADRA after the Union Council registers the marriage.

When I read a Nikah Nama for a couple, I check the columns line by line: names and fathers’ names against both CNICs and passports, the date, the witnesses, and the entries about any earlier marriage. A spelling that differs from the passport is easy to explain in advance. Discovered by a caseworker, it becomes a question.

Previous marriages

GOV.UK asks for evidence that any earlier marriage has ended, such as a divorce certificate. If either of you was married before, gather the divorce papers early. In Pakistan, that usually means the documents showing the divorce became effective under the Union Council process, and the NADRA divorce certificate where one was issued. I often find this is the document families have not kept.

Showing the relationship is genuine and subsisting

There is no official checklist for couples in Pakistan. The Home Office guidance sorts evidence into strong, acceptable and weak. Official and verifiable documents carry the most weight. For couples living apart, it lists money transfers and bank transactions as strong evidence, and travel tickets and holiday bookings as acceptable.

The same guidance says applicants are not encouraged to rely on photographs or WhatsApp and email messages, because they can be falsified and are hard to verify. They still carry some weight. In practice, couples usually provide a mix:

• the Nikah Nama and the NADRA Marriage Registration Certificate;
• the sponsor’s passport stamps or boarding passes from visits to Pakistan;
• records of money your partner has sent you;
• a small selection of wedding and visit photos, with dates;
• a sample of call logs and messages over time, not hundreds of pages.

The guidance also tells caseworkers to be culturally aware. It accepts that in some cultures couples do not live together before marriage, and that women are not always named on bills. An arranged marriage with little time together before the Nikah is not a problem in itself.

Forced marriage safeguards

GOV.UK says forced marriage is illegal in the UK and a form of domestic abuse. The Forced Marriage Unit, run jointly by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office, can help people being pressured to marry. It also helps where someone is being pushed to sponsor a spouse they do not want, known as a reluctant sponsor case. Its helpline is +44 (0)20 7008 0151. A spouse visa must never be a way to force either person into a marriage.

Do you need proof of accommodation and a TB test?

Yes to both. Your partner must show a home you can live in without public funds, and applicants from Pakistan need a TB certificate.

Adequate accommodation

Paragraph E-ECP.3.4 of Appendix FM says the accommodation must be adequate and must not be overcrowded or break public health rules. Couples usually provide a tenancy agreement or ownership documents and a note of the number of bedrooms and occupants. If you will live with your partner’s parents, include a letter from the owner agreeing to it, with proof that the house has room for everyone.

The TB test

Pakistan is on the GOV.UK list of countries where a TB test is needed for stays of 6 months or more. The partner visa is longer than that, and GOV.UK says fiancé applicants need a test even though their visa is for 6 months. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray. The GOV.UK clinic list for Pakistan, updated on 20 February 2026, shows approved clinics in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Mirpur. A certificate from any other clinic is not accepted.

How much does a UK spouse visa cost from Pakistan?

As of 15 September 2026, the GOV.UK partner application page lists £2,064 for joining your partner from outside the UK. The Home Office fee table in force since 8 April 2026 shows the same figure, and the table due on 8 October 2026 shows no change. You also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which GOV.UK sets at £1,035 a year for adults.

The visa fee and surcharge together come to £5,169 for one adult. The fees are set in pounds, so the rupee cost depends on the exchange rate on the day you pay. Budget for the extension later too, which carries its own fee and surcharge.

Translations

GOV.UK asks for a certified translation of any document not in English or Welsh. Appendix FM-SE also requires the original document with a full translation that can be independently verified, with the translator’s details. Nikah Namas, Union Council papers and property documents are often in Urdu, so arrange this early.

How long does a decision take, and how long does the visa last?

GOV.UK says you usually get a decision within 12 weeks when applying from outside the UK. Its processing times page, updated on 9 September 2026, gives the same 12 weeks for partner visas.

Priority service

GOV.UK says the priority service costs £500 and usually takes up to 30 working days for a family visa from outside the UK when you apply as a partner or spouse. Use it only where it is offered and your timing needs it. It speeds up the decision, not the outcome.

How long the visa lasts

Paragraph D-ECP.1.1 of Appendix FM grants an initial period of up to 33 months, which GOV.UK describes as 2 years and 9 months. Before it ends, you apply to extend for up to 2 years and 6 months, meeting the financial, English and relationship rules again.

The route to settlement

As of 15 September 2026, GOV.UK says the earliest you can apply for indefinite leave to remain as a partner is after 5 continuous years in the UK on this route. You also need B1 English in speaking and listening, and to pass the Life in the UK Test if you are aged 18 to 64.

In November 2025 the government consulted on earned settlement, which proposes a longer standard qualifying period and conditions based on contribution and integration. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026, and as of 15 September 2026 the GOV.UK page says responses are still being analysed. Treat any change for partners as a proposal until the Immigration Rules say otherwise.

How do you apply, step by step?

The application is made online on GOV.UK, and your identity is checked at a visa application centre in Pakistan. Prepare the evidence first, because the 6-month periods for income and savings are measured back from the date you apply.

1. 1

   Check your marriage and relationship documents

   Make sure the Nikah Nama, the NADRA Marriage Registration Certificate, both passports and both CNICs show the same names and dates. Collect proof that any earlier marriage has ended.

2. 2

   Work out how your partner meets the £29,000 requirement

   Decide which category you rely on: salary, self-employment, pension, other income or cash savings. Gather 6 months of payslips and matching bank statements, or the evidence for the category you use.

3. 3

   Pass an approved English test at A1

   Book a Secure English Language Test in speaking and listening at CEFR A1 with a Home Office approved provider, unless an exemption applies to you.

4. 4

   Get your TB certificate from an approved clinic

   Book a TB test at a Home Office approved clinic in Pakistan. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray, so time it with your application.

5. 5

   Apply online and pay the fee and surcharge

   Complete the partner application on GOV.UK, declare every previous application and marriage, and pay the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

6. 6

   Prove your identity and submit your documents

   Attend the visa application centre appointment you book, give your fingerprints and photo, and upload or submit your evidence with certified translations of anything in Urdu.

7. 7

   Wait for the decision before making travel plans

   GOV.UK says a decision usually takes 12 weeks from outside the UK. A priority service, where offered, costs £500 and usually takes up to 30 working days for partner applications.

What happens if a spouse visa is refused?

The refusal letter lists each requirement the caseworker was not satisfied about, and it tells you whether you have a right of appeal. Read it carefully before deciding between an appeal and a new application.

The right of appeal

GOV.UK says you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) if the Home Office refuses a human rights claim. Partner applications are usually treated as human rights claims, because they rest on the right to family life. From outside the UK, GOV.UK says you have 28 days from receiving the decision letter to appeal. A late appeal must explain the delay, and the tribunal decides whether to hear it. A fee applies, lower if the appeal is decided without a hearing.

Reapplying instead

If the refusal was about a missing document or income that now meets the rules, a fresh application with the gap fixed is often quicker than an appeal. It means a new fee and surcharge. List every reason in the letter and the evidence that now answers it, as the guide to reading a refusal letter explains. For advice on the UK side of an appeal, speak to a regulated UK adviser or solicitor.

What goes wrong most often?

Counting the wrong income

Couples add the wife’s teaching salary in Pakistan or a brother-in-law’s promise of support to the sponsor’s wages. Neither normally counts. Work out the £29,000 from the UK partner’s own qualifying sources, plus savings and pensions.

Moving savings in too late

Money deposited three months before applying has not been held for the 6 months the rules require. A family gift can count once it has sat in the couple’s account for the full period, so plan the timing a season ahead.

Names and dates that do not match

“Muhammad” on the passport, “M.” on the Nikah Nama, and a different date of birth on an old CNIC. Each difference may be innocent. Together they make a file hard to verify. Correct records through NADRA where you can, and explain any remaining difference in a short covering note.

Leaving out a previous marriage or refusal

Every earlier marriage and every previous visa refusal must be declared. Hiding one can lead to a refusal for deception, which is far more damaging than the original fact.

Trusting an agent who promises approval

No one can guarantee a spouse visa. An agent offering “arranged” bank statements, payslips or relationship evidence puts both of you at risk. Before paying anyone, read the guide to checking a visa consultant in Pakistan.

A realistic example

This is a hypothetical couple, an illustration and not real clients. The names and details are invented.

Mahnoor is 26 and lives in Gujranwala. Her husband, Usman, is a British citizen working as a warehouse supervisor in Bradford. He has been with the same employer for three years and has earned £31,000 a year throughout the last 6 months. They married in Gujranwala, and the Nikah was registered with the Union Council, followed by a NADRA Marriage Registration Certificate.

• January. Mahnoor checks that her name matches across her passport, CNIC and Nikah Nama. Usman collects 6 months of payslips, an employer letter and matching bank statements.
• February. She passes an approved A1 speaking and listening test. Usman’s landlord confirms in writing that she can join him in his two-bedroom flat.
• March. She takes her TB test at an approved clinic in Lahore. Their evidence includes his boarding passes from two visits, records of monthly money transfers and a short selection of dated photos.
• April. She applies online, pays £2,064 and the surcharge, attends her appointment and waits for the decision before booking a flight.

Every figure in the payslips, letter and statements agrees. The marriage documents match the passports, and the relationship evidence covers the whole period since the Nikah.

The version that goes wrong

Now imagine Usman changed jobs four months ago and relies on his new salary as if he had held it for 6 months. His father transfers £20,000 into the joint account the week before the application. Mahnoor’s earlier Nikah, ended by divorce, is left off the form because the family considers it closed. The evidence is 200 pages of WhatsApp screenshots. Each problem is fixable on its own. Together, they describe a file that fails the income rules and raises doubts about honesty.

Key takeaways

Frequently asked questions