Family visas · IAA-regulated advice
UK Spouse Visa Extension Advice in Birmingham & London
Your first spouse or partner visa runs out after 30 or 33 months. We check which rules apply to you now, get your evidence in order and prepare your extension, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 24 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is a spouse visa extension?
Your first spouse or partner visa lasts 30 months if you applied in the UK, or 33 months if you applied from abroad. To stay, you apply in the UK for further permission as a partner (often called FLR(M)). If it’s granted, you get another 30 months, which takes most couples to the 5 years they need to settle.
You must meet the requirements again on the day you apply, including a higher English level. Some couples whose first visa was applied for before 11 April 2024 can use a lower income figure.
✓This is your visa if…
- You’re in the UK as a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner or fiancé(e), and your visa hasn’t expired
- You’re still with the same partner and you live together
- You can meet the income or savings requirement, or an exception applies
- You have English at A2 or above, or an exemption
Quick check
Ready to extend? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Are you in the UK on a spouse, partner or fiancé(e) visa that hasn’t expired yet?Check the expiry date in your UKVI account.
Are you still with the same partner, and do you live together?A fiancé(e) must have married or formed a civil partnership first.
Can you show combined UK income of £29,000 a year (or £18,600 if your first partner visa was applied for before 11 April 2024), or enough savings?Your own UK earnings count now that you’re in the UK.
Do you have an approved English test at A2 or above, or an exemption?An A1 pass from your first visa isn’t enough at this stage.
Do you have adequate accommodation, without claiming public funds?It must not be overcrowded.
Has your record stayed clear since your last visa, with no convictions or immigration problems?
Eligibility
Spouse visa extension requirements
You must meet every requirement again on the day you apply, with the evidence the Rules specify.
Your relationship
- You’re still married to, or in a civil partnership with, the partner you were granted your visa with
- Your relationship is genuine and continuing, and you intend to live together permanently in the UK
- You can show you’ve lived together since your last visa
- If you came as a fiancé(e), you’ve now married or formed a civil partnership
The usual proof is post addressed to you both at the same address, spread across your time together: council tax, bank, utility or GP letters.
The financial requirement
- Your combined UK income counts, so your own job in the UK now helps
- Savings above £16,000 count towards a shortfall at 2.5 to 1
- On the £18,600 figure, add £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each other child who isn’t British, Irish or settled, up to £29,000
- If your partner gets certain disability or carer’s benefits, an adequate maintenance test applies instead
The £18,600 figure only applies if you’re extending with the same partner. Can’t meet either figure? You may still extend on the 10-year route.
English language
- If you passed A1 for your first visa, you now need A2 in speaking and listening
- An A2 or higher result you’ve already used can count again if the certificate hasn’t been withdrawn
- If you were given an exemption for your first visa, GOV.UK says you’ll need to pass at least A1 now
- Still exempt if you’re 65 or over, a national of a majority English-speaking country, have a degree taught in English, or have a condition that prevents it
Planning ahead? A B1 pass can be reused when you settle, but settlement applications from 26 March 2027 need B2.
Accommodation
- Adequate accommodation that you own or live in, used only by your family
- Not overcrowded under housing law, and meets public health rules
- Paid for without claiming public funds
Moved since your last visa? Include your new tenancy agreement or mortgage statement, and the owner’s permission if you live with others.
Timing and your status
- Apply before your current visa ends. While you wait, your permission and its conditions carry on, so you can keep working
- Up to 28 days left on your current visa is added to the new one, so applying much earlier wastes time you’ve paid for
- Your immigration history and any criminal record are checked again
- Time as a fiancé(e) doesn’t count towards the 5 years to settle
Visa already expired? Get advice the same day: the Home Office only excuses late applications in narrow cases.
Documents
Spouse visa extension documents
You’ve done this once, but the evidence has to cover the time since your last visa, and some of the rules have changed.
What everyone needs
- Your passport, eVisa share code, and proof of your partner’s status
- Your marriage or civil partnership certificate
- £Proof of income or savings, usually covering the last 6 months
- AAn English test certificate at A2 or above, or proof you’re exempt
- Your tenancy agreement or mortgage statement
- Post addressed to you both, showing you’ve lived together
Plus details of any children and previous marriages, and certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
Costs & timeline
Spouse visa extension cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £1,407 per person, plus the health surcharge of £2,587.50 per adult for 30 months. Most decisions take about 8 weeks if you meet the financial and English requirements.
Applying in the UK
| Home Office application fee | £1,407 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge30 months, charged as 2½ years at £1,035 | £2,587.50 |
| Home Office total, per adultbefore the English test and translations; the surcharge for a child is £1,940 | £3,994.50 |
Home Office fee and Immigration Health Surcharge from GOV.UK, checked 24 October 2026. An optional super priority service costs £1,000 more. English test and translation costs vary by provider. Our consultation fees →
Check your dates
Before your visa endsApply within the last 28 days if you can: up to 28 days left on your visa carries over.
Apply and give biometrics
Week 0Online application, fee and surcharge paid, then fingerprints and a photo at an appointment.
Decision
Usually about 8 weeksIf you rely on an exception to the financial or English rules, it currently takes about 12 months.
Settle (ILR)
After 5 yearsEnglish at B1 (B2 from 26 March 2027) and the Life in the UK test. Fiancé(e) time doesn’t count.
British citizenship
As soon as you have ILRIf you’re married to a British citizen, you can apply once you have ILR and meet the other requirements.
Avoid a refusal
Common spouse visa extension refusal reasons
Couples who were granted once often assume the second time is a formality. These are the issues we check first.
Applying after the visa ends
If your permission has run out, you may be an overstayer, and late applications are only excused in narrow cases.
We check: your dates so you apply in good time.
The wrong income figure
The £18,600 figure only applies if your first partner visa was applied for before 11 April 2024 and you’re with the same partner.
We check: which figure applies to you, and for which children.
Evidence in the wrong form
Income must be shown with specific documents covering specific periods, such as 6 months of payslips and matching bank statements.
We check: every document against Appendix FM-SE before you apply.
Gaps in living-together evidence
Post addressed to only one of you, or months with nothing at all, raises questions about whether you live together.
We check: your evidence covers the whole period.
A test that doesn’t count
An A1 pass from your first visa isn’t enough now, and a test must be from an approved provider.
We check: your test or exemption before you book anything.
Changes not declared
A conviction, a refusal or long periods abroad since your last visa must be declared, and can affect the decision.
We check: your history, and tell you plainly about any risk.
How we help
Our spouse visa extension services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your extension from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check your dates, which income figure applies and what has changed since your last visa.
Evidence review
We check your income, English and living-together evidence against the Rules.
Full application
We prepare and submit your extension, with a cover letter that sets out how you qualify.
ILR and citizenship
We help you settle after 5 years, then apply for British citizenship.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused and need an appeal, we explain your options and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser straight away.
FAQs
Spouse visa extension questions, answered
When should I apply to extend my spouse visa?
Before your current visa ends. Up to 28 days left on your visa is added to the new one, so the last 28 days is usually the best time. Don’t leave it to the final day, in case something goes wrong with the form or the payment.
Can I keep working while I wait for a decision?
Yes, if you applied before your visa ended. Your permission carries on, with the same conditions, until the Home Office decides. If you travel outside the UK and Ireland before the decision, your application will be treated as withdrawn, so check with us before you book anything.
How much does a spouse visa extension cost?
The Home Office fee is £1,407 per person. The health surcharge is £2,587.50 per adult and £1,940 per child for 30 months. English tests and translations are extra, and super priority costs another £1,000.
Do I need £29,000 to extend?
Not always. If your first partner visa (or fiancé(e) visa) was applied for before 11 April 2024 and you’re extending with the same partner, the figure is £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each other child who isn’t British, Irish or settled, up to £29,000. Otherwise it’s £29,000, or enough savings. Both of your UK incomes can count.
What English level do I need to extend?
If you passed A1 for your first visa, you need A2 in speaking and listening. A result at A2 or higher that you’ve already used can count again, as long as the certificate hasn’t been withdrawn. If you’re exempt by age, nationality, a degree taught in English or a condition, that still applies.
What if we can’t meet the income requirement?
You may still be able to extend if refusing would breach your human rights, for example if you have a British child, or a child who has lived here for 7 years, and it would be unreasonable for them to leave. You’d usually move to the 10-year route to settlement, and these decisions currently take about 12 months.
I came on a fiancé(e) visa. Is this the same?
Nearly. Once you’ve married or formed a civil partnership, apply in the UK before your 6 months end. You’ll get 30 months, and your 5 years towards settlement start from then, because time as a fiancé(e) doesn’t count.
How many times can I extend?
As many times as you need. On the 5-year route, most couples extend once and then apply for indefinite leave to remain. On the 10-year route, you extend every 30 months.
What happens if our relationship has ended?
You can’t extend as a partner if the relationship has ended. You may be able to stay on another basis, for example there’s a separate route to settle if you’ve experienced domestic abuse or your partner has died. Get advice quickly, and in confidence.
Ready when you are
Staying, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.