<p>If you are living in the UK with permission as a spouse or partner under the family route and want to remain with your partner, you will normally need to make a further application before your current permission expires.</p>
<p>If granted on the standard Partner route, a further application can normally give you up to another 2 years and 6 months of permission. You can extend a family visa more than once. If you are on the five-year partner route, you may become eligible for indefinite leave to remain once you have completed the required qualifying period, subject to the settlement rules in force when you apply.</p>
<p>Extending a Spouse visa is not simply an administrative renewal. You must continue to meet the relevant Immigration Rules, including requirements relating to your relationship, immigration status, finances, English language and accommodation.</p>
<p>If your current permission is approaching its expiry date, our <a href=”/spouse-visa-support/”>Spouse Visa Support</a> page can help you organise your questions and understand your next step.</p>
<h2>When Can You Extend a UK Spouse Visa?</h2>
<p>You can apply to extend your family visa at any time before your current permission expires.</p>
<p>If you are applying to remain with the same family member, the Immigration Rules allow up to 28 days of your existing permission remaining at the date of application to be added to the new grant.</p>
<p>For that reason, applicants on the five-year route should usually consider applying no more than 28 days before their existing permission expires, unless there is a particular reason to apply earlier.</p>
<p>A valid application to extend or vary leave should be made before your existing permission expires if you want to rely on section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 while the application is pending.</p>
<h2>How Long Does a Spouse Visa Extension Last?</h2>
<p>If your extension is granted, you can stay in the UK for a further 2 years and 6 months.</p>
<p>This is why applicants on the standard five-year partner route commonly make an initial partner application followed by a further application before applying for indefinite leave to remain.</p>
<p>On the five-year route, the earliest application for settlement is generally 28 days before the applicant completes the required five-year qualifying period as a partner.</p>
<p>Time spent on another visa or as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner does not count towards the five-year partner-route qualifying period.</p>
<p>Different settlement rules apply to applicants on other family routes, including the ten-year route, so the route shown in your previous Home Office decision is important.</p>
<h2>Do You Have to Stay With the Same Partner?</h2>
<p>A further application as a spouse or partner is based on the continuing qualifying relationship with the partner on whose basis you were last granted permission.</p>
<p>Under Appendix FM, the relationship must be genuine and subsisting at the date of application.</p>
<p>If you rely on your marriage or civil partnership, you will generally need to remain legally married or in the civil partnership and continue to satisfy the relationship requirements.</p>
<p>For a further partner application, you must generally show that you and your partner have lived together in the UK since your last grant, or explain any period apart by reference to a good reason consistent with your continuing intention to live together permanently in the UK.</p>
<p>A previous grant does not remove the need to provide evidence that the relationship remains genuine and subsisting.</p>
<h2>What Relationship Evidence Do You Need?</h2>
<p>GOV.UK states that applicants should provide evidence confirming the relationship, such as evidence that the couple live together, share expenses or are married or in a civil partnership.</p>
<p>This includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>A marriage or civil partnership certificate</li>
<li>Tenancy agreements</li>
<li>Council Tax bills</li>
<li>Utility bills</li>
<li>Joint bank statements</li>
<li>Bank statements showing the same residential address</li>
<li>Correspondence from a doctor or dentist</li>
<li>Evidence of shared financial responsibilities</li>
<li>Other official correspondence showing that you live together</li>
</ul>
<p>The evidence should help demonstrate that your relationship remains genuine and that you continue to share your life as a couple.</p>
<p>The evidence should collectively demonstrate that the relationship is genuine and continuing; it does not need to consist entirely of joint documents.</p>
<p>GOV.UK says relationship evidence should come from sources such as government bodies, banks, landlords, utility providers or medical professionals.</p>
<h2>What If You and Your Partner Have Not Lived Together the Whole Time?</h2>
<p>A period of living apart does not automatically prevent an applicant from meeting the relationship requirement.</p>
<p>Appendix FM recognises that a couple may have lived apart where there is a good reason and the couple continues to intend to live together permanently in the UK.</p>
<p>Home Office guidance gives circumstances such as work, study or cultural reasons as examples that may explain why a couple has not lived together.</p>
<p>Where a period of separation needs explanation, useful evidence may include communication records, financial support, arrangements for children and evidence of time spent together.</p>
<p>The circumstances must be considered individually: living apart is not automatically fatal, but the applicant should explain the reason for the separation and provide evidence of the continuing relationship.</p>
<h2>What Is the Financial Requirement for a Spouse Visa Extension?</h2>
<p>For applicants who are not covered by the transitional arrangements, the current minimum income requirement for a partner application is £29,000 a year.</p>
<p>The requirement can be met through qualifying income and, where permitted, cash savings, subject to the detailed rules on the source, calculation and evidence for each category.</p>
<p>Applicants should identify the relevant financial category before preparing documents because the specified evidence differs between employment, self-employment, non-employment income, savings and combined sources.</p>
<p>For a fuller explanation, see our guide to UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement: What Income Counts?</p>
<h2>What If You First Applied Before 11 April 2024?</h2>
<p>Transitional financial rules apply to applicants who first applied as a partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner before 11 April 2024 and who continue to qualify for the transitional arrangements.</p>
<p>If you first applied as a partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner before 11 April 2024 and are extending with the same partner, the transitional minimum income requirement is generally £18,600 a year, subject to the child component and the applicable cap.</p>
<p>Under the transitional rules, an additional £3,800 is generally required for the first qualifying child and £2,400 for each additional qualifying child, subject to the applicable £29,000 cap.</p>
<p>Whether the transitional threshold applies depends on the applicant’s earlier family-route application and the circumstances of the current application, including whether they are applying with the same partner.</p>
<p>Applicants should therefore check the transitional rules rather than automatically assuming that either £18,600 or £29,000 applies.</p>
<h2>What If Your Partner Receives Certain Benefits?</h2>
<p>The standard minimum income requirement does not apply where the sponsoring partner receives one of the specified disability or carer benefits listed in the applicable rules.</p>
<p>The specified benefits include Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and certain equivalent Scottish or armed-forces benefits.</p>
<p>Instead, the applicant must demonstrate that the family can be adequately maintained and accommodated without relying on additional public funds, applying the relevant adequate-maintenance test.</p>
<p>This is an adequate-maintenance assessment rather than the standard £29,000 minimum-income test.</p>
<h2>Do You Need to Meet the English Language Requirement Again?</h2>
<p>Yes. The English language requirement can apply again when you extend as a partner, unless you meet it through another permitted route or qualify for an exemption.</p>
<p>If you met the requirement for your first family visa by passing an A1 test, you normally need to pass at least A2 in speaking and listening when applying to extend after 2.5 years.</p>
<p>If you previously passed an approved test at A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2, you can generally reuse the result for the extension provided the certificate has not been withdrawn by the test provider.</p>
<p>The requirement can also be met through certain recognised academic qualifications or other permitted routes, and exemptions apply in specified circumstances.</p>
<h2>Who Is Exempt From the English Language Requirement?</h2>
<p>Appendix FM provides exemptions for applicants who:</p>
<ul>
<li>Are aged 65 or over</li>
<li>Have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from meeting the requirement</li>
<li>Are prevented from meeting the requirement by exceptional circumstances</li>
</ul>
<p>An exemption should not be assumed simply because taking an English test is inconvenient or difficult.</p>
<p>Applicants relying on an exemption should check the evidence required for their particular circumstances.</p>
<h2>What Documents Do You Need for a Spouse Visa Extension?</h2>
<p>The documents depend on your circumstances, but GOV.UK states that family visa applicants need information and evidence relating to areas including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Identity and nationality</li>
<li>Current immigration status</li>
<li>Previous immigration applications</li>
<li>Relationship history</li>
<li>Current relationship</li>
<li>Finances</li>
<li>English language ability</li>
<li>Children and dependants</li>
<li>Relevant criminal convictions</li>
</ul>
<p>You will generally need your current passport or other valid travel document and evidence of your current immigration status.</p>
<p>Documents not in English or Welsh require a certified translation.</p>
<p>The financial documents you need depend on which income category you rely upon.</p>
<h2>What Financial Evidence Could You Need?</h2>
<p>For a straightforward employment-based application, the specified evidence may include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Payslips</li>
<li>Corresponding bank statements</li>
<li>A letter from the employer confirming employment, salary and relevant employment details</li>
</ul>
<p>Different specified evidence applies where you rely on:</p>
<ul>
<li>Self-employment</li>
<li>Income from a limited company</li>
<li>Cash savings</li>
<li>Pensions</li>
<li>Property rental income</li>
<li>Dividends</li>
<li>A combination of qualifying sources</li>
</ul>
<p>The detailed evidential rules are contained in Appendix FM-SE.</p>
<p>It is therefore better to identify your financial category first and then prepare the documents required for that category rather than using a generic Spouse visa checklist.</p>
<h2>How Much Does a Spouse Visa Extension Cost?</h2>
<p>As of August 2026, the Home Office application fee for a family visa application made inside the UK to join or remain with a partner, parent or child is £1,407 per person.</p>
<p>Applicants also need to pay the immigration health surcharge unless an exemption applies.</p>
<p>The standard immigration health surcharge for most adult immigration applications is currently £1,035 per year, with the final amount calculated according to the length of immigration permission being requested or granted.</p>
<p>Visa fees and surcharge rates can change, so applicants should check the current GOV.UK figures immediately before applying.</p>
<h2>Can You Get a Fee Waiver?</h2>
<p>A fee waiver may be available to eligible in-country family-route applicants who cannot afford the required immigration fees.</p>
<p>The published criteria include scenarios where:</p>
<ul>
<li>You do not have a place to live and cannot afford one</li>
<li>You have accommodation but cannot afford essential living costs such as food or heating</li>
<li>You have a very low income such that paying the fee would harm a child’s wellbeing</li>
</ul>
<p>A fee waiver is not automatic. Where a fee waiver is required, the applicant should normally obtain a fee-waiver decision before submitting the substantive extension application.</p>
<h2>How Long Does a Spouse Visa Extension Take?</h2>
<p>GOV.UK currently states that an in-country partner applicant who meets the financial and English language requirements will usually receive a decision within eight weeks.</p>
<p>Where an in-country applicant does not meet those requirements and is relying on other family or human-rights provisions, GOV.UK currently states that a decision can take around 12 months.</p>
<p>A faster decision service may be available for some applications, but availability depends on the application and service capacity.</p>
<p>Processing times are service standards rather than guaranteed decision dates.</p>
<h2>Will You Need to Provide Biometrics?</h2>
<p>Yes. GOV.UK states that family visa applicants need to provide biometric information – fingerprints and a photograph – as part of the application process.</p>
<p>You will be told how to arrange this after applying.</p>
<p>If your application is approved, your immigration status will generally be recorded through an eVisa, which is the digital record of your identity and immigration permission.</p>
<h2>Can You Work While Your Extension Is Being Processed?</h2>
<p>If you make a valid in-time application before your existing permission expires and the application remains undecided after expiry, section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 can extend your existing leave and its conditions while the application is pending.</p>
<p>Accordingly, a person whose existing partner permission allows work can generally continue working while valid section 3C leave applies.</p>
<p>Section 3C does not arise from an application made after existing leave has expired, and an invalid application does not extend leave; applicants with any validity or expiry-date issue should obtain advice promptly.</p>
<h2>What If You Previously Entered as a Fiancé or Fiancée?</h2>
<p>A fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner visa is different from a full partner visa.</p>
<p>It allows the applicant to come to the UK for up to six months to marry or enter into a civil partnership. Once the marriage or civil partnership has taken place, the applicant needs to make a further family visa application if they want to remain in the UK.</p>
<p>A person on fiancé or fiancée permission cannot work or study under that permission. If the subsequent partner application is granted, they gain the right to work and study.</p>
<p>Time spent in the UK as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner does not count towards the five-year qualifying period for settlement as a partner.</p>
<h2>What Happens If Your Relationship Has Ended?</h2>
<p>If your relationship with the sponsoring partner has permanently ended, you generally cannot simply make a standard Spouse visa extension on the basis that the original visa has not yet expired.</p>
<p>The partner route requires a genuine and subsisting relationship and an intention to live together permanently in the UK.</p>
<p>A person whose relationship has ended can have other immigration options depending on their circumstances.</p>
<p>This can be particularly important where:</p>
<ul>
<li>There are British or settled children</li>
<li>Domestic abuse is involved</li>
<li>Another immigration route could apply</li>
<li>There are human-rights considerations</li>
</ul>
<p>Professional immigration support may be appropriate where a relationship has ended and the applicant needs to understand whether another route is available.</p>
<h2>Can You Extend If You Do Not Meet Every Standard Requirement?</h2>
<p>Appendix FM contains provisions under which an applicant who does not meet all of the standard five-year-route requirements may still be granted permission where the relevant family-life or human-rights provisions are satisfied.</p>
<p>For example, an applicant may still be able to extend where there is a qualifying child in the UK or where refusal would breach the applicant’s human rights, subject to the detailed rules.</p>
<p>A grant under the human-rights provisions may place the applicant on the 10-year route to settlement rather than the five-year partner route.</p>
<p>These provisions are highly fact-sensitive and should not be treated as a general exception to the normal partner-route requirements.</p>
<h2>Does an Extension Automatically Lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain?</h2>
<p>No.</p>
<p>A Spouse visa extension gives further limited immigration permission. It is not the same as indefinite leave to remain.</p>
<p>For applicants on the standard five-year partner route, the earliest point at which settlement can generally be considered is after five continuous years in the UK on a qualifying family visa as a partner.</p>
<p>An applicant must still meet the settlement requirements that apply when they make their indefinite leave to remain application.</p>
<p>Our next guide in this series explains When You Can Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain After a Spouse Visa.</p>
<h2>Common Spouse Visa Extension Mistakes</h2>
<p>Problems can arise where applicants:</p>
<ul>
<li>Allow their current permission to expire before dealing with the extension</li>
<li>Assume their previous approval means they no longer need relationship evidence</li>
<li>Use the wrong minimum income threshold</li>
<li>Submit financial evidence under the wrong income category</li>
<li>Overlook the A2 English requirement after previously relying on A1</li>
<li>Provide insufficient evidence of living together</li>
<li>Fail to explain significant periods spent living apart</li>
<li>Assume time as a fiancé or fiancée counts towards the five-year settlement period</li>
<li>Prepare documents using outdated immigration rules or fee information</li>
</ul>
<p>Checking the current requirements before submitting the application can help identify issues while there is still time to address them.</p>
<p>Visit our <a href=”/spouse-visa-support/”>Spouse Visa Support</a> page to organise your questions and understand your next step.</p>