Short answer: The usual minimum income requirement for a new UK partner application is £29,000 a year. It is not the correct figure for every case. Some existing partners fall within transitional rules, and certain disability or carer’s benefits lead to an adequate-maintenance assessment instead. You also need the right evidence and calculation for the income you rely on.
Seeing a single salary figure online can be reassuring or frightening. Before changing jobs, moving savings or delaying your plans, establish which rule applies to your own application. This guide explains the ordinary financial requirement, rather than advising on exceptional or complex circumstances.
Which threshold should you check first?
| Situation | Starting point |
|---|---|
| A new partner application outside the transitional arrangements | The usual £29,000 minimum income requirement |
| A qualifying successful partner or fiancé application made before 11 April 2024, now continuing with the same partner | Transitional rules may preserve an £18,600 base requirement with relevant child additions |
| A sponsor receiving a specified qualifying disability or carer’s benefit | An adequate-maintenance assessment, rather than assuming the usual minimum-income test |
Check the official financial requirement page. A first application date on its own is not enough to establish a transitional entitlement: the earlier grant, route and continued relationship matter. The transitional total is capped at £29,000 under the current guidance; it should not be calculated by adding child amounts indefinitely.
Whose employment income can be used?
For the ordinary rules, a UK-based sponsor’s qualifying earnings are a common starting point. An applicant’s earnings can be relevant when they are in the UK with permission to work. Do not assume an overseas applicant’s foreign salary can simply be added to the sponsor’s UK pay for an entry-clearance application.
Returning sponsors working abroad have specific arrangements, including rules about overseas employment and a qualifying UK job offer. That is a distinct assessment. Write down who receives each source, where they work, their immigration permission and whether the income will continue.
There is also a difference between gross pay, the bank payment after deductions and a headline package that includes benefits. Only income permitted by the applicable rules should enter the calculation. A promising job offer is not automatically evidence of qualifying earnings already received.
Why the income category matters
Someone in salaried employment for the required period may use a different calculation from someone who changed employer recently. Non-salaried work and variable earnings require careful treatment. Self-employment and certain company arrangements use financial-year evidence rather than a simple stack of recent payslips.
The detailed framework is in Appendix FM-SE and the Home Office’s financial requirement guidance. Start by choosing the category; then calculate; then collect its specified evidence. Reversing that order can produce a convincing-looking file that proves the wrong period.
Can savings or other income help?
Cash savings, pensions and certain non-employment income can be relevant, but the rules control ownership, availability, evidence and which categories can be combined. A savings balance is not treated as annual salary pound for pound. Borrowed money cannot be presented as qualifying cash savings.
If your finances include several sources, list them separately instead of merging them into one total. Record whose money it is, the relevant period and supporting documents. An adviser can then assess whether the proposed combination is permitted. It is especially important not to assume cash savings can be added to self-employment income under Categories F or G.
A practical example: salary alone does not settle the question
Imagine a sponsor paid £31,000 who started a new job two months ago. Their current salary may be above the usual threshold, but their employment history could require the Category B assessment of current income and actual earnings over the preceding 12 months. A recent contract alone does not answer both questions.
By contrast, a qualifying ongoing salaried job with an appropriate evidence period raises a different set of checks. The useful question is not just “Do I earn £29,000?” It is “Which rule lets me use this income, and can I prove it for the right dates?” These are illustrations, not determinations of eligibility.
What should you gather before a financial assessment?
- Previous application and grant dates, including any fiancé permission.
- Current and recent employment contracts and start dates.
- Payslips, corresponding bank statements and employer details.
- Relevant tax and business records if self-employed.
- Savings statements and a factual explanation of their origin.
- Details of children and any specified qualifying benefits.
Also record the intended application date. That date anchors the evidence periods and can affect which records need updating. Avoid paying for translations of the wrong financial year before the category has been established.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need £29,000 for each child?
No. Under the ordinary £29,000 partner minimum-income requirement, that is not a separate £29,000 salary requirement per child. Transitional applications need their own child calculation.
Is the requirement now £38,700?
The current official partner guidance checked on 6 October 2026 states £29,000 for the usual minimum-income requirement. Do not confuse earlier policy discussion or a work-route salary rule with the partner route.
Can benefits mean there is no financial assessment?
No. Specified qualifying benefits can change the assessment to adequate maintenance. They do not remove the need to prove the relevant financial and housing position.
Get clarity before committing to an application
Our partner visa service can help check the financial category, reconcile the evidence and identify gaps in an application within our scope. Discuss your circumstances in a free consultation before relying on an online total. The standard professional fee for an agreed application is £500 per application, per person, with government and third-party charges separate; any different fee is confirmed before instruction.
Official sources
Sources checked: 6 October 2026. Check the current official requirements for your application date.
- GOV.UK: proof income partner
- GOV.UK: immigration rules appendix fm family members
- GOV.UK: immigration rules appendix fm se family members specified evidence
- GOV.UK: chapter 8 appendix fm family members
This guide provides general information and is not a decision about your individual eligibility. Rules and charges can change. The agreed service and care letter set out our professional scope; no outcome is guaranteed.