Applying for a UK spouse visa can feel like your relationship is being turned into a filing cabinet. You’re not alone: most refusals and delays happen because the evidence is incomplete, inconsistent, or uploaded in a messy way (even when the couple does meet the rules).

This guide is written in a checklist-style that you can actually use, whether you’re applying from outside the UK (entry clearance) or inside the UK (switch/extend). Consider this your UK spouse visa document checklist from start to finish.

Quick note: the spouse route sits under the “family visa as a partner” rules and is the main pathway toward indefinite leave to remain and, later, British citizenship. You’ll need to show (1) you qualify as partners, (2) you meet the financial requirement, and (3) you meet the English requirement (plus supporting evidence).

Before you start: confirm which “partner” route you’re applying under

UKVI asks you to prove one of these applies:

• You’re married or in a civil partnership recognised in the UK

• You’ve lived together for at least 2 years (unmarried partners)

• You’re engaged and will marry within 6 months (fiancé/fiancée route)

• You’ve been together 2+ years, but can’t live together (work/study/cultural reasons)

Your sponsor (UK partner) must also have an eligible status (e.g., British or Irish citizen, ILR/settled status, certain pre-settled status scenarios, protection status, etc.).

The “at a glance” document checklist for UK spouse visa

Use this as your master tick list, then follow the sections below for the exact evidence to choose.

A) Identity & application basics

• Applicant passport (current)

• Copies of passport bio page + relevant stamps/visas (and older passports if applicable)

• Details of previous UK immigration applications (if any)

• Details of criminal convictions (if any)

• National Insurance number (if you have one)

• Parents’ dates of birth/nationalities (if applying from outside the UK)

B) Sponsor’s eligibility (UK partner)

• Proof sponsor is British/Irish or settled/ILR/settled status or another eligible category

• If sponsor has settled/pre-settled status: proof/share code evidence

C) Relationship evidence

• Marriage/civil partnership certificate or 2 years cohabitation evidence or evidence of intent to marry within 6 months (fiancé route)

• Evidence your genuine and subsisting relationship (examples below)

D) Financial requirement evidence

• Evidence you meet the minimum income requirement (or exemption/adequate maintenance route)

• Correct documents for your income type (employment/self-employment/savings/pension/rental etc.)

E) Accommodation evidence

• Proof you have somewhere to live in the UK and you’re allowed to live there

F) English language evidence

• Approved English test certificate or degree + Ecctis/UK ENIC style confirmation (where needed) or exemption evidence

G) TB test (if required)

• TB test certificate from an approved clinic (only for certain applicants)

H) Translations & formatting

• Certified translations for any document not in English/Welsh

• Financial documents dated correctly (watch the “28 days” rule where it applies)

1) Identity documents (applicant): what UKVI expects

This is the “baseline” evidence UKVI asks for when you apply, think of it as the admin layer that validates who you are and your immigration history.

Checklist: identity & background

• Current passport or valid travel ID

• Copies of photo page + relevant pages (stamps/visas) in current and previous passports

• Details of previous UK immigration applications

• Details of any criminal convictions

• NI number (if you have one)

• If applying from outside the UK: parents’ DOB and nationality

Tip: If your name changed (marriage, deed poll), add a simple “name trail” folder (old ID + change document + new ID) so UKVI doesn’t have to guess.

2) Sponsor documents (UK partner): prove they can sponsor you

UKVI is clear that your sponsor must be in an eligible category (British/Irish, settled/ILR/settled status, specific pre-settled status cases, protection status, etc.).

Checklist: sponsor proof

Pick what matches your partner’s status:

• Sponsor British/Irish passport (or other proof of citizenship)

• If settled/ILR: BRP/settlement proof (where applicable)

• If settled or pre-settled status: proof/share code-style evidence

• If protection status/stateless permission: relevant Home Office letters/status proof

Organising win: Name the folder “Sponsor – Status” and keep it clean. Caseworkers like fast verification.

3) Relationship documents: prove you qualify and it’s genuine

UKVI asks for relationship evidence that:

• comes from credible sources (government/bank/landlord/utility/medical professional),

• confirms you live together/share expenses, or you’re married/civil partners, and

• is less than 4 years old.

Checklist: core relationship proof (choose your route)

If married/civil partners

• Marriage or civil partnership certificate (recognised in the UK)

If unmarried partners (2 years’ living together)

• Evidence you’ve lived together for at least 2 years (see cohabitation examples below)

If you don’t live together (work/study/cultural reasons)

• Evidence you communicate regularly

• Evidence you support each other financially (where relevant)

• Evidence you spend time together (travel, events)

• Evidence around children/shared responsibilities (if relevant)

Checklist: best cohabitation-style evidence (UKVI-friendly examples)

These are specifically named examples UKVI accepts:

• Tenancy agreement, utility bills or Council Tax bills showing same address/shared bills

• Joint bank statement (or statement showing same address)

• Doctor/dentist letter confirming same address

If you don’t have the classic items, UKVI also suggests alternatives like:

• One-off bills (vet fees, home repairs)

• Letters confirming you’re both on the voting register at the same address

• Student finance paperwork showing the same address

Practical tip (that saves stress): Aim for evidence spread across time (not all from one month). Quality and clarity beat quantity.

4) Financial requirement documents: the most technical part (don’t wing it)

For most UK spouse visa applications, you usually need to show a combined income of at least £29,000/year.
There are different rules if:

• your sponsor receives certain disability/carer benefits (no minimum income threshold, but you must show adequate maintenance), or

• you first applied as a partner before 11 April 2024, and you’re extending (different threshold rules may apply).

Step 1: Identify your income category

Common categories include:

• Salaried employment

• Non-salaried employment

• Self-employment/sole trader/franchise

• Director/employee of a specified limited company

• Cash savings

• Pension income

• Rental income and other non-employment income

Step 2: Use the correct document set for that category

Below are “gold standard” checklists based on Appendix FM-SE (specified evidence rules).

A) If relying on salaried employment (typical PAYE job)

• Payslips covering the required period (often 6 months, depending on circumstances)

• Employer letter confirming employment, salary, length of employment, pay period, and employment type

• Personal bank statements covering the same period showing salary payments going in

Payslip detail matters: payslips must be formal (or backed by an employer letter confirming authenticity).

B) If relying on cash savings

• Bank statements showing the savings held in cash form and under your control (rules can be strict on how long funds must be held and how they’re evidenced)

C) If relying on rental income (property)

• Proof of ownership (Land Registry/title register or mortgage statement)

• Evidence of the rental income itself (e.g., tenancy/letting evidence + bank trail)

D) If you’re self-employed/director of a specified company

• HMRC/Companies House-style evidence and supporting financial documents for the relevant financial year(s) (the list is longer here, this is where tailored advice helps).

Big warning (kindly): the financial category you choose determines the exact documents UKVI will accept. Many refusals happen because couples provide “reasonable” evidence, but not the specified evidence.

5) Accommodation documents: show where you’ll live in the UK

UKVI expects you to show you have a place to live and you’re allowed to live there. The documents depend on whether the property is owned, rented, or you’re living with family.

Checklist: accommodation (choose what applies)

If renting

• Tenancy agreement

• Recent utility bill/Council Tax/proof of address

• Letter from landlord/agent confirming permission for the applicant to live there (helpful)

If owned/mortgaged

• Title register/deeds or mortgage statement

• Recent utility bill/Council Tax/proof of address

If living with family/friends

• Letter of permission from the homeowner/tenant

• Proof they own/rent the property

• Proof of address (recent bills)

6) English language documents: what to upload

You generally need to show a good knowledge of English under the family partner route.

Checklist: English language proof

• Approved English test certificate (at the level required for your stage), or

• Degree evidence + Ecctis assessment if the degree was taught in English outside the UK

Also note: for extensions after 2.5 years, the required level can change depending on what you used previously.

7) TB test certificate (only if it applies to you)

You’ll need a TB test if you’re coming to the UK for 6+ months and you’ve lived in a listed country for 6+ months (with timing rules).
The country list and approved clinic info are on GOV.UK.

Checklist: TB evidence

• TB test certificate from a Home Office–approved clinic (if required)

8) Translations, dates, and upload rules (the part everyone forgets)

Certified translations

If a specified document is not in English or Welsh, you must include the original and a full translation that meets the required format (dated, confirmation of accuracy, translator name/signature, contact details, etc.).

Dates and “freshness”

• Relationship evidence UKVI suggests should generally be less than 4 years old.

• Some specified evidence has timing rules (e.g., financial evidence often needs to be dated within particular windows, Appendix FM-SE includes a “28 days” rule for certain evidence).

Uploading documents

The spouse visa UK process is digital-first (uploading through UKVCAS in the UK or TLScontact overseas is common).

Upload tip: Create folders exactly like UKVI thinks:

• Identity

• Sponsor status

• Relationship

• Financial

• Accommodation

• English

• TB (if applicable)

• Other/Cover letter

Common mistakes that cost couples weeks (or a re-application)

• Uploading payslips but not the matching bank statements

• Missing employer letter (or it doesn’t confirm the required details)

• Relationship evidence all from one month (no timeline)

• Non-English documents uploaded with no certified translation

• Messy filenames like “scan1234.pdf” instead of “Sponsor payslips Jan–Jun 2026”

• Assuming UKVI will ask for missing docs (often they won’t)

Final “ready to submit” spouse visa checklist

Identity

• Passport + copies

• Previous passports/visas (if relevant)

• Previous applications + convictions info

Sponsor

• Proof sponsor meets eligible status

Relationship

• Marriage/civil certificate OR 2-year cohabitation evidence OR correct route evidence

• Additional genuine relationship evidence (bills/bank/medical letters etc.)

Finance

• Correct evidence set for your category (employment/self-employment/savings/etc.)

Accommodation

• Tenancy/deeds/mortgage + permission letters if needed

English

• Approved test OR degree + Ecctis proof (where required)

TB (if required)

• TB certificate from approved clinic

Translations & formatting

• Certified translations compliant with Appendix FM-SE

• Files clearly named + logically grouped

Want a simpler version you can save or print? Download our one-page UK Spouse Visa Document Checklist PDF here.

Need a tailored checklist for your exact situation? Let InTime Solicitors make it simple.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, that’s completely normal. The UK spouse visa isn’t just “upload some documents”, it’s a strict evidence exercise, and even genuine couples get refused because one payslip doesn’t match a bank statement, a letter is missing the right wording, or the financial category was chosen incorrectly.

That’s where InTime Solicitors can take the pressure off.

What you get when you work with InTime Solicitors

• A tailored document checklist built around your circumstances (employment, self-employment, savings, mixed income, returning sponsor, everything).

• A full evidence review so your documents match the UK spouse visa requirements under Appendix FM-SE (and you’re not relying on “it should be fine”).

• Clear instructions on what to upload, how to label it, and what to avoid, so your application is easy for UKVI to understand.

• A strong cover letter and case strategy that connects the dots and reduces the risk of delays, requests for more information, or refusal.

If any of this sounds like you, don’t guess:

• “I think we meet the spouse visa financial requirement… but I’m not 100% sure.”

• “We have documents, but they’re messy and we don’t know what UKVI actually wants.”

• “We’re worried about getting refused and losing the fee, especially with the spouse visa cost being so high.”

• “We’re self-employed/have mixed income and it’s confusing.”

Your next step

Instead of spending nights Googling and hoping you’ve done it right, let InTime Solicitors build your checklist and prepare your spouse visa properly, so you can submit with confidence. We have offices in Chester, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent where one of our consultants can assist you in person.

Book a consultation with InTime Solicitors today and get a clear plan of exactly what UKVI needs for your UK visa application.