The cost of spouse visa UK applications has two main parts: the Home Office application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). Applying from outside the UK costs £2,064 in fees plus £3,105 in surcharge, so £5,169 for one adult. Applying from inside the UK costs £1,407 plus £2,587.50, which comes to about £4,014 once you add the £19.20 biometric fee. Tests, translations, priority services and adviser fees all sit on top.
"Spouse visa" is everyday shorthand. The official route is the UK family visa for partners, which lets the husband, wife or partner of a British citizen or settled person live in the UK. Fees are charged per applicant and per application. You pay again when you extend your permission and again when you apply for settlement, so a single headline figure never tells you what the whole route costs.
This article sets out why the total is bigger than the visa fee, then puts the outside-UK and inside-UK fees side by side with worked totals. It covers the hidden costs, then shows you how to build a budget and avoid paying more than you need to. Paul Aslett, who leads Thai Visa Express, has been a UK immigration adviser since 2007.
Why the full cost is higher than the visa fee
The full cost is higher than the visa fee because the Home Office fee is only one of several charges, and you repeat most of them at every stage of the route. Couples who budget for the headline fee alone are often thousands of pounds short.
What the total covers
Every application carries a Home Office fee and an Immigration Health Surcharge, and you pay both in full when you submit. You cannot spread the surcharge over the years of your visa. Add a biometric fee, and any tests and translations your case needs, and the bill grows well past the figure most pages lead with. That is why spouse visa fees quoted in the UK vary so much between websites. Some quote only the Home Office fee, others a realistic total.
Fees are charged per applicant. If a non-British child applies with you, the child pays the same Home Office fee as an adult, although the surcharge is lower. Children who are already British citizens do not need a visa, so most couples never pay this.
Fees repeat at every stage
The partner route runs in stages, and each stage has its own charges. The table shows what you pay at each point.
| Stage | What you pay |
|---|---|
| First application from outside the UK | Home Office fee, IHS for the full grant, any tests and translations |
| Extension from inside the UK (FLR(M)) | £1,407, IHS for the extension, £19.20 biometrics, usually an A2 English test |
| Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) | A separate Home Office fee, so check the current figure on gov.uk |
You normally apply for settlement after two grants of permission, around five years in. Plan for three separate payments across that time, not one.
A refusal can cost you the fee
If the Home Office refuses your application, you lose the application fee and must pay it again to reapply. The surcharge is normally refunded, but the Home Office fee is not. Your sponsor must also show income of £29,000 a year or equivalent savings, which is not a fee but is money that has to be in place. Relying on savings alone, the figure is £88,500 held for six months.
The headline fee is only the start: budget for the surcharge, the extras, and the chance of paying twice.
Spouse visa fees from outside and inside the UK
Applying from outside the UK costs £2,064 in Home Office fees and £3,105 in IHS. Applying from inside the UK costs £1,407 and £2,587.50. Which one applies to you depends on your current immigration status, not on where your partner lives.
Home Office application fee
You apply from outside the UK if you hold no UK permission, or if you are in the UK as a visitor. You apply from inside the UK if you hold permission granted for longer than six months. Holders of a fiancé(e) visa are the usual exception and can apply from inside the UK to switch.
| Home Office fee | Outside the UK | Inside the UK |
|---|---|---|
| Partner or spouse, per applicant | £2,064 | £1,407 |
| Each dependent child, per applicant | £2,064 | £1,407 |
You may see £3,635 on the gov.uk family visa page. That is the fee for an adult who needs long-term care from a relative, not for a partner. For a spouse or partner, the right figures are the ones above, and the Home Office fee checker confirms them for your case.
If you apply from abroad, the Home Office charges in local currency. The exchange rate it uses can leave you paying up to about 5% more or less than a standard online rate, so keep a small buffer.
Immigration Health Surcharge
The IHS is £1,035 per adult per year of permission and £776 per child per year. Six months or less of a part-year counts as half a year, and more than six months counts as a full year. A first visa of 2 years and 9 months is therefore charged as 3 years, while a 30-month extension is charged as 2.5 years.
| Applicant | Permission | Calculation | IHS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, from outside the UK | 2 years 9 months | 3 × £1,035 | £3,105 |
| Adult, from inside the UK | 30 months | 2.5 × £1,035 | £2,587.50 |
| Child, from outside the UK | 2 years 9 months | 3 × £776 | £2,328 |
| Child, from inside the UK | 30 months | 2.5 × £776 | £1,940 |
The surcharge pays for NHS access during your stay, and the application is invalid without it. Use the official IHS calculator on gov.uk to confirm the exact figure for your length of permission.
Worked totals for common situations
Here is what typical couples pay before tests, translations or adviser fees. The inside-UK totals include the £19.20 biometric fee.
| Scenario | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Outside the UK, one adult | £2,064 + £3,105 | £5,169 |
| Outside the UK, adult with about £500 priority service | £5,169 + £500 | £5,669 |
| Inside the UK, one adult | £1,407 + £2,587.50 + £19.20 | £4,013.70 |
| Inside the UK, adult with £1,000 super-priority service | £4,013.70 + £1,000 | £5,013.70 |
| Outside the UK, adult plus one non-British child | £5,169 + £2,064 + £2,328 | £9,561 |
A couple applying from outside the UK with no children should therefore plan for just over £5,000 in government charges. A couple extending from inside the UK should plan for around £4,000.
For one adult, the government charges alone come to £5,169 from outside the UK and £4,013.70 from inside it.
Hidden and optional costs to add to your budget
Beyond the Home Office fee and the surcharge, you may pay for translations, a tuberculosis test, an English test, priority processing and professional help. Which of these apply depends on your country, your documents and the route you take.
Costs you may have to pay
Some of these are compulsory in certain cases. Check each one against your own situation.
| Cost | Typical figure | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Document translations | About £40 for a one-page document, £80 for two pages | Any document not in English or Welsh, such as a marriage certificate |
| Tuberculosis test | £65 to £110, more if you must travel to an approved clinic | Applications from outside the UK, from certain countries |
| English language test | About £150 to £180 per attempt | Applicants who are not exempt by nationality or degree |
| Biometric enrolment | £19.20 | Applications made inside the UK |
Translations can add £300 or more if you have many documents, because bank statements and certificates all need certified versions. The tuberculosis test can cost far more than the test fee itself when the nearest approved clinic is in another city or country. Choose an approved Secure English Language Test provider, because other English tests are not accepted.
Priority services
Priority services buy speed, not a better chance of approval. From outside the UK, the priority service costs about £500 and aims for a decision in around 30 working days. From inside the UK, the super-priority service costs £1,000 and aims for a decision by the next working day.
Standard decisions typically take around 12 weeks from outside the UK and up to 8 weeks from inside. Most couples do not need priority processing. It makes sense only when a job start date, a flight or an expiring permission leaves you no slack.
Adviser and document-check fees
You do not have to hire an adviser, but many couples do because a refusal costs so much. Fees across the market vary widely, from about £1,000 to £3,000 or more. You should always get a written quote that states what is included.
At Thai Visa Express, the Thailand office charges £1,000 for a standard overseas spouse visa application and £1,200 for complex cases. The IAA-regulated UK office, registration number F200700163, charges £995 for a standard FLR(M) extension. Government fees, the surcharge, tests, translations and priority charges are always extra. Eligible overseas cases may be accepted on a no-win, no-professional-fee basis after an initial assessment, but government fees remain payable.
If you have prepared the application yourself and only doubt your financial evidence, a document check costs less. Our financial document check starts at £250 for employment income with the same employer over six months and rises to £450 for a single limited company owner's income.
Compulsory costs are fixed, but tests, translations, priority services and adviser fees are where your total can move by thousands.
How to budget for your spouse visa step by step
To budget for your spouse visa, confirm whether you apply from inside or outside the UK, add the fixed charges, then add only the extras your case needs, with a buffer on top. This takes about half an hour and prevents the common mistake of paying for the visa and then running short for the surcharge.
Work out your route and your total
Follow these steps in order.
- Confirm your status. If you hold no UK permission, or you are a visitor, you apply from outside the UK. If you hold permission of more than six months, you may apply from inside.
- Write down the Home Office fee for each applicant: £2,064 outside or £1,407 inside.
- Add the IHS for the permission you will receive: £3,105 for an adult from outside, £2,587.50 for an adult from inside.
- Add the £19.20 biometric fee if you apply from inside the UK.
- Add the extras your case needs: translations, a TB test, an English test, and any adviser fee.
- Add a buffer of around 5% to 10% for currency movements, a failed test or extra documents.
Check the final figures on gov.uk before you pay, because fees change from time to time.
Ways to avoid paying more than you need to
The biggest saving is avoiding a refusal. Check every requirement before you submit, especially the £29,000 income rule, the accommodation evidence and the format of your financial documents. A mistake on a document costs far more than a check.
You can also cut your English test spending. A first partner visa needs only A1 speaking and listening, but an extension normally needs A2. If you can pass A2 first time, the same certificate often covers the extension, and a B1 pass can go further. Taking one higher-level test usually costs less than sitting two.
Finally, buy priority services only when you need them. Standard processing is slower, but it costs £500 to £1,000 less.
What to do if you cannot afford the fees
If you genuinely cannot afford the fees, you can apply for a fee waiver before you apply for the visa. It is free to apply, and the applicant, not the sponsor, makes the request. Applying for a waiver does not make a refusal of your visa more likely.
You need to show your income, your regular spending, and that other people could not lend you the money. If you are granted a waiver, you get a code to use in your visa application within 28 days. A refused waiver cannot be appealed, so build your evidence carefully and check the current criteria on gov.uk.
Add up the fixed charges first, then the extras your case needs, and keep a buffer for the surprises.
Budget for the whole bill
The cost of a spouse visa in the UK is not a single fee. From outside the UK, expect £5,169 in government charges for one adult. From inside the UK, expect about £4,014. Tests, translations, priority services and adviser fees then change the total, and you repeat most of the charges at extension and settlement. Plan for each stage, and treat a refusal as a real financial risk.
If you want your own figures checked, or you want an adviser to review your evidence before you pay anything to the Home Office, speak to Thai Visa Express about your spouse visa. We confirm our fees, the scope of work and what you pay separately in writing before you instruct us.
