The rules, answered · checked 7 November 2026
Can you combine savings and salary for a spouse visa?
Quick answer
Yes. Savings above £16,000 are divided by 2.5 and added to the income to meet the £29,000 rule. The exception is self-employment, which can’t be combined with savings.
What the rules say
Savings
Savings above £16,000 count towards the income rule after dividing by 2.5 (for entry and extension). So savings alone need to reach £88,500. The money must have been held for at least six months, in either partner’s name or both, with statements covering the six months and a declaration of where it came from. Savings and income can be combined, except with self-employment.
From GOV.UK: Immigration Rules, Appendix FM, checked 7 November 2026.
The income rule
First applications made on or after 11 April 2024 need £29,000 a year before tax, with no extra amount for children. It can come from the UK partner’s job, self-employment, a pension, rent or dividends, or savings. Before entry, the applying partner’s job abroad doesn’t count; their job in the UK counts if they already work here with permission. Different kinds of income can usually be added together.
From GOV.UK, checked 7 November 2026.
Evidence for self-employment
For self-employment or a limited company: the self assessment tax return and the SA302 or tax calculation, twelve months of personal and business bank statements, evidence that the business is still trading (such as invoices or contracts from the last three months), and accounts, VAT registration or a franchise agreement. Self-employment can’t be combined with savings.
From GOV.UK: Immigration Rules, Appendix FM-SE, checked 7 November 2026.
On your tracker
Answer seven questions and the tracker lists these, where they apply to you, with the dates each must fall between and every requirement to tick:
- Statements for the savings
- The UK partner’s payslips
- The UK partner’s bank statements showing the pay going in
Information, not immigration advice. Whether your documents meet a rule is a judgement only a regulated adviser can make: have your bundle checked.