Spouse visa savings calculator: income plus savings
Income below £29,000 can be made up with savings, but each pound short needs 2.5 pounds saved, on top of the first £16,000. Put in your figures and see the sum the rule does.
The rule’s arithmetic, not a check of your evidence. Information, not immigration advice. Figures checked against Appendix FM on 8 November 2026.
How the sum works
Appendix FM sets the income at £29,000 a year before tax for a first application made on or after 11 April 2024. Where the income falls short, savings make up the difference, but not pound for pound: the shortfall is multiplied by 2.5, and the first £16,000 of savings doesn’t count at all. So the savings the rule asks for are £16,000 plus 2.5 times the shortfall.
“…specified savings of: (i) £16,000; and (ii) additional savings of an amount equivalent to 2.5 times the amount which is the difference between the gross annual income from the sources listed in paragraph E-ECP.3.2.(a)- (d) and the total amount required under paragraph E-ECP.3.1.(a);…”
| Income in the sum | £29,000 rule | £18,600 rule, no children |
|---|---|---|
| None | £88,500 | £62,500 |
| £10,000 | £63,500 | £37,500 |
| £20,000 | £38,500 | £16,000 |
| £25,000 | £26,000 | £16,000 |
Couples extending with the same partner after a first grant before 11 April 2024 stay on the old rule: £18,600, plus £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each one after who isn’t British or settled, never more than £29,000 (Appendix FM, E-LTRP.3.7 and 3.8). GOV.UK sets the same figures out on its proof of income page.
The six-month rule
The amount relied on has to have been in the account throughout the six months before the day you apply, in the applying partner’s name, the UK partner’s, or both. It has to be cash you can draw on straight away, though an account with a penalty for withdrawing without notice still counts. The evidence is a bank statement for every month of the six and a signed declaration of where the money came from (Appendix FM-SE, paragraphs 11 and 11A).
Money that came in during the six months from selling shares or a home can still count if it was yours for the whole period, with the paperwork to show it. The tracker lists the savings documents with the dates they must cover, worked out from your apply-on date.
Questions
How much savings do I need for a UK spouse visa?
With no income in the sum, £88,500: £16,000 plus 2.5 times £29,000. With income, the rule takes the shortfall below £29,000, multiplies it by 2.5 and adds £16,000. An income of £20,000 leaves a shortfall of £9,000, so the sum gives £38,500 in savings.
Can I combine savings and income for a spouse visa?
Yes, for income from a job, a pension, maternity or bereavement payments and other specified income such as rent or dividends (Appendix FM, E-ECP.3.1(b)). Income from self-employment, or from a limited company the couple own and work for, can’t be combined with savings (Appendix FM-SE, paragraph 13(f) and (j)), so with that income the sum is savings alone.
How much savings for a spouse visa with no income?
£88,500 under the current £29,000 rule. Couples extending with the same partner after a first grant before 11 April 2024 are on the old rule, where savings alone come to £62,500, more for each child the rule counts: £3,800 for the first and £2,400 for each one after, adding £9,500 and £6,000 to the savings.
How long do savings have to be held for a spouse visa?
At least the amount relied on must have been held throughout the six months before the date of application, in an account in the applying partner’s name, the UK partner’s or both, that can be drawn on straight away. The evidence is the statements for those six months and a declaration of where the money came from (Appendix FM-SE, paragraphs 11 and 11A). Money moved into cash from shares or a property sale in those six months can count if it was owned for the whole period.
Does the applying partner’s income count towards the savings sum?
Applying from outside the UK, the income counted is the UK partner’s job or self-employment and both partners’ pensions and other specified income (E-ECP.3.2). Applying or extending inside the UK, the applying partner’s job counts too, unless they are working without permission (E-LTRP.3.2(b)).
Whose savings count for a spouse visa?
Savings in the applying partner’s name, the UK partner’s, or both jointly (E-ECP.3.2(e)). For permission to stay inside the UK, savings of a dependent child aged 18 or over also count (E-LTRP.3.2(g)). Each pound counts once, however many people the account is shared by (Appendix FM-SE, paragraph 14).
Figures from Appendix FM (E-ECP.3.1, E-LTRP.3.1 to 3.8), Appendix FM-SE (paragraphs 11, 11A and 13) and GOV.UK’s proof of income page, checked 8 November 2026. Whether your savings and income meet the rule is a judgement only a regulated adviser can make: have your bundle checked.