Spouse visa documents checklist for 2026
A spouse or partner visa application is decided on its documents. The Home Office does not interview most couples, so what you send is all it has. This checklist sets out the documents that are normally needed, how they must be presented, and the points on which applications are most often refused. It supports our full UK spouse visa guide. Your own list depends on your circumstances, and the Home Office can ask for more.
Identity and immigration history
- Your current passport, and your partner’s passport or national identity card where they are not British.
- Previous passports that show your travel, particularly if you have been to the UK before.
- Any earlier UK visa, residence permit or refusal letter, and your Home Office reference numbers.
- Your UKVI account details or share code, if you have an eVisa.
Your partner’s status
- For a British citizen: their British passport, or their naturalisation or registration certificate.
- For a settled person: evidence of indefinite leave to remain, such as an eVisa share code or a Home Office letter, or evidence of settled status.
- For refugees and others with protection: the grant letter or an eVisa share code.
Relationship documents
- Your marriage or civil partnership certificate, with an official translation if it is not in English or Welsh.
- Evidence that any earlier marriage of either of you has ended: a decree absolute, a final order, or a death certificate.
- For unmarried partners: evidence of two years living together, by period.
- Evidence that you have met in person, and of your relationship over time. See how to prove a genuine relationship.
Financial documents
These depend on how your partner earns. See the financial requirement for the categories. For salaried employment held for six months or more you will normally need:
- six months of payslips, counted back from the date of the application;
- bank statements showing the salary being paid, for the same months;
- a letter from the employer on headed paper, dated within a short time of the application, confirming the job, the salary, the start date and the type of contract;
- for self-employment, tax returns, accounts and tax calculations, and evidence of trading.
If you rely on savings, you also need statements showing the funds have been held for at least six months, and an explanation of any large or recent deposit.
Accommodation documents
- A tenancy agreement, or a mortgage statement or title deeds if you own the home.
- A letter from the landlord or owner, if you will live in someone else’s home, saying that you may live there and how many people already do.
- A floor plan or description of the rooms, where the home is shared or small.
English language and health
- A pass certificate from an approved Secure English Language Test provider, or a degree certificate and Ecctis statement of comparability, or evidence of an exemption.
- A tuberculosis test certificate from an approved clinic, if you have lived in a listed country.
How to present the documents
- Translations. Documents not in English or Welsh need a full translation with a statement that it is accurate, the translator’s name and contact details, and the date, signed.
- Originals and copies. Apply online and upload clear, complete scans, with every page of each document. Keep the originals in case they are requested.
- Order and labels. Group the documents as the rules do: identity, relationship, finances, accommodation, English. Label them and add a short covering letter that lists them and explains any unusual point.
- Consistency. Names, dates and addresses must match across all of them. A different spelling or an old address is worth explaining in the covering letter.
Documents most often missing
- The employer’s letter, or one that omits the start date.
- A month of payslips or a bank statement within the period.
- A translation without the translator’s certification.
- Evidence that a previous marriage has ended.
- A landlord’s letter confirming that you may live at the property.
Before you submit
Read each document against the rule it answers. A single missing page can be a reason for refusal, and an incomplete application can be refused without any chance to correct it. We check the whole bundle for consistency and gaps before it is sent. A consultation costs from £99, and we can review your documents against this list.
