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If you’ve chosen your life partner, and they are based in the UK (whether a British citizen, settled, or holding indefinite leave to remain), you will need to apply for a spouse visa to join them in the UK.
It doesn’t matter if your partner is unmarried or same-sex, the spouse visa route remains the same.
The total cost of the spouse visa process can be around £5000 or slightly more. In this article, I will highlight four areas where you can save on your spouse visa costs and how you can save £200 to £150.
Section A: Fee Difference Between Spouse Visa Inside vs. Outside UK
It’s essential to understand that the fee varies depending on where you apply. If you apply from within the UK, the fees are different compared to applying from outside the UK. The visa fees remain the same, but the immigration health surcharge differs.
- Inside the UK: You will get a visa for 29 months.
- Outside the UK: You will get a visa for 33 months.
The immigration health surcharge is mandatory unless you are exempt. If you’re exempt, you won’t need to pay this fee.
Section B: Spouse Visa Application Fees
The fees for this category have increased. As of April 9, 2025, the updated fees are as follows:
- Inside the UK: £1321.
- Outside the UK: £1938.
The fee has increased by:
- £273 (20%) for those applying from inside the UK.
- £92 (4.75%) for those applying from outside the UK.
If you have children, the fee applies per applicant, whether the child is an adult or a minor. There is no change in this regard.
Section C: Immigration Health Surcharge
The immigration health surcharge is an essential component of the visa process, as it provides you with access to health services under the NHS in the UK.
- Inside the UK: If you are an adult applying for a visa from inside the UK, the surcharge is £2587.50 for a visa of 29 to 30 months.
- Outside the UK: If you are applying from outside the UK, the surcharge is £3105 for a visa of 33 to 34 months.
For children under 18, the surcharge is lower:
- Inside the UK: £1875.
- Outside the UK: £2199.
The yearly surcharge is £1035 for adults and £776 for children.
Section D: Priority and Super Priority Service
The priority service allows faster processing of your application. Here are the details:
- Outside the UK: The standard processing time is 8 to 12 weeks. For £500, you can reduce this to 4 weeks.
- Inside the UK: You can pay £500 on top of the visa fee to get a decision within 5 working days. (If you pay £1000, you will receive a decision the next working day.)
Pro Tip: If your application is straightforward and all documents are correct, it’s often better to avoid paying for premium services unless necessary. If you apply by yourself, consider seeking expert help to avoid mistakes.
Section E: TB Test and Biometrics Cost
TB Test:
When applying from outside the UK, countries like USA, Canada, and Australia are exempt from the tuberculosis (TB) test. However, countries such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Ghana require applicants to provide a TB test.
Always check whether you need to provide this test based on your country of residence.
- The cost of the TB test is typically around £60 to £80, depending on the country.
- If you are applying from inside the UK and switching to spouse dependent status, you do not need to provide a TB test.
Biometrics:
Biometrics are required for all applicants, whether inside or outside the UK. This involves taking your fingerprints and photographs for identification purposes.
- The cost for biometrics varies by location. For example, an applicant in Italy paid 93 euros for biometrics and the appointment booking.
- Additional services, such as SMS notifications or courier delivery (especially if you live far from the biometric center), can cost an extra £80.
Here are some money-saving tips:
- Check for free appointment slots: Check from 2-3 weeks ahead to find any free appointment dates.
- Premium appointments: If you cannot find a free date, book a premium appointment and choose the self-upload option to avoid paying extra charges for document scanning.
By following these tips, you can save up to £100-£150.
Section F: Hidden Charges
Currency Conversion Charges and Bank Transaction Fees:
These are the hidden charges that often catch applicants off guard. The main charges you’ll face are:
- Currency Conversion Charges
- Bank Transaction Fees
Let’s break it down with an example:
Rebecca is from Brazil and is the civil partner of Mr. Smith, who lives in Belfast. Mr. Smith is sponsoring Rebecca’s visa and will pay the fees from his UK-based card.
However, the fee will be deducted in Brazil (Rebecca’s home country) and will be converted to the local currency.
- Fee: The fee is £5043, but Mr. Smith will end up paying an additional £200 (or sometimes more) due to currency conversion charges and bank transfer fees.
So, even though the official fee is £5043, Mr. Smith could pay more than £5200 when these extra charges are added.
Inside the UK:
If the applicant is inside the UK and giving their biometrics here, there are no currency conversion charges or transaction fees involved. The fee will be in pounds and only the regular biometrics fee will apply.
Spouse Visa Fees Calculator
Common Problems and Solutions
Problem #1
Umer is a British citizen, and he is sponsoring his partner, Ayesha, who is currently in Pakistan. Ayesha has applied for a UK Spouse Visa to join Umer in the UK. During the online application process, Ayesha reached the immigration health surcharge (IHS) payment screen after paying the visa application fee.
However, at this point, the screen showed that she didn’t need to pay any surcharge and allowed her to submit the application without making the payment. This caused some confusion and concern for Ayesha, who was worried about the missing payment.
The Advice We Gave:
Don’t worry if this happens! This is a common system glitch in the application process. Even though the screen might tell you that the IHS fee is not required at that moment, the Home Office will still collect the immigration health surcharge later. After Ayesha submitted her application, she received an email from the Home Office with a link to pay the surcharge.
All she had to do was click on the link and complete the payment. This glitch is not an issue, and the NHS surcharge will be collected, so there’s no need to panic when it happens.
Problem #2
Ahmed, an eager applicant for the UK Spouse Visa, was ready to make the payment for his Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)—but little did he know, a small obstacle would turn his excitement into a long series of frustrating attempts.
Ahmed started with his trusty Mastercard. He keyed in the payment details, expecting a seamless process. But, nope! Payment Declined.
Undeterred, he tried again—this time with his Visa card. Still, the payment wouldn’t go through. His patience was wearing thin.
Desperate, he turned to PayPal, hoping it would be the magic solution. Yet, each time, the payment failed. He could see the money on his end, but the system just wasn’t accepting it. After five failed attempts, Ahmed called his bank for clarification.
The response? His payments were being flagged as fraud. He asked the bank to lift the restriction, which they did—but the issue remained unresolved.
Feeling defeated, Ahmed tried connecting to a VPN hoping that routing his connection through his home country might help. He was optimistic, but alas, nothing worked.
Then, a lightbulb moment! Ahmed checked the transaction limit on his card. Turns out, he had a £2,000 limit set—far below the IHS fee amount.
He quickly called the bank again, increased the limit, and tried one last time. This time, the payment went through, and Ahmed finally sighed in relief.
The Advice We Gave:
- Call Your Bank: Payment problems often stem from fraud protection flags. If your payment is being declined, contact your bank immediately and ensure the payment isn’t being blocked.
- Try a Visa Card: If you’re having issues with Mastercard, Visa cards tend to be more reliable for online international payments. Consider switching to a Visa card for a smoother transaction.
- Check Your Transaction Limit: Before attempting a large payment, double-check your card’s transaction limit. If your limit is too low, request a temporary increase from your bank to avoid the payment being declined.
- Clear Cache or Try a Different Browser: Sometimes browser issues can interfere with your payment. Clear your browser cache or switch to a different browser to resolve the issue.
- Pay via PayPal: If your bank card keeps failing, PayPal can be a reliable alternative. Many applicants have found success using PayPal to pay for IHS fees.
- Be Careful with VPNs: Using a VPN to make the payment from your home country may work for some, but it’s not guaranteed. If you choose this route, be aware that it could cause complications or delays.
- Opt for Premium Services: If you’re struggling with appointment availability, consider booking a premium service and self-uploading your documents to avoid additional scanning fees
Final Thoughts:
When applying for a spouse visa, it’s essential to understand all the associated costs, including application fees, health surcharges, TB tests, biometrics, and hidden charges like currency conversion.
By being aware of these fees and implementing the money-saving tips we’ve outlined, you can significantly reduce your overall costs.
Always ensure you check the specifics for your country, and don’t hesitate to seek expert help if you find any part of the process overwhelming.