Family visa (spouse / partner)

United Kingdom · for applicants from Nigeria

Verified · 20 August 2026

To join a partner (spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner of 2+ years) who is British or settled. Requires meeting the minimum income (financial) requirement, a genuine relationship, suitable accommodation, and English. Five-year route to settlement.

Rules last verified: 20 August 2026 · by Beatrice B

At a glance

Embassy processing

About 12 weeks (outside UK)

Our turnaround

5–7 working days

Done-for-you Standard

Government fees

~£3,169

≈ ₦5,773,918

Path to settlement

5 years

Why applications get refused

Financial requirement not met

£29,000 not met, or income evidenced in the wrong way.

Fix: Use a qualifying income source with the exact specified documents (Appendix FM-SE).

Relationship not genuine/subsisting

Insufficient evidence the relationship is real and ongoing.

Fix: Provide broad evidence over time: cohabitation, communication, joint finances, photos.

Specified-evidence formatting error

Right income but documents not in the precise specified format.

Fix: Follow FM-SE exactly: correct months of payslips, matching bank statements, employer letter.

English requirement not met

No valid A1 SELT and not exempt.

Fix: Book an approved A1 test or evidence an exemption.

Document checklist

Required

Current passport / valid travel document

When: "all"

Marriage/CP certificate OR proof of 2+ yrs cohabitation

When: "all"

Sponsor's proof of British/settled status

When: "all"

Financial evidence (payslips, bank statements, employer letter, or savings)

When: "all"

Proof of English (A1 SELT)

When: "unless exempt"

Evidence of accommodation

When: "all"

Evidence of genuine relationship (photos, messages, joint commitments)

When: "all"

TB test certificate

When: "Nigeria"

Application timeline

1. Prepare your application

Gather documents, draft supporting letters, complete forms

1–3 weeks

2. Rekoja review (if Done-for-you)

Specialist checks your file before you submit

5–7 working days

3. Submit online or at visa centre

Biometrics appointment may be required

1 day

4. Embassy decision

Standard processing. Priority options may be available.

About 12 weeks (outside UK)

All-in government fees

These are the fees you pay to the government, not Rekoja's service fee. Shown at the indicative exchange rate.

Mandatory

Visa application fee

£2,064

3,760,608

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), per year

£1,035

1,885,770

Tuberculosis (TB) test at an approved clinic (IOM Nigeria charges about $94; the price is set by the clinic, not the Home Office)

£70

127,540

Biometric enrolment

£0

0

Total government fees

3,169

≈ ₦5,773,918

Optional

Priority / super-priority service (optional)

£500

911,000

Proof of funds (must hold, not pay)

Minimum income requirement

£29,000

52,838,000

Indicative. 1 GBP = 1,822 NGN · 16 September 2026. Government fees change. Confirm on the official website before paying.

What a free chatbot cannot do

A free AI can tell you the rules. Rekoja does the harder part: we verify them against the official government source, prepare the actual application file, catch what gets people refused, and a specialist checks everything before you submit. We stand behind our work.

  • Rules verified against the official source, with the date
  • Document checklist built for your specific profile
  • The inconsistency check that catches what gets people refused
  • A human reviews your complete file before submission

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Not a visa decision or legal advice. Rules shown are as of the last verification date above. Immigration rules change. Confirm before filing. The embassy decides, not Rekoja.