How to Apply for a UK Partner Visa From Pakistan: £29,000 Income, £2,064 Fee and English Test

Short answer: To join a British or settled partner in the UK, apply online from Pakistan for a partner visa under the family route. You and your partner must show a real relationship, a combined income of at least £29,000 a year, and basic English (level A1). The fee from outside the UK is £2,064, plus a health surcharge. A decision usually takes up to 12 weeks.

For many Pakistani families, the partner visa is the longest and most expensive visa they will ever apply for. A small mistake on income or evidence can cost months. The rules below come from the UK government's own family visa pages, which we read on 13 October 2026.

The page changes from time to time, so check the date on the official page before you pay. We did not apply for this visa ourselves.

You qualify if your partner is British or settled in the UK

Both of you must be 18 or over. Your partner must be a British or Irish citizen, or have settled status in the UK, such as indefinite leave to remain. Some other statuses also qualify, including pre-settled status for certain EU citizens and some refugees. You must intend to live together permanently in the UK.

You must also prove one of four things about your relationship:

• You are in a marriage or civil partnership that the UK recognises.
• You have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years.
• You are engaged and will marry within 6 months of arriving in the UK.
• You have been in a relationship for at least 2 years but cannot live together, for example because of work, study or culture.

A fiancé or fiancée cannot work or study in the UK during the engagement. After the marriage, you apply to extend your stay.

The income rule is £29,000 a year for most couples

You and your partner usually need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. The UK calls this the minimum income requirement. Savings can sometimes replace income, and how you prove it depends on how the money is earned.

If the total with the children would pass £29,000, you only need to show £29,000. You do not need the extra money for children who are British or Irish citizens or already settled in the UK. If your partner gets certain disability or carer benefits, no minimum income applies, and the caseworker looks at your income and housing costs.

If you cannot meet the income rule, you may still apply if you have a child in the UK who is a British citizen or has lived there 7 years and it would be unreasonable for the child to leave, or if refusal would breach your human rights. Those cases are harder, and settlement takes 10 years instead of 5.

You must prove basic English, level A1

For a first application you must pass at least level A1 on the Common European Framework scale. You can prove English in one of three ways: a degree from a UK institution, a degree taught in English from a school outside the UK, or an approved Secure English Language Test.

For a degree taught in English outside the UK, you need an assessment from Ecctis, which gives you a code. Pakistan is not on the government's list of countries whose citizens are exempt, so most Pakistani applicants need a test or a degree proof. See which tests are accepted in the steps to check an English test for a UK visa.

If you pass level B1 or higher, you can use the same result when you apply for settlement after 5 years, provided the test is still on the approved list.

The fee is £2,064 plus the health surcharge

From outside the UK, the visa fee for joining your partner is £2,064. Each dependent child added costs the same. The health surcharge is paid on top, and for a partner staying 2 years and 9 months it is £3,105 per adult.

The total is our own addition of the two official amounts. Tell your bank before you pay, because a large payment can be blocked. If you cannot pay, you can ask for a fee waiver in limited cases, such as having no home or very low income.

Apply online and expect up to 12 weeks

You apply online from outside the UK and prepare your evidence first. Most people from Pakistan do the steps in this order:

1. Check that your partner's status and your relationship fit the rules above.
2. Gather the income evidence for the last period the UK asks for, from your partner's payslips and bank statements.
3. Pass an approved English test, or arrange an Ecctis assessment for your degree.
4. Collect proof of the relationship: marriage certificate, photos, bills, messages, and records of visits.
5. Apply online, pay the fee and health surcharge, and book your biometrics appointment.
6. Wait for a decision, usually within 12 weeks.

Relationship evidence should come from a government, bank, landlord, utility provider or medical professional and be less than 4 years old. If you do not live together, show regular contact, shared money support, and time spent together as a couple. A nikah nama may need attestation for use abroad; see the Pakistani steps to attest a nikah nama at the Foreign Ministry. We did not read the UK's exact document rules for it, so ask the visa centre.

A fiancé or fiancée visa also needs a tuberculosis test from a Home Office approved clinic. See where to book the UK TB test in Pakistan.

After the visa, you can settle after five years

The first visa lets you stay up to 2 years and 9 months. You then extend for a further 2 years and 6 months, and you can extend more than once. The earliest you can apply to settle permanently is after 5 years living in the UK continuously on a partner visa.

Time on another visa, or as a fiancé, does not count. If you did not meet the income rule, the wait for settlement is 10 years. If your application is refused, read what you can do next in the steps to review, appeal or reapply after a UK refusal.

Common questions

What income do I need for a UK partner visa?

Most couples need a combined income of at least £29,000 a year. There is extra for children. Savings may help, and some benefit cases have no minimum.

How much does the visa cost from Pakistan?

The fee is £2,064 from outside the UK, plus a health surcharge of £3,105 for an adult staying 2 years and 9 months.

How long does a decision take?

The UK says usually within 12 weeks if you apply from outside the UK. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

Which English level is needed?

At least level A1 for a first application. You can prove it with an approved test or a degree taught in English with an Ecctis assessment.

Can I work in the UK on this visa?

The government page says a fiancé or fiancée cannot work during the engagement. We did not read the work rules for married partners, so check the official page.

When can I apply for permanent settlement?

The earliest is after 5 years living in the UK continuously on a partner visa. It is 10 years if you did not meet the income rule.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the UK government's pages on the partner family visa, the minimum income rule and the English language requirement, plus the fee table for applying from outside the UK. The £5,169 total is our own sum. We did not check biometrics centre locations or processing waits in Pakistan, which can differ.