Getting a UK spouse visa is a wonderful moment, but it is the start of a longer journey, not the end of it. The visa lasts for a set period, then you extend it, then after five years you can apply to settle permanently, and then — if you are married to a British citizen — you can apply for British citizenship. Each stage has its own requirements, its own fee, and its own timing, and missing a deadline can set a family back by months or years. This guide maps the whole timeline in plain language, so you can plan ahead from the day you arrive.
Think of the journey in four stages. Stage one is the first spouse visa, usually two years and nine months if granted outside the UK, or two years and six months if granted inside the UK. Stage two is the extension, for a further two years and six months. Stage three is indefinite leave to remain, known as ILR or settlement. Stage four is naturalisation as a British citizen. Time on a fiancé(e) visa does not count towards the five years — the clock starts when your partner visa is granted.
Stage 1 and 2: the first visa and the extension
Your first spouse visa lets you live and work in the UK. Before it expires, you apply to extend your stay as a partner, using form FLR(M). At the extension you must still be in a genuine relationship with the same partner, still intend to live together in the UK, and still meet the financial requirement that applies to your case. For most people who first applied on or after 11 April 2024, that is £29,000 a year, or savings that meet the set formula. If you first applied before 11 April 2024, the transitional £18,600 figure generally applies — check GOV.UK for your position.
Your English must also have improved. At the extension you usually need CEFR level A2 in speaking and listening, if you first passed at A1. If you passed at A2 or higher the first time, you can usually reuse that result. The fee for an application made inside the UK is £1,407 as of April 2026, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £2,587.50 for two years and six months for an adult. Check the GOV.UK fee table on the day you apply, because fees change.
Apply to extend before your current visa expires. The requirements are set out in UK Spouse Visa: Complete Guide for Pakistani Applicants and in UK Fiancé(e) Visa: How to Join Your Partner in Britain for couples who started on the fiancé(e) route. If you apply in time, your existing permission is usually extended while the new application is decided, under what is known as section 3C leave, but do not rely on that as a reason to leave it late. Gather the evidence early: proof you live together, joint bills and bank statements, and the financial documents in the format Appendix FM-SE requires. The full requirements are in UK Spouse Visa Requirements: Documents, English Test and Financial Rules.
Stage 3: indefinite leave to remain after five years
After five years — 60 months — of continuous residence in the UK with permission as a partner, you can usually apply for ILR. The usual pattern is a 33-month visa followed by a 30-month extension, which adds up to 60 months, plus a small margin. You can apply up to 28 days before you complete the qualifying period, and applying earlier than that can lead to refusal, so count the dates carefully. Only time spent with permission as a partner counts. Time as a visitor, as a fiancé(e), or on another route does not count towards this five-year partner route.
To get ILR you must still meet the relationship and financial requirements, and you must meet two extra requirements: English and the Life in the UK test. For English, you usually need CEFR level B1 in speaking and listening for settlement. A change has been announced that would raise this to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027, so check GOV.UK before you book a test for a settlement application after that date. If you passed at B1 or higher earlier, you may be able to reuse that result.
The Life in the UK test is required if you are aged 18 to 64, unless you have a long-term physical or mental condition that prevents you from taking it. The test costs £50, has 24 questions about British traditions, history and customs, lasts 45 minutes, and you need to answer at least 18 questions correctly to pass. It is based on the official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents. You must book online at least three days in advance, and you can retake it if you fail, paying the fee again. The pass certificate is valid indefinitely and is reused for citizenship, so keep it safe.
The ILR application is known as SET(M), and the fee is £3,226 per person as of April 2026. GOV.UK says a decision usually takes up to six months, though some cases are faster. There is no health surcharge for ILR, because you will no longer be paying for a time-limited visa. Once ILR is granted, you have permission to stay in the UK without a time limit, you can live, work and study without restriction, and your status is now issued as an eVisa, which you access through your UKVI account. Physical biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024, so keep your UKVI account details safe.
What if you do not meet the five-year route?
Not everyone meets every requirement of the five-year route at the five-year point. If you do not meet the financial requirement, for example, you may instead be granted permission on a ten-year route to settlement based on family life. That route takes longer, and the fees and conditions are different, so get advice before you assume you will be placed on it. The important point is that a problem at the five-year point does not always mean the end of your life in the UK — but it does mean you need advice, not guesswork.
Absences also matter. For the partner route, long absences from the UK can break continuous residence, and you should keep a record of every trip, with dates and reasons. Short holidays are normal, but months away without good reason can cause problems. Keep boarding passes, travel records and evidence of why you travelled, and be honest about absences on the application form.
Stage 4: British citizenship
Marriage to a British citizen does not make you British automatically. You have to apply for naturalisation, and the timing depends on your situation. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you need three years of residence in the UK, and you can apply as soon as you have ILR or settled status — you do not have to wait a further 12 months after getting it. Your absence limits on this route are no more than 270 days outside the UK during those three years, and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months before you apply. You must have been physically present in the UK on the exact date three years before the Home Office receives your application.
If you are not married to a British citizen — for example, your partner is settled but not yet British — the standard route applies: five years of residence, with the final 12 months spent holding ILR or settled status, and no more than 450 days outside the UK in those five years, with the same 90-day limit in the final year. You must be aged 18 or over, of good character, and intend to continue living in the UK.
For citizenship you will need English at the required level and the Life in the UK test, which you will already have passed for ILR. You will also need referees, and you will attend a citizenship ceremony after approval. The naturalisation fee is not stated in this article, because the figures in the sources we checked conflicted — check the current fee on GOV.UK before you apply, and do not rely on a figure from any guide, including this one. Decisions usually take up to six months, and the ceremony and passport stages follow after approval.
Keeping records from day one
The families who find ILR and citizenship easiest are the ones who kept records from the start. Keep a folder with tenancy agreements, council tax bills, utility bills, bank statements, payslips, and evidence of living together at the same address. Keep your English test certificates, your Life in the UK pass certificate, and every Home Office letter and decision. Keep a list of your travel dates. When the time comes to apply for ILR, you will be glad you did — and your adviser, if you use one, will be glad too.
Also keep your relationship evidence up to date. The Home Office will want to see that your relationship is still genuine and subsisting at each stage, not just at the first visa. Photographs together, joint commitments, and evidence of a shared life are all useful. If your circumstances change — a new job, a move, a child, or a separation — get advice promptly, because each change can affect the next application. Our guide to UK Settlement After Marriage: Life, Work and Family in Britain looks at life in the UK after the visa, beyond the paperwork.
A note on proposals for change
Immigration rules in the UK change often, and settlement is an area where change has been proposed. A proposal for earned settlement, which would lengthen some routes to settlement, was under discussion in 2026 but was not law at the time of writing. The English level for settlement is also due to rise from B1 to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027 under a Statement of Changes laid in March 2026. Do not plan your life around a proposal, and do not assume a proposal will become law — check the GOV.UK pages for the rules in force on the day you apply, and consider regulated advice if a change could affect your timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get ILR after a UK spouse visa?
Usually five years on the partner route — a first visa of two years and nine months, plus an extension of two years and six months — then you can apply for ILR, up to 28 days before the five years complete.
How much does ILR cost?
The SET(M) fee is £3,226 per person as of April 2026. There is no health surcharge for ILR. Check GOV.UK before you pay, as fees change.
What English level do I need for ILR?
Usually CEFR B1 in speaking and listening. A rise to B2 has been announced for applications made on or after 26 March 2027, so check GOV.UK before you book.
Do I need the Life in the UK test for ILR?
If you are aged 18 to 64, usually yes. It costs £50, has 24 questions, lasts 45 minutes, and you need 18 correct answers to pass.
When can I apply for British citizenship after ILR?
If you are married to a British citizen, you can apply as soon as you have ILR, provided you have three years of residence. Otherwise, you usually need to have held ILR for 12 months, with five years of residence in total.
Does time on a fiancé visa count towards the five years?
No. Only time with permission as a partner counts towards the five-year partner route to ILR.
Conclusion
The road from a spouse visa to British citizenship is a five-year journey with clear milestones: a first visa, an extension with A2 English, ILR after 60 months with B1 English and the Life in the UK test, and then naturalisation — straight away if you are married to a British citizen with three years of residence, or after 12 months of ILR on the standard route. Plan each stage early, keep your records, watch the 28-day window for ILR, and check GOV.UK before every application. The paperwork is long, but the destination — a settled life together in the UK, and then citizenship — is worth the careful planning.
Disclaimer: Immigration rules and fees change frequently. This article is general information, not immigration advice. Check the official GOV.UK website before applying, and consider regulated advice for your own situation.
