UK Dependant Visa Rules 2026 — Spouse and Children Explained

The right to bring your spouse and children to the UK depends entirely on which visa you hold — and in 2026 the rules are stricter than at any point in the last decade. Three major restrictions have come in since 2024: Student visa dependant ban for most courses, care worker dependant ban, and tighter income evidence at Skilled Worker level. This guide walks through who can bring family in 2026, what it costs, and the documents needed.

Who counts as a "dependant"?

The Home Office defines a dependant as:

• A spouse or civil partner (legally married/registered in the relevant country)
• An unmarried partner living together in a relationship akin to marriage for 2+ years
• A child under 18 at the date of application

Children turning 18 during the visa can extend as dependants. Adult children, parents and siblings are not dependants on most routes — they must apply separately under specific routes (Adult Dependent Relative is the main one, and it is famously restrictive).

Visa-by-visa rules in 2026

Skilled Worker visa — full dependant rights

You can bring spouse and children. Each dependant:

• Pays application fee (£827 for 3 years, £1,636 for 5 years) — same as you
• Pays IHS at £1,035/year (adult) / £776/year (child) — full amount, no exemption
• Counts toward your maintenance requirement (extra £285 per dependant for 28 days, unless A-rated sponsor certifies)

Cost example: Skilled Worker + spouse + one child for 3 years (out-of-UK initial application):

• 3 × £827 = £2,481 fees
• IHS: £1,035 × 3 + £776 × 3 = £5,538
• Total: ~£8,019

Dependants on Skilled Worker can work in any job (no sponsorship needed for them), study, and access NHS but not most public benefits.

Student visa — dependant ban (huge change)

From January 2024, Student visa dependants are banned for almost all courses. The exceptions:

• Government-sponsored students (Chevening, Commonwealth, etc.) on courses 6+ months
• PhD or doctoral students (research degrees only)
• Students whose course is 6+ months and started before January 2024 (legacy)

Most master's and undergraduate students cannot bring family in 2026. This is the single biggest visa change of the last decade for South Asian and African students, who have historically brought spouses on Student dependant visas.

If you're not in the eligible group above and want to bring family, the practical paths are:

1. Spouse applies as a Skilled Worker independently (if they have UK employment offer)
2. Wait until you switch to Skilled Worker post-graduation and add dependants then
3. PhD route — research degrees still allow dependants

Health and Care Worker visa — split rules

Most roles (nurses, doctors, allied health) can bring dependants on standard terms.

Care workers cannot bring dependants on new applications since January 2024. This affects roughly 100,000 new applicants per year.

Salary applies for the main applicant; dependants don't need to meet any threshold themselves.

Family visa — this IS the dependant route

If you don't have UK status but your spouse/partner does (British citizen, settled, or refugee/humanitarian status), they can sponsor you on a Family visa. This is a separate route, not a "dependant" sub-category.

Requirements (sponsor side):

• £29,000 annual income (or qualifying savings)
• Suitable accommodation
• Genuine relationship evidence
• English language at A1 (initial) / A2 (extension) / B1 (ILR)

See our Family visa article for the £29,000 breakdown.

Visitor visa — 6 months for family visits

If you only want family to visit short-term, they don't need a "dependant" visa — they apply for a standard Visitor visa, valid up to 6 months. They cannot work, study (more than recreational courses), or settle on this route.

Graduate visa — restricted

Graduate visa allows dependants only if they were already on your Student visa as dependants. New dependants cannot be added. This catches out students who married during their UK studies.

Global Talent and Innovator Founder — full rights

Both allow dependants on standard terms — fees, IHS, no income test for the main applicant (since the visa itself proves capacity).

Documents required for dependant applications

For spouse/civil partner:

• Marriage / civil partnership certificate (translated and apostilled if foreign)
• Cohabitation evidence (joint bills, tenancy, photos with dates, communications during separation)
• Spouse's passport
• Spouse's TB test (if from a listed country)
• Spouse's biometrics enrolment
• Two recent photos of the couple together

For unmarried partner:

• 2 years of cohabitation evidence — joint tenancy, joint bills, both names on bank statements, etc.
• Statement from each partner about the relationship
• Evidence of relationship over time (photos with dates, communications)

For children under 18:

• Birth certificate showing the parents' names
• Both parents' passports
• If only one parent is applying or already in the UK, consent letter from the other parent
• Custody documentation if applicable
• Child's TB test (if from listed country and child is over 11)
• Two recent photos of the child

Income evidence for dependants

For Skilled Worker:

• £285 per dependant for 28 days in savings, OR
• A-rated sponsor confirms maintenance in the CoS / sponsor letter

For Family visa (where you are the dependant):

• The £29,000 sponsor income test applies — sponsor's job, savings, or pension evidence

Common mistakes

1. Marrying mid-Student-visa, then trying to add dependant. The student dependant ban applies — they cannot join you while you're on Student visa. Wait until Skilled Worker.
2. Applying for partner separately for cost savings. Each application is a separate fee. There is no discount for batched family applications.
3. Missing apostille on overseas documents. Marriage certificates from many countries (India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, etc.) need apostille / legalisation. Get this in your home country before applying.
4. Forgetting child consent letter. Single parent or separated parents cases need explicit consent from the other parent for the child to travel and apply.
5. Bringing children turning 18. Apply before their 18th birthday. After 18, they need a separate visa route — usually Student or Skilled Worker.

When dependants arrive — practical setup

Once granted, dependants can:

• Enter the UK on the same date or after the main applicant
• Get a BRP / eVisa with the same expiry as the main applicant
• Work without restriction (Skilled Worker dependants, unlike main applicant, are not tied to a sponsor)
• Use NHS (paid for via IHS)
• Open UK bank accounts (need to bring proof of address and visa)

If their relationship to the main applicant ends (separation, divorce, death), they typically have 60 days to apply for an alternative visa or leave the UK. Skilled Worker dependants who have built their own career may switch to Skilled Worker in their own right at that point.

Strategic planning

Optimal timing for dependant applications:

• Apply together at initial visa stage. Cheaper than adding later (no separate biometrics scheduling, single solicitor consultation).
• Children born in the UK while parents are on visa get British citizenship only if at least one parent is settled (ILR or British) at the time of birth. Otherwise they get the same status as the parent.
• ILR for dependants is achievable at the same 5-year mark as the main applicant, assuming continuous residence.

See our visa guides for Skilled Worker, Health & Care, Family, and Student for route-specific dependant detail.