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.

How dependant fees are calculated in 2026

Each dependant pays a full application fee. There is no family discount. The fees:

IHS is also paid per person. For a Skilled Worker on a 5-year visa with a spouse and two children:

• Main applicant: £1,636 + (£1,035 × 5) = £6,811
• Spouse: £1,636 + (£1,035 × 5) = £6,811
• Child 1: £1,636 + (£1,035 × 5) = £6,811
• Child 2: £1,636 + (£1,035 × 5) = £6,811
• Total: £27,244 just for fees and IHS

This is why many families apply for 3-year visas first (lower IHS) and then extend, spreading the cost over two applications.

Children, ages, schooling and turning 18

Age at application: Children must be under 18 at the date of application to qualify as dependants. A child who turns 18 before the decision is made may still be granted leave if the application was made before their 18th birthday, but this is a grey area, submit as early as possible for children approaching 18.

Children aged 18+: Adult children (18 and over) cannot be included on a parent's visa as dependants. They must apply for their own visa. Common routes for adult children:

• Student visa (if they are studying in the UK)
• Skilled Worker visa (if working)
• Youth Mobility Scheme (if under 31 and from an eligible country)

Children born in the UK during a parent's visa: UK-born children are British citizens only if at least one parent is settled (ILR or British citizen) at the time of birth. If both parents hold time-limited leave, the child has no automatic British citizenship and must be included on a parent's visa as a dependant. They need their own visa document (added to the parent's existing visa with a "further leave to remain as a dependant" application).

Schooling: Children on dependant visas have an unconditional right to attend state-funded primary and secondary schools in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. No additional application is required, just proof of address and proof of the child's right to be in the UK (the child's BRP or eVisa share code). Private schools require the same visa documentation.

Working rights for dependants

Dependants on most work and family routes have unrestricted right to work. They can work for any employer, in any role, at any salary.

Exceptions:

• Dependants on Student visas: same 20-hours-per-week restriction as the main applicant during term time
• Dependants on Tier 5 (Youth Mobility, Government Authorised Exchange): may have work restrictions
• Dependants on visit visas: cannot work at all

For a spouse of a Skilled Worker, the right to work is completely unrestricted. They can take any job, including jobs that would normally require sponsorship (they don't need it, as a dependant). This means a spouse who qualifies for Skilled Worker on their own could work in a sponsored-level role without any sponsorship requirement.

When the main applicant's visa is at risk, what happens to dependants

If the main applicant's visa is curtailed or refused:

Extension refused: The main applicant has 28 days to leave. Dependants' leave is curtailed at the same time. They do not automatically get more time. If the main applicant appeals, dependants remain in the UK during the appeal period if they also have valid leave.

Main applicant loses their job: On Skilled Worker, the sponsor must report the end of employment to UKVI. UKVI will curtail the main applicant's leave (usually giving 60 days to find a new sponsor). Dependants' leave is curtailed at the same time as the main applicant's curtailment, they also get 60 days. This can be a family crisis if not planned for.

Main applicant divorces: If a spouse on a dependant visa divorces or separates from the main applicant, their right to remain as a dependant ends. They must switch to another route (Family visa as a separated parent if there are children in the UK; Skilled Worker if they have an eligible job; settlement application under Article 8 ECHR in exceptional cases). This is a genuine vulnerability in the dependant structure.

Route-specific dependant differences

Skilled Worker dependants:

• Full unrestricted work rights
• Access to NHS (IHS paid)
• Can travel in and out freely
• Can sponsor their own spouse once they have ILR

Student dependants:

• Work 20 hours/week limit during term time (same as main applicant)
• From January 2024: master's students cannot bring new dependants unless already on Student visa as dependants, this was a major policy change
• Postdoctoral researchers: dependants still allowed freely

Health & Care Worker dependants:

• Full unrestricted work rights
• IHS exempt (zero IHS)
• Can change employer freely

Family visa (spouse of British citizen):

• Main applicant IS the dependant joining the British sponsor
• 5-year leave in two stages: 2.5 years then 2.5 years
• Full work rights from day one
• Children on this route typically as co-applicants alongside the parent, not separately

Practical checklist for adding dependants to your application

• Spouse/partner: marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate (translated if not in English)
• Children: birth certificates (each), translated if required
• Sponsor's passport and/or immigration status proof
• Evidence of genuinely subsisting family relationship (photos, communication history, cohabitation evidence)
• Each dependant's own passport (valid at time of application)
• Biometrics appointment for each dependant
• Separate application forms and fees for each dependant
• Maintenance funds: £285 per adult dependant, £315 per child (held 28 days), unless sponsor-certified

Frequently asked questions

Dependants of students, the 2024 rule changes

January 2024 marked a significant change to who can bring dependants on a Student visa:

Before January 2024: All Student visa holders could bring dependants (spouse, children).

From January 2024:

• Students on postgraduate taught courses (master's degrees, diplomas) cannot bring new dependants, only if the dependant was already in the UK as their dependant before this date
• Students on PhD and research programmes can still bring dependants
• Students at government-sponsored institutions or specific programmes can still bring dependants

This change has significantly affected the calculation many international students make about studying in the UK. A couple where one partner is doing a 1-year master's must now plan differently, the studying partner must be on Graduate visa or Skilled Worker before bringing their spouse.

Workaround strategy: If the student is doing a 2-year taught programme (unusual, but some MBA and MEd programmes qualify), the dependant can join for the student's final year. More commonly, students on master's programmes now apply for Graduate visa immediately after graduation, then switch to Skilled Worker, and add the spouse as a Skilled Worker dependant, skipping the student period entirely.

Right to Work checks, what employers do with your share code

When you join a new employer as a dependant of a Skilled Worker or other route holder, the employer must perform a Right to Work check. As a dependant, your share code shows:

• Your name
• Your right to work (unrestricted)
• The conditions of your leave (e.g. "No time limit on leave" for dependant of a Skilled Worker)
• Expiry date of your leave

The employer generates a record of this check and keeps it for the duration of your employment plus 2 years after leaving. This is their liability protection under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

If your leave expires (for example, main applicant doesn't extend in time), your right to work also expires, the employer can no longer employ you lawfully. This is why coordinating extension applications for main applicant and dependants simultaneously is critical.

School admissions for children on dependant visas

Children of any immigration status have the right to attend state-funded schools in the UK (ages 5 to 16 mandatory, 3 to 18 available). Admission is managed by the local authority in England (equivalent bodies in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland).

For school admissions, you'll need:

• Proof of address (tenancy agreement, utility bill)
• Child's birth certificate
• Child's proof of UK immigration status (share code from the child's UKVI account, or the child's BRP/eVisa)
• Immunisation records (if available, not mandatory)

School places are allocated by proximity and other criteria under the local authority's scheme. Popular schools in desirable areas can be heavily oversubscribed. Apply to the local authority early, in London especially, applying within the first month of arrival is recommended.

Private (independent) schools in the UK have their own admissions processes and do not have local authority allocation criteria. They require the same immigration status documents as state schools. Fees range from £5,000 to £15,000+ per term for day schools. Some families use private schools as a bridge while waiting for a state school place to become available in their preferred area, most local authorities will eventually place a child in a state school, sometimes in a less popular school nearby first.

Children's continued education should be a consideration when planning the timing and location of UK moves, a mid-year move (October to June) means joining a class in progress, which can be harder socially. A September start aligns with the UK academic year.