Stage 2 of the partner route — temporary permission
UK Spouse Visa Extension (FLR(M))
This page is for a spouse or partner who needs to renew family-route permission inside the UK. It answers extension questions only. If you have completed the qualifying route and are ready for permanent residence, use our separate spouse-settlement page.
Do I need an extension or ILR?
Apply for an extension if your current spouse or partner permission is expiring and you are not yet eligible for indefinite leave to remain. A successful in-country extension or switch normally grants a further 2 years and 6 months. Apply for ILR instead only if you have completed the qualifying period and meet the settlement rules.
Ready to settle? Go to spouse visa ILR and settlement.
When to Apply
You can apply at any time before your current permission expires. If you extend with the same family member, only up to 28 days remaining on the current permission will be added to the new grant. Filing in time is important; if your permission expires before you qualify for ILR, you will usually need an extension first.
FLR(M) Extension Requirements
Relationship
The relationship must remain genuine and subsisting. You must normally be living together and intend to continue living together permanently in the UK.
Financial requirement
The usual threshold is £29,000 combined qualifying annual income. If your first successful partner-route application was before 11 April 2024 and you are extending with the same partner, transitional rules normally retain the £18,600 threshold, with the historic child additions capped at £29,000.
Specified benefits
If the sponsoring partner receives certain disability or carer’s benefits, the minimum-income threshold does not apply; the household must instead meet the adequate-maintenance test.
English language
If A1 was used for the first partner application, an extension after 2.5 years normally requires at least A2 speaking and listening. A valid higher-level result or an exemption may change what is needed.
Documents We Check
| Area | Typical evidence |
|---|---|
| Identity and status | Passport, eVisa or other status evidence and current grant details. |
| Relationship and cohabitation | Marriage or civil-partnership evidence where relevant, correspondence across the period, tenancy or mortgage records, council tax, utilities and joint financial evidence. |
| Income or adequate maintenance | The exact specified evidence for the income category relied on, or benefit and household-cost evidence. |
| Accommodation | Evidence of lawful, adequate accommodation without prohibited overcrowding. |
| English | An approved test, qualifying degree or evidence of an exemption. |
Travel and Time Outside the UK
The partner extension rules do not impose a general 180-days-in-each-12-month absence limit. Travel can still matter because the Home Office considers whether the relationship is genuine, whether the couple have lived together and whether they intend to live together permanently in the UK. Long or unexplained periods apart should be addressed with evidence.
Fees and the Next Stage
From 8 April 2026, the standard in-country family-visa application fee is £1,407 per person. The Immigration Health Surcharge is normally paid separately unless an exemption or approved fee waiver applies. Check the current GOV.UK family-visa fees and use our fee-waiver guide if affordability is the issue.
An extension is not settlement. Before the next expiry date, review whether you have reached the five-year or ten-year qualifying point and whether the grant letter places you on the expected route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FLR(M) the same as ILR?
No. FLR(M) is limited permission to stay as a partner. ILR is permanent settlement and has a separate application, qualifying period and knowledge-of-language-and-life requirements.
Does time as a fiancé count toward the five-year partner route?
No. Time in the UK as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner does not count toward the five-year partner settlement period.
What if the relationship has ended?
Do not file a same-partner extension as if nothing has changed. Your options depend on the facts, including domestic abuse, bereavement, parent, private-life or another immigration route.
Official Sources
See GOV.UK on extending a family visa, the partner financial requirement and the English-language requirement.
Prepare the Right Application at the Right Stage
We can check your grant, route, deadline and specified evidence before the FLR(M) application is filed.
Last reviewed: August 2026. This page gives general information only and is not legal advice on your circumstances.