- A Dependant Visa allows the partner and dependent children of a UK visa holder to join or remain with them in the UK.
- Eligibility depends on the main applicant's visa route; not all routes permit dependants.
- There is no separate income threshold for dependants: the main applicant's qualifying salary covers dependant eligibility on most work routes.
- Each dependant must make a separate application and pay the same visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge as the main applicant.
- Children must be under 18 at the time of application in most cases.
Last reviewed: 13 May 2026
The UK Dependant visa (also widely spelled "dependent visa", with searches for "uk dependent visa", "apply for dependent visa uk", "dependent visa uk cost", and "uk dependent visa fees" all referring to the same product) is the route for partners and children of people holding a qualifying main UK visa, including Skilled Worker, Student, Global Talent, Innovator Founder, and Scale-Up routes. A dependant application is filed separately, costs a separate fee per person, and is linked to the main applicant's leave.
The UK dependant visa allows the close family members of a person with a qualifying UK visa to live in the UK for the same period. Rules differ significantly depending on the main applicant's route, and changes since 2023 have restricted dependant rights across student and some other categories. This article covers the core rules applicable in 2026.
Who Counts as a Dependant
Under UK immigration rules, a dependant is typically a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner (in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years), or a dependent child under 18. Adult dependants, for example elderly parents or adult children, are not routinely permitted under standard work or study routes; they must qualify in their own right under relevant family visa provisions. For children aged 16 or 17, additional requirements apply if they are not living with both parents in the UK or are not applying at the same time as a parent.
Which Visa Routes Permit Dependants
Not all UK visa routes allow dependants. Routes that permit dependants in 2026 include the Skilled Worker Visa, Health and Care Worker Visa, Global Talent Visa, Innovator Founder Visa, Family Visa (children), Student Visa PhD or MRes only (since January 2024), and Graduate Visa.
Routes that do not permit dependants include the Student Visa for taught master's or undergraduate (with narrow exceptions), Seasonal Worker Visa, and most temporary worker routes. The January 2024 changes removed dependant rights for students on taught programmes, which was a significant restriction affecting international students.
Income Proof for Dependants on Work Routes
On most work routes such as the Skilled Worker Visa, there is no separate financial requirement for dependants beyond the main applicant meeting the salary threshold for their own visa. The main applicant's salary, which must meet or exceed 38,700 pounds in the general Skilled Worker case, is sufficient to support both the primary applicant and dependants.
Some routes have additional financial maintenance requirements for dependants. On the Family Visa (Spouse route), each dependent child who is not British or settled adds 3,800 pounds for the first child and 2,400 pounds for subsequent children to the income requirement. Dependants who apply from outside the UK may be asked to provide their own financial evidence as part of their application.
Documents Required for a Dependant Visa Application
Each dependant must submit their own application. Standard supporting documents for all dependants include a valid passport or travel document, proof of relationship to the main applicant (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.), the main applicant's current visa or BRP details (BRP number or share code), and evidence the main applicant continues to hold a qualifying visa.
For a partner dependant: marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate, or evidence of cohabitation if applying as an unmarried partner (2+ years of joint bank statements, utility bills, correspondence). For a child dependant: birth certificate naming both parents, evidence of consent from the absent parent if applicable, and evidence the child is under 18 at the date of application.
Application Process and Fees
Dependants apply separately using the same visa category as the main applicant. Applications are made online on GOV.UK. As of May 2026, application fees match those of the main applicant's route. For Skilled Worker dependants: 719 pounds for up to 3 years, 1,420 pounds for more than 3 years, per person. The Immigration Health Surcharge of 1,035 pounds per year of leave also applies to each dependant. Children under 18 applying on the Student dependant route pay a reduced IHS rate of 388 pounds per year.
Work and Study Rights for Dependants
On most routes, dependants have the right to work without restriction. There is no requirement to seek permission separately. Dependants of Skilled Worker Visa holders, for example, can take up any employment including self-employment. Dependants can also study in the UK. If a dependant child wishes to attend a school or university, no additional visa is required beyond the dependant leave already granted.
Extending and Settling as a Dependant
Dependant leave is typically granted for the same period as the main applicant's visa. When the main applicant extends their visa, dependants must also apply to extend at the same time or separately before their current leave expires. After meeting the 5-year continuous residence requirement on most qualifying routes, dependants can apply for ILR alongside or after the main applicant.
Dependent vs dependant: same UK visa, two spellings
Both "dependant" and "dependent" appear in search queries for this route and both refer to the same Home Office product. The distinction is grammatical rather than legal. In British English, "dependant" with an "a" is the noun (the person who depends on someone else), while "dependent" with an "e" is the adjective (as in "dependent on income from the main applicant"). UK Visas and Immigration follows this convention and writes "dependant" in its official guidance, application forms, and the live GOV.UK family visa pages.
In US English and in much non-British global writing, "dependent" is commonly used as both noun and adjective, with the "a" spelling rarely appearing. Many applicants searching from outside the UK, or who learned English under a US-influenced curriculum, type "dependent visa uk" or "apply for dependent visa uk" expecting that to be a separate product. It is not. Search engines treat the two spellings as variants of the same query, but the official UKVI route is always written "Dependant".
Both spellings descend from the Latin "dependens", meaning "hanging from" or "relying on". The split between noun and adjective forms in British English is comparatively modern and is not consistently observed even within the UK. Readers writing supporting documents or cover letters for an application should use "dependant" as the noun to match the application form wording, but a typed search using either spelling will reach the correct GOV.UK page. The fees, eligibility tests, and processing timelines are identical regardless of which spelling led to the application.
Cost of a UK Dependant visa in 2026
A UK Dependant visa application carries a separate application fee per person, a separate Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) per person, and a biometric enrolment requirement at a Visa Application Centre or UKVCAS site. The figures below reflect the most recently confirmed Home Office schedule and should be verified against the live GOV.UK visa fee table before application, because UK visa fees are reviewed annually and were uplifted significantly in 2024.
- Application fee per dependant: matches the main applicant's route fee. For a Skilled Worker dependant applying from outside the UK for up to three years of leave, the fee published in the April 2024 schedule was the same as the main applicant fee for the equivalent duration. Verify on GOV.UK.
- Immigration Health Surcharge per adult dependant: published at £1,035 per year of leave for adults.
- Immigration Health Surcharge per child dependant: published at £776 per year of leave for under-18s.
- Biometric enrolment: a single fee per applicant collected at the appointment.
- Optional Priority or Super Priority service: chargeable per applicant on top of the application fee. Verify on GOV.UK.
The IHS is paid upfront and covers the full period of leave applied for. A worked example for a family of four (one main applicant, one adult partner, two children under 18) applying for three years of leave from outside the UK on a Skilled Worker visa would, on the April 2024 schedule, accumulate three years of IHS at £1,035 per adult and three years of IHS at £776 per child, plus four separate application fees, plus four biometric enrolment fees. The total commonly exceeds £10,000 before the certificate of sponsorship cost paid by the employer is considered. Verify the current figures on GOV.UK before relying on this calculation. A dedicated cost worksheet for dependants is published at UK visa dependants cost 2026: full family breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the UK dependent visa the same as the UK dependant visa?
Yes. "Dependant" with an "a" is the noun spelling used in UK Visas and Immigration guidance and on the application form. "Dependent" with an "e" is more common in US English and global usage. Both spellings refer to the same Home Office route for partners and children of a main visa holder.
How much does it cost to add one dependant to a UK visa application?
Each dependant pays a separate application fee (typically matching the main applicant's fee for the equivalent visa length), a separate Immigration Health Surcharge (published at £1,035 per year for adults and £776 per year for under-18s on the April 2024 schedule), and a biometric enrolment fee. Verify the current figures on GOV.UK.
Can a same-sex partner apply as a dependant on a UK visa?
Yes. UK Visas and Immigration recognises same-sex married partners, civil partners, and unmarried partners (where the couple have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years) on the same dependant terms as opposite-sex partners. Evidence of the relationship is required regardless of gender.
How does a UK Dependant visa get extended?
A dependant extension is filed in-country alongside or after the main applicant's extension. Continuous leave as a dependant counts towards settlement on routes that lead to indefinite leave to remain. Details on switching and extending the dependant route are covered at UK dependant visa switching.
Can dependants work in the UK?
Dependants on most work visa routes such as Skilled Worker have unrestricted work rights. They do not need a separate work visa. There is no restriction on employment type or hours.
Do dependants need to show their own funds?
On most work routes, the main applicant's qualifying salary is sufficient. On Family Visa routes, additional income is required for each dependent child who is not British or settled. Specific amounts are set out in the Immigration Rules.
Can children over 18 apply as dependants?
Generally no. Children must be under 18 at the time of application on most routes. Adult children must qualify in their own right under a separate visa route.
What if a child is born in the UK after the parent arrives on a visa?
A child born in the UK is not automatically a British citizen unless one parent is British or settled at the time of birth. If neither parent is settled, the child requires their own leave to remain, usually obtained by applying on the Family (child) route.
Do dependants need to pass an English language test?
Dependants applying on most work routes do not need to demonstrate English language proficiency. Dependants applying on the Family Visa route as a partner must meet the A2 English language requirement.
How We Verified This Article
Content was verified against the Home Office dependant visa guidance on GOV.UK, Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules (family members), Appendix Skilled Worker (dependants), and the January 2024 policy statements restricting student dependants. Fee figures were checked against the UKVI fee schedule current as of May 2026.
