UK Dependent Visa from India: Requirements, Fees, Documents & Process (2026) 

As of 2026-27, the following family members of Indian nationals qualify:

• Spouse or civil partner: You must be legally married or in a civil partnership recognized under UK law. The relationship must be genuine and subsisting.
• Unmarried partner: You must prove cohabitation for at least two years, supported by joint bank statements, rental agreements, or official correspondence addressed to both parties.
• Children under 18: Both parents must apply together if they are both moving to the UK. A single parent can sponsor a child if they have sole or primary responsibility.
• Children over 18: Eligible only in exceptional circumstances. Typically, this rule applies where the child is fully financially dependent due to medical reasons and is not leading an independent life.

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Counselor insight: A common misconception among Indian students is that once you complete your MSc and switch to a Skilled Worker visa, you can bring your spouse something that was not possible on the student visa. The UK dependent visa from India becomes available the moment you move from a student route to a work route.

Since January 2024, only students on postgraduate research programs can bring dependents. Here is what applies:

• PhD and research-based MPhil students: Can bring spouse, partner, and children under 18.
• Taught Master's students (MSc, MA, MBA): Cannot bring dependents.
• Undergraduate students: Cannot bring dependents unless on a fully government-funded scholarship covering fees and maintenance for 6+ months.

If you were in the UK before January 2024: You can extend your dependents’ visas at the same time as yours. You cannot add any additional dependents unless you are covered by the research-only rule for your course.

If you move to a Graduate Visa after your PhD: Dependents already in the UK can remain. New dependents cannot join during this period.

Counselor insight: Dependents of PhD students can work full-time in the UK with no restrictions. This surprises many Indian families, but it is a significant financial advantage when planning your household budget for the duration of a 3-4 year research program.

Check UK Student Visa requirements; see our dedicated guide.

Each dependent pays separately. There is no family bundle.

Total cost example (one adult dependent, initial 33-month visa):

• Application fee: Rs.2,64,192
• IHS for 33 months: Rs.3,97,440
• Biometric: Rs.2,458
• Approximate total: Rs.6,64,090, before document and travel costs.

If you are bringing a spouse and one child, combined government fees will exceed Rs.12,03,892. Factor these expenses alongside your cost of living in the UK when planning your full budget.

Counselor insight: The IHS must be paid upfront in full. You cannot pay it in installments. It is often larger than the application fee itself. Budget the full amount before submitting the online form, since the payment date is your official application date.

Skilled Worker / Work route sponsors: No separate financial threshold applies solely to the dependent. You must demonstrate adequate maintenance: enough to support the family without recourse to public funds.

Family visa sponsors (spouse route, for settled or British citizens): The minimum income requirement is £29,000 per year (approximately Rs.37,12,000), as confirmed on gov.uk/uk-family-visa/proof-income-partner. The threshold was raised from £18,600 in April 2024. Planned staged increases to £34,500 and £38,700 were paused by the government in August 2024 and remain under review following a Migration Advisory Committee report in June 2025. As of publication, the current threshold is £29,000. Verify the figure on gov.uk before applying, as the Home Office may update it. If you applied before 11 April 2024, the old £18,600 threshold still applies to your future applications with the same partner.

If using savings instead of income, you must hold at least £88,500 (approximately Rs.1,13,28,000). This figure is calculated as £16,000 + (2.5 x £29,000) and will change if the income threshold changes

Student visa sponsors (PhD / research): You must show proof of funds held in your bank account for 28 consecutive days before applying.

• Marriage: A registered marriage certificate from the local Municipal Corporation or Registrar of Marriages. Church or religious ceremony certificates alone are not sufficient. Civil registration is mandatory.
• Unmarried partners: Proof of two years of cohabitation: utility bills, bank statements, or formal correspondence with both names at the same residence throughout the entire period. WhatsApp exports can be taken as additional evidence, but not as primary evidence.
• Children: Birth certificate with both parents’ names clearly visible.

Make sure the sponsor has an appropriate UK visa and that your relationship is in an acceptable category. Applications will be refused if the sponsor is a Masters taught student. First, confirm the course type.

Apply through the official UKVI portal. Select the ‘Join family or partner in the UK’ option. At the end of the form, you will need to pay the application fee and IHS. Your official application date is the same as the date of payment.

Schedule a biometric appointment at a VFS Global UK Visa Application Centre. You can lodge your UK visa application from India at the VFS Global UK Visa Application Centre in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Jaipur.

Bring your complete document set and all originals. VFS will capture fingerprints and a digital photograph.

Processing begins from the date of the biometrics appointment, not from the date of the online submission.

Counselor insight: The most common delay from India is the TB test. Approved UKVI TB testing centres can have 2-3 week queues during peak periods. Book your TB test before your VFS appointment, not after.

Once the visa vignette is in your passport, you can travel. Collect your Biometric Residence Permit from a designated Post Office within 10 days of arrival.

Indian dependent visa applications are refused most often for these reasons:

1. No financial evidence: Payslips provided without bank statements; Bank statements not stamped by bank branch; savings in a fixed deposit account, which is not available for immediate withdrawal.
2. Insufficient relationship evidence: Marriage certificate submitted alone without cohabitation proof; short relationship timeline that the ECO queries as non-genuine.
3. TB test expired or from a non-approved clinic: Results older than 6 months are not accepted; clinics not on the UKVI approved panel list are rejected outright.
4. Sponsor's visa not confirmed: Applying before the sponsor's UK visa is actually granted; the sponsor's visa route prohibits dependents.
5. Wrong form or route: Applying as a student dependent when the sponsor is on a taught Master's. This is a direct refusal under the 2024 rules.
6. Missed extension window: If your dependent’s visa ends in the UK and they overstay, a deception flag is placed on the record, and it affects all future UK visa applications. Apply to extend FLR(M) or FLR(O) depending on the route. At least 28 days before it expires.

If refused: Read the refusal letter for the specific reason. Most Indian applicants can reapply immediately after correcting the deficiency. There is no mandatory waiting period unless the refusal was on deception grounds.

Counselor insight: The spouse can also enroll in a UK degree course while on a dependent visa from a work route. Their dependent visa does not restrict their study options. If they later want an independent Student visa, they must apply separately.

1. Check the sponsor's route before anything else. Your course type, not your university, determines whether you can bring dependents. Confirm this first to avoid wasting your fees.
2. Budget the full cost upfront. The UK dependent visa fees from India exceed Rs.6,64,090 per adult for the initial 33 months. The IHS is paid upfront and cannot be split. Plan for the full amount before applying.
3. Book the TB test before the VFS appointment. Approved clinics in India may have queues of 2-3 weeks. This procedure is the step that causes the most delays. Start here.

Have questions about the UK dependent visa from India? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.