Overview
The UK Spouse Visa, granted under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, allows a Nigerian national married to a British citizen or settled person to live in the UK. A successful application from outside the UK grants 33 months of leave, with the right to work, study and travel. After five continuous years on the partner route, a Nigerian spouse can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and, later, British citizenship.
Nigerian applications have three features that come up again and again in our Glasgow practice: the English language requirement, the marriage evidence question, and the tuberculosis test. On English, Nigeria is not on the UK's list of majority English-speaking countries, so a Nigerian applicant cannot rely on their nationality alone to satisfy the requirement. This is one of the most persistent misconceptions we encounter. On marriage, a statutory registry certificate carries the most weight, but many Nigerian couples are married under customary, Islamic or church ceremony, each of which needs careful additional evidencing of legal validity. On TB, Nigeria is on the Home Office testing list, so a certificate from an approved clinic is a mandatory part of every entry-clearance application.
Updated for 2026: The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year. Home Office fees rose by 6-7% on 8 April 2026. The English requirement at settlement rises from B1 to B2 on 26 March 2027, so Nigerian applicants on the five-year route should plan their English progression with that date in mind.
This page covers the full partner route for Nigerian nationals: entry-clearance applications from Lagos or Abuja, switching in-country, extending with FLR(M), and the path to ILR. For the general partner-route rules that apply to every nationality, see our Spouse Visa page. We act for clients across Glasgow, Paisley, and the wider west of Scotland, and we work with Nigerian applicants and their Glasgow sponsors by phone, video, and secure document upload.
Key Benefits
English requirement handled correctly
Many Nigerian applicants assume English is an official language so they are exempt. That is incorrect. We identify the right route to meet the requirement, whether through an approved Secure English Language Test or a degree taught in English, and handle the Ecctis verification if a qualification route is being used.
Marriage type evidence prepared
A statutory registry certificate gives the strongest foundation. Where a marriage was conducted under customary, Islamic or church law, we build the additional evidence to satisfy the Home Office of legal validity under Nigerian law. This is an area where a weak file leads to refusal even when the relationship is genuine.
Financial requirement mapped
The £29,000 requirement can be met through the sponsor's employment, savings of £88,500 held for six months, or a combination. We map the exact category that fits your Glasgow sponsor's circumstances and assemble payslips, bank statements and employer letters in the precise format the Immigration Rules require.
Settlement-ready from day one
Every application we file is set up for the FLR(M) extension and the ILR application that follow. We track the five-year clock, the English progression from A1 through to B2 (from March 2027), and the Life in the UK Test, so your path to settlement is clear from the start.
Our Service Packages
Advice Package
A one-to-one consultation with a Glasgow immigration adviser covering eligibility, how the English requirement applies to a Nigerian applicant, which category of marriage evidence is needed, and a written action plan to application date.
From £150 + VAT
Application Package
Full end-to-end Spouse Visa application for a Nigerian national. We prepare every document, handle Ecctis verification if needed, draft the relationship and cover letters, complete the online form, and submit on your behalf. Includes one revision after Home Office contact.
From £1,200 + VAT
Document Check
Already prepared your own application? Our advisers review every document, check that the marriage evidence is sufficient for your ceremony type, confirm the English test certificate is on the approved list, and provide a written checklist of any gaps before you submit.
From £350 + VAT
Refusal Review
If your Spouse Visa was refused, we review the refusal letter against the Immigration Rules, identify whether administrative review, a fresh application or an appeal is the stronger route, and rebuild the file. We refer to a representative for tribunal advocacy where an appeal is the right path.
From £450 + VAT
What is the UK Spouse Visa for Nigerian nationals?
The UK Spouse Visa is the family-route permission, granted under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, that allows a Nigerian national married to a British citizen or settled person to live in the UK. A first grant from outside the UK lasts 33 months. You can work without restriction, study, and travel, and after five continuous years on the partner route you can apply to settle permanently.
For a Nigerian applicant, the application has three requirements that sit on top of the standard partner-route rules: a tuberculosis test certificate from a Home Office approved clinic in Nigeria, proof of English at CEFR level A1 (not waived by Nigerian nationality), and evidence that the marriage is legally valid under Nigerian law. None of these is difficult to meet with the right preparation, but all three catch applicants who apply without specialist advice.
Most of the Spouse Visa applications our Glasgow office handles for Nigerian clients involve a British or settled sponsor living in Glasgow or the west of Scotland, with the Nigerian spouse applying from Lagos or Abuja. The sponsor instructs us, we build the file together by phone and video, and the Nigerian applicant submits at a VFS Global centre in Nigeria. For the full general Spouse Visa rules that apply to every applicant regardless of nationality, see our Spouse Visa page.
Who can apply
A Nigerian national can apply for a UK Spouse Visa if they are aged 18 or over and are validly married to a British citizen, a person settled in the UK with Indefinite Leave to Remain, or a person with pre-settled or refugee status. Both parties must intend to live together permanently in the UK. The Nigerian applicant must meet the financial, English and accommodation requirements, and both parties must clear the suitability rules.
Unmarried Nigerian nationals who have lived with their partner for at least two years can use the unmarried-partner route under the same Appendix FM framework. Engaged couples use the Fiance Visa, which grants six months to marry in the UK before converting to the partner route. Both routes carry the same financial, English and accommodation requirements as the Spouse Visa.
Glasgow sponsors whose Nigerian partners are in the UK on a student, skilled worker, or graduate visa can sometimes switch in-country without the Nigerian applicant leaving. Switching from a visit visa is not permitted. We confirm at the first consultation whether an in-country switch is available.
Requirements at a glance
Five requirements decide a partner-route application for a Nigerian national:
- Relationship: a genuine and subsisting marriage or civil partnership, both parties over 18, legally valid in Nigeria, with intention to live together permanently in the UK.
- Financial: a minimum income of £29,000 a year from the sponsor, or qualifying savings, or a combination.
- English language: CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening. Nigerian nationals are not exempt and must provide evidence.
- Accommodation: adequate housing in the UK without overcrowding or recourse to public funds.
- Suitability: no immigration or criminal history that triggers a refusal under the suitability rules.
In addition, because Nigeria is on the Home Office tuberculosis testing list, a valid TB test certificate from an approved clinic in Nigeria is a mandatory supporting document for every entry-clearance application. A file that meets four requirements and falls short on one is still a refusal. Our Glasgow advisers build all five before submission.
The English language requirement for Nigerian applicants
This is the requirement that most often surprises Nigerian applicants, and it is worth explaining clearly. English is an official language in Nigeria and is widely used in government, education and business. However, Nigeria is not included on the UK Home Office’s list of majority English-speaking countries. That list grants an automatic exemption from the English language requirement. Nigerian nationals do not appear on it.
That means every Nigerian applicant must actively satisfy the English requirement. There are two main ways to do this.
The first, and most commonly used, is an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT). For the initial Spouse Visa application you need CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening. SELT providers approved for immigration purposes include Pearson, IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert and Trinity College London. The test must be taken at an approved centre. The certificate must be valid at the date of application. We confirm which test centres are accessible in Nigeria and which provider’s certificate format the Home Office accepts.
The second route is a degree taught and assessed in English. If you hold a bachelor’s degree or higher that was taught in English, you may be able to use it to meet the requirement without taking a language test. If your degree was awarded by a university outside the UK, you will need to have it verified by Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC). Ecctis confirms that the qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree and that the course was taught in English. The Ecctis verification letter is submitted with the visa application. We coordinate the Ecctis verification process as part of the full application package.
At the extension stage the requirement rises to A2. At settlement (ILR) it is currently B1, rising to B2 from 26 March 2027. Nigerian applicants who begin the five-year route now should plan their English progression with that date in mind. It means the B2 level will be required at ILR for most of the Nigerian applicants currently starting the route.
Marriage evidence for Nigerian applicants
The type of marriage certificate you can provide affects how strong your application file is from the start, and this is an area where Nigerian applications need particular care.
A statutory marriage certificate issued under the Marriage Act, obtained from the Nigerian government’s Registry of Marriages, is the most straightforward evidence of a legally valid marriage for UK visa purposes. It is the document the Home Office is most familiar with for Nigerian applications. Where it exists, it should lead the relationship evidence.
Many Nigerian couples are married under customary law, Islamic ceremony, or a church marriage. These marriages can be legally valid in Nigeria and the Home Office will consider them, but they require more extensive additional evidence to establish that legal validity. Typical supporting evidence includes affidavits of customary marriage, statutory declarations, letters from family heads, community leaders or religious authorities, and, where available, documentation of how the marriage was registered or recognised at state level. The more clearly the application sets out the legal framework under which the marriage is valid in Nigeria, the more straightforward the Home Office assessment becomes.
Your National Identification Number (NIN) card is a standard identity document that should be included in the application file. If you have a Nigerian international passport, that is your primary travel document. Both the applicant and the sponsor’s passports, covering the full period of the relationship, are part of the standard document list.
If any marriage or identity documents are not in English, certified translations are required. We advise on which translation services produce documents in the format the Home Office expects.
Tuberculosis testing for Nigerian applicants
Nigeria is on the Home Office tuberculosis testing list. If you have been living in Nigeria for six months or more and are applying for a UK visa that will last longer than six months, you must obtain a TB test certificate from a Home Office approved clinic in Nigeria as part of your entry-clearance application.
The test must be carried out at a specific approved clinic. The Home Office publishes a list of approved clinics for Nigeria; these are typically private clinics in Lagos and Abuja. The certificate is valid for a set period and must be submitted with your application. You cannot substitute a general medical certificate or a certificate from a clinic not on the approved list.
Nigerian nationals who have been living outside Nigeria for six months or more immediately before applying, in a country that is not on the TB testing list, may not need a certificate, depending on their recent residential history. We confirm whether the requirement applies to you before you book anything, because booking the wrong clinic or presenting an invalid certificate causes delays that are entirely avoidable.
Applying through VFS Global in Nigeria
Nigerian nationals apply for a UK Spouse Visa online through the UK Visas and Immigration portal. Once the online application is submitted and the fee is paid, the applicant books an appointment at a VFS Global visa application centre in Nigeria to provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photograph) and submit supporting documents.
VFS Global operates UK visa application centres in Lagos and Abuja. Most applicants in southern Nigeria attend the Lagos centre; those in Abuja or the north typically use Abuja. VFS Global also offers a range of premium and add-on services, including document scanning, courier return of passports, and premium lounge appointments. We advise which services are worth using for your application.
The sponsor based in Glasgow does not attend the VFS Global appointment. The sponsor’s documents, payslips, bank statements and employer letters are gathered in Glasgow, uploaded digitally, and included in the application file we build together. The Nigerian applicant brings the physical documents to the VFS Global centre for scanning.
After the biometrics appointment, the application is decided by Home Office caseworkers in the UK. The passport is returned to the Nigerian applicant, usually via courier to the VFS Global centre or an address in Nigeria. The Home Office issues the vignette sticker in the passport confirming the visa grant, and the Biometric Residence Permit is collected on arrival in the UK.
Entry clearance from Nigeria or switching in-country
The most common route for Nigerian applicants with a Glasgow sponsor is entry-clearance from Nigeria. The Nigerian spouse applies from Lagos or Abuja, attends the VFS Global centre for biometrics, and travels to the UK once the visa is granted. The first grant is 33 months. This is the standard route where the Nigerian spouse is currently living in Nigeria.
If the Nigerian national is already in the UK on a qualifying visa, such as a student visa, a skilled worker visa, or a graduate visa, they can apply to switch onto the partner route in-country without leaving. An in-country switch grant runs for 30 months. The English and financial requirements are the same. The Nigerian applicant does not need to travel to Nigeria for a VFS Global appointment; instead, they attend a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) centre in the UK.
Switching from a visit visa is not permitted. If a Nigerian national on a visit visa wants to remain in the UK as a spouse, they need to return to Nigeria and apply for entry clearance. We confirm your current position and which route is open to you at the initial consultation.
The relationship requirement
The Home Office must be satisfied that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. A valid marriage certificate is the starting point, not the end. Caseworkers look for evidence built up over time: cohabitation, joint financial commitments, communication during periods apart, photographs across the span of the relationship, and the accounts of people who know you both.
For Nigerian applicants and their Glasgow sponsors, the relationship often has a significant period of long-distance contact before the spouse visa application. This is entirely normal and does not prevent a successful application. What it means is that the communication evidence, including call records, messages and evidence of visits, needs to be well organised and cover the length of the relationship clearly.
Where a marriage was conducted under customary law, Islamic ceremony or a church ceremony, the relationship evidence needs to do more work than it does with a statutory certificate alone. The additional marriage evidence described above, combined with a well-structured relationship timeline, is the standard approach we use for Glasgow clients in this position.
Both parties must be at least 18. If there is an age gap that the Home Office might consider unusual, or if the couple has not spent much time in person together, the application can still succeed, but the evidence needs to be correspondingly more detailed and clearly presented.
The financial requirement in 2026
The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year. This is assessed against the sponsor’s income, and in some circumstances a combination of the sponsor’s and applicant’s income can be used. The requirement can be met in several ways:
- Employment income of the Glasgow sponsor, evidenced by six months of payslips and bank statements, or twelve months in some categories.
- Self-employment or company director income, evidenced through tax returns and company accounts.
- Cash savings of £88,500 held for at least six months, which can be used alone or to top up a shortfall in income.
- Certain non-employment income, such as rental or pension income.
The rules on which sources can be combined are precise, and the evidence has to be in an exact format. Getting the financial category right is the single biggest driver of success, and it is the first thing we map for every Glasgow sponsor whose Nigerian partner is applying.
Applicants who applied before 11 April 2024 may still be assessed against the older £18,600 threshold at extension. If your original grant was made under the old rules, we confirm which threshold applies to your FLR(M) renewal.
The accommodation requirement
You must show adequate accommodation in the UK that the sponsor owns or occupies, which will not be overcrowded under the Housing Act and does not rely on public funds. This can be a property the sponsor owns or rents in Glasgow, or accommodation provided by family, supported by a letter of permission and proof of the property.
Accommodation is a quietly common cause of avoidable refusals for Nigerian applications, usually because the evidence is incomplete rather than because the housing is inadequate. Glasgow rental properties need a tenancy agreement confirming the right to accommodate a further resident. Overcrowding calculations depend on the number of bedrooms and the number of people who will live there. We issue a tailored accommodation checklist to every client so nothing is missed.
Document checklist for Nigerian applicants
A UK Spouse Visa application from Nigeria typically requires the following documents:
- Current Nigerian passport (and any previous passports covering the period of the relationship)
- Sponsor’s British or settled-status documents and current passport
- Marriage certificate: statutory registry certificate, and where applicable customary/Islamic/church marriage evidence with supporting affidavits and declarations
- National Identification Number (NIN) card
- Financial evidence: sponsor’s payslips, bank statements, employer letter, and P60 or equivalent for the relevant period
- English language certificate or Ecctis verification letter confirming a degree taught in English
- TB test certificate from a Home Office approved clinic in Nigeria
- Accommodation evidence: tenancy agreement or mortgage statement, and a letter of permission if living with family
- Relationship evidence: photographs, communication records, evidence of visits and any joint financial commitments
- Certified English translations of any documents not originally in English
The exact list depends on how you meet the financial requirement and on your marriage type. We issue every client a tailored checklist rather than a generic one, because a missed document is the most preventable reason for a refused or delayed application.
Fees and costs in 2026
The Home Office application fee is from £2,064 for entry clearance, following the April 2026 fee increase. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year of leave, which is around £3,105 for a 33-month grant. On top of those Home Office charges, Nigerian applicants should budget for:
- The English language test fee, if using a Secure English Language Test (typically £150 to £200 depending on provider)
- The Ecctis verification fee, if using the degree route for English
- The TB test certificate from an approved clinic in Nigeria
- VFS Global service charges for the biometrics appointment and any premium services
- Certified translation of any documents not in English
We give a full written cost breakdown at the assessment so there are no surprises before any Home Office fee is paid.
How long it takes
From Nigeria, the standard processing time is around 12 weeks from the biometrics appointment at the VFS Global centre in Lagos or Abuja. A priority service is available at some VFS Global centres and can reduce this to around three weeks where the service is offered. Processing times vary by centre and time of year, and demand at Lagos can be high. We advise whether paying for priority service makes sense for the sponsor’s timeline in Glasgow and what the current wait times look like.
Extending your Spouse Visa
The partner route is a five-year path made of two grants. Before your first 33-month leave expires, you apply for an FLR(M) extension of a further 33 months. The extension is an in-country application submitted from within the UK. The requirements are broadly the same: the financial threshold at £29,000, the relationship and accommodation evidence refreshed, and English now demonstrated at A2. We start extension preparation around three months before the visa expires, which keeps the Nigerian spouse in lawful status throughout.
The FLR(M) extension is the second step on the route to ILR. After the extension grant, the five-year clock continues. Our Glasgow advisers track the whole route from the first application onwards.
From Spouse Visa to ILR and British citizenship
After five continuous years on the partner route, and once you hold the B1 English qualification and pass the Life in the UK Test, a Nigerian spouse can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. ILR is full UK settlement with no time limit on leave, no IHS, and no income requirement once granted. From 26 March 2027, the English level at ILR will rise from B1 to B2, so Nigerian applicants on a five-year route that started before that date should plan their English progression accordingly.
Twelve months after ILR you can apply for British citizenship, or immediately if your partner is a British citizen and you have met the other naturalisation requirements. Our ILR service and citizenship service pick up the same file we built for the Spouse Visa, so nothing is rebuilt from scratch.
If your application is refused
A refusal is not always the end of the route. For Nigerian Spouse Visa refusals, the most common grounds we see are: insufficient English evidence (particularly where the exemption was mistakenly assumed), inadequate marriage evidence for customary or Islamic ceremonies, gaps in the financial evidence, or relationship evidence that fails to cover the full period convincingly.
Where the decision contains a case-working error, there may be a right of administrative review. Some partner-route refusals carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal on human rights grounds. In many cases a carefully rebuilt fresh application, with the specific gaps in the file addressed, is faster and stronger than an appeal. We review the refusal letter against the Immigration Rules, advise honestly on which route gives the best prospect, and where an appeal is right we refer you to a representative for the tribunal hearing while we support the underlying evidence.
For sibling pages covering other nationalities, see our pages for Indian nationals and Pakistani nationals. For the next step on the route, see Indefinite Leave to Remain.
2026 rule changes
The partner route continues to evolve. The minimum income requirement sits at £29,000, following the staged increase from £18,600. Home Office fees rose by 6-7% on 8 April 2026. The settlement English requirement rises from B1 to B2 on 26 March 2027, which affects every Nigerian applicant who begins the five-year route now. The suitability framework is under ongoing review. We keep every Glasgow client’s plan current as the rules change, because a five-year route started today will cross more than one rule change before it ends.
How UK Visa Assistance helps
UK Visa Assistance is a Glasgow immigration practice. We prepare partner-route applications for Nigerian nationals end to end: confirming eligibility, resolving the English requirement question for your specific situation, assessing the type of marriage evidence needed, mapping the financial requirement, building the relationship and accommodation evidence, completing the online form, and submitting on your behalf. We coordinate the TB test timing, the Ecctis verification if needed, and any certified translations, so the full file comes together before you pay a Home Office fee.
Most of our work with Nigerian clients and their Glasgow sponsors is done by phone, video call and secure document upload. The Nigerian applicant only needs to attend the VFS Global centre in Lagos or Abuja for the biometrics appointment. We act for clients across Glasgow, Paisley, Renfrew and the wider west of Scotland. To start, call 0141 496 0321 or request a callback for a free initial assessment of your Spouse Visa application.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. This is a common misconception. Although English is an official language in Nigeria, Nigeria is not on the UK's list of majority English-speaking countries, so Nigerian applicants are not automatically exempt from the English language requirement. You must satisfy the requirement through an approved Secure English Language Test at CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening, or by holding a degree that was taught in English, in which case the qualification may need to be verified by Ecctis. We confirm which route applies to your circumstances at the first consultation.
If your degree was taught and assessed in English, you can use it to meet the English language requirement without taking a language test. If your degree was awarded by a university outside the UK, you will usually need to have it verified by Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC), which confirms that the qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree and that the course was taught in English. We arrange Ecctis verification as part of the application package where the degree route is being used.
A statutory (registry) marriage certificate issued under the Marriage Act is the strongest evidence of a legally valid marriage for UK visa purposes. Many Nigerian couples are married under customary law, Islamic marriage ceremony or a church marriage, each of which may be legally valid in Nigeria but requires careful additional documentation to satisfy the Home Office. This typically includes affidavits of customary marriage, letters from family or community leaders, and evidence of how the marriage is recognised under Nigerian law. We advise on exactly what additional evidence is needed depending on your ceremony type.
Yes. Nigeria is on the Home Office tuberculosis testing list. If you have lived in Nigeria for six months or more, you need a TB test certificate from an approved clinic as part of your entry-clearance application. The test is carried out at specific Home Office approved clinics in Nigeria, and the certificate must be submitted with the visa application. We confirm which clinic to use and what the certificate must show before you book.
Nigerian nationals apply online and then attend a VFS Global visa application centre in Nigeria to submit biometrics and documents. VFS Global operates application centres in Lagos and Abuja. You choose the centre that is closest to you or most convenient for travel. The sponsor in Glasgow does not attend; the application is submitted in Nigeria and decided in the UK by Home Office caseworkers.
The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year. It can be met by the sponsor's employment income, the couple's combined income once the Nigerian spouse is in the UK with permission to work, self-employment, certain non-employment income, or cash savings of £88,500 held for at least six months. The savings threshold can also be used to top up a shortfall in income. We assess which route is strongest for your Glasgow sponsor's circumstances before any application is submitted.
From Nigeria, the standard processing time is around 12 weeks from the biometrics appointment at the Lagos or Abuja VFS Global centre. A priority service is available at some centres and can reduce this to around three weeks, though availability varies. Processing times can also change during busy periods. We advise at the assessment stage whether priority service makes sense for your timeline and what it costs.
The Home Office application fee is from £2,064 for entry clearance, following the April 2026 fee increase. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year of leave, which is around £3,105 for a 33-month grant. You should also budget for the English language test (if you are using a Secure English Language Test rather than the degree route), the TB test certificate, the VFS Global service charge, and any document translation costs. We give a full written cost breakdown at the initial assessment.
Yes, if you are already in the UK on a visa that permits switching, such as a student or skilled worker visa, you can switch onto the partner route without leaving. You cannot switch from a visit visa. An in-country grant runs for 30 months rather than 33. If you are unsure whether your current leave permits switching, we confirm eligibility at the first consultation before you take any steps.
You receive 33 months of leave (30 if you switched in-country). Before it expires, you apply for an FLR(M) extension of a further 33 months. The requirements are broadly the same, with English now at A2 and the financial and relationship evidence refreshed. After five continuous years on the partner route, and once you meet the English and Life in the UK Test requirements, you apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. We start extension preparation around three months before the visa expires.
A refusal is not always the end of the route. Where the decision contains a case-working error, there may be a right of administrative review. Some partner-route refusals carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal on human rights grounds. In many cases a carefully rebuilt fresh application is faster and stronger than an appeal. We review the refusal letter, advise honestly on which route gives the best prospect, and where an appeal is right we refer you to a representative for the tribunal hearing while we support the underlying evidence.
Yes. This is the most common scenario in our practice. The sponsor based in Glasgow instructs us, and the Nigerian applicant applies from Lagos or Abuja. Almost all of the casework is done by phone, video call and secure document upload. The Nigerian applicant only needs to attend the VFS Global centre in Nigeria in person for biometrics. Being spread across Glasgow and Nigeria is entirely normal, and we are set up for it.