UK Dependent Visa from India: Complete 2026 Guide for Spouses and Children

Every week at our Kochi office we meet nurses, engineers and IT professionals who have landed a UK job and now want their spouse and children with them. The good news: the Skilled Worker route still allows family. The bad news: since 2024 the rules have tightened route by route, and a lot of what you read online is out of date. This guide explains the rules as they stand in October 2026, based on GOV.UK and the Home Office's own caseworker guidance.

A note on spelling: the UK government writes "dependant" (the person) and most Indian searches say "dependent". Both mean the same family member visa.

What is a UK dependent visa?

A dependent visa is permission for a family member to join a person who holds (or is applying for) a UK visa. The main person is called the lead applicant or sponsor. The dependant's visa normally ends on the same date as the main person's visa, and is extended or switched with it.

If your partner is a British citizen or has settled status (ILR), you do not use the dependant route. You apply for a family (spouse/partner) visa instead, with different rules: a £29,000 income requirement, an English test and 12-week processing. We compare both in our spouse visa vs dependant visa guide.

Which UK visas allow dependants in 2026?

Who counts as a dependant?

• Husband, wife or civil partner: the marriage must be recognised in the UK. A registered Indian marriage certificate is the standard proof.
• Unmarried partner: you must have been in a relationship like marriage for at least 2 years, normally living together. If you could not live together, you need evidence of ongoing commitment.
• Children under 18 on the date of application, including children born in the UK. Children must not be married and must normally live with you.
• Children over 18 only if they are already in the UK as your dependants.

Parents, adult children applying for the first time, brothers and sisters cannot come as dependants. Parents usually visit on a Standard Visitor visa instead.

Key facts at a glance (October 2026)

How to apply from Kerala: step by step

1. Get the main applicant's details. The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) number, their visa decision or application number, and their salary and job title.
2. Book a TB test at a Home Office-approved clinic. In Kerala that means Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, or KIMS Health, Thiruvananthapuram. Children under 11 normally do not need an X-ray.
3. Keep the funds in the account for 28 days if the employer has not certified maintenance on the CoS.
4. Apply online on GOV.UK as a partner or child of the visa holder. Each family member fills in a separate form and pays separately.
5. Pay the visa fee and the health surcharge online.
6. Attend biometrics at the VFS UK visa application centre. Kerala applicants can use the Kochi centre.
7. Get your eVisa. Successful applicants now receive a digital eVisa, viewed through a UKVI account, instead of a passport sticker. Link your current passport before you fly.

Families often apply together with the main applicant. If the main person is already in the UK, dependants can apply later at any time while the main visa is valid.

How much does it cost for a family of three?

Example: a nurse on a 3-year Health and Care Worker visa, bringing a spouse and one child. Home Office fees £324 × 2 = £648, with no health surcharge. The same family on a 3-year Skilled Worker visa in IT pays £819 × 2 = £1,638 in fees plus £5,433 in surcharge (adult £1,035 × 3, child £776 × 3). That is roughly ₹8.98 lakh at ₹127 to the pound, before translation, TB tests and travel. Our fees guide breaks this down by route.

Rule changes Kerala families should know

• Taught Master's students lost the right to bring family from January 2024. Only PhD or research students and government-sponsored students can.
• Care workers lost the right to bring family in March 2024, and overseas recruitment of care workers ended in July 2025.
• Medium-skilled shortage jobs (RQF 3–5) stopped allowing new dependants from 22 July 2025. The interim Temporary Shortage List is due to end on 31 December 2026, and the government has not yet confirmed what replaces it.
• Settlement (ILR) is still 5 years on the Skilled Worker route. The government has proposed a longer "earned settlement" system (10-year baseline), but as of October 2026 no rule change has been laid.

Applying from Kerala: practical tips

• Get your marriage certificate registered. A church or temple certificate alone is weaker; the local body registration certificate is the standard evidence.
• Names must match across passports, marriage and birth certificates. A spouse's surname added after marriage should appear consistently, or be explained.
• Malayalam documents need certified English translations.
• Book the TB test early, but not too early: the certificate is valid for 6 months from the X-ray date.

How Visa Xpert helps

We check which route applies to your family, prepare the online forms for each dependant, review relationship and funds evidence, book VFS Kochi biometrics, and set up the eVisa account after approval. See our UK Skilled Worker dependent visa service or the UK Student dependent visa page.

If you married recently, read how soon after marriage you can apply for a UK dependent visa.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my wife to the UK on a dependent visa?

Yes, if you hold a Skilled Worker visa in a graduate-level job, a Health and Care Worker visa (not as a care worker), a PhD or research Student visa, or another route that allows dependants. She applies separately as your partner.

How much bank balance is needed for a UK dependent visa?

For Skilled Worker dependants: £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each other child, held for 28 days in a row. No funds are needed if your employer certifies maintenance on your Certificate of Sponsorship.

How long does a UK dependent visa take from India?

Usually within 3 weeks of the biometrics appointment for work and student routes. Priority and super priority services can be faster where available.

Do UK dependent visa holders need IELTS?

No. As of October 2026, partners joining a work-visa holder do not need an English test at entry. English is needed later for settlement.

Can my parents come to the UK as dependants?

No. Parents cannot be dependants on work or student visas. They can visit on a Standard Visitor visa for up to 6 months.