If you are a national of one of these countries, you automatically meet the English language requirement:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• the USA

You will meet the English language requirement if you have passed an approved English language test at or above the appropriate level with one of our approved test providers.

You can download a list of approved English language tests and providers from the right side of this page. The information in these lists has been supplied to us by the test providers, and is subject to change.

We only accept English language tests as specified in the list of English language tests, which you can download from the right side of this page, for applications as a spouse, partner or fiancé or proposed civil partner joining a person already in the UK. The tests and levels included on the list were submitted by the providers and have been assessed by us and independent/sector experts before inclusion. Therefore, no other tests are acceptable.

This means that:

• where an applicant has a test at the specified level, but not from one of the listed providers, it cannot be accepted as evidence; 
• where an applicant has a test from an approved provider that is not listed, it cannot be accepted as evidence; or
• where an applicant has achieved a test level with an approved provider that is not included on our list of tests it cannot be accepted, regardless of whether the provider has mapped their tests to this level to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) or not. While these tests may be used as evidence for reasons other than applications to us, we cannot accept them because the provider has not asked that we include them on our list of tests and providers and they have not been assessed by us.  Examples of this are:

- evidence submitted that meets the specified CEFR level for the immigration route, but was not produced by any of our listed providers - this cannot be accepted. Only tests conducted by our listed providers are acceptable in meeting the English language requirement for partners; or

- evidence has been submitted from 1 of our providers, but at a test level not specified on our list - this cannot be accepted. Only tests and test levels that are specifically included on our list are acceptable for our purposes. For example, if an international English Language Testing System (IELTS) test is received that shows a score below the B1 level specified in our list. This cannot be accepted as evidence of A1 proficiency because IELTS do not map below B1.

In the test, you will need to demonstrate a basic command of English (speaking and listening) at level A1 of the CEFR. This is a basic level, which is judged to require 40 to 50 hours' tuition for most learners. Someone assessed at level A1 can understand and use simple, everyday expressions and very basic phrases. You will not need to demonstrate your reading and writing skills.

We will also accept approved tests in speaking and listening, or speaking and listening with additional skills such as reading or writing, at a higher level (if they are taken with an approved test provider and are on the approved list).

Tests can be taken in most countries, but there is an exemption for applicants from the small number of countries where there is no test centre - see below.

You must pay for your own English language test. The cost of a test varies according to your test provider and country.

The Home Office has produced a video which explains how applicants already in the UK can meet the requirement. You can view this video by following the link on the right side of this page. Overseas applicants who need to take a test must do so before they apply to come to the UK.

Exemptions

If you are a long-term resident of a country with no test centre, and you are applying for a visa from that country, you are exempt from the requirement to have passed an English language test. You are not exempt if you are applying from inside the UK for permission to extend your stay as a partner.

The list of countries where no test centre is available is subject to change, and currently includes:

To demonstrate that you meet the English language requirement, you must have obtained an academic qualification (not a professional or vocational qualification) which the National Academic Recognition Information Centre for the UK (UK NARIC) has recognised as being equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree, a Master's degree or a PhD.

If your qualification was taken in one of these countries, we will assume that it was taught in English:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• the UK
• the USA

Please note that Canada is not on this list.

You can check whether your qualification meets the requirement by using our points-based calculator, which contains information from UK NARIC. You will meet the English language requirement if the calculator confirms that your qualification:

• is at or above the level of a UK bachelor's degree; and
• was taught to a competent standard of English equivalent to level A1 on the CEFR.

If you cannot find your qualification on the points-based calculator, you may still be able to use it meet the requirement. You should contact UK NARIC directly for an assessment of the level of the qualification and, if they confirm that it is at the required level, obtain a letter and/or confirmation certificate from them.

You can find a link to the UK NARIC website on the right of this page. It is an independent website, for which we are not responsible. It may charge a fee for confirming qualifications.

If UK NARIC cannot confirm the equivalence of your qualification, you cannot meet the English language requirement using that qualification.

If you are a long-term resident of a country with no test centre, and you are applying from that country for a visa as a partner, you are exempt from the requirement to have passed an English language test. The list of countries where no test centre is available is subject to change, and currently includes:

• Angola²
• Burkina Faso² 
• Cape Verde²
• Central African Republic²
• Chad²
• Comoros¹
• Congo4
• Democratic Republic of Congo4
• Equatorial Guinea²
• Eritrea4
• Gabon¹
• Guinea-Bissau¹
• Ivory Coast³
• Kiribati¹
• Lesotho¹
• Liberia³
• Madagascar²
• Maldives¹
• Rwanda4
• Samoa¹
• Sao Tome Principe¹
• Seychelles¹
• Somalia¹
• Swaziland¹
• Syria6
• Togo¹
• Turkmenistan 5
• Wallis and Futuna Islands¹

You are not exempt from the requirement if you are applying from inside the UK for permission to extend your stay here as a partner.

¹ These countries have been exempt for applications made from 29 November 2010. ² These countries were added to the exemption list on 28 January 2011. ³ These countries were added to the exemption list on 10 February 2011. 4 These countries were added to the exemption list on 9 March 2011. 5 These countries were added to the exemption list on 3 August 2011. 6 This country was added to the exemption list on 12 March 2013.

Dominican Republic was added to the exemption list on 11 March 2011 and removed on 3 August 2011. Cambodia was added to the exemption list on 28 January 2011 and removed on 28 August 2012. Guinea was added to the exemption list on 10 February 2011 and removed on 12 March 2013.  Mali was added to the exemption list on 3 August 2011 and removed on 12 March 2013.  Applicants from these countries must now meet the language requirement.

We will keep this exemption under review.