UK Spouse Visa checklist for UK Sponsor and Bulgarian national applicant written by UK Immigration Lawyer Mr Saleh Begh
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1. Your nationality and residence : British (United Kingdom)2. Your partner nationality and residence : Bulgarian (Bulgaria) България
The information below is for you, if you are
a British citizen (or holding UK permanent residence) and your partner is a Bulgarian national.
You currently reside in United Kingdom whereas your partner resides in Bulgaria България.
Full UK Spouse Visa Guide - Bulgaria България .
UK Spouse Visa Bulgaria България Checklist Contents 
UK Spouse Visa Key Considerations for Family Visa from Bulgaria България
UK Partner Visa from Sofia, Bulgaria България Checklist for UK Family Visa (British and Bulgarian) UK Home Office Approved English Tests Centres in Bulgaria България UK spouse visa where to apply Sofia, Bulgaria България UK spouse visa grant letter update Sofia, Bulgaria България UK spouse visa supporting documents bundle Sofia, Bulgaria БългарияUK Spouse Visa Key requirements
Lets have a chat ✉ | ☎ 00442071935178 | Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm UK time. The Immigration Rules state that :
UK family Visa
Now let's look into the various aspects of the requirements listed above when you are British and your partner is Bulgarian and you reside in United Kingdom and your partner resides in Bulgaria. Since your partner is a Bulgarian national, they would need UK immigration status documents to live and work in the UK. If you are not yet British but have Indefinite leave to remain (ILR), Permanent Residency (EEA PR) or Refugee status, then your partner can join you on the Partner route and enter or remain in the UK legally.Your partner is an European ( Bulgarian ) national thus does not need a visa before arriving at the UK Border, however they need to secure their visa first. Please note that they will enter the UK as a visitor and will in most case be required to return home and re-enter the UK on the family visa route.
UK Spouse Visa Documents Checklist - Sofia - Bulgaria България
 | Wafi Solicitors 16 Upper Woburn Pl London WC1H 0AF, UK 00442071935178 saleh@wafi.co.uk Please call or email for FREE initial consultation | ||
UK Spouse Visa Checklist April 2026 | |||
| Key Forms / Documents Online application form ; Online application checklist ; VFS Global Appointment document and QR code ; Statutory Declaration by sponsor ; Identity Bulgarian Passport (All Pages); Copy of UK Sponsor Passport (Data page) ; Copy of Sponsor (ILR / Refugee status document (if not British) ; | English test centres Approved A1 English test certificate from test centre in Sofia - Bulgaria  Approved English Test Centres in Bulgaria БългарияTuberculosis Testing Centres TB medical test certificates are not required when you apply from Bulgaria. UK Visa Application Centres in Bulgaria VFS Global Office Bulgaria has application centres in Sofia . | ||
UK Spouse Visa Application Checklist (Sample April 2026)1. Applicant’s Bulgarian passport (BU6948445) Submitted at VFS Global office in Sofia, Bulgaria;2. Copy of the Online Application form (UAN 1212-0001-4844-2100); 3. Copy of Sponsor’s British Passport (Number: 145002100) or another passport plus UK status documents; 4. Duly Completed Application Checklist (GWF08445100); Financial (Sponsor - Employed) 5. Sponsor’s Statutory Declaration and Sponsorship undertaking ; 6. Letter from the Sponsor’s employer dated in April 2026; 7. Offer letter and Employment Contract document; 8. Payslips (Monthly – Sept 2025* to April 2026); 9. Bank Statements (1 Sept 2025* to 1 April 2026). * You may need 12 months (From April 2025) instead of 6 where the monthly gross pay varies and is less than the required monthly amount, currently £2,416.67 (£29,000 / 12) for each and every month. Financial (Sponsor has Savings or receives exempted State Benefits) If not employed but have the required savings or sponsor receives PIP, CA or Disability benefits they would provide (instead of items 6 to 8 above) evidence of benefit award and need to meet the maintaince requirements. In the case of savings, would need to provide evidence of source of savings and minimum balance held during the previous 6 months. Accommodation (Adequate for the British Bulgarian couple plus any children) 10. Tenancy Agreement or Ownership evidence (if owning) ; 11. Landlord / Estate Agents consent letter or housing report (owning) ; 12. Sponsor’s Council tax statement and other UK residence evidence. English & TB Certificates (Only A1 English test is required for Bulgarian nationals.) 13. Approved A1 English test certificate from test centre in Sofia - Bulgaria Approved English Test Centres in Bulgaria България14. TB medical test certificates are not required when you apply from Bulgaria. Relationship (Genuine subsisting and durable) 15. Original Marriage Certificate with translation (if married) and joint residence evidence (where unmarried but living together for 2 years plus) ; 16. Copy of Bulgaria / UK visit stamps, entry & exit plus flights booking (Sponsor and Applicant); 17. Telephone and Whatsapp chat log records; 18. Screenshots of conversations by Whatsapp; 19. Various Funds Remittance Receipts sent to the Bulgarian Applicant by the British Sponsor; 20. Selection of Bulgarian wedding (where married) and other personal photographs. 21. if fiancee - evidence of venue booking and other commitments for marriage in the UK. 22. if previously married - Divorce certificate or Widower - Death certificate (issued in the UK or Bulgaria ). Children and other ties (British or Bulgarian) 23. Children birth certificates, copy of passports and other evidence of family ties and parental responsibility. Non-English documents (from Bulgaria) 24. English translation of Marriage / divorce certificate. Criminal record and immigration history (In Bulgaria and the UK - Applicant only) 25. Documents relating to good character and immigration issues and mitigation (previous visa refusal or UK over-staying). 26. Applicant's financial standing and settlement of NHS and other debts. Complicated situation or unsure about what to include? Wafi Solicitors can guide you through the process with ease and get the positive outcome you seek first time. ✉ | ☎ | | |||
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A1 level English test required
Your partner is a Bulgarian national and thus not exempt from the English language requirements for a Spouse / Partner visa, they would need to take the A1 / A2 (extension) or provide other English language evidence.Your partner is a Bulgarian national thus not exempt from the English language requirements for a Spouse / Partner visa, they would need to take the A1 / A2 (extension) or provide other English language evidence unless they qualify and apply under the EUSS Scheme.
UK Visa English Language Guide video Sofia
If you are already in the UK (on a different visa or for visa extension application) You can take a SELT with the providers mentioned above or with Trinity College London. Click here for UK Spouse Visa English test centres in the UK
UK Spouse visa Approved English Test Centre address in Bulgaria България
Approved English Test Centres in Bulgaria БългарияDid you know Sofia, Bulgaria is 2,100 KM (1,305 miles) from London, England. Flight time to London is 3 Hours. Bulgaria has a population of 6,948,445 (2021) and they use Bulgarian lev. One British pound is equal to 2.25798 Bulgarian Lev.
You may consider applying from neighbouring countries if that is more appropriate such as ( | Greek UK Spouse Visa | Macedonian UK Spouse Visa | Romanian UK Spouse Visa | Serbian UK Spouse Visa | Turkish UK Spouse Visa | ) . You would normally need to hold 6 months or more lawful residence there in order to apply for a UK spouse visa from that location.
Please remember that all UK Family Visa applications are now done online and your UK Visa Application Centre for Bulgaria, VFS Global Office could be in a different city. You may need to plan ahead and travel for your tests and visa appointments. These are the large cities in Bulgaria Sofia , Plovdiv , Varna , Burgas , Ruse , Stara Zagora , Pleven , Sliven , Dobrich , Shumen. Only a few cities will have a VFS Global Office UK Spouse Visa Application Centre (Bulgaria)
Procedure and where to apply and provide your biometric details in България
The initial application is now done online. You would then be forwarded to VFS Global Office България, they are the UK government's Commercial Partner. They handle UK Visa Applications from Bulgaria. This is where you would book your appointment, pay for additional services and provide your passport and fingerprints. You will also have your photos taken and can also submit your supporting documents bundle. Most applicants use the online portal for digital bundles to be uploaded. Go to their website Click VFS Global Bulgaria.
UK spouse visa grant letter update in Bulgaria
UK eVisa grant letters are now issued by the UK Home Office / VFS Global Office via email from the UK visa centre in Bulgaria; physical letters will no longer be issued. Also you will not need to collect your passport or visa from the Bulgarian UK visa application centre ( VFS Global Office ) as your passport will not be retained and visa is now issued on the online portal (eVisa). You are reminded that you need to ensure that you have provided a valid email address on your online visa application form and may also need to check your spam/junk folder in order to receive this email.
UK Spouse Visa Priority Visa fees and option April 2026
When you complete your UK Spouse Visa application, the option offered is the Standard Service Option and it says it will take 12 weeks (as shown below). If you want the priority service, get a decision in two to six weeks, please contact us for the upgrade!
UK Spouse Visa Fees April 2026
UK spouse Visa Application fees is £1,938You will pay 4,507 Bulgarian Lev or a little more for your application.
View live fees UK Spouse Visa fees for Bulgaria now !
Supporting Documents Bundle (UK Spouse Visa) Sofia България
UK Spouse visa requires a large set of documents in support (From UK and Bulgaria). Since there are many requirements and specified documents. You may find that your (British / Bulgarian) documents are in the wrong format, scanned poorly, has too many extra and unrelated pages, needs to be merged or combined to stop you from having 100 plus files and so items can easily be missed by the decision maker.Sometimes your items may be too large in size (6 MB or more), your work letter or bank statement may have password protection, all these oversized, password protected and unreadable documents will simply not be considered. This can cause delays and lead to refusals. Please get in touch ( UK 00442071935178 or email saleh@wafi.co.uk ) for supporting documents help and free consultation. Our fees for bundles start at £50 and can be ready in a matter of hours. We can reduce the number of files from 150 to just 9 to 15 files, one or two covering each category. Reduce and adapt oversized files, remove passwords and help with the whole upload process.
Please get in touch ( UK 00442071935178 or email saleh@wafi.co.uk ) for more specific information, free 5 minute consultation is offered or leave a question or comment below and we will get in touch (dont forget to include your contact number ).
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Leave your questions or experiences for others to benefit. Please comment below.About the author
Saleh Begh is a Solicitor (English Attorney) with 15 years experience in UK Immigration and Family law. He routinely deals with complicated Immigration and family law matters. Read more about Saleh Begh For guidance, options and tips contact us ✉ | ☎ | You may also consider our guide on how to apply from a neighbouring country ( | Greek UK Spouse Visa | Macedonian UK Spouse Visa | Romanian UK Spouse Visa | Serbian UK Spouse Visa | Turkish UK Spouse Visa | ) . Please note that you would normally need to hold 6 months or more lawful residence there in order to apply for a UK spouse visa from that location.
Did you know that the following cities in Bulgaria had large populations - Sofia ( 1286789 )