One sentence in Appendix FM-SE punishes a careless payslip translation. Paragraph 1(k): "Where the gross (pre-tax) amount of any income cannot be properly evidenced, the net (post-tax) amount will be counted, including towards a gross income requirement."
The partner route needs a gross annual income of £29,000. If a translation renders the gross line and the take-home line both as "salary", or drops the gross total, a caseworker can count the lower figure, and a couple who qualified on paper can fall short.
This guide covers when foreign payslips and employment letters count, what Appendix FM-SE asks of them, why end-of-job certificates fall short, what a translation must show line by line, and the mistakes behind refusals, as of October 2026.
When do foreign payslips and employment letters count for a UK visa?
Less often than people think. For a spouse or partner visa from abroad, Appendix FM counts "income of the partner from specified employment", which "in respect of a partner returning to the UK with the applicant, can include specified employment or self-employment overseas" (E-ECP.3.2). The applicant's own earnings count only if they are "in the UK, aged 18 years or over and working legally" (FM-SE 1(c)), so an applicant's foreign payslips do not help meet the threshold.
| Use | Whose documents | What is asked | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse or partner visa | A partner returning to the UK from a job abroad | Payslips, employer's letter and bank statements as "a reasonable equivalent" of UK evidence, plus a UK job starting within 3 months of return | FM-SE paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 13 |
| Visitor visa | The visitor | "a letter from your employer on company headed paper, detailing your role, salary and length of employment"; proof of earnings | Visitor guide to supporting documents |
| Mortgage, renting | Borrower or tenant | The lender's or agent's own list | Ask them; see foreign income for mortgages |
| Skilled Worker sponsor's file | The worker | References showing experience | Appendix D; see sponsor licence records |
The visitor guide sets its own translation standard: "a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office", with the translator's confirmation of accuracy, "the date of translation", "the translator's full name and signature" and contact details. See the visitor visa guide.
What does Appendix FM-SE require of payslips and an employer's letter?
For salaried employment in the UK, paragraph 2 asks for three things, and paragraph 3 says that for employment abroad the evidence "should be a reasonable equivalent":
- Payslips covering the 6 months before the application if the person has worked for their current employer for at least 6 months, or any salaried employment in the previous 12 months if less.
- A letter from the employer who issued the payslips, confirming "the person's employment and gross annual salary", "the length of their employment", "the period over which they have been or were paid the level of salary relied upon" and "the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract or agency)".
- Personal bank statements for the same period, showing the salary paid into an account in the person's name, or joint with their partner.
Paragraph 1(bb) adds that payslips must be "formal payslips issued by the employer and showing the employer's name", or come with a letter on the employer's headed paper, signed by a senior official, confirming they are authentic. A returning partner also needs a letter from the new UK employer confirming the job offer, gross annual salary and a start date within 3 months of their return, or a signed contract (paragraph 4).
Translations are governed by paragraph 1(j), which repeats the Immigration Rules' paragraph 39B(f): the original-language document, a full translation, the date, confirmation of accuracy, the translator's or company official's full name and signature, contact details and, for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, "certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company's credentials." Foreign currency is converted by the caseworker, usually at the OANDA spot rate for the date of application (Appendix Finance, FIN 1.1). Bank statement rules are covered in bank statement translation, and the whole partner file in the spouse visa checklist.
Why do end-of-job certificates and references fall short?
Because the documents employers abroad issue as a matter of course often answer different questions. Three examples, from each country's own law:
| Country | Payslip | Employment document | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Fiche de paie, also called bulletin de salaire; electronic delivery has been the default since 2017, and it must show the rémunération brute (gross pay) and social contributions | Certificat de travail, given when the contract ends: entry and exit dates, the jobs held and the periods in each | The certificat states no salary and is issued only when the contract ends |
| Germany | Abrechnung des Arbeitsentgelts: the pay period and the make-up of pay, including supplements, allowances and deductions (Trade Regulation Act, section 108) | Zeugnis, a reference given when employment ends: the type and duration of work, and on request performance and conduct (section 109) | The Zeugnis need not state salary and is issued when employment ends |
| Spain | Recibo de salarios on the official model: Total devengado (total earned), Total a deducir (total deductions), Líquido total a percibir (net pay), signed and stamped by the company | No standard form; ask for a signed letter | Gratificaciones extraordinarias (extra payments) on their own lines raise some months' totals |
A partner returning from Lyon or Munich therefore usually needs a letter written for the purpose, on headed paper, stating the four points in paragraph 2(b). A translator cannot add what the employer did not write.
What must a payslip translation show?
Everything on the page, in the same layout, so the caseworker can read across from original to translation:
- The employer's name and address, and any tax or registration number, since FM-SE wants payslips "showing the employer's name".
- The employee's name exactly as printed, plus any staff, tax or social security number.
- The pay period and payment date, with dates as written and the format explained once.
- Every earnings line: basic salary, overtime, allowances, bonuses and extra payments, each separately.
- The gross total, labelled as gross, and the net amount, labelled as net. Never one word for both.
- Every deduction: income tax, social security, pension, advances, with rates where shown.
- Employer contributions if printed, marked as the employer's, not the employee's.
- Year-to-date totals, the bank account paid into, and the currency and figures exactly as printed.
- Stamps, signatures and verification codes, described in brackets.
What must an employment letter translation show?
The letterhead, the date, the signatory's name and job title, the employer's contact details and every statement in the letter, translated without softening or improving it. If the letter says "salary" without saying gross or net, the translation says "salary" too, and the fix is a corrected letter, not a creative translation.
Why payslip evidence gets refused or delayed
- Gross and net blurred, so the caseworker counts the net figure under paragraph 1(k).
- Amounts converted into pounds by the translator instead of the caseworker.
- Payslips and bank statements covering different months.
- The latest payslip dated more than 28 days before the date of application.
- A certificat de travail or Zeugnis offered as the employer's letter, with no salary in it.
- App screenshots without the employer's name and no authenticity letter.
- Five payslips translated where six were required.
- An extension or ILR application with translations that lack a qualified translator's certification and the translator's or company's credentials; see indefinite leave to remain documents.
Checklist: payslips and employment letters for a UK visa
Questions people ask
Do I need to translate every page of my payslips?
Yes, every payslip you submit and every line on it. Appendix FM-SE asks for a full translation, and the caseworker checks gross pay, deductions and dates against the employer's letter and bank statements.
Should the translation convert my salary into pounds?
No. Appendix Finance tells the caseworker to convert foreign currency, usually at the OANDA spot rate for the date of application. A translator's conversion would use a different rate and only add a second set of figures.
Can my employer write the letter in English instead?
Yes, and that saves a translation. A letter issued in English on headed paper does not need translating, although stamps or notes in another language on it do.
Do online or app payslips count for a spouse visa?
They can, if they are formal payslips issued by the employer and showing its name. Otherwise Appendix FM-SE asks for a letter on the employer's headed paper, signed by a senior official, confirming the payslips are authentic.
Do my own foreign payslips help my spouse visa application?
Not towards the financial requirement if you are applying from abroad. Appendix FM counts the partner's employment income, and an applicant's earnings only if they are in the UK and working legally.
Do payslip translations need to be notarised or apostilled?
No. The Home Office asks for a dated translation confirming accuracy, with the translator's name, signature and contact details, and credentials for UK applications. Notarisation adds cost without meeting any extra requirement.
Will a mortgage lender accept the same translations?
Lenders set their own rules on foreign income and translations, and may want different documents, or a different form of translation, from those the Home Office asks for. Ask the lender before you order.
How much does a payslip translation cost, and how long does it take?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words, so most single payslips are one page. Most single-page documents arrive as a signed PDF within 24 hours, and longer sets take 1 to 3 business days.
