If you are engaged to someone in the UK and plan to marry or enter a civil partnership there, a UK fiancé visa may allow you to join your partner before the ceremony.
The fiancé route is part of the UK family immigration system. It is intended for couples who plan to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK and then continue living together there.
Being engaged is not enough on its own. You must meet the relevant relationship, financial, accommodation and English language requirements, where applicable, and provide evidence to support your application.
This guide explains who can apply for a UK fiancé visa, the requirements you need to meet, current costs, documents, processing times and what happens after you marry.
To get a UK fiancé visa, you generally need to show that you and your partner are eligible under the family immigration rules, have a genuine relationship and intend to marry or enter a civil partnership within 6 months of arriving in the UK.
You must also intend to live together permanently after the ceremony and meet the applicable financial, accommodation and English language requirements.
The application fee is currently £2,064 when applying from outside the UK. Partner and family visa applications made outside the UK usually receive a decision within 12 weeks. If approved as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, you can stay for 6 months.
A UK fiancé visa is a family immigration route for someone who wants to come to the UK to marry or enter a civil partnership with an eligible partner and then continue living together in the UK.
It is different from simply visiting the UK to get married.
The key distinction is what you intend to do after the ceremony. If you plan to marry in the UK and then make the UK your home with your partner, the fiancé route may be appropriate. A Marriage Visitor visa, by contrast, is intended for someone who does not plan to live in the UK after the marriage or civil partnership.
Your reason for coming to the UK determines which immigration route you should consider. Someone making a business visit visa application or applying for a Creative Worker visa is coming for a very different purpose.
If you are already married or in a recognised civil partnership, you would normally need to consider the appropriate UK family visa route instead.
A UK fiancé visa may be appropriate if you are outside the UK and want to come to the UK to marry or enter a civil partnership with an eligible partner.
Both partners must generally be aged 18 or over. Your partner must also have an eligible status in the UK under the family visa rules.
You will generally need to demonstrate that:
If you are already married or in a civil partnership, a partner visa may be more appropriate.
Relationship evidence is an important part of a UK fiancé visa application.
There is no single document that proves every relationship is genuine. Instead, your evidence should provide a clear and consistent picture of your relationship and your plans together.
Depending on your circumstances, useful evidence could include:
If you have been unable to live together because of work, study or other circumstances, evidence of regular communication, visits and financial support may help demonstrate your ongoing relationship.
The aim is not to submit as much material as possible. Relevant evidence that creates a consistent picture of your relationship is more useful than large amounts of repetitive information.
For most new partner and fiancé applications, the minimum income requirement is currently £29,000 per year. Different rules or transitional arrangements can apply in some cases, so it is important to establish which requirements apply to your circumstances.
Depending on the case, permitted sources can include employment or self-employment income, certain other income, cash savings or an eligible combination.
If savings form part of your application, it is important to understand the rules around proof of funds, including how the money must be held and evidenced.
Simply having access to enough money does not necessarily mean that the financial requirement is satisfied. The source and supporting evidence must comply with the applicable immigration rules.
You should be able to show that suitable accommodation will be available for you and your household in the UK.
The property does not necessarily need to belong to you or your partner.
Depending on your circumstances, you may plan to live:
The important point is that the accommodation should genuinely be available and suitable for the number of people who will live there.
Many UK fiancé visa applicants need to meet an English language requirement unless an exemption applies.
How you satisfy the requirement depends on your circumstances.
Some applicants may qualify through their nationality or an eligible academic qualification. Others may need to pass an approved Secure English Language Test.
If you need to take a test, check that both the test and provider meet the current Home Office requirements before booking.
The exact documents depend on your circumstances, but you may need evidence relating to:
Your supporting documents should tell a consistent story.
For example, dates in your relationship evidence should make sense alongside your travel history and wedding plans. Financial documents should correspond with the income or savings being relied upon.
More documents do not automatically mean a stronger application. Focus on evidence that directly demonstrates how you meet the requirements.
The application process can be broken down into several stages.
Start by considering what you intend to do after the wedding.
If you want to marry in the UK and then continue living there with your partner, the fiancé route may be appropriate.
If you intend to marry in the UK but leave afterwards, a Marriage Visitor visa may be more suitable.
Review the relationship, financial, accommodation and English language requirements before applying.
Pay particular attention to the financial rules if you are relying on savings, self-employment income or more than one source of income.
Gather the documents needed for your individual circumstances.
Do this early enough to identify missing or unsuitable evidence before you submit your application.
An applicant seeking to enter the UK as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner will normally apply online from outside the UK.
Complete the application carefully and make sure that names, dates, addresses, relationship history and financial information correspond with your supporting evidence.
You will need to pay the Home Office application charge.
The current visa fees should be considered as part of your overall immigration budget, particularly because another application will normally follow after the marriage or civil partnership.
You may need to attend an appointment to provide your fingerprints and photograph as part of the application process. The application system will tell you what you need to do after you submit your application.
Once you have completed the required application and identity steps, UK Visas and Immigration will consider your case.
Avoid making non-refundable travel arrangements based solely on an expected decision date.
The UK fiancé visa application fee is currently £2,064 when applying from outside the UK.
You may also need to budget for additional expenses depending on your circumstances, including:
The initial fiancé permission is for 6 months. The Immigration Health Surcharge generally applies when applying for a visa for more than 6 months, so it is not normally payable for the initial six-month fiancé stage.
However, costs do not end with the wedding.
If you marry or enter a civil partnership and then apply to remain in the UK as a partner, you will make another immigration application. Different fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge can apply at that stage.
Couples should therefore budget for the whole immigration journey, rather than treating the initial £2,064 application fee as the total cost.
A partner or family visa application made from outside the UK usually receives a decision within 12 weeks.
Processing may take longer if UK Visas and Immigration requires further information or additional checks.
You should also allow time before submitting the application to:
Couples should therefore build both preparation time and the expected visa processing period into their wedding plans.
A faster decision service may be available for eligible applications, depending on where and how you apply.
A UK fiancé visa generally allows you to stay in the UK for 6 months.
You must plan to marry or enter a civil partnership within 6 months of arriving in the UK.
The visa does not automatically turn into partner permission when you marry.
If you want to continue living in the UK, you will normally need to make the appropriate family visa application after the marriage or civil partnership and before your existing permission expires.
No. If you are in the UK as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, you cannot work or study during this period.
This is an important practical consideration when planning your move.
Couples should consider how they will cover their living expenses during the fiancé stage rather than assuming the applicant can start employment after arriving in the UK.
Getting married does not by itself give you permission to work. After the ceremony, you normally need to apply to extend your stay as a partner. If that application is approved, you can then work or study.
After you marry or enter a civil partnership, you will normally need to apply to remain in the UK as a partner if you want to continue living there.
This is a separate immigration application.
At this stage, understanding the spouse visa requirements becomes particularly important because you are moving from the pre-marriage fiancé stage into the next stage of the family immigration route.
If the partner application is successful, you can work or study in the UK.
There is also an important settlement consideration. Under the standard five-year partner route, the earliest you can normally apply for indefinite leave to remain is after 5 continuous years as a partner. Time spent in the UK as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner does not count towards that period.
This is why couples should think beyond the wedding itself and understand how the fiancé stage fits into their longer-term immigration plans.
The two routes can easily be confused because both can involve coming to the UK to get married.
Their purposes are different.
| UK Fiancé Visa | Marriage Visitor Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Marry and continue family life in the UK | Visit the UK to marry |
| Plans after marriage | Remain and apply under the appropriate partner route | Leave the UK |
| Application fee | £2,064 | £135 |
| Length of stay | Up to 6 months | Up to 6 months |
| Long-term family route | Yes | No |
The Marriage Visitor visa currently costs £135 and permits a stay of up to 6 months. It is intended for people who want to marry or enter a civil partnership in the UK but do not plan to remain or settle there afterwards.
So the most important question is not simply:
Where do you want to get married?
It is:
Where do you intend to live after the wedding?
That distinction can determine which immigration route is appropriate.
Consider someone living overseas who is engaged to a British citizen living in the UK.
They want to hold their wedding in the UK and then establish their home there together.
A UK fiancé visa may be relevant because the overseas partner is not simply travelling to Britain for a wedding. They intend to marry and continue their family life in the UK.
Now consider a couple who live permanently overseas.
They want to hold their wedding in London but intend to return home afterwards.
Their immigration purpose is different. A Marriage Visitor visa may be more appropriate because their intention is to visit for the marriage rather than begin long-term family life in the UK.
Your plans after the ceremony are therefore an important part of choosing the correct route.
Do not choose a visa simply because both routes allow a marriage or civil partnership to take place in the UK.
Whether you intend to remain in the UK afterwards is fundamental to choosing the appropriate route.
Being engaged does not automatically make you eligible for a UK fiancé visa.
You still need to meet the relevant relationship, financial, accommodation, English language and other requirements.
Your evidence should demonstrate a genuine relationship and credible plans to marry or enter a civil partnership.
A wedding booking alone does not prove that every immigration requirement has been satisfied.
For most new applications, the minimum income requirement is currently £29,000 per year, although different rules can apply in some circumstances.
Work out how you intend to meet the financial requirement before assembling the rest of the application.
UK fiancé visa holders cannot work or study during the fiancé stage.
Plan your finances with this restriction in mind.
Getting married does not automatically change your immigration permission.
If you intend to remain in the UK, you will normally need to make the appropriate partner application after your marriage or civil partnership.
If you’re preparing to join your fiancé(e) in the UK, these guides can help you understand the family, financial and application requirements involved:
The current application fee is £2,064 when applying from outside the UK. You may also have additional expenses for English language testing, translations and optional application services.
A partner or family visa application made from outside the UK usually receives a decision within 12 weeks. Processing can take longer if additional information or checks are required.
No. You cannot work or study while in the UK as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner. After marrying and successfully obtaining the appropriate partner permission, you can work or study.
You can generally stay for 6 months as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner. You must plan to marry or form your civil partnership within 6 months of arriving in the UK.
Not directly. Time spent with permission as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner does not count towards the standard five-year qualifying period for settlement as a partner. After marriage or civil partnership, an eligible applicant can move onto the appropriate partner route.
A UK fiancé visa can provide a route for couples who want to marry or enter a civil partnership in the UK and then build their life there together.
A strong application requires more than evidence of an engagement. You need to consider your relationship, finances, accommodation, English language requirements, wedding plans and the immigration steps that follow the ceremony.
Planning both the fiancé stage and the post-marriage application from the beginning can help you understand the costs, timing and restrictions involved and avoid problems caused by choosing the wrong route or preparing important evidence too late.
If you are planning to join your fiancé(e) in the UK and want professional support with your application, book a consultation with UKGIC. Our immigration advisers can assess your circumstances, explain the appropriate family immigration route and support you through each stage of the application process.
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