(Apply as a partner or spouse)
Marriage visa
To apply for a visa as a partner, you and your partner must be 18 years of age or older.
Your partner must also meet one of the following conditions:
- Be a British citizen.
- Have permanent residence in the UK (have “indefinite residence” or have permanent residence permits).
- Have refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK.
You and your partner should intend to live together permanently after applying for a visa.
Conditions you must prove to apply for a visa
You must be able to prove one of the following:
- You’ve gotten a marriage that is recognized in the UK.
- You have been in a relationship for at least 2 years at the time of applying for the visa.
- You are engaged and will be married within 6 months of arriving in the UK.
You must also prove the following:
- You have sufficient knowledge of English.
- You can finance yourself and your affiliates.
If you do not qualify, you may still be able to apply for or extend a visa with the following conditions:
- You have a child who is a British citizen or has lived in the UK for 7 years, and it is unreasonable for them to leave the UK.
- Living outside the UK can be a daunting task for you and your partner.
- Preventing you from coming to the UK or being forced to leave is a violation of your human rights.
If you are applyingfor a visa as a candidate
You must prove:
- Your previous marriage is over.
- You plan to get married within 6 months of arriving in the UK.
You can not work during the engagement period.
How long can you stay?
If you are applying, you will receive a residence permit for 2.5 years, or 6 months.
After this period, you must apply for a visa to extend your stay.
How to apply for a visa
To apply for this type of visa, please first complete the relevant assessment form.
Your answers will be reviewed by our partners and if you are eligible to receive this type of visa, you will be notified of the next steps of this process by e-mail or phone.
You can also ask your questions at the bottom of this page. We will try to answer your questions as soon as possible.
Contact us for information about this type of visa or other items.
Apply for a visa with children
If your children are under 18, or were under 18 at the time of applying for the visa and do not live independently, you can add your children as dependents to your visa application.
If, for example, your child has left home, is married or has children, then your child is living independently.
When can you become a permanent resident?
The earliest time you can apply for permanent residence (called “unlimited residence”) is after 5 years of authorized residence as a partner in the UK. You can not consider any kind of residence permit in the UK as a candidate, by marriage.
The rules will be different if you applied before July 9, 2012.
If you applied before July 9, 2012
You can apply for a family visa extension only if all of the following conditions are true:
- You received a residence permit as a partner before July 9, 2012.
- You do not qualify for permanent residence.
- No other visa has been issued to you, and your application for another visa has not been rejected.
You must also prove the following conditions:
- You and your partner have enough money to finance and equip the place of residence and each of the dependents without the need for a government budget.
- You have sufficient knowledge of English.