About the visa
The Partner Visit (within the UK Standard Visitor route, Appendix V) allows overseas nationals to visit a partner living in the UK for up to 6 months per stay. This covers visits to a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, boyfriend or girlfriend.
This is strictly a short-term visit route. If you intend to live with your partner in the UK, you should apply under the family partner route instead. Using successive visitor visits to effectively live in the UK is not permitted.
Eligibility & key rules
You must satisfy the genuine visitor test. For partner visits, decision-makers will closely assess:
- Genuine intention to leave at the end of the visit — particularly important when visiting a partner
- You will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
- Sufficient funds for the visit without working, including return travel
- Strong ties to your home country (employment, property, family obligations) to demonstrate you will return
A UK-based partner may provide financial support as a third party, but you must show the relationship is genuine and they can support you.
Permitted activities
Partner visitors may:
- Visit and spend time with a partner in the UK
- Attend social events and family gatherings together
- Tourism and sightseeing during the visit
- Take a recreational course of up to 30 days
What you can and cannot do
Permitted
- Visit your partner and attend social activities
- Stay with your partner or in other accommodation
- General tourism during the visit
- Short recreational courses
Not permitted
- Work for a UK employer, paid or unpaid
- Access public funds or state benefits
- Use successive visits to live with your partner
- Get married without the correct visa
- Switch to a family visa from within the UK
Fees, documents & process
Costs
- Standard (up to 6 months): £127
- 2-year long-term visa: £475
- 5-year long-term visa: £848
- 10-year long-term visa: £1,059
- No Immigration Health Surcharge for visitor visas
Required documents
- Valid passport or travel document
- Evidence of your relationship (photos, communications, previous visits, travel together)
- Details of your partner’s UK immigration status (if applicable)
- Proof of funds — your own or partner’s sponsorship with evidence
- Evidence of strong ties to home country (employment, property, education, family)
- Travel plans including return flights
Processing
- Apply online at least 3 months before travel
- Attend a visa application centre for biometrics
- Decision usually within 3 weeks
Common refusal reasons
- Decision-maker not satisfied you will leave at the end of the visit (especially with overseas partner)
- Pattern of long or frequent visits suggesting you are living in the UK
- Insufficient evidence of ties to home country
- Relationship evidence is unconvincing or insufficient
- Attempting to use visitor route instead of applying for a family visa
