Marriage Visitor Visa
Come to the UK to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice of one. You can stay up to 6 months, and it is not a route to settlement.
- Screening A few questions about your work, your family and your plans.
- Documents A checklist built around your route and who is coming with you.
- Expert review A qualified adviser reads every document before anything is filed.
- Application Every answer is checked against the published rules for your route.
- Submission Filed, with everything that went with it kept in one place.
- Arrival We stay with you through the crossing and the first steps after.
Application fee
£135
Visit visa up to 6 months, GOV.UK
Maximum stay
6 months
Immigration Rules, Marriage Visitor
Paid work allowed
No
Visitors cannot work in the UK
What is the UK Marriage Visitor visa?
The Marriage Visitor visa lets you come to the UK for up to 6 months to marry, form a civil partnership, or give notice of doing so. You must not be planning to settle in the UK afterwards, and this visa cannot be extended or switched to another visa from inside the UK.
Who this route is for
This route is for a person who has reached the route’s minimum age and who intends, within the period of their visit, to give notice of marriage or civil partnership, or to marry or form a civil partnership, in a relationship that is not a sham. You must show you are a genuine visitor who will leave the UK at the end of your stay, and that you can support yourself and pay for your return or onward journey. Most people must obtain entry clearance before they travel, unless they are a ‘relevant national’, a British citizen, an Irish citizen, or someone with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Requirements
- AgeBoth partners must be 18 or over on the date of application.
- Purpose of the visitYou must intend, within the period of your visit, to give notice of marriage or civil partnership, or to marry or form a civil partnership, and not be planning to stay or settle in the UK afterwards.
- Genuine relationshipYou must be in a genuine relationship, and the marriage or civil partnership must not be a sham.
- Genuine visitorYou must show you will leave the UK at the end of your visit and will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits.
- Financial requirementYou must be able to support yourself during your trip and pay for your return or onward journey, or have funding from someone else for this.
- Entry clearanceYou must normally obtain entry clearance before you travel to the UK, unless you are a 'relevant national': a British citizen, an Irish citizen, or someone with settled or pre-settled status (or a pending decision) under the EU Settlement Scheme.
- Licensed venueThe marriage or civil partnership must take place at a venue licensed for this purpose.
Documents typically needed
- Passport or travel documentValid for the whole of your stay in the UK.
- Evidence of your wedding or civil partnership arrangementsFor example a booking confirmation for the venue, or an appointment confirmation for giving notice at a register office.
- Evidence you are free to marry or form a civil partnership againIf you have been married or in a civil partnership before, for example a decree absolute or a previous partner's death certificate.
- Evidence of your relationshipShowing you are in a genuine relationship.
- Financial evidenceShowing you can support yourself and pay for your return or onward journey.
- Certified translationsFor any document that is not in English or Welsh.
How to apply
Check if you need a visa
Confirm whether you need a Marriage Visitor visa, including whether you are a 'relevant national' who does not need one.
Prepare your evidence
Gather your passport, evidence of your wedding or civil partnership arrangements, and financial evidence before you begin your application.
Apply online before you travel
Submit the online application. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
Attend an appointment
Go to an appointment at a visa application centre to give your fingerprints and photograph and provide your passport.
Wait for a decision, then travel
You'll usually get a decision within 3 weeks. Keep evidence of your visit's purpose in your hand luggage to show at the UK border if asked.
Fees & costs
- Marriage Visitor visa (up to 6 months)
- £135
- Faster decision: 5 working days
- Extra £500
- Faster decision: 24 hours
- Extra £1,000
Fees are set by the Home Office and can change. Your partner must apply and pay separately for their own Marriage Visitor visa if they also need one. Faster decision services are subject to availability at your visa application centre. Source: GOV.UK, Marriage Visitor visa.
Processing times
- Standard service
- Usually within 3 weeks
Standard service time published by the Home Office, counted from when you've applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents. A faster decision may be available for an extra fee, subject to availability.
What you can and can't do
Permitted
- Marry or form a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arrival, at a licensed venue
- Give notice of your intention to marry or form a civil partnership at a register office
- Pass through the UK in transit on your way to another country
Not permitted
- Extend this visa or switch to another visa from inside the UK
- Live in the UK for extended periods through frequent visits
- Access public funds
- Work in the UK, other than permitted activities related to your job or business overseas, such as attending meetings
- Study in the UK
- Bring a partner or child as a dependant. They must apply separately
If the application is refused
A refusal decision explains the reasons under the published rules. Most visit visa refusals do not carry a right of appeal; a right of appeal may be available only on human rights grounds, and the refusal notice explains whether this applies and any time limits.
Common questions
Can I use a Marriage Visitor visa to settle in the UK?
Do I need to give notice of marriage before the ceremony?
Does my partner also need a Marriage Visitor visa?
How much does a Marriage Visitor visa cost?
Who does not need a Marriage Visitor visa?
How long can I stay on a Marriage Visitor visa?
What happens if a Marriage Visitor visa application is refused?
Talk it through with one of our solicitors.
Book a consultation and one of our immigration solicitors will go through your situation, the documents involved, and what happens next.
Spouse and Partner Visa
Family visa for spouses, civil partners, and unmarried partners of British citizens or UK settled persons with pathway to settlement.
Read the guide →Family and Friends Visit
Travel to the UK to spend time with relatives and friends, attend family events and enjoy short visits of up to 6 months.
Read the guide →Tourist Visit
Travel to the UK as a Standard Visitor for a holiday, sightseeing, or to see family and friends, for up to 6 months at a time.
Read the guide →