When planning to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK, visitors must notify the register office in advance.

A ‘notice of intent to marry’ or a civil partnership must be signed at your local register office by you and your partner. A resident of the registration district must have lived there for the past 7 days before they can give notice.

You must wait at least 29 days before the ceremony can take place due to the 28-day notice period. There is no need to remain in the UK during this waiting period.

A Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa is required before you travel to the UK if you are planning to marry or form a civil partnership, or to give notice of marriage or civil partnership. Marriage and Civil Partnership Visitors cannot apply for permission at the UK border to enter the country. This is true regardless of whether you are a visa or non-visa holder.

In addition, European Union (EU) settlement scheme (EUSS) status or pre-settled status is not applicable to British citizens, Irish citizens, or those awaiting a decision on an EUSS leave application submitted before 1 July 2021.  Those in this limited group can marry, form a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership without first obtaining clearance for entry into the UK.

A Marriage/Civil Partnership Visitor Visa is not required for non-visa nationals seeking entry to the UK for the purposes of entering into a marriage not recognized by UK law. Standard visitors are eligible for entry. A Standard Visitor Visa may also be obtained by Visa nationals for this purpose.

A Marriage/Civil Partnership Visitor Visa is not required for non-visa holders seeking entry to the UK to convert an existing civil partnership (under the English and Welsh laws) into a marriage. As a Standard Visitor, they can apply for entry. The Standard Visitor Visa can be applied for by citizens of visa-holding countries.

Unsure about whether you require a visa? Speak to our expert team now to confirm if you are required to apply for a visit visa before being granted entry into the UK.

You will need to demonstrate that you are sincerely seeking entry to the UK for a purpose that is allowed by the visitor routes, and you will not engage in any prohibited activities in order to qualify for a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa.

The following permitted activities are available to holders of a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa:

• Get married or enter into a civil partnership;
• Give notice of marriage or civil partnership to a Registry Office.

Visitor route visitors may also engage in other activities that are permitted under other visitor routes, but are not permitted to study.

Choosing a visa can be very confusing as there are so many to choose from.

It should be noted that there are several types of unmarried partner visas with similar or confusing names.

We at UK Immigration Solicitors are specialists in this type of visa and can guide you through your options so that you follow the correct visa type for your needs.

When you are not intending to settle permanently in the UK after getting married or entering into a civil partnership, the Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa is the best option.

Other visa types may be more suitable for you if you intend to stay with your partner in the UK.

Check out our Fiance Visa or Proposed Civil Partner Visa pages instead

As a Marriage Visitor, you must demonstrate to the Home Office that you intend to marry in the UK or form a civil partnership in the UK, within the period where you are seeking permission to visit. It must be true that the marriage or civil partnership proposed is legitimate.

The Home Office will expect you to provide proof that you have made arrangements to give notice at a register office when you apply for a Marriage Visit Visa or Civil Partnership Visit Visa. To provide notice, an appointment card or email confirmation could be used, for example.

If you are applying for a Marriage/Civil Partnership Visitor Visa, you must show proof that you have made arrangements to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK.  You may need a confirmation email from the church or registrar’s office as well as the receipt of payment for the wedding venue.

The Home Office considers all the evidence submitted, including your and your partner’s relationship, your future plans, and living arrangements, in assessing whether the marriage or civil partnership is a sham.  The Home Office will deny your application if it does not believe that the relationship is genuine.

As part of your application for a Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visit Visa, you will be required to satisfy the Home Office that you are genuinely seeking to enter the United Kingdom for a permitted purpose. In addition, you must assure the Home Office that you will leave the United Kingdom at the end of your visit and will not reside in the United Kingdom for prolonged periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your place of residence.

In assessing your application, the Home Office will consider the following factors:

• Previously visited countries and the length of time you spent abroad;
• Personal financial situation, family, social, and economic background;
• Economic and personal links to the country of residence.

Home Office officials may doubt your authenticity as a visitor if you do not have many close ties to your country of residence and have several close relatives living in the United Kingdom, if you have previously attempted to deceive the Home Office in an immigration application, and if there are discrepancies in your statement and your sponsor’s statement.

Often, we see that as a result of applicants making applications themselves, UKVI have highlighted discrepancies and treated them as a deliberate attempt to deceive the Home Office. We regularly hear horror stories from clients who innocently made applications without legal guidance as they were intending to save the legal fees but have not understood the immigration rules properly and are now battling to prove that the information they gave was in good faith albeit contained administrative errors.

If you are unclear about whether your intentions meet the requirements or are concerned about the impact of how a previous application may affect your proposed visit, get help from our experts now to get clear, bespoke guidance.

There is no English proficiency requirement for applicants for Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa.

However, having a limited command of English can cause many problems whilst preparing and making an application and applying the correct rules and considerations.

Our team are bilingual and can provide you with advice and guidance in languages other than English upon request.

There are no specific requirements as to your financial situation under this visa type, but you will be expected to have enough funds to cover all reasonable costs associated with your visit (e.g., travel, maintenance, and accommodation), without the need to work or access public funds.

A permitted financial institution must hold your funds.

A third party may cover your travel, maintenance, and accommodation costs if the third party has a genuine professional or personal relationship with you, if they do not break immigration laws, and if they are able to support you throughout your visit.

Our expert team can check your plans and guide you through the requirements to ensure that your circumstances can satisfy UK Visa Rules.

You can apply for a Visit Visa that is valid for either a 6 month, 2 year, 5 year, or 10 year period if you wish to visit the UK on a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa.  

While the validity period of your Visit Visa is valid, you can enter and leave the UK more than once, unless your Visit Visa has been endorsed for single or dual entry, you can visit the UK no more than once every six months.

A Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visitor is not permitted to work in the UK or, with few exceptions, to receive any payment for activities undertaken in the UK.

Thus, Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visitors are not allowed to take up employment, establish or run a business as a sole trader, work for an organisation or business in the UK, undertake a work placement or internship in the UK, or otherwise provide or sell goods or services in the UK.

During their visit to the UK, Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visitors are permitted to perform activities related to their employment overseas, such as responding to emails or answering phone calls.  However, the main purpose of your visit to the UK should be to engage in a permitted activity, rather than to remotely work from the UK.

Visitors who are seeking employment or attending job interviews can also come to the UK as Medical Treatment and Organ Donation Visitor If you are successful in obtaining employment, you will have to leave the UK and get entry clearance before starting work.

If you are looking for long term work in the UK, there are a number of alternative visit types which will allow you to do so.

Our team are experts in this area and will be happy to assess your needs and identify the best route for you.

As with most things in life, think accountant, doctor, electrician, it is possible to do it yourself if your suitably qualified and competent. You can complete your own visa application if you feel you have the required understanding of the Home Office rules, requirements and specified evidence thresholds. However, it is not ordinarily recommended if you are not totally comfortable with understanding and satisfying UKVI immigration rules.

It is worth noting that this type of visa is the most refused visa type out of all categories.

Almost every visa has an associated processing government application fee.

It is important to note that this is an administrative fee that you will be charged for the application to be processed irrespective of the outcome.

In the event that you have made an inadequate application or are refused, the processing fee would have already been utilised and therefore, it will not be refunded.

Aside from the application fees, a refusal is likely to have far reaching implications both practical and financial.

If you do not have a strong history of previous compliant visits to the UK, it is unlikely you will be granted a visa for longer than 6 months initially

The Home Office application fee for a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa is currently £100 for stays up to six months.

The Home Office application fee for a Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa for a stay of more than 6 months but not more than 11 months is £200.

Marriage or Civil Partnership Visit Visa that are valid for 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years will cost you £376, £670, or £837, respectively, at the Home Office.

Please note, the above fees are administrative only and do not cover our professional fees for legal representation.

We provide a full representation service for one transparent, affordable fee to handle your entire case.