UK Marriage Visitor Visa

To apply for a marriage visitor visa, this must be done from outside of the UK. You must demonstrate that you plan to marry in the UK and will leave the UK after the marriage is completed. 

The marriage visitor visa lets you do the following:

1.    Give notice to the local registry office. 

2.    Able to get married legally in the UK. 

3.    Then must leave the UK after the marriage is completed or when you have told the Home Office on the visa form you will. 

What is required to apply for a marriage visitor visa?

To apply for the visa, you must do this online. Make sure you provide the correct answers to the application questions to avoid being asked the wrong questions. 

1.    You must apply for the marriage visitor visa online and use the correct visa form. This is listed on the Home Office website. 

2.    To apply for the visa, you must have a valid passport, also referred as the travel document. 

3.    Both you and your partner must demonstrate through evidences, including information that you are in a genuine and subsisting relationship. 

3.1.        Documents to show you have lived together outside of the UK are an example of having a committed relationship. 

3.2.        You can show financial responsibilities outside of the UK. 

3.3.        How you maintain contact between you and your partner must be provided.  

4.    You must provide evidences of you can support yourself as well as that of the marriage in the UK. Your sponsor, who is your partner can also show evidences. 

4.1.        If your partner is in the UK on a temporary work visa, he/she can provide their employment details and evidences of their bank statements, to show funds available for your travels and stay in the UK.

5.    Have funds to show your onwards travels back to your residency. You must show financial evidences to confirm your intentions to leave the UK. 

5.1.       Both you and your partner may not reside in the UK and can provide both employment and social ties outside of the UK. 

6.    Not planning to have successive visits to the UK. This is to prove the intention of leaving the UK and not planning to stay beyond the visa duration. 

The documents required for the marriage visitor visa

In terms of the evidences required for your application, the Home Office publishes a list of documents required for your marriage visitor visa application. 

The list of documents required for the UK marriage visitor visa can be found here. However please note, this is not an exhaustive list of documents required and based on your circumstances, you would be required to provide additional information and evidences. 

Documents not in English

You must ensure that all documents are officially translated when submitting the application to the Home Office. 

Applying for the marriage visitor visa

Once you and your partner have collected all the information and documents for the visa, you should apply for this online.

You will need to attend an application centre to file your biometric data and application/documents. Taking your documents in person and getting them scanned ensures all evidences are filed and lodged. This avoids your visa being denied for missing documents. 

Visa granted under the marriage visitor visa

Once the visa is endorsed into your passport, you will be able to travel into the UK. You should only travel to the UK on the date you confirmed on the visa form and not before. 

1.    If you travel to the UK before the date you confirmed on the visa form, you may be asked why by the Border Officers in the UK.

2.    You are not allowed to work or study in the UK whilst on the marriage visitor visa. 

3.    It is not allowed for you to claim any public funds, including the use of the NHS. You should use health insurance to pay for any healthcare privately in the UK. 

Failing to comply with the above conditions can have your visa cancelled and be removed from the UK. 

How to convert your same sex civil partnership into a marriage

You can do this in the UK and there are more information on how to follow that process in the UK to change into a marriage. 

How to give notice of marriage in the UK

Both you and your partner must give legal notice to marry in the UK. You can find more details of how to marry in the UK here. 

1.    You may not need to give notice in advance of marrying in the UK. 

The most frequently asked questions on marriage visitor visa

The visa fees for the marriage visitor visa? The Home Office publishes information related to the visa costs. You can find more information on visa fee costs on the Home Office website. Please ensure you check for regular updates. 

What is the difference between fiancé visa and marriage visitor visa UK? The fiancé visa allows you to apply for a settlement visa in the UK, whereas the marriage visitor visa does not allow you to do this. 

How long can you stay in the UK with the marriage visitor’s visa? It is usually granted for 6 months; however you must leave the UK if you have told the Home Office, you will do so. If you do not, the Home Office may penalise you for future entry or visa applications. 

When can I apply for a marriage visitor visa? You must plan your visa application and can apply 3 months prior to the date of travels to the UK. Do not delay submitting your application, so you can make the visa is granted in time. 

How long does the visa processing takes once the visa is filed? It’s usual processing time is around 15 working days, after you have attended a Visa Centre. You can choose to prioritise the application by paying an extra fee before you attend the Visa Centre. Decisions can take around 5 working days. 

Can you extend your marriage visitor visa in the UK? In some instances, you can apply to extend the visa. However, we recommend you to take legal advice on this. 

Can I switch to a settlement visa if I hold a marriage visitor’s visa? In some instances, no. The visa you hold is for temporary entry to the UK and must leave the UK. You can apply to settle in the UK on exceptional circumstances and are able to demonstrate this through documents. 

How to appeal against a marriage visitor visa refusal?

There is no automatic right to appeal against the refusal of the marriage visitor visa application. Taking legal advice will ensure you understand whether that decision had been reached correctly or not. 

You can do the following if your marriage visitor visa is refused/denied by the UK Home Office:

1.    You can find for a legal reconsideration of the visa decision if you find that you have provided the correct information and documents. For example, if you are employed and you have provided the employment letter, and this document had been missed, you can raise a request to review the decision.

2.    Apply for the visa again. You may have missed some documents or did not know this should have been provided, then apply for the visa again would be better. 

Finding help with your marriage visitor visa application

ICS Legal can advise and help prepare your visa application to marry in the UK. 

Contact ICS Legal on 0207 237 3388 to get some initial legal advice or simply complete our visa assessment form, by clicking here. 

About the author

ICS Legal are a regulated legal firm in the UK and provides immigration & nationality advice.