The Civil partner visa is for people in a civil partnership with a British citizen or someone settled in the UK, and for couples who plan to form a civil partnership here. Civil partners are treated in the same way as husbands and wives, so the rights and the route to settlement match the Spouse visa.
Civil partner visa at a glance
- Who it is for
- You must be the civil partner or proposed civil partner of a British or Irish citizen or a person settled in the UK; you must both be 18 or over.
- How long you can stay
- You can stay up to 2 years and 9 months, or 2 years and 6 months if you extend or switch. Proposed civil partners get 6 months.
- Where you can apply from
- You can apply online from outside the UK, or from inside the UK if you already have permission to be here; visitors usually must leave the UK to apply.
- English language
- You must prove your English, for example with an approved A1 speaking and listening test; you may be exempt if you are 65 or over or have a disability.
- Money you need
- You and your partner usually need combined income of at least £29,000 a year; savings may be used instead. Different rules apply in some cases.
- Work and study
- If you come as a proposed civil partner, you cannot work or study until you form the civil partnership and your extension is approved.
- Family members
- You can add children as dependants if they are under 18 when you apply, or were under 18 when first granted leave, and do not live an independent life.
- Switching in the UK
- You may be able to switch from another visa, but usually not from a visitor visa or one lasting 6 months or less, except a 6-month proposed civil partner visa.
- Route to settlement
- You can usually apply to settle after 5 continuous years on a partner visa; time on other visas or as a proposed civil partner does not count.
- Decision time
- Applying outside the UK usually takes 12 weeks. In the UK, it usually takes 8 weeks if you meet the money and English rules, otherwise about 12 months.
From the official GOV.UK guidance, checked 9 November 2026.
Overview
From outside the UK you are usually granted 2 years and 9 months, and in the UK 2 years and 6 months when you switch or extend. You can work, run a business and study. You cannot claim most benefits. After 5 years as a partner you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Civil partnership in the UK is open to same-sex and opposite-sex couples. In England and Wales, opposite-sex couples have been able to form one since 2 December 2019. Many registered partnerships formed abroad also count as civil partnerships here, which matters to couples who registered a partnership in another country rather than marrying.
If you are not yet civil partners, you can come to the UK as a proposed civil partner for 6 months to form your civil partnership, and then extend.
The financial, accommodation and English requirements are exactly the same as for married couples, including the £29,000 minimum income requirement. Our Spouse visa page explains them in detail. For settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the English level rises from B1 to B2.
Who can apply
You and your partner must both be 18 or over and must have met in person. Your partner must be British, Irish, settled in the UK, or hold one of the other qualifying statuses, such as refugee status. The route is for:
- civil partners whose civil partnership was formed in the UK
- couples whose registered partnership abroad is treated as a civil partnership in the UK
- proposed civil partners who will form a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving
It is not the route for couples who married, including same-sex couples who married abroad: they apply as spouses. Couples who never registered their relationship should look at the Unmarried partner visa.
Requirements
- A valid civil partnership: it must have been validly formed and be recognised in the UK.
- Earlier relationships ended: any previous marriage or civil partnership of either of you must have been legally ended, and you need the final divorce or dissolution document.
- Met in person, and a genuine relationship: you must both intend to live together permanently in the UK.
- Money, accommodation and English: the same as for spouses.
- Suitability: no serious criminality, deception or poor immigration history.
Civil partnerships formed abroad
A relationship registered outside the UK is treated as a civil partnership under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 if it is not a marriage and either:
- it appears on the list of recognised overseas relationships in the Act, which includes, for example, the pacte civil de solidarité, the Dutch registered partnership and the Belgian cohabitation légale, or
- it meets the general conditions in the Act: it is exclusive, it lasts indefinitely, and the law of that country treats the couple as a couple or as married
The partnership must also have been validly registered under local law, and you must both have had the capacity to enter it. If either of you had your permanent home in England and Wales at the time, that person must have been at least 18. Opposite-sex partnerships registered abroad before 2 December 2019 are treated as civil partnerships in England and Wales from that date.
Bring the official registration certificate, with a certified translation. If your partnership is less formal, for example registered only with a local authority, we can check whether it meets the general conditions before you apply.
Proposed civil partners
If you plan to form your civil partnership in the UK, you apply as a proposed civil partner. You must show that you will form the partnership within 6 months of arriving, and that any earlier marriage or civil partnership has ended. Evidence of your plans, such as correspondence with a register office, helps.
In England and Wales you give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony, after living in the registration district for at least 7 days. If either of you is not British, Irish or covered by the EU Settlement Scheme, you normally give notice together. If your notice is referred to the Home Office and it decides to investigate, it may ask questions about your relationship, and the notice period can be extended from 28 to 70 days. You cannot work until you have formed your civil partnership and been granted an extension.
How to apply
- Decide on the right category: civil partner, proposed civil partner, or spouse if you married.
- Gather your civil partnership certificate or evidence of your plans, proof that earlier relationships have ended, relationship evidence, and the financial, accommodation and English evidence.
- Arrange certified translations of documents not in English or Welsh, and a TB test if you need one.
- Apply online on GOV.UK and pay the Home Office fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Prove your identity at a visa application centre abroad, or at a UKVCAS service point in the UK.
- Once granted, set up your UKVI account to view your eVisa.
Costs
Expect the Home Office application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge for the whole period of permission, and, if you choose, a priority fee. Other costs include an English test, a TB test, translations and, for proposed civil partners, the register office fees for giving notice and the ceremony. Current Home Office fees are shown on this page and on our UK visa fees page. Our visa cost calculator adds up the total.
Processing times
Decisions on applications from outside the UK usually take about 12 weeks, or about 30 working days with priority where it is offered. In the UK, an extension that meets the financial and English requirements usually takes about 8 weeks, with super priority available. Applications that rely on an exception to the requirements take about 12 months.
Partners and children
Your children under 18 can apply with you or join you, with permission in line with yours. No extra income is needed for them on a new application. A child from an earlier relationship usually needs to show that you have sole responsibility, or serious reasons for coming. See our page on children and other relatives.
Extending your stay and settlement
After the first grant you extend for a further 2 years and 6 months, meeting the same requirements again. A proposed civil partner extends as a civil partner once the partnership is formed. If the ceremony is delayed, you must show a good reason and that it will take place within the next 6 months.
After 5 years as a partner you can apply for indefinite leave to remain, with the Life in the UK test and English at B1 (B2 from 26 March 2027). Time as a proposed civil partner does not count towards the 5 years. If your partner is British, you can apply for British citizenship as soon as you are settled, if you have lived in the UK for at least 3 years and meet the other requirements.
How we can help
We confirm whether your partnership will be recognised in the UK, which is often the first question for couples who registered abroad. We then advise on the right category and the order of steps, for example whether to form the partnership in the UK or apply on the basis of one you already have.
We prepare your evidence list, review your documents and translations, prepare the application and representations, and deal with any Home Office request for information. If you are refused, we advise on appeal.
Frequently asked questions
Is a civil partnership treated differently from a marriage?
No. For UK immigration purposes, civil partners and spouses meet the same requirements and have the same rights.
We have a registered partnership in another country. Can we use it?
Often yes. If it appears on the list in the Civil Partnership Act 2004, or meets the general conditions, it is treated as a civil partnership. Bring the official certificate.
We are a same-sex couple who married abroad. Which route do we use?
Apply as a spouse. A same-sex marriage abroad is treated as a marriage in the UK, not as a civil partnership.
Can I come as a visitor to form our civil partnership?
Yes, on a Marriage Visitor visa, but you must then leave and apply for a Civil partner visa from abroad. You cannot form a civil partnership on a Standard Visitor visa.
What if we cannot form our civil partnership within 6 months?
You can apply to extend if there is a good reason for the delay and evidence that it will happen within the next 6 months.
Do we need to have lived together?
No. Civil partners do not need to have lived together before applying, but you must intend to live together permanently in the UK.
This page is general information about UK immigration rules, not legal advice on your circumstances. Home Office fees shown on this page are taken from GOV.UK; the date they were last checked is shown beside them. For advice on your case, request a consultation.
