If you are coming to the UK to marry or form a civil partnership and then leave, the Marriage Visitor visa is designed for that purpose. If you are applying from abroad to marry in the UK and then remain here with an eligible partner, the fiancé route is normally the appropriate family route, followed by a spouse visa after the ceremony. You cannot switch from a Marriage Visitor visa into another immigration route from inside the UK.
If you are already married or in a civil partnership recognised in the UK and want to join your partner here, you would normally apply directly as a spouse or partner rather than using either wedding route.
The three routes, side by side
| Feature | Marriage Visitor visa | Fiancé visa | Spouse visa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Marry, form a civil partnership or give notice in the UK, then leave | Enter the UK to marry or form a civil partnership, then stay | Join or remain with a partner where the marriage or civil partnership already exists |
| Who it suits | Couples not planning to settle in the UK after the ceremony | Couples marrying in the UK who intend to live here afterwards | Married or civil-partner couples intending to live together in the UK |
| Length of stay | Up to 6 months | Up to 6 months | Up to 2 years 9 months from abroad; usually 2 years 6 months on an in-country extension or switch |
| Work allowed | No UK employment; only limited permitted visitor activities | No | Yes |
| Leads to settlement | No | Only after switching; fiancé time does not count towards the five-year partner route | Normally eligible for ILR after the required qualifying period |
| Can extend or switch | No | Can normally switch to the partner route after marriage | Can be extended if the requirements continue to be met |
| Financial requirement | Must show the visit can be funded | Usually £29,000 minimum income requirement | Usually £29,000 for applicants under the current rules |
| English requirement | None | Usually A1 for an initial application | Usually A1 for an initial application |
| Home Office fee in 2026 | £135 | £2,064 | £2,064 from outside the UK; £1,407 for an in-country family application |
The fees above reflect the schedule in force from 8 April 2026. Our guide to the latest visa fees gives the wider position.
The Immigration Health Surcharge is generally £1,035 per year for adult family-route applicants. A fiancé application made outside the UK for six months does not attract the surcharge, but an in-country spouse application after the wedding does.
When the Marriage Visitor visa is the right choice
The Marriage Visitor visa is for someone coming to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice in the UK without intending to settle here afterwards. It can be granted for up to six months. You cannot extend it or switch from it in the UK, and it does not permit study or ordinary UK employment, although limited visitor activities connected with overseas work can be permitted.
With the narrow exception of converting an existing civil partnership into a marriage, a Standard Visitor visa does not permit someone to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice. A traveller relying on an ETA cannot use that permission for marriage or notice either.
You can read the official conditions on the GOV.UK Marriage Visitor visa page.
Timing matters. In England and Wales, you normally need to give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony. Where a proposed marriage or civil partnership is referred to the Home Office for investigation, the notice period can be extended to 70 days. Build enough time into the six-month immigration permission for the notice appointment and ceremony.
When you need the fiancé visa, then the spouse visa
If you are outside the UK and intend to come here specifically to marry an eligible partner and then remain together in the UK, the family visa as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner is normally the appropriate route. It gives up to six months to marry or form the civil partnership. You can then apply in the UK to move onto the partner route. Our guide to switching from a fiancé visa to a spouse visa explains that second application.
The fiancé and spouse routes have more demanding requirements than the visitor route. For most new applications, you need to meet the £29,000 financial requirement, prove a genuine and subsisting relationship through appropriate relationship evidence, meet the accommodation rules and satisfy the English-language requirement, usually at A1 for a first partner-route application unless an exemption applies.
Our guide to family visa applications covers the process.
One timing point is important: the six months spent as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner do not count towards the five-year partner-route qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. That qualifying period starts once you have partner permission that counts towards settlement. Later, our guide to British citizenship explains the separate naturalisation rules.
When to go straight for the spouse visa
If you are already married or in a civil partnership recognised in the UK, you normally do not need either wedding route. You can apply directly as a spouse or civil partner if you and your sponsor meet the relevant requirements.
If you are lawfully in the UK under another immigration category, you may sometimes be able to move onto the family partner route without leaving. Our guide to switching visas from inside the UK covers the general position.
Visitors are a major exception. You generally cannot switch from a visitor route inside the UK to a partner family visa, subject to limited exceptions in the Immigration Rules.
The costly route-selection mistake
A Marriage Visitor visa should not be treated as a shortcut into settlement. If someone comes on that route, marries and then decides to remain permanently, they will normally have to leave the UK and make the appropriate family application from abroad.
If a family application is refused, our guides to spouse visa refusals and what to do after a refusal explain the available next steps. A covering letter can organise the evidence, and a family visa interview may be requested if the Home Office wants more information about the relationship.
A note on related routes
Marriage is not required for every partner application. The unmarried partner visa can cover couples who have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years. They do not necessarily have to have lived together for the whole period if there is a valid reason they cannot cohabit, but they must show an ongoing commitment to each other.
Where children apply too, check the children joining you rules.
If the main purpose is a child’s education, a child student visa may be appropriate for a child aged 4 to 17 studying at an independent school.
Business immigration is separate. The Start-up visa is closed to new applications; someone wanting to establish an innovative UK business may instead consider the Innovator Founder route. The UK Expansion Worker visa is a temporary sponsored route for qualifying senior managers or specialist employees of overseas businesses expanding into the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from a Marriage Visitor visa to a spouse visa?
No. A Marriage Visitor visa cannot be extended or switched into another route from inside the UK. If you later want to live permanently with your partner here, you will normally need to leave and make the appropriate family application from abroad.
Do I need a fiancé visa or a Marriage Visitor visa?
If you are coming to the UK to marry and then leave, the Marriage Visitor route is usually the relevant option. If you are applying from abroad to marry an eligible partner and then remain together in the UK, the fiancé family route is normally appropriate.
Can I get married in the UK on a Standard Visitor visa?
Generally, no. Standard Visitor permission does not allow marriage, civil partnership or giving notice. The narrow exception is conversion of an existing civil partnership into a marriage.
How long can I stay on a Marriage Visitor visa?
Up to six months. It cannot be extended or switched into another visa from within the UK.
Is the fiancé visa cheaper than the spouse visa?
The Home Office application fee for an overseas fiancé application and an overseas partner application is currently the same at £2,064. The fiancé stage does not attract the Immigration Health Surcharge because it is granted for no more than six months from outside the UK, but the later in-country spouse application carries a new application fee and normally the surcharge.
We are already married abroad. Which route do we use?
If the marriage is recognised in the UK and the other requirements are met, apply directly under the spouse or partner family route rather than using a Marriage Visitor or fiancé visa.
Talk to us before you choose your route
The right route depends on your plans after the ceremony, your current immigration position, your partner’s status and whether the family-route requirements can be met. Our immigration solicitors in London can review the options and the evidence needed before you apply.
