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Marriage Visitor Visa
The Marriage visitor visa is for those who are over the age of 18 years old and wish to visit the UK in order to give notice for marriage/civil partnership or get married or form a civil partnership in the UK. The visitors intending to come to the UK for this purpose must have a valid visit visa endorsed as a marriage visitor and the name of the visa holder’s fiance(e) or proposed civil partner to gain entry.
Marriage visitor visa eligibility requirements
In order to qualify for a marriage visitor visa, the applicants must satisfy the following requirements.
- Be over the age of 18 years old
- Free to give notice and enter to marriage or a civil partnership
- Intend to to get married or form civil partnership within 6 months of coming to the UK
- Be in a genuine relationship
- Leave the UK before the expiry of the visa
- Have sufficient funds available to cover the costs of the visit and return journey without any recourse to public funds
- Demonstrate the intention and plans to get married or form civil partnership within 6 months of coming to the UK
The marriage visitor visa is suitable for those couples who just want to conduct their marriage or civil partnership ceremony in the UK and are not planning to stay or settle in the UK after. The applicants only need a standard visitor visa if they are just visiting the UK to convert their civil partnership into a marriage. The partners of British citizens or those settled in the UK taking this route, will not be allowed to switch to a spouse visa within the UK.
How can we assist?
Our Immigration lawyers at City Legal have immense experience in handling marriage visitor visa applications and assisting our clients in putting together the necessary supporting documents to provide evidence of intention to get married within 6 months of visiting the UK. We are a multi award winning law firm and pride ourselves in being approachable, innovative and always going that extra mile to make sure our clients receive the individual attention they deserve. Our Immigration team maintains a high reputation and is committed to provide clear, transparent and reliable advice to our clients.
Can I not apply for a Fiance visa instead to get married in the UK?
It is possible for the applicants to apply for a Fiance visa to get married in the UK if they meet all the requirements. However, they will need evidence that the partner is a British citizen and settled in the UK along with meeting the income, accomodation and English language requirements. Marriage visitor visa is normally applied by those who have no British or settled partner in the UK.
The standard visitor visa does not permit individuals to give notice or register marriage in the UK. If the purpose is solely for marriage, the applicants must either apply for a Fiance visa or a Marriage visitor visa. If the purpose is simply to convert the civil partnership to a marriage, then this may be possible under a standard visitor visa.
It is possible for the applicants to apply and travel as a family group; however they must separate applications and pay the relevant fees accordingly.
The applicant and their sponsor may provide evidence of their wedding planning like liaising with the local council to provide notice of marriage, confirmation of the wedding venue etc. to prove intention to marry within 6 months.
The applicant should try and understand the reasoning for the refusal and see if further evidence can be provided to rectify the issues. If so, it is best to make a fresh application. There is no right of appeal against a visit visa application, unless there are human right grounds involved or raised and is not certified as clearly unfounded. If there is no right of appeal and the decision is wrong or not in accordance with the rules, the applicant may challenge this by thy way of judicial review.