What is a Marriage Visitor visa?

A Marriage Visitor visa is a UK visa for a person who wants to marry or enter a civil partnership in the UK, or give notice of it, and who does not plan to stay or settle there afterwards. It allows a stay of up to 6 months and cannot be extended or switched.

How the Marriage Visitor visa works

A Marriage Visitor visa is a type of visitor visa. GOV.UK says you must apply for it if you want to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK, or give notice of a marriage or civil partnership in the UK. You must also not be planning to stay or settle in the UK afterwards and must meet the other eligibility requirements.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa}

You do not need a Marriage Visitor visa to convert a civil partnership into a marriage. You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa for that. You also do not need one if you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, have applied and are waiting for a decision, or are an Irish citizen. GOV.UK adds that you cannot apply if you qualify for British citizenship. In that case you must apply for British citizenship instead.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa}

The visa lets you visit the UK for up to 6 months. You can marry or enter a civil partnership within 6 months of your arrival, and you must use a venue licensed for this. You can also pass through the UK in transit.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa}

What you must prove

GOV.UK lists what you must prove.^{[2]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa: Eligibility}

• You are 18 or over.
• You are free to give notice of marriage, to marry or to enter a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of your arrival.
• You are in a genuine relationship.
• You are visiting the UK for less than 6 months and will leave at the end of your visit.
• You will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home.
• You can support yourself during the trip, or have funding from someone else, and you can pay for your return or onward journey.
• You have proof of any other activities you want to do in the UK, as allowed by the Visitor Rules.

For documents, you must provide a passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay. You can supply details of the marriage or civil partnership and proof that you have paid some of its costs. You can also supply proof that you are planning to marry in the UK, such as a booking confirmation or emails with the venue. If you have been married before, you need proof that you are free to marry again, for example a decree absolute or a death certificate of a previous partner. Documents that are not in English or Welsh need a certified translation.^{[3]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa: Documents you'll need}

Applying, cost and time

You must apply online before you travel. You go to an appointment at a visa application centre, where you give fingerprints and a photograph at a biometrics appointment and take your passport with you. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa}

The fee on GOV.UK is £135. You should usually get a decision within 3 weeks of your appointment. You may be able to pay an extra £500 for a decision within 5 working days or £1,000 for a decision within 24 hours, which excludes weekends and bank holidays. GOV.UK says to check with your visa application centre.^{[4]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa: Apply from outside the UK}

If you and your partner both need a visa, your partner must apply separately and pay the fee. A child will need to apply as a Standard Visitor if they need a visa.^{[4]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa: Apply from outside the UK}

Marriage Visitor visa compared with a fiancé visa

The first column comes from the Marriage Visitor pages.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa} The second comes from the family visa guidance on partners.^{[5]Home Office, Family visas: apply, extend or switch: Apply as a partner or spouse} GOV.UK says a fiancé applicant must prove they plan to marry or become civil partners within 6 months of arriving, and that any previous marriage has ended.^{[5]Home Office, Family visas: apply, extend or switch: Apply as a partner or spouse} For the family route see fiancé visa.

Example

Hamza is a national of a country that requires a visa. He wants to marry Aisha, who lives in the UK, at a licensed venue in 3 months. They plan to live in Hamza’s home country afterwards. Hamza applies for a Marriage Visitor visa online no earlier than 3 months before he travels, attends the visa application centre, pays £135 and provides his passport, venue booking confirmation and proof of funds.

If, after the wedding, they decide to settle in the UK, Hamza cannot extend or switch from this visa.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa} The route is built for a wedding followed by departure. Whether a particular couple fits is a question of their own plans and evidence.

What people get wrong

Many couples choose a Marriage Visitor visa to keep costs down and then decide to stay in the UK after the wedding. The visa cannot be extended or switched to another visa, and GOV.UK says you must not be planning to stay or settle after the marriage.

Both points are on the GOV.UK Marriage Visitor pages.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa}

A second mistake is to leave it too late. You must apply before you travel to the UK, and the appointment at a visa application centre may be in another country. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel, and the usual decision time is 3 weeks from the appointment.^{[1]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa[4]Home Office, Marriage Visitor visa: Apply from outside the UK}

The bottom line

The Marriage Visitor visa is for a wedding or civil partnership in the UK followed by a return home. It lasts up to 6 months, costs £135 and cannot be extended or switched. A couple who plan to build their life in the UK after the wedding should look at the fiancé route instead. Choose the route that matches the plan before you apply.