You must apply for a Marriage Visitor visa if:

• you want to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK
• you want to give notice of a marriage or civil partnership in UK
• you’re not planning to stay or settle in the UK after your marriage or civil partnership
• you meet the other eligibility requirements

How long it takes to get a visa

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

Fees

It costs £85 to apply.

How long you can stay

You can use this visa to visit the UK for up to 6 months.

What you can and can’t do

You can use this visa to marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK:

• within 6 months of your arrival
• in any location licensed for this purpose

You can’t:

• get public funds
• bring in family members (‘dependants’) – they must apply separately
• live in the UK for extended periods through frequent visits
• extend your visa or switch to another visa
• work – except for permitted activities related to your work or business overseas, eg attending meetings
• do a course of study – except for 30 days of incidental study

Eligibility

You must prove that you’re:

• 18 or over
• free to give notice of marriage, to marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of your arrival
• in a genuine relationship
• visiting the UK for less than 6 months
• leaving the UK at the end of your visit
• able to support yourself without working or help from public funds, or that you can be supported and housed by relatives or friends
• able to meet the cost of the return or onward journey
• not in transit to a country outside the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands

Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport or other valid travel identification
• 1 passport-sized colour photograph
• proof that you can support yourself during your trip, eg bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months
• proof of your future plans for the relationship, eg documents to show where you’ll live
• details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans – you shouldn’t pay for accommodation or travel until you get your visa

You can also supply the following to support your application:

• details of the marriage or civil partnership and proof that you’ve paid money for some of its costs
• proof that you have given notification of marriage to the register office in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

If you’ve been married before, you’ll need to show proof that you’re free to marry or enter into a civil partnership again, eg a:

• decree nisi
• decree absolute
• death certificate of a previous partner

You’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that aren’t in English or Welsh.

Source: Home Office website https://www.gov.uk

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Don Magsino MBA is a student of Oxford Brookes University at Post-Graduate Degree in Law in Oxford, England, UK. He is a graduate of Ateneo De Manila University Graduate School of Business. He is a qualified and practicing Immigration Law in the UK. 07446888377 / 0207 316 3027. His London Office is located at 239 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SN. He is accredited by the Law Society in England and Wales and regulated by the OISC Level 3 (highest level in immigration professions). He has represented clients in the First-tier Tribunal, Immigration Detention Courts and Deportation and Bail Hearings and to the Upper Tribunal and won many difficult cases in immigration law in the United Kingdom.