Family visas: apply, extend or switch

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Apply as a partner or spouse

To apply as a partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over.

Your partner must also either:

  • be a British or Irish citizen
  • have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
  • be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
  • have a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa
  • have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
  • have permission to stay as a stateless person

You and your partner must intend to live together permanently in the UK after you apply.

If your partner has settled or pre-settled status you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

What you’ll need to prove

You must be able to prove one of the following:

  • you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
  • you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
  • you are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving
  • you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture

You also need to prove you:

If you cannot provide this proof you may still be able to apply for a visa or extend your permission to stay if:

  • you have a child in the UK who is a British or Irish citizen or has lived in the UK for 7 years and it would be unreasonable for them to leave the UK
  • it would breach your human rights to stop you coming to the UK or make you leave

If you’re applying as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner

You must prove that:

  • any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended
  • you plan to marry or become civil partners within 6 months of arriving in the UK

You will not be able to work or study during your engagement.

You’ll need to apply for permission to extend your stay in the UK when you marry or enter into a civil partnership. If your application is approved, you’ll have the right to work or study in the UK.

How to prove your relationship

Send evidence that:

  • comes from the government, a bank, landlord, utility provider, or a medical professional
  • confirms your relationship with your partner - for example, that you live together, share expenses or are married or in a civil partnership
  • is less than 4 years old

You can use things like:

  • a marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
  • a tenancy agreement, utility bills or council tax bills confirming that you live at the same address or pay bills together
  • a bank statement from a joint bank account, or confirming that you live at the same address
  • a letter from your doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address

If you do not have any evidence that meets these criteria, there is other evidence you can provide instead, including:

  • a one-off bill like vet’s fees or home repair costs
  • letters confirming you and your partner are on the voting register for the same address
  • student finance paperwork confirming that you live at the same address

If you do not live together

If you cannot live together because of work or study, or for cultural reasons, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other. You can do this by providing evidence that you:

  • communicate regularly with each other  
  • support each other financially  
  • care for any children you have together  
  • spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events

How long you can stay

You can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months on this visa. If you’re applying as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, you can stay for 6 months.

After this you’ll need to apply to extend your stay.

If you extend or switch to this visa

If you extend your family visa or switch to this visa you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 6 months.

How to apply

You’ll need to prepare information and evidence to provide with your application.

How you apply depends on whether you’re in the UK or not.

Outside the UK

You must apply online from outside the UK.

In the UK

You must apply online in the UK.

If you cannot pay the fee

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

  • do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
  • have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
  • have a very low income and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK.

Apply for a fee waiver online from inside the UK.

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online visa application form if you:

  • do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
  • do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you’re applying in the UK.

You cannot get immigration advice through this service.

How long it takes

If you apply outside the UK you’ll usually get a decision within 12 weeks.

If you apply inside the UK and you meet the financial requirements and English language requirements, you’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.

If you apply inside the UK and you do not meet the financial requirements and English language requirements, it currently takes about 12 months to get a decision.

You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

Applying with your children

You can add children to your application as dependants if both of the following apply:

  • they are under 18 when you apply, or were under 18 when they were first granted leave
  • they do not live an independent life

Your child is living an independent life if, for example, they’ve left home, got married and had children.

When you can settle permanently

The earliest you can apply to settle in the UK (called ‘indefinite leave to remain’) is after you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years continuously on a family visa as a partner.

You cannot include time you’ve spent in the UK:

  • on any other visa
  • as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner

The rules are different if you applied before 9 July 2012.

If you applied before 9 July 2012

You can only extend your family visa if all the following are true:

  • you were given permission to stay in the UK as a partner before 9 July 2012
  • you are not eligible to settle in the UK
  • you have not been granted or refused another visa

You must also prove that:

Check the information and evidence you’ll need to prove your income.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Come to the UK to get married

  1. Step 1 Check if you need a visa

    1. Check if you need a visa

  2. Step 2 Apply for a visa

    The visa you need depends on who you’re marrying and whether you want to live in the UK after.

    You can apply for either:

  3. or Apply for a family permit

    You can apply for a family permit if you're marrying someone who is a citizen of:

    • an EU country that is not the UK
    • Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
    1. Apply for an EEA family permit

  4. Step 3 Check what you can bring with you

    1. Check what you can bring with you
    2. Check what food, animals or plants you can bring into the UK

  5. Step 4 Check what you need to show at the UK border

    1. Check what you need to show at the UK border

  6. Step 5 Get married

    1. Find out the process for getting married in the UK

Also part of