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Marriage Visa

A Marriage Visitor visa, often called a ‘Marriage Visa’, allows you to travel to the UK to:

  • get married or have a civil partnership ceremony
  • ‘give notice’ of a marriage or civil partnership to take place in the UK

If you are intending to join a spouse or partner already in the UK, you may want to consider applying for a Family Visa or, if possible, applying as a dependant through their existing visa.

Check your eligibility for this visa

Marriage Visa eligibility

Marriage Visitor visas are primarily designed to allow people to enter the UK effectively as tourists, but with the intention of getting married or entering into a civil partnership during their visit. Marriage Visitor visas are not appropriate for individuals planning to stay or settle in the UK after their ceremony, as they will be valid for a maximum of six months and you will be expected to leave the UK at the end of your visit.

In order to apply, you must be prepared to prove that:

  • you are at least 18 years of age
  • you are free to give notice, marry or enter into a civil partnership within 6 months of arriving in the UK
    • if you have been married or in a civil partnership before, you will need to provide evidence that this relationship is legally ended
  • you are in an existing and authentic relationship
  • you will not stay in the UK for more than 6 months
  • you do not intend to settle in the UK, nor make successive or repeated visits to the UK for extended periods
  • you have funds to support yourself during your trip and to pay for your departure from the UK
  • you have made arrangements for the marriage or civil partnership itself (for example, proof of a booking and payment of at least some of the costs)

Marriage Visa process and costs

Marriage Visitor visas must be applied for before coming to the UK, and within 3 months of their intended travel to the UK. Applicants will be required to attend a visa application centre in order to show their documents and prove their identity.

Decisions on Marriage Visitor visa applications are usually given within three weeks once all the necessary documentation has been provided. A quicker service may be available depending on the country from which you intend to apply.

The fee for submitting an application for a Marriage Visitor visa is £115.

Discuss your options with an advisor

Demetris Demetriou

Demetris is a dual-qualified lawyer in the UK (Solicitor) and Cyprus (Advocate) with 10+ years of experience in UK immigration. He completed his legal studies at University College London and City University London. Over the course of his career, he held key roles as Head of Immigration at Legal 500 firms and within the Big4, overseeing teams of 15+ fee earners handling 2000+ applications annually.

Demetris went on to co-establish his firm in London and continues to offer innovative solutions and strategic immigration planning to multinationals, SMEs, and private clients.

He personally represented 1500+ clients in 30+ visa routes including investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, sole representatives, students, family visas, global talent, UK ancestry, administrative reviews and appeals. Demetris has managed corporate relocations, conducted immigration law training and implemented post-Brexit immigration policies for corporate clients.

Demetris has been featured in various events and publications focusing on UK immigration, notably at the Cambridge Network, the Westminster Policy Forum and most recently at DGEMS, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.

Tatiani Preifelt

Tatiani has a wealth of expertise in global mobility and corporate immigration. Her ample skills were acquired within leading immigration practices including three out of the Big4 firms in both the UK and Sweden. Tatiani went on to co-establish her firm in London where she continues to advise clients predominantly in corporate, business and skilled work migration.

Having personally relocated to 10 different countries, Tatiani understands the importance of an expedient and successful immigration process and takes pride in delivering a seamless experience to her clients as well.

Over the course of her career, she has assisted over 500 individuals and businesses to obtain the appropriate visa permits in the UK.

Her awarded academic work at The University of Oxford, The London School of Economics, and at The Geneva University is in the fields of Political Science, International Human Rights Law, and Global Migration Governance.

She regularly provides immigration training and has recently participated as a speaker and panellist at DGEMS 2023, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.