The United Kingdom (UK) is a beautiful country and millions of people around the globe want to get married or enter into a civil partnership in the UK. There were almost 250,000 marriages and 7000 civil partnerships registered in the UK during 2022. The UK welcomes people from different countries to get married or form civil partnerships, however they need a “UK Marriage Visitor Visa.” UK Marriage Visitor Visa is a category of visit visa under Appendix V of the Immigration Rules.
The UK Marriage Visa is for people looking to marry or register their civil partnerships or give notice of their marriage or civil partnership in the UK. This visa is most suited for engaged couples who are both from outside the UK without a stay in the UK or one of the partners are from outside the UK and the other is British, settled or has leave to remain in the UK. The purpose in visiting the UK is to get married or enter a civil partnership and then leave the UK.
Please note that those who want to marry or enter a civil partnership with a British Citizen or one with settled status in the UK can apply for a UK Fiancé Visa if they want to stay in the UK permanently after their marriage or civil partnership.
UK Marriage Visitor Visa is a short-term visa. The visa is valid only for up to six months, and you must leave the UK after your visit is over. A UK marriage visitor visa is different from a UK Standard Visitor visa. The UK standard visitor visa is for those looking to enter the UK for purposes such as tourism, visiting family members and friends, business activities, short-term study, and medical treatment. The UK marriage visitor visa is specifically designed for couples looking to marry or register their civil partnerships in the UK.
You must apply for a Marriage Visitor visa if.
It should be noted that non-visa nationals usually do not have to apply for a visa to enter the UK. However, even “non-visa” nationals must apply for a UK marriage visitor visa if they intend to marry, register their civil partnership, or give notice of their marriage or civil partnership in the UK.
If any of the following is true in your case, you do not need to apply for a UK Marriage Visitor visa:
The visa does not permit you to stay or settle in the UK after the marriage or civil partnership ceremony is over.
If you are applying for a UK marriage visitor visa, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Couples can marry or register a civil partnership in any location licensed for the purpose of marriage or civil partnerships. Once both partners are in the UK, they need to give official notice of their marriage or civil partnership at a designated register office. The notice period is 28 days. Therefore, you must wait for at least 29 days before your marriage or civil partnership ceremony can take place.
If you are applying for a UK marriage visitor visa, you must submit various documents to support your application. The first and most important document that you must have is your current passport or a valid
document. Your passport must have a blank page in it for your visa, and the passport should be valid for the entire time when you enter and leave the UK.
Other documents that you need to submit are usually those that prove that you meet each eligibility condition. Let us see the list of documents is as follows:
o Confirmation of an appointment to give notice of marriage. For example, an appointment card or email.
o Confirmation of church or registry office bookings. For example, email confirmation or a receipt for payment
More documents may have to be submitted depending on the circumstances.
You must apply online before you visit the UK. You do not need to fill out the application in one step. You can partially fill out the application, save it, and complete it later. The earliest can apply for a UK marriage visitor visa three months before you intend to travel. You need to book an appointment at a visa application center while filling out your visa application. At the visa application center, you need to submit supporting documents and obtain your biometric information (your fingerprints and photograph).
Your passports and documents may be kept by the visa application center while processing the application.
You must pay an application fee of £115.
Usually, you should get a decision on your UK marriage visitor visa application within 3 weeks. However, sometimes it may take longer depending on the circumstances. You may also apply for fast-tracked processing by availing priority services or super-priority services. You must pay the respective fees for these services.
Applying the UK Marriage Visitor Visa was a complex process. You need to be absolutely clear about all the eligibility requirements and documents required, the cost of marriage or civil partnership ceremony, giving notice of it, etc. If you go wrong at any stage and the Home Office believes that you are entering into a sham marriage or civil partnership and that you want to make the UK your main home, your UK marriage visitor visa may be refused. Visa and Migration have the expertise of handling the UK Marriage Visitor Visa from the start to its end. You just need to prepare for your marriage, and all visa requirements will be taken care of by us.
We help you prepare documents, fill in the application form correctly, apply for fast-tracked decisions if you wish, give notice of your marriage or civil partnership, and so on. Therefore, we have helped you complete the process hassle-free. For any assistance or query, you can reach out to us.
