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 (see below)
You can’t apply if you qualify for British citizenship – including if you can have dual nationality. You must apply for British Citizenship instead.
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.
You can check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in your country.
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