Apply for the UK Spouse Visa

How Do I Apply for a Spouse/Partner Visa?

To apply for a Spouse Visa as a partner or spouse you will, need to both be 18 or over.  Your partner or spouse must:

• 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 refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK. 

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

If your partner has settled status you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme or for a family permit. 

What do you 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. 

If your wedding or civil ceremony has been delayed because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you might still be able to request an extension or apply to extend your stay. 

You also need to prove:

Have a good knowledge of English

Can financially support yourself and your dependants 

If you do not meet these requirements 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.

There would be very significant difficulties for you and your partner if you lived together as a couple outside the UK that could not be overcome.

It would breach your human rights to stop you coming to the UK or make you leave. 

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 

If your wedding or civil ceremony has been delayed because of COVID-19, you might still be able to request an extension or apply to extend your stay. 

Remember you will not be able to work during your engagement. 

How long can i 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.  

What happens 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 documents 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. 

What happens if you cannot pay the fee?

Fill in the online fee waiver request form as well 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 

We at Meresbrook Pollard can help you with your application, all your immigration advice and will ensure that you are aware of all the requirements of your application to bring your spouse or partner to the UK. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What do I do if I have children? 

You can apply 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. Remember your child is considered as living an independent life if, for example, they’ve left home, got married and had children. 

When can I settle permanently in the UK? 

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. 

This 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 so ask our expert lawyers if this applies to you.