Fiance(e) or proposed civil partner of a British citizen or settled person
Can you apply?
This section is for those who applied for, or are applying for, leave to enter or leave to remain as the fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner of a British citizen or a person who is settled here.
If you made an application to enter the UK on or before 8 July 2012 please see the Fiancé(e)s who applied on or before 8 July 2012 pages.
The information on these pages is based on Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.
You must obtain a visa before travelling to the UK to get married or have a civil partnership ceremony, even if you are a national do not normally require a visa to visit the UK. You cannot apply as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner from inside the UK.
If you apply for a visa but cannot meet all the requirements for this immigration category, your application will be refused and your application fee will not be refunded.
Your fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner must be:
- a British Citizen in the UK; or
- present and settled in the UK.
The requirements are:
- you and your partner must be aged 18 or over at the date of application;
- your partner must not be related to you in a way that means you could not marry in UK law;
- you and your partner must have met in person;
- your relationship must be genuine and subsisting;
- you must be seeking entry to the UK to allow your marriage or civil partnership to take place;
- any previous relationship must have permanently broken down (this does not apply to certain polygamous relationships);
- you and your partner must intend to live together permanently in the UK;
- you must meet the financial requirements; and
- you must meet the English language requirement.
The Documents required page explains how you can demonstrate that you meet these requirements.
You must also meet the suitability-entry clearance or suitability-leave to remain requirements of Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.
More information
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Other requirements (general grounds for refusal)
Even if you meet the requirements described above, we may refuse your application for other reasons (such as your previous immigration history) . For more information about these 'general grounds for refusal', see Chapter 9 of our immigration directorate instructions.
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Terms explained
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Civil partner
A person in a legal relationship that can be registered by two people of the same sex and that gives the couple legal recognition for their relationship. In a range of legal matters, civil partners are treated the same as opposite-sex partners who are married.