Family visas · IAA-regulated advice
UK Fiancé(e) Visa Advice in Birmingham & London
Come to the UK to marry your partner, then switch to a spouse visa without leaving. We check you qualify, build your evidence and prepare your application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is a UK fiancé(e) visa?
A fiancé(e) visa lets you come to the UK for up to 6 months to marry your partner or form a civil partnership with them. You can’t work during that time. After the ceremony, you apply in the UK to switch to a spouse visa.
It’s part of the family route under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, and the same visa covers proposed civil partners. You must apply from outside the UK, and your time as a fiancé(e) doesn’t count towards settlement.
✓This is your visa if…
- You’re both 18 or over, you’ve met in person and you’re both free to marry
- Your partner is British, Irish, settled in the UK, or has refugee status or humanitarian protection (or certain other status)
- You plan to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving, then live together here
- You can meet the £29,000 income or savings requirement, or an exemption applies
Quick check
Could you qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Is your partner British, Irish, settled in the UK, or a refugee or person with humanitarian protection?Settled means indefinite leave to remain or EU settled status.
Are you both 18 or over, and have you met in person?Meeting online only isn’t enough.
Are you both free to marry when you apply?Any previous marriage or civil partnership must already have legally ended.
Will you marry in the UK within 6 months of arriving, then live together here?Marrying here but living abroad? A marriage visitor visa may fit.
Can you show £29,000 a year in income, or enough savings?Savings alone: £88,500. Some benefits change the test.
Do you have an approved English test at A1 or above, or an exemption?Exempt if, for example, you’re from a majority English-speaking country or have a degree taught in English.
Eligibility
UK fiancé visa requirements
You must meet every requirement on the day you apply, and prove it with the evidence the Rules specify.
Your relationship
- You’re both 18 or over and have met in person
- You’re coming to the UK so that your marriage or civil partnership can take place here
- Neither of you is married to, or in a civil partnership with, anyone else when you apply
- Your relationship is genuine, and you intend to live together permanently in the UK
Evidence usually includes your wedding plans, photos together, travel and visits, and how you keep in touch.
The financial requirement
- Your partner’s job or self-employment income counts. Your own earnings from work don’t
- Pensions, other specified income and savings of either of you can count
- Savings above £16,000 count towards a shortfall at 2.5 to 1
- If your partner gets certain disability or carer’s benefits, an adequate maintenance test applies instead
You’ll need to meet the financial requirement again when you switch to a spouse visa after the wedding.
English language
- A speaking and listening test with an approved provider (a SELT), still valid when you apply
- Exempt if you’re a national of a majority English-speaking country, have a degree taught in English, are 65 or over, or have a disability that prevents it
Book only an approved test: other tests, even at a higher level, won’t count.
Accommodation
- Adequate accommodation that you own or live in, used only by your family
- Not overcrowded under housing law, and meets public health rules
- Paid for without claiming public funds
Evidence usually includes a tenancy agreement or mortgage statement and, if you live with others, the owner’s permission.
Where you apply and what you can do
- You must apply from outside the UK: there’s no first fiancé(e) visa in the UK
- You get up to 6 months, and must marry or form your civil partnership in that time
- You can’t work, and you can’t claim most benefits (no recourse to public funds)
- A TB test is needed if you’ve lived in a listed country, even for this 6-month visa
Your immigration history and any criminal record are also checked. Tell us about anything that worries you at the consultation: it’s confidential.
Documents
Fiancé visa documents: the easy part
Most people can list the documents. Refusals come from what’s in them, and whether they’re in the exact form the Home Office expects.
What everyone needs
- Your passport, and proof of your partner’s British or settled status
- Proof you’re both free to marry, if either of you was married before
- Evidence that your relationship is genuine, and of your wedding plans
- £Proof you meet the financial requirement
- AAn English test certificate, or proof you’re exempt
- Proof of where you’ll live
Plus a TB test certificate if you’ve lived in a listed country, and full translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
Costs & timeline
Fiancé visa cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £2,064, and there’s no health surcharge for a 6-month visa applied for from outside the UK. Most decisions take up to 12 weeks.
Applying from outside the UK
| Home Office application fee | £2,064 |
| Immigration Health Surchargenot charged for 6 months or less from outside the UK | £0 |
| Home Office total, per applicantbefore English test, TB test and translations | £2,064 |
Home Office fee and Immigration Health Surcharge from GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. There’s no first fiancé(e) application in the UK. If your wedding is delayed, a 6-month extension in the UK costs £1,407 plus a £517.50 surcharge. English test, TB test and translation costs vary by provider. Our consultation fees →
Apply and give biometrics
Week 0Online application and fee paid from outside the UK, then fingerprints and photo at a visa centre.
Decision
Usually within 12 weeksIf you’re granted, you travel to the UK. Your visa lasts up to 6 months and you can’t work.
Give notice and marry
Within your 6 monthsIn England and Wales, you give notice together at a register office at least 29 days before the ceremony. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Switch to a spouse visa
Before your visa endsApply in the UK for 30 months: £1,407 plus a £2,587.50 surcharge. You must meet the requirements again, and you can then work.
Settle (ILR)
After 5 years as a spouseEnglish at B1 (B2 from 26 March 2027) and the Life in the UK test. Your time as a fiancé(e) doesn’t count.
Avoid a refusal
Common fiancé visa refusal reasons
Most refusals come down to evidence, not eligibility. These are the issues we check first.
Evidence in the wrong form
Income must be shown with specific documents covering specific periods, such as 6 months of payslips and matching bank statements.
We check: every document against Appendix FM-SE before you apply.
Income that doesn’t count
Your own earnings from work don’t count towards the £29,000; your partner’s income, pensions and savings of either of you can.
We check: which sources count for you, and combine them correctly.
Unclear wedding plans
You must be coming to the UK to marry or form a civil partnership here. Vague or inconsistent plans raise questions about your intentions.
We check: your plans and evidence show clearly what you intend to do.
Not yet free to marry
If either of you is still married to, or in a civil partnership with, someone else on the day you apply, you don’t qualify.
We check: any earlier marriage has legally ended before you apply.
The wrong visa
You can’t get a first fiancé(e) visa in the UK, and you can’t give notice or marry here as a standard visitor.
We check: which visa fits your plans before you travel.
Past immigration problems
Overstaying, previous refusals or not declaring something can lead to a refusal on suitability grounds.
We check: your history, and tell you plainly about any risk.
How we help
Our fiancé visa services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We review your situation and tell you which route fits, what you need and the risks.
Evidence review
We check your relationship, financial and accommodation documents against the Rules.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application, with a cover letter that sets out how you qualify.
Spouse visa and ILR
After the wedding, we help you switch to a spouse visa, then extend and settle.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused and need an appeal, we explain your options and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser straight away.
FAQs
Fiancé visa questions, answered
Can I work or study on a fiancé(e) visa?
No. You can’t work or study on a fiancé(e) visa, and you can’t claim most benefits. Once you’ve married and switched to a spouse visa, you can work and study.
What if our wedding is delayed?
If there’s a good reason, you can apply in the UK for up to 6 more months, with evidence that the wedding will take place within that time. You must still meet the other requirements. It costs £1,407 plus a £517.50 health surcharge, and you still can’t work.
Can I apply for a fiancé(e) visa from inside the UK?
No. A first fiancé(e) visa must be applied for from outside the UK, and you can’t give notice or marry here as a standard visitor. If you’re already here on a visa that lasts longer than 6 months, you can usually marry without a new visa, then apply to switch to a spouse visa if you qualify.
How do I switch to a spouse visa after the wedding?
Apply online in the UK before your fiancé(e) visa ends. You must meet the spouse visa requirements again, including the £29,000 financial requirement. If you’re granted, you get 30 months and can work; the fee is £1,407 plus a £2,587.50 surcharge.
Does time on a fiancé(e) visa count towards settlement?
No. The 5 years (60 months) you need for indefinite leave to remain count only from when you get permission as a spouse or partner. Your months as a fiancé(e) are left out.
We’ll marry in the UK but live abroad. Which visa do I need?
Usually a marriage visitor visa. It lets you marry or form a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving, costs £135, and decisions usually take 3 weeks. You must leave afterwards: you can’t switch to another visa in the UK.
How long does a fiancé(e) visa decision take?
From outside the UK, you’ll usually get a decision within 12 weeks, and you may be able to pay for a faster one. Leave enough time to marry within your 6 months: in England and Wales, notice must be given at least 29 days before the ceremony.
Can my children come with me?
Usually yes, under the family child route. Each child needs their own visa and must be under 18. Children joining a parent who is coming as a fiancé(e) are covered by the same £29,000 financial requirement, which doesn’t increase for each child. Ask us to check your family’s situation before you apply.
Ready when you are
Wedding, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.