Visitor visas · IAA-regulated advice
UK Marriage Visitor Visa Advice in Birmingham & London
Come to the UK to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice, then go home. The Marriage Visitor visa is its own visitor route, and you usually need it even if you don’t need a visa to visit. We check you qualify, review 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 Marriage Visitor visa?
A Marriage Visitor visa lets you come to the UK for up to 6 months to marry, form a civil partnership, or give notice of either, and then leave. It’s a separate visitor route under Appendix Visitor of the Immigration Rules, not part of the Standard Visitor route, and it costs £135.
You need it even if you’re from a country whose citizens normally visit with an ETA, such as the USA, Canada, Australia or an EU country. You don’t need it if you’re British or Irish, have indefinite leave to remain, have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or are still waiting for a decision on an EU Settlement Scheme application made by 30 June 2021. It doesn’t let you live in the UK after the ceremony.
✓This is your visa if…
- You’re 18 or over and free to marry or form a civil partnership
- You want to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice of either in the UK within 6 months
- You’ll leave the UK after your visit and won’t live here
- You can pay for your trip, or someone close to you will
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.
Are you 18 or over?You must be 18 on the date you apply.
Do you plan to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice in the UK during your visit?You can also come only to give notice.
Are you both free to marry, and is your relationship genuine?Any previous marriage or civil partnership must have legally ended.
Will you leave the UK at the end of your visit?This visa isn’t for living in the UK after the ceremony.
Can you pay for your trip and your journey home, or will someone close to you?Without working or claiming benefits in the UK.
Is your immigration history clear of refusals, overstaying and criminal convictions?Past problems don’t always lead to refusal, but they must be declared.
Eligibility
Marriage Visitor visa requirements
You must meet the Marriage Visitor requirements and the general visitor rules, and prove them with your evidence.
Your marriage or civil partnership
- You intend to give notice, or to marry or form a civil partnership, in the UK during your visit
- It isn’t a sham marriage or civil partnership
- You’re free to marry, and your relationship is genuine
- You’ll use a venue licensed for marriages or civil partnerships
Converting a civil partnership into a marriage doesn’t need this visa: you can come as a Standard Visitor.
Who needs a Marriage Visitor visa
- Visa nationals and non-visa nationals alike, if they’re coming to marry or give notice
- An ETA or a Standard Visitor visa can’t be used to marry or give notice
- Not needed if you’re British or Irish, have indefinite leave to remain, or have settled or pre-settled status (or an application made by 30 June 2021 still pending) under the EU Settlement Scheme
- Not needed if you’re already in the UK on a visa lasting more than 6 months
If you give notice without the right visa, the Home Office is told and may decide not to approve your notice.
The visitor rules
- You’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit
- You won’t live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, or make it your main home
- Enough money for all reasonable costs of your visit, including your journey home
- Someone with a genuine personal relationship with you can pay, if they can support you and aren’t in breach of immigration laws
The decision maker looks at your whole situation, including your life at home and your past travel.
Giving notice in the UK
- England and Wales: choose your venue first, then give notice together at the register office for the district where you’ve lived for the past 7 days
- England and Wales: notice must be given at least 29 days before the ceremony, which must take place within 12 months
- Scotland: the registrar must have your notices at least 29 days before; National Records of Scotland recommends 10 to 12 weeks
- Northern Ireland: the minimum notice period is 28 days, and you need the right visa before you give notice
Anywhere in the UK, if the Home Office investigates your notice, the wait can be extended to 70 days. Plan so the ceremony fits within your 6 months.
During and after your visit
- You can’t work, except visitor business activities such as attending meetings
- You can’t take a course of up to 6 months, as Standard Visitors can (a recreational course of up to 30 days is allowed), or claim benefits
- Your partner and children can’t be added to your visa: they apply separately if they need to
- You can’t switch to a spouse visa in the UK: you leave, then apply from outside the UK
You can do other things visitors may do, such as visiting family or a holiday.
Documents
Marriage Visitor visa documents: the easy part
Most people can list the documents. Refusals come from what they show: real wedding plans, freedom to marry, and a life you’ll return to.
What everyone needs
- Your passport, valid for your whole stay
- Proof of your wedding plans, such as a venue booking
- Evidence that your relationship is genuine
- Proof you’re free to marry, if you’ve been married before
- £Proof you can pay for your trip and the wedding
- Evidence of your life at home, such as your job or studies
Plus certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh. Giving notice at the register office needs its own documents, such as proof of address.
Costs & timeline
Marriage Visitor visa cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £135, with no health surcharge. Most decisions are made within 3 weeks of your visa appointment.
Applying from outside the UK
| Marriage Visitor visa feeup to 6 monthsbefore register office notice and ceremony fees | £135 |
Home Office fee from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. There’s no Immigration Health Surcharge for a visit, but you’ll usually have to pay for NHS care when you use it, unless it’s a free service. If you both need a visa, each of you applies and pays. Register office fees are set separately. Our consultation fees →
Choose your venue
Before you give noticeIn England and Wales, your notice must include the final venue for your ceremony.
Apply and give biometrics
Up to 3 months before you travelOnline application and £135 fee, then fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre.
Decision
Usually within 3 weeksWhere your visa centre offers it, you may be able to pay £500 for a decision usually within 5 working days, or £1,000 for one usually by the end of the next working day.
Give notice
At least 29 days before the ceremonyIn England and Wales, after living in the district for 7 days, you give notice together at the register office.
Marry, then leave
Within 6 months of arrivingTo live together in the UK afterwards, apply for a spouse visa from outside the UK.
Avoid a refusal
Common Marriage Visitor visa refusal reasons
Most refusals come down to whether the decision maker believes your plans and that you’ll go home. These are the issues we check first.
Signs you plan to stay
This visa is only for people who will leave after the visit. If your evidence suggests you plan to live in the UK, you may be refused.
We check: that this is the right visa, or whether a fiancé(e) visa fits better.
Not shown to be free to marry
If either of you has been married before, you must show it has legally ended, for example with a final divorce order or a death certificate.
We check: that your earlier divorce or other papers are complete.
No real wedding plans
You must intend to give notice or marry during your visit. Little or no evidence of a booking or arrangements makes that hard to accept.
We check: your venue, notice and ceremony plans line up.
Plans that don’t fit 6 months
Notice must be given at least 28 or 29 days before the ceremony, depending on where you marry, and a Home Office investigation can stretch this to 70 days anywhere in the UK. Your visit can’t go beyond 6 months.
We check: your dates against the notice rules where you’ll marry.
Money that isn’t explained
You must have enough for all reasonable costs of your visit. Funds you can’t explain, or support from someone who can’t afford it, can lead to refusal.
We check: where your money comes from and whether it covers the trip.
Past problems not declared
Previous refusals, overstaying or convictions must be declared. Leaving something out can lead to refusal.
We check: your history, and tell you plainly about any risk.
How we help
Our Marriage Visitor visa services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check whether this is the right visa, or whether a fiancé(e) visa fits your plans better.
Evidence review
We check your wedding plans, freedom to marry and funds against the Rules.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application, with a cover letter that sets out how you qualify.
Spouse visa
If you decide to live in the UK together, we help you apply for a spouse visa from outside the UK.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. There’s usually no right of appeal against a Marriage Visitor visa refusal, and no administrative review. If you’re refused, we explain your options and, where your case needs a higher level of advice, refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser.
FAQs
Marriage Visitor visa questions, answered
I don’t need a visa to visit the UK. Do I need one to marry?
Yes, in most cases. Anyone coming to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice needs a Marriage Visitor visa, even if they’d normally visit with an ETA. You don’t need one if you’re British or Irish, have indefinite leave to remain, have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (or an application made by 30 June 2021 still pending), or are already here on a visa lasting more than 6 months.
Can I stay in the UK after the wedding?
No. You must leave at the end of your visit, and you can’t switch to a spouse visa in the UK as a visitor. To live together in the UK, you apply for a spouse visa from outside the UK, which has its own requirements, including the £29,000 financial requirement.
Should I get a fiancé(e) visa or a Marriage Visitor visa?
It depends on where you’ll live afterwards. A fiancé(e) visa is for marrying in the UK and then staying: you switch to a spouse visa here, but it costs £2,064 and you must meet the £29,000 financial and English requirements. A Marriage Visitor visa costs £135 and is for couples who will leave after the ceremony.
Can I come only to give notice, and marry later?
Yes. The visa covers giving notice as well as the ceremony. In England and Wales the ceremony must take place within 12 months of notice. If you’re coming back to marry after your visa has ended, you’ll need the right visa again.
How long does giving notice take?
In England and Wales you must have lived in the registration district for 7 days, then give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony. In Scotland the registrar must have your notices at least 29 days before, and in Northern Ireland the minimum is 28 days. Anywhere in the UK, a Home Office investigation can extend the wait to 70 days.
Can my partner and children come with me?
Not on your visa. If your partner also needs a visa, they apply for their own Marriage Visitor visa and pay the fee. Children who need a visa apply as Standard Visitors, and each person attends their own appointment.
Can I work or study on a Marriage Visitor visa?
No. You can’t work, except visitor business activities such as attending meetings for your job overseas, and you can’t take a course of up to 6 months as Standard Visitors can, though a recreational course of up to 30 days is allowed. You can do other things visitors may do, such as visiting family or a holiday.
What if my Marriage Visitor visa is refused?
There’s usually no right of appeal against a visit visa refusal, and no administrative review. You can apply again, but it’s worth doing so only once you’ve dealt with every reason in the refusal letter. If you believe a refusal breaches your human rights, we explain the position and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser.
Ready when you are
Wedding, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.