Family/ Partner Visa

You need a family visa to live with a family member in the UK for more than 6 months.

Applying from outside the UK

You can apply for a family visa to live with your:

• spouse or partner
• fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner
• child
• parent
• relative who’ll provide long-term care for you

Extending your family visa

You can apply to extend your stay with your family member if you’re already in the UK on a family visa.

You can extend at any time before your current permission to stay in the UK expires.

If you’re extending to stay with the same family member, you’ll only get up to 28 days left on your current stay added to your new visa.

You must live in the UK for a certain amount of time before you’re eligible for settlement (‘indefinite leave to remain’). Before you extend your visa, check how much time you need to settle in the UK.

You might be able to apply to stay on the basis of your private life if you’ve lived in the UK for many years already.

Switching to a family visa

If you came to the UK on a different visa, you might be able to switch to a family visa to stay with your:

• spouse or partner
• child
• parent

You can switch at any time before your current permission to stay in the UK expires.

If you do not meet the rules because of coronavirus (COVID-19)

If you do not meet the rules to enter or remain in the UK because of coronavirus, you might still be able to apply to extend your stay or switch to a family visa. Read the guidance for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents.

Fees

How much it costs depends on how you apply.

Healthcare surcharge

You might also need to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application.

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK

You’ll need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.

Get a faster decision on your application

If you’re applying from the UK, you may be able to pay an extra £800 for the super priority service to get a faster decision.

You cannot use the super priority service if you’re applying as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative.

How long it takes

If you apply outside the UK a decision will usually be made within 12 weeks.

If you apply in the UK a decision will usually be made within 8 weeks of your application date if you use the standard service.

If you use the super priority service a decision will usually be made:

• by the end of the next working day after providing your biometric information if your appointment is on a weekday
• 2 working days after providing your biometric information if your appointment is at the weekend

Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays.

It might take longer if your application is complex, for example you:

• do not meet the minimum income requirement
• cannot prove your knowledge of English
• need to attend an interview
• have not provided all the evidence that the Home Office needs
• have a criminal conviction or another personal circumstance that needs to be reviewed

Other ways you can stay

You were the victim of domestic abuse or your partner died

You might be able to apply to settle in the UK if you had permission to stay in the UK as a partner when either:

• you were the victim of domestic abuse
• your partner died

Your family member has refugee status or humanitarian protection

You might be able to apply for ‘family reunion’ to join a partner or parent who has either:

• refugee status in the UK
• humanitarian protection in the UK

If you or your family are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

If you or a close family member started living in the UK before 1 January 2021, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme. Otherwise you need a visa or family permit to come to the UK.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.

When you cannot get a family visa

In some circumstances you cannot apply for, or switch to, a family visa.

Your family member has a work visa or student visa

You cannot apply for a family visa if your family member is in the UK temporarily on a work visa or student visa.

You can apply to stay with them as a dependant instead.

You have a visitor visa or a visa for 6 months or less

You’ll usually need to leave the UK to apply for a family visa if either:

• you have permission to be in the UK as a visitor
• your visa is for 6 months or less

However, you might be able to switch to a family visa in the UK if you have either:

• a 6-month family visa as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner
• permission to stay in the UK for the outcome of a family court case or divorce

Apply as a partner or spouse

To apply as a partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over.

Your partner must also either:

• 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.

What you’ll 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 you:

• 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

If you’re 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.

How to prove your relationship

Send evidence that:

• comes from the government, a bank, landlord, utility provider, or a medical professional
• confirms your relationship with your partner - for example, that you live together, share expenses or are married or in a civil partnership
• is less than 4 years old

You can use things like:

• a marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
• a tenancy agreement, utility bills or council tax bills confirming that you live at the same address or pay bills together
• a bank statement from a joint bank account, or confirming that you live at the same address
• a letter from your doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address

If you do not have any evidence that meets this criteria, there is other evidence you can provide instead. However, it’s less likely that you’ll be given a visa in this case.

Other evidence you can provide includes:

• a one-off bill like vet’s fees or home repair costs
• letters confirming you and your partner are on the voting register for the same address
• student finance paperwork confirming that you live at the same address

Things like greetings cards, travel tickets, receipts, photographs and text or social media messages are not considered strong evidence of your relationship and are unlikely to help your application.

How long you can 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.

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.