The UK Fiancé(e) visa — also known as the Proposed Civil Partner visa or Engagement visa — is part of the family visa route. It allows an eligible foreign national aged 18 or over to come to the UK to marry, or form a civil partnership with, a British citizen or a person already settled in the UK (for example, someone with Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status).
Applicants must meet a defined set of eligibility criteria, covered in detail below. Once granted, this visa allows six months from arrival in the UK to marry or register a civil partnership. After that, applicants can switch to a Spouse visa, which grants an initial stay of 33 months, extendable by a further 30 months, eventually leading to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and the right to live in the UK permanently, free of immigration restrictions. Migratia's guide on switching from a Fiancé(e) visa to a Spouse visa covers this next step in more detail.
Eligibility Requirements
To succeed with a Fiancé(e) visa application, applicants must show that:
- Both partners are aged 18 or over
- Both intend to marry or form a civil partnership within six months of arrival in the UK
- The UK-based partner is a British or Irish citizen, holds settled status (such as ILR or EU Settled Status), holds a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa, or has refugee status or humanitarian protection
- Both partners intend to live together in the UK once married or civilly partnered
- The couple has a combined income of at least £29,000, or otherwise meets the financial requirement
- Suitable accommodation is available in the UK
- The applicant has a sufficient level of English (for example, having passed an approved test at CEFR level A1)
Genuine Relationship Requirement
Applicants need to demonstrate that:
- They are in a genuine relationship with their UK-based partner
- Both partners plan to marry or form a civil partnership within six months of arrival
- They intend to live together in the UK once married or partnered
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) routinely screens for relationships entered into solely to gain immigration status, so it's important that supporting evidence clearly reflects a genuine relationship. Migratia's immigration solicitors can review your circumstances and advise on whether this requirement is likely to be satisfied.
Financial Requirement
Couples must generally show a combined gross annual income of at least £29,000. Acceptable income sources include:
- Employment or self-employment earnings
- Pension income, for either partner
- Maternity allowance or bereavement benefits received in the UK
- Other income or savings declared by either partner
Using savings. Savings above £16,000 can count towards the financial requirement. Holding £88,500 or more in savings removes the need to show any income at all. The calculation works as follows:
- Take the amount of savings above £16,000 and divide it by 2.5 (reflecting the 2.5-year period the funds need to cover)
- Subtract that figure from the standard £29,000 minimum income requirement
For example, with £17,500 in savings: £17,500 − £16,000 = £1,500, divided by 2.5 = £600. This reduces the income requirement to £28,400 (£29,000 − £600).
Applicants relying on savings must also sign a declaration confirming the source of those funds.
Exemptions. The financial requirement may not apply where the UK-based sponsor receives one of the following:
- Disability Living Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment (Armed Forces Compensation Scheme)
- Mobility Supplement, Constant Attendance Allowance, or War Disablement Pension (War Pensions Scheme)
- Police Injury Pension
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer's Allowance
Where an exemption applies, the sponsor won't need to meet the £29,000 threshold, though the applicant will still need to show enough funds to support themselves in the UK and confirm suitable accommodation, without relying on public funds. Migratia's team can advise further on how this applies to individual cases.
Where none of the listed exemptions apply, applicants may still be able to ask the Home Office to consider exceptional circumstances — for instance, where refusal would put a child at risk under human rights law. In these cases, applicants must still demonstrate sufficient funds, though the accepted sources may be broader, including a credible guarantee of financial support from a third party.
English Language Requirement
The English language requirement can be met in one of three ways:
- Passing an approved CEFR English test at a minimum of level A1 in speaking and writing
- Holding a degree or other academic qualification taught in English
- Qualifying for an exemption — for example, being aged 65 or over, having a physical or mental condition that prevents meeting the requirement, or being a national of a recognised English-speaking country such as Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or the USA
Accommodation Requirement
Applicants must show that suitable accommodation is available in the UK, and that it:
- Is owned or occupied exclusively by the applicant and their family
- Provides adequate living space
- Meets relevant public health standards
Required Documents
UKVI will confirm exactly which documents and evidence are needed for each individual application, but applicants should generally expect to provide:
- A completed application form and payment of the application fee
- A valid passport, along with any previous passports
Evidence of a genuine relationship, such as:
- Reference letters from friends, family, or professionals confirming the relationship
- Shared bills and joint bank statements
- Divorce certificates, if either partner was previously married
- Photographs, correspondence, and messages documenting the relationship
- A written account of how, when, and where the couple met
- Proof of meeting the English language requirement (e.g., a CEFR test certificate)
- Two passport-sized colour photographs meeting UK specifications
- Evidence of meeting the financial requirement (e.g., bank statements, savings evidence, payslips)
- Details of any previous immigration applications
- Details of any criminal convictions
- A National Insurance number, if applicable
- Proof of accommodation in the UK
- Biometric information (fingerprints and photograph)
- Tuberculosis test results, where required based on country of origin
Migratia stresses that providing complete, correctly formatted, and properly translated evidence is essential — missing or incomplete documentation is a common cause of delay or refusal. Given the complexity of these requirements, Migratia recommends seeking advice from a family immigration solicitor before submitting an application, to ensure nothing is missed and all evidence is presented clearly to UKVI.
How to Apply
The application is completed online via the Home Office website. The general process involves:
- Confirming eligibility — Migratia's family visa solicitors can help assess this
- Gathering the required supporting documents — Migratia can assist with this step directly
- Completing the online application form
- Paying the application fee
- Uploading supporting documents
- Attending a biometric appointment for fingerprints and a photograph
- Attending an interview, if requested
Length of Stay
A successful Fiancé(e) visa grants an initial six months in the UK to marry or form a civil partnership. Once married or partnered, applicants can apply for a Spouse visa, initially valid for up to 30 months and extendable by a further 30 months. To extend, applicants must remain in the same genuine relationship and apply before their current visa expires.
Route to ILR
After five years of continuous residence in the UK — combining time on a Fiancé(e) visa and a Spouse visa — applicants may become eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain, allowing permanent residence free of immigration restrictions. To qualify, applicants generally need to:
- Have lived in the UK for five years on a family visa as a partner
- Have lived with their partner since their last visa renewal
- Remain in a genuine, ongoing relationship
- Intend to continue that relationship after applying for ILR
- Meet the English language and Life in the UK test requirements
- Show suitable accommodation
- Continue to meet the financial requirement
Fiancé(e) Visa vs. Spouse Visa
The two routes differ in several respects:
- The Fiancé(e) visa suits couples planning to marry or form a civil partnership before applying for a Spouse visa
- The Spouse visa is for couples who are already married, in a civil partnership, or who have lived together for at least two years at the time of application
- A Fiancé(e) visa grants an initial stay of six months only
- A Spouse visa grants an initial stay of up to 33 months (30 months when switching from a Fiancé(e) visa), extendable by a further 30 months