Fiancé / Fiancée Visa

How does my fiancé or fiancée qualify to come to the United Kingdom?

Your fiancé or fiancée must show that:

you plan to marry within a reasonable time (usually six months);
you plan to live together permanently after you are married;
you have met each other;
there is somewhere for him or her and any dependants to live until you are married without help from public funds; and
they and any dependants can be supported without working or having to get help from public funds.

We will give your fiancé or fiancée permission to stay here for six months but they must not work. When you are married, your husband or wife may apply to stay here. If we approve the application, we will give your husband or wife permission to stay and work for 12 months. Near the end of 12 months, your husband or wife may apply to stay here permanently.

Your fiancé or fiancée must get entry clearance before they travel to the United Kingdom.

How does my husband or wife apply to stay in the United Kingdom permanently?

You will need to complete an application form. Applications, except those for asylum and work permits or under European Community law, will not be valid unless they are made on the appropriate application form. You can get copies of application forms from this website.

To apply for further leave to remain, get form FLR(M).

To apply for indefinite leave to remain, get form SET(M).

If you are not sure which application form you should complete, the Applications Forms Unit will be able to help you. You can telephone them on 0870 241 0645.

You should send the completed form, by post, before your permission to stay ends. The application form will give you details of all the documents you will need to send with your application and where you should send it.

If you need to travel urgently you can apply in person at one of our public enquiry offices.

All documents should be originals unless you have a good reason why you cannot produce them with your application. We will not normally accept photocopies.

Can my husband, wife, fiancé or fiancée's children join us?

There is a separate page giving details about children coming to the United Kingdom. See this linke on bringing adopted children.

What are public funds?

If you come to live or stay in the United Kingdom, you must be able to support and accommodate yourself without claiming certain state benefits. These are:

Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA);
housing and homelessness assistance;
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit;
Working Families' Tax Credit;
a social fund payment
Child Benefit; or
any disability allowance.

What is entry clearance?

Entry clearance is a visa or entry clearance certificate you are given so you can travel to the United Kingdom. You must apply for entry clearance to the British Embassy, High Commission or other British Diplomatic Mission (known as British Diplomatic Posts) in the country where your husband, wife, fiancé or fiancée lives.

You can get advice about which British Diplomatic Posts can issue entry clearance any British Diplomatic Post abroad.

You can get guidance leaflets and information about visas from the Joint Entry Clearance Unit. Please write to:

The Visa Correspondence Unit
Joint Entry Clearance Unit
89 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7TP.

General enquiries: 020 7238 3838
Application forms: 020 7238 3858