Overview
The UK Fiance Visa, technically the Fiance(e) or Proposed Civil Partner Visa under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, is a 6-month entry clearance designed for couples who plan to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK. It is not a route to work or settle in itself: it is the bridge between meeting overseas and switching into the partner-route Spouse Visa from inside the UK.
Once the Fiance Visa is granted and the applicant arrives in the UK, the couple have 6 months to marry or form a civil partnership. The applicant cannot work, claim public funds, or extend the Fiance Visa. After the wedding or civil ceremony, the applicant applies for FLR(M) (the Spouse Visa from inside the UK), which grants 30 months of leave with full work rights.
Updated for 2026: Home Office fees rose by 6-7% on 8 April 2026. The financial requirement remains £29,000 per year for the sponsor and is set to rise to £38,700 in line with the planned phased increase.
The Fiance Visa fits couples where the wedding is planned in the UK, where one party cannot reasonably travel to the other country, or where the couple want to start the partner-route clock running through the UK system. Our Glasgow advisers handle Fiance Visa applications for clients across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Key Benefits
Right route check
Where the wedding is overseas, a Fiance Visa is the wrong choice. Where it is in the UK and the couple are not yet married, it is correct. We confirm at the advice stage.
Strong relationship bundle
Fiance applications are decided largely on the strength of the relationship evidence. We build a comprehensive bundle covering communication, visits, and the genuine intention to marry.
Wedding logistics included
We coordinate the Notice of Marriage at Glasgow Register Office, ensure the 28-day notice period runs within the 6-month visa, and time the FLR(M) switch to follow the ceremony.
Switch path planned
Every Fiance Visa we file is set up for the FLR(M) switch that follows. We lock the financial evidence period and English level (A1 to A2) for the second application from day one.
Our Service Packages
Advice Package
A one-to-one consultation with a Glasgow immigration adviser. We confirm whether a Fiance Visa is the right choice, audit the relationship evidence, and lay out a clear action plan to entry clearance and FLR(M).
From £150 + VAT
Application Package
Full end-to-end Fiance Visa application. We prepare every document, draft the cover letter, complete the online form, and submit on your behalf. Includes one revision after Home Office contact.
From £750 + VAT
Combined Fiance + FLR(M) Package
Fiance Visa application plus the FLR(M) switch after marriage at a discounted combined rate. Includes coordination of Notice of Marriage at Glasgow Register Office.
From £1,400 + VAT
Refusal Review and Re-Application
If your Fiance Visa was refused, we review the refusal letter, advise on grounds for fresh application or appeal, and rebuild the application.
From £500 + VAT
UK Fiance Visa Requirements 2026
Fiance Visa applications are decided against Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. The applicant and their UK-based sponsor must meet a set of mandatory requirements covering the relationship, the genuine intention to marry, finances, accommodation, and English language.
Relationship and intention to marry
- You and your sponsor must be in a genuine and subsisting relationship
- You must intend to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK within the 6-month visa period
- You must have met in person before applying (a long-distance-only relationship is not enough)
- Both parties must be aged 18 or over
- You must not be within a prohibited degree of relationship
- If either party was previously married, evidence the prior marriage has ended (decree absolute, death certificate)
Sponsor status
- Your sponsor must be a British citizen, person with Indefinite Leave to Remain, settled person, or refugee
- Your sponsor must be in the UK or returning to the UK with you
Financial requirement
The £29,000 minimum income threshold applies to Fiance Visa applications under Appendix FM. Income can come from employment, self-employment, pensions, savings, or a permitted combination. Where the sponsor is salaried with the same employer for at least 6 months, payslips and bank statements covering 6 months are sufficient. Where employment is more recent, 12 months of evidence is required.
⚠️ Important: The income threshold is set to rise to £38,700 in line with the planned phased increase. Confirm which figure applies to your application before filing. Call us on 0141 496 0321.
English language requirement
Fiance Visa applicants must demonstrate English at CEFR A1 level in speaking and listening. This is the same level required for the initial Spouse Visa. You can satisfy the requirement by:
- Passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) at A1 with a Home Office-approved provider
- Holding a degree taught in English with Ecctis confirmation if non-UK
- Being a national of a majority English-speaking country listed in Appendix English Language
Accommodation requirement
The couple must have adequate accommodation in the UK that is exclusively available to them, without recourse to public funds. The accommodation must not be overcrowded under the Housing Act 1985. Owner-occupied, tenanted, or family-provided accommodation can all qualify with the right evidence.
Conditions during the 6-month Fiance Visa
- You cannot work in the UK during the Fiance Visa period
- You cannot claim public funds (benefits)
- You cannot extend the Fiance Visa
- You must marry or form a civil partnership within the 6 months and switch to FLR(M)
Documents Required for a UK Fiance Visa
The Fiance Visa is decided largely on the strength of the relationship evidence and the financial requirement bundle. The following categories cover most applications.
Relationship and wedding evidence
- Detailed witness statements from both parties confirming the relationship history and intention to marry
- Photographs across the period you have been together, with dates and locations
- Communication records (WhatsApp messages, emails, video call logs) showing consistent contact
- Travel records showing visits between you
- Wedding plans: provisional booking at Glasgow Register Office or another UK venue, save-the-date communications
- Where there are previous marriages, a decree absolute or death certificate
Financial evidence
- 6 months of payslips (or 12 months if employment is under 6 months)
- Employment contract and letter from the sponsor’s employer confirming role, salary and start date
- 6 months of bank statements showing salary credits matching payslips
- Most recent P60
- Self-employed sponsors: SA302, last full year accounts, business bank statements
- Savings: 6 months of statements showing the qualifying amount held continuously
Accommodation evidence
- Tenancy agreement or property deeds in the sponsor’s name
- Most recent council tax bill
- Recent utility bill
- Where staying with family, a letter from the property owner plus their tenancy or deeds
English language evidence
- SELT certificate at A1 dated within validity (typically 2 years)
- Or qualifying degree certificate plus Ecctis statement (non-UK awards)
- Or passport showing qualifying nationality for the exemption
Identity
- Current passport with at least 6 months validity remaining
- Sponsor’s passport or BRP / eVisa screenshots showing settled status
How to Apply for a Fiance Visa
The Fiance Visa application is made online from outside the UK through the gov.uk service. The process moves through five practical stages once we have agreed scope.
Stage 1: Strategy and timeline
We confirm that a Fiance Visa is the right route, agree a target submission date based on your wedding plans, and confirm the sponsor meets the financial requirement. We start the relationship evidence build immediately because it takes the longest.
Stage 2: Evidence build
We send a personalised checklist by category. The applicant gathers identity, relationship, and English evidence; the sponsor pulls payroll and accommodation evidence. We chase what is missing.
Stage 3: Application preparation
We complete the online Fiance Visa form, draft a substantive supporting cover letter (essential for relationship-based applications), and label every document for upload. The cover letter sets out how each requirement is met and pre-empts common refusal grounds.
Stage 4: Submission and biometrics
We submit the form, pay the application fee, and confirm the applicant’s biometric appointment at the closest Visa Application Centre to where they are. Documents are uploaded in advance through the VFS portal.
Stage 5: Decision, travel, and the FLR(M) switch
The Home Office issues a decision, typically within 12 weeks. If granted, the applicant travels to the UK and the 6-month visa starts on the date of arrival. We coordinate Notice of Marriage at Glasgow Register Office (or another local register office) and prepare the FLR(M) application that follows the wedding.
Fiance Visa Costs and Processing Times 2026
The total cost of a Fiance Visa application has three Home Office components: the application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (paid only on the FLR(M) switch, not the Fiance Visa itself), and the biometric capture fee. The wedding, FLR(M), and ongoing partner-route costs come later.
| Cost | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fiance Visa application fee | £1,846 | Entry clearance from outside the UK; subject to 6-7% rise from 8 April 2026 |
| Biometric enrolment | Included | At applicant’s local Visa Application Centre |
| Notice of Marriage (Glasgow Register Office) | £35-45 per person | Paid to the local authority, not the Home Office |
| Marriage / civil partnership ceremony | £46-95 | Statutory minimum at Glasgow Register Office |
| FLR(M) switch (after marriage) | £1,048 + IHS | 30-month grant; IHS £1,035/year |
Total Home Office cost (Fiance Visa only): approximately £1,846. Adding the FLR(M) switch (with 30-month IHS) brings the running total to approximately £5,481 per applicant by the end of the 36-month period. We map the full cost path at the advice stage.
Processing times in 2026
Standard Fiance Visa processing is approximately 12 weeks from biometrics. Priority service (5 working days) and super-priority service (24 hours) are available for an additional fee at most Visa Application Centres. We use priority where the wedding is time-sensitive.
What happens after the Fiance Visa is granted
The applicant travels to the UK and the 6-month visa starts on arrival. Within 28 days of both parties being in the UK, give Notice of Marriage at the Glasgow Register Office (or another local register office). The 28-day statutory notice period must elapse before the ceremony can take place. After the wedding, apply for FLR(M) inside the UK to switch into the Spouse Visa and unlock the right to work.
After marriage, see our Spouse Visa / FLR(M) service
Frequently asked questions
No. The Fiance Visa carries an explicit prohibition on employment and a no-recourse-to-public-funds condition. You can only work after you have married and switched to FLR(M) (the in-country Spouse Visa).
The Fiance Visa cannot be extended. If the wedding does not happen, the visa expires and you must leave the UK. There is a narrow exception where the marriage was prevented by circumstances outside your control: the Home Office may grant further short leave if there is good reason and a clear plan to marry within the next 6 months. We document this carefully if it arises.
Glasgow Register Office requires 28 days notice for marriages and civil partnerships. Both parties must be in the UK to give notice. We diary the notice date as soon as the Fiance Visa arrives so the marriage is held within the 6-month window with time to spare for the FLR(M) application that follows.
A Marriage Visitor Visa allows entry purely to marry, with no right to remain afterwards: the couple must leave the UK after the ceremony. A Fiance Visa allows entry to marry AND switch to FLR(M) to remain in the UK as a spouse. If the plan is to live in the UK after the wedding, the Fiance Visa is the right route.
Yes. The £29,000 sponsor income threshold applies to Fiance Visa applications in the same way as Spouse Visa applications. Income can come from employment, self-employment, savings, pensions, or a permitted combination. We map the qualifying combination at the advice stage.
As soon as practical, and certainly before the 6-month Fiance Visa expires. The FLR(M) application can be lodged any time during the Fiance Visa, but it must be in before expiry to avoid a gap. We typically apply within 4 to 6 weeks of the ceremony.
No. The 5-year clock runs from the grant of the FLR(M) (Spouse Visa) onwards. Time spent on the Fiance Visa does not count towards settlement. This is one of the operational reasons couples sometimes choose to marry overseas first and apply for a Spouse Visa directly.
Yes, and visits are positive evidence of the relationship. The relationship evidence in a Fiance application includes photographs of meetings, joint travel records, and consistent communication across the time you have known each other. We list every meeting and trip in the supporting cover letter.