Medieval castles and historic palaces, quintessentially English countryside, romantic churches and mansions – all this makes England a perfect wedding destination and a dream of many brides and grooms from all over the world. It is one of the best countries to say ‘I do’ and celebrate one of the most memorable events of your life. The United Kingdom has it all – mild climate, picturesque and imposing landscapes as well as a fantastically developed infrastructure. However, in order to get married in the UK, you need to sort out your visa first; it can be either a Marriage Visitor visa or a Fiancé/ Fiancée visa. Below we will explain the difference between them.
An overview of different UK family visas: application process and requirements
Though it is a common practice among foreigners to come to the UK to marry and the authorities normally give them a very warm welcome, it is not always easy to find a way out of the labyrinths of immigrations rules and regulations all by yourself. Our advice is to consult immigrations lawyers who can help you get a necessary visa without too much hassle and delays.
As mentioned above, we will describe the two types of visas for those who wish to marry in England.
It is given for the period of up to 6 months and permits a husband or a wife-to-be, or both, to enter the country and marry here. After that, if both spouses are not from a European country, they have to leave the UK because they are not allowed to live, work or study here on this visa. If one of the spouses is a British citizen or settled in the UK, the other one should still go to their country of residence and apply for a spouse visa from there.
It is also granted for 6 months but the difference from the Marriage visa is that one of the partners must be British or settled in the UK. Besides, after marriage, the non-EEA partner does not have to rush out of the country. They can apply for a spouse visa on the British Isles immediately after receiving a marriage certificate or before their fiancée visa expires. However, this visa is the same in terms of prohibiting any work or study in England.
There is a huge difference between these two visas; a marriage visitor visa costs as a standard visitor visa – £95, while a fiancé/ fiancée visa will make you £1,033 poorer (applying in the UK) or £1,523 (applying outside the UK), exactly the same as a spouse visa. Moreover, it is much more difficult to obtain a fiancé/ fiancée visa, because it requires more documents such as proof of sufficient income from the sponsor to show they can maintain you without recourse to public funds.
While a spouse visa to the UK is not that hard to get, a marriage or a fiancée visas are much harder, and any mistake or omission may cost you time and money. That’s why, if you are not a legal guru and have doubts, you’d be better off discussing them with immigration lawyers. Here are some documents that you must prepare for your application.
Make it happen! Get married in a place of your dreams, with English landscapes as a backdrop. In order to avoid disappointments and mishaps, get in touch with our immigration lawyers – they will make sure you comply with all the requirements and do everything right for one of the best days of your life.
Those who are not going to live in the UK and only want to enjoy a fabulous wedding ceremony in the UK will need a Marriage Visitor visa. The main documents you will need to send or to bring in person to a British visa centre are as follows:
It takes from 1 to 2 weeks to collect all the necessary documents and complete an application form correctly. If you book a consultation with qualified immigration advisers, the preparation will be reduced to a minimum.
It would normally take 3 weeks for your application to be processed, provided you have completed the application form correctly, confirmed your identity, submitted all the necessary documents and paid a relevant fee. Once your application is approved, you will receive further instructions either by post or by e-mail.
To sum it up, if you are supported by qualified legal experts, it will take about 4-5 weeks to get a UK Marriage Visitor visa.
We will give all the main UK visa options for couples who are only going to get married as well asspouses and civil partners:
According to the UK immigration legislation, your partner must be one the following:
Most resources on this topic would only talk about the first three categories which are the most common.
We will work with you to find a customised solution for your immigration, second citizenship, business, tax and other needs.
UK Family Visas: Spouse and Fiancé/Fiancée Visas
Visas to the UK
Second passport by investment
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