What is an unmarried partner visa?
You can apply for a UK family visa as an unmarried partner if you and your partner have lived together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years. It is the same Appendix FM route as the spouse visa, with the same fee, the same financial, English and accommodation requirements, and the same path to settlement. The difference is how you prove the relationship: instead of a marriage certificate, you show two years of shared life.
The route applies equally to same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Your partner must be a British or Irish citizen or settled in the UK, or hold another qualifying status, and both of you must be 18 or over.
The two-year requirement
The two years run back from the date of your application and must be a period in which you lived together in the same household, in a relationship akin to marriage, with the exclusivity and commitment that implies. They do not have to have been spent in the UK: they can be in your country, in the UK or in several. A couple who have spent most of the time apart, even if in a long and committed relationship, do not meet the requirement. In that case you can marry, apply as a fiancé(e) or consider whether another route fits.
Short absences, for work, study or family reasons, do not break the period if you remained a couple who lived together. Longer separations are examined closely, and the evidence needs to explain them.
How to prove two years living together
Evidence is needed for the whole of the two years, not just the start or the end. A strong application sets it out by period, so that a decision-maker can see no gap. The most persuasive documents are those from outside the relationship that show you both at the same address:
- joint tenancy agreements, or a lease in one name with the other named as occupier;
- council tax bills and utility bills addressed to both of you, or to each at the same address;
- joint bank statements, or separate statements showing the same address;
- letters from a GP, a hospital, a bank or a government body addressed to each of you at the address;
- post from the Home Office, HMRC or the DVLA at the shared address;
- travel records and holiday bookings made together;
- photographs across the period, with dates and places, and letters from friends and family.
Evidence from a government body, a bank, a landlord, a utility provider or a medical professional should be less than four years old.
If you could not live together
The rules recognise couples who could not live together for a good reason, such as a legal barrier in their country, a risk of persecution for a same-sex relationship, or a work or study commitment. The Home Office will want strong evidence of the reason and of the commitment, and these applications need careful preparation. Speak to us before you apply.
Other requirements
The financial requirement is a gross income of at least £29,000 a year, or savings that make up the shortfall, as explained in our spouse visa guide. You need English at level A1 in speaking and listening for a first application, unless exempt, adequate accommodation without overcrowding, and a tuberculosis certificate if you have lived in a listed country. Suitability grounds, such as criminality and previous breaches, apply as they do for a spouse.
Unmarried partner visa fees
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee, from outside the UK | £2,064 |
| Application fee, from inside the UK | £1,407 |
| Immigration health surcharge | £1,035 a year, so £3,105 for a visa of 2 years and 9 months |
| Indefinite leave to remain, after five years | £3,226 |
See the fees page and the guide to the health surcharge.
How long it takes and what you get
Decisions usually take 12 weeks from outside the UK and eight weeks from inside it, where the requirements are met. A first visa lasts up to 2 years and 9 months. You then extend for 2 years and 6 months, and after five years you can apply to settle. See extending and settling.
Marrying or applying as an unmarried partner
If you meet the two-year rule you can apply as unmarried partners, or you can marry and apply as spouses. The requirements for income, English and accommodation are the same, but a marriage certificate is easier to prove than two years of cohabitation, and many couples find the application stronger once they are married. If you are not yet at two years, you cannot normally apply as unmarried partners, and a fiancé(e) visa or marriage may be the way forward.
If your application is refused
A refusal carries a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal on human rights grounds, within 28 days if you are outside the UK and 14 days if you are inside it. See our guide to appealing a refused partner visa. The most common reason for refusal in unmarried partner cases is evidence that does not cover the whole two years, or that shows different addresses.
How we help
We assess whether you meet the two-year rule, build the evidence period by period, and prepare the application. A consultation costs from £99.
