- The Fiance Visa (Prospective Spouse Visa) grants 6 months leave to enter the UK to marry or form a civil partnership.
- The couple must marry within the 6-month period; no extension is available.
- After marrying, the holder must switch to a Spouse Visa from inside the UK; they cannot remain on the Fiance Visa after marriage.
- The sponsor must meet the same 29,000 pound income threshold as the Spouse Visa route.
- The application fee is 1,846 pounds from outside the UK.
Last reviewed: 13 May 2026
The UK Fiance Visa, formally called the Prospective Spouse Visa under the Immigration Rules, is designed for overseas nationals intending to marry a British citizen or settled person in the UK. It is a short-term visa with a strict 6-month limit and no extension route. Understanding the switching process and evidence requirements avoids costly delays.
What the Fiance Visa Allows
The Fiance Visa grants 6 months leave to enter the UK, permission to marry or register a civil partnership during the 6-month period, no right to work (the visa does not include work permission), and no access to public funds. The visa is not extendable. If the marriage does not take place within 6 months, the holder must leave the UK and cannot remain lawfully. There is no provision to extend the Fiance Visa.
Income Threshold: Same as the Spouse Visa
The financial requirement mirrors the Spouse Visa. The UK-based sponsor must demonstrate a minimum gross income of 29,000 pounds per year (current threshold from April 2024). The same phased increase to 34,500 pounds and then 38,700 pounds is planned, with implementation dates subject to confirmation by government. Accepted sources of income include employment, self-employment, pension and certain non-employment income. The same documentary evidence requirements apply as for a Spouse Visa application.
Required Evidence for a Fiance Visa
Applications require evidence across four main categories. Identity and status: valid passport for both applicant and sponsor; proof of the sponsor's British citizenship or settled status. Genuine relationship: evidence of how the couple met and the nature of the relationship; communication records (messages, emails, call logs); evidence of meetings in person, travel records, photographs with dates, boarding passes; any correspondence confirming engagement or wedding plans.
Intent to marry: evidence that a genuine intention to marry within 6 months exists, including a provisional wedding venue booking, communication with a registrar, or a letter from a religious officiant. Financial evidence: payslips (6 months), P60, employer letter and bank statements confirming the sponsor meets 29,000 pounds.
Unlike the Spouse Visa, there is no English language requirement at the Fiance Visa stage. The English language requirement must be met when switching to a Spouse Visa after marriage.
The 6-Month Rule in Practice
The 6-month period begins from the date the applicant enters the UK, not the date the visa is issued. The couple must marry or register their civil partnership before the leave expires. Planning the wedding before the applicant arrives is strongly advisable. Registrars in England and Wales require advance notice of at least 28 days (and up to 70 days in some cases) for a marriage on approved premises. Religious ceremonies have their own notice requirements.
If the visa expires before the marriage takes place, for any reason, the applicant must leave the UK. There is no grace period or administrative review option that permits remaining after expiry.
Switching to a Spouse Visa After Marriage
After marrying or registering a civil partnership in the UK, the Fiance Visa holder must apply to switch to a Spouse Visa (leave to remain as a partner) from inside the UK. This application is made on GOV.UK before the 6-month Fiance Visa expires. Switching requirements: the marriage or civil partnership must have taken place, the income threshold (29,000 pounds) must still be met, the English language requirement must be demonstrated at A2 CEFR level, and supporting documents for the Spouse Visa must be submitted.
The application fee for in-country switching to a Spouse Visa (leave to remain) is 1,258 pounds as of May 2026, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge. Once leave to remain as a partner is granted, the holder is on the standard 5-year route to ILR.
Can a Fiance Visa Holder Work?
No. The Fiance Visa does not include permission to work. Working without permission is a visa breach and can affect future immigration applications. Once switched to a Spouse Visa (leave to remain), the holder acquires full work rights with no restriction on employment type or hours.
Difference Between Fiance Visa and Spouse Visa
The Fiance Visa requires engagement and intention to marry, lasts 6 months and is non-extendable, includes no work rights, has no English language requirement at application, and routes to ILR via switching to a Spouse Visa. The Spouse Visa requires an existing marriage or civil partnership, lasts 33 months and is extendable, includes unrestricted work rights, requires A2 English at application, and routes directly to ILR after 5 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Fiance Visa be extended?
No. The Fiance Visa grants exactly 6 months and cannot be extended. If the marriage does not take place within 6 months, the applicant must leave the UK.
What if the wedding is delayed?
If the wedding cannot take place before the visa expires, the applicant must leave. There is no provision to extend or vary the leave. A new Fiance Visa application could be made from abroad, but approval is not guaranteed and a full new application fee applies.
Can a Fiance Visa holder switch to another visa?
Switching to most other visa routes such as a work visa is not permitted from a Fiance Visa. The intended route is Fiance Visa, marry, then switch to Spouse Visa. Asylum claims are a separate legal process.
Does the Fiance Visa require an English language test?
No English language test is required at the Fiance Visa application stage. The A2 English language requirement must be met at the point of switching to the Spouse Visa after marriage.
What income evidence is needed?
The UK sponsor must evidence a minimum gross income of 29,000 pounds per year via six months of payslips, a P60, an employer letter confirming salary, and six months of personal bank statements showing salary credits. The requirements mirror those for the Spouse Visa.
How We Verified This Article
Content was verified against the Home Office Prospective Spouse Visa guidance on GOV.UK, Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, and UKVI fee schedule data current as of May 2026. Income threshold figures were checked against the Home Office financial requirement guidance.
