Do I need to be married/ be in a civil partnership with my partner to apply for this type of visa?

No. You do not need to be married or in a civil partnership to apply for this visa. You are able to apply for this visa if you:

Are married or in a civil partnership (under the spousal route);or
Are a fiancé or proposed civil partner (under the fiancé or proposed civil partner route); or
Have lived with your partner for 2 years or more (under the unmarried partner route);or
You’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years but you cannot live together, for example because you’re working or studying in different places or it is not accepted in your culture.

Each of the visa options have slightly different criteria which are detailed below.

Read more about this and other questions in our

Partner Visas section.

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Disclaimer

Given the fast pace of change, we would stress that this information is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.

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