You can apply for a partner visa if your partner in the UK (the sponsor) is one of the following:
A British citizen
Holds Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settled status
Has refugee or humanitarian protection
Holds pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
Has leave to remain as a worker/businessperson under the European Communities Association Agreement
To qualify as a 'partner', you must either:
Be married or in a civil partnership
OR
Have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years as unmarried partners.
Additionally, you and your partner must demonstrate:
You have met in person
Intent to live together permanently in the UK
Adequate accommodation without overcrowding
A genuine and ongoing relationship
Any previous relationships have ended permanently
Your partner meets the English language requirement
You meet the financial requirements
Outside UK Application: £1,938 Application fee + £3,105 Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
Inside UK Application: £1,321 Application fee + £2,587.50 Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
- Fees correct as of 5 June 2025
The visa is initially granted for 33 months and can be extended. After a total of 60 or 120 months (depending on continued eligibility), applicants may apply for settlement.
More information on the requirements for these visas can be found here.
As of February 2024, the UK Home Office removed the requirement for unmarried partners to have cohabited for 2 years prior to applying. Instead, you must now show you’ve been in a genuine and ongoing relationship for at least 2 years.
Although evidence of demonstrating a genuine and ongoing relationship is strengthened through evidence having lived together, there is no specified evidence required to demonstrate a relationship. Each application is different, and some couples will have more or less supporting evidence depending on circumstances.
If you haven’t lived together, you must justify this with valid reasons such as:
Work commitments
Cultural constraints
One partner temporarily living with a close family member to provide care
This is not an exhaustive list of reasonable explanations, and it is always best to check with an immigration solicitor first to see how you and your partner would meet this requirement.
Where you and your partner are able to provide a reasonable explanation, you will then need to show that your living apart is temporary and despite this, that your relationship remains subsisting.