You must apply for a Marriage Visitor visa if:
you want to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK
you want to give notice of a marriage or civil partnership in UK
you are not planning to stay or settle in the UK after your marriage or civil partnership
you meet the other eligibility requirements
You do not need a Marriage Visitor visa to convert your civil partnership into a marriage - you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa.
You cannot apply if you qualify for British citizenship - including if you can have dual nationality. You must apply for British citizenship instead.
How long it takes to get a visa
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
Example
You can apply from 16 March if you plan to travel on 15 June.
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.
Find out about paying for a faster decision.
Fees
It costs £95 to apply.
How long you can stay
You can use this visa to visit the UK for up to 6 months.
What you can and cannot do
You can:
Marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of your arrival - you must use a venue licensed for this purpose
pass through the UK in transit (on your way to another country)
You cannot:
get public funds
bring in family members (‘dependants’) - they must apply separately
live in the UK for extended periods through frequent visits
extend your visa or switch to another visa
work - except for permitted activities related to your work or business overseas, such as attending meetings
study for more than 30 days - studying cannot be the main reason for your visit