Last reviewed: 2 June 2026
The UK Fiance Visa grants six months of leave to enter the UK in order to marry or form a civil partnership with a settled partner, after which the applicant must switch to a Spouse Visa from inside the UK. The six-month window is short, and the application to switch must be submitted before the Fiance Visa expires; an applicant who misses that deadline cannot extend the Fiance Visa and is required to leave the UK and apply from abroad. Notice of marriage at the local register office must be given at least 29 days before the ceremony, which is an additional constraint on the timetable. This post provides an overview of the steps to take after arriving in the UK on a Fiance Visa for a UK Spouse Visa application.
What does the Fiance Visa allow?
The Fiance Visa is an entry route under Appendix FM for the partner of a British citizen or settled person who intends to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK. It grants up to six months’ leave to enter, during which the marriage or civil partnership must take place and an in-country application to switch to a Spouse Visa must be made.
The Fiance Visa does not permit employment in the UK, and it does not give access to most public funds. The conditions on the visa are intended to support the marriage and the application to switch; they are not intended to support general settlement during the six-month window. The route is set out in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.
Access your UKVI account and check your eVisa
Fiance Visa holders now receive an eVisa (online immigration status) when their application is successful. Previously, immigration permission was issued in the form of a vignette in the applicant’s passport. The eVisa is held in the applicant’s UKVI account and is the official record of immigration status.
The applicant should sign in to the UKVI account using the credentials issued during the visa application process and confirm that the leave granted, the conditions, and the expiry date match what was approved. Then the applicant may travel to the UK with their eVisa.
Guidance is on the GOV.UK page for your eVisa and UKVI account.
Give notice of marriage at the local register office
The first procedural step after arriving on a Fiance Visa is to give notice of marriage or civil partnership at a designated register office. Both partners attend the register office in person and sign a legal statement of intention.
Notice must be given at least 29 days before the date of the ceremony. For applicants subject to immigration control, including those on a Fiance Visa, the standard 29-day notice period may be extended to 70 days by the Home Office’s Marriage Referral and Investigation Scheme where the case is referred for additional scrutiny. The notice must be given at a register office designated for non-British citizens. The applicant should book the appointment as soon as practicable after arrival, because the date and venue of the ceremony must be confirmed before notice is given. GOV.UK provides the procedural framework on the give notice of marriage page.
Register for Council Tax
Council Tax is the local property tax that funds council services in England, Scotland and Wales, and the applicant becomes liable for Council Tax at the address where the applicant and the sponsoring partner are living together.
Registration is done through the local council, and procedures vary between councils. The Council Tax bill issued in joint names supports the relationship and cohabitation evidence required for the later Spouse Visa application, in the same way as joint utility bills. Where the applicant moves in with a partner who is already paying Council Tax at the address, the council should be notified so that the names on the bill are updated.
Register with a local GP
NHS general practitioner registration is open to anyone living in the UK, regardless of immigration status, and registration provides access to NHS primary care services free of charge. Proof of address is not required to register with a GP under the published NHS guidance on registering with a GP surgery.
GP registration is recommended early after arrival, because access to a registered GP supports continuity of care and provides a further point of contact at the UK address. A confirmation of GP registration may also be used as supporting evidence of cohabitation in the later Spouse Visa application, alongside the other evidence types the application requires.
Open a UK bank account
A UK bank account allows the applicant to receive payments, pay bills and contribute to household expenses while in the UK on the Fiance Visa. Most retail banks require proof of UK address to open a current account, typically in the form of a utility bill or recent official correspondence.
Several digital banks offer basic accounts that can be opened with a passport and a UK address without a separate proof-of-address requirement, which can be a useful first step shortly after arrival. A joint account in the names of both partners is often added once the standard documentation is in place, and supports the cohabitation evidence in the Spouse Visa application. The applicant should retain bank statements covering the period from arrival to the date of the Spouse Visa application.
To discuss the Spouse Visa switch and the supporting evidence with an experienced adviser, contact our immigration team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
Plan the wedding date around the 29-day notice and the visa expiry
The wedding date determines the rest of the timetable. Notice must be given at least 29 days before the ceremony, the Spouse Visa application must be submitted before the Fiance Visa expires, and the supporting documents and biometric appointment add additional time to the application timetable.
Working backwards from the Fiance Visa expiry date is the most reliable approach. The Spouse Visa application requires the marriage certificate, so the wedding must take place before the application is submitted, which means notice must be given at least 29 days before the wedding. Allowing a buffer of several weeks between the wedding and the Fiance Visa expiry date reduces the risk that an unexpected delay (for example, a notice referral to the Marriage Referral and Investigation Scheme) compresses the application timetable. Where the timetable looks tight, the strategic decision is best made before notice is given rather than in the final weeks of the visa.
Switching from a Fiance Visa to a Spouse Visa
To switch from a Fiance Visa to a Spouse Visa, the applicant submits the in-country Spouse Visa application (form FLR(M)) before the Fiance Visa expires. The applicant and sponsor must both be in the UK at the time of application.
The application must demonstrate that the marriage has taken place, that the relationship is genuine and ongoing, and that the financial, English language and accommodation requirements are met. The financial requirement is £29,000 per year for applicants whose first application in the family route was made on or after 11 April 2024. The English language requirement is met at CEFR level A1 on initial entry as a Fiance and at level A2 when applying for further leave to remain at the 30-month stage; details vary by individual circumstances and are confirmed against the rules in force at the date of application.
What Works in Practice
The Fiance Visa switch goes most smoothly where the wedding is scheduled in months two or three of the six-month window, leaving a clear buffer between the marriage and the Fiance Visa expiry date for the Spouse Visa application to be prepared and submitted.
The most common timing pressure point is the 29-day notice rule. Applicants who arrive intending to marry quickly sometimes assume the notice period can be compressed; it cannot in the standard course. The notice must be given at a designated register office, both partners must attend in person, and the 29-day period runs from the date both partners have given notice. Where the Home Office refers the notice to the Marriage Referral and Investigation Scheme, the 29-day period is extended to 70 days; this scheme applies to a subset of notices given by applicants subject to immigration control, and the referral is not in the applicant’s control.
The second common pressure point is the financial requirement evidence at the switch stage. Where the sponsor is in employment, six months of payslips and matching bank statements from the same employer is the most straightforward evidence under Category A. Where the sponsor has changed employer in the qualifying period, Category B applies and a 12-month income history is required; this is more documentation-heavy than Category A, and the switch from a Fiance Visa should be planned with the evidence framework in mind.
To discuss your Fiance Visa to Spouse Visa switch with the team, contact us on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Fiance Visa is a short window, and the switch to a Spouse Visa is on a fixed timetable that does not flex if any one element runs late. Notice of marriage must be given at least 29 days before the ceremony, the wedding must take place before the Spouse Visa application is submitted, and the application must be submitted before the Fiance Visa expires. The financial requirement, English language requirement and accommodation requirement each have their own evidence framework, and each must be in place at the date of application.
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority and works on Fiance Visa to Spouse Visa switches across both the new £29,000 financial requirement and the transitional £18,600 framework where it applies. The firm advises on the timetable from arrival to submission, on the documents required for the Spouse Visa application, on the financial category most appropriate to the sponsor’s income, and on the supporting evidence at the date of application.
To discuss your Fiance Visa or Spouse Visa switch with the team, contact us on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
Frequently asked questions
No. The Fiance Visa does not permit employment. The applicant can switch to a Spouse Visa once the marriage has taken place, and the Spouse Visa permits employment in the UK without restriction.
The Fiance Visa cannot be extended in-country. Where the visa expires before the marriage has taken place, the applicant must leave the UK and apply afresh from abroad. Remaining in the UK after the expiry date is an immigration breach and has consequences for any future application, including the good character framework for naturalisation.
Notice of marriage for applicants subject to immigration control must be given at a register office designated for that purpose. Most major register offices are designated; the local council can confirm whether a particular office is designated. Both partners must attend in person.
The Spouse Visa is on the five-year route to settlement. Indefinite Leave to Remain may be applied for after five years of qualifying residence on the partner route, subject to the absence limits and the other ILR requirements. The Fiance Visa period does not count toward the five-year qualifying period; the clock starts on the grant of the initial Spouse Visa.
Written and reviewed by Whytecroft Ford’s immigration team, authorised and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, registration number F201900075. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules and the Home Office’s published guidance at GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a relevant rule change. Last reviewed: 2 June 2026.
