Updated on 05 June 2026
The relationship requirement is the gateway to a UK partner visa, and it must be met along with the financial, English language, and accommodation requirements. It is the test of whether the couple’s relationship is one the Immigration Rules recognise: a valid marriage or civil partnership, an unmarried partnership of at least two years, or an intention to marry, between two people who are both free to be together and who intend to live together permanently in the UK. A relationship that does not meet one of these defined categories, or that cannot be shown to be genuine and subsisting, may lead to refusal regardless of how strong the financial evidence is. This post provides an overview of the relationship requirement for a UK partner visa application.
This post explains the relationship requirement itself. For the documents used to evidence a relationship, see the proof of relationship documents guide. For the route as a whole, see the UK Spouse Visa guide.
What relationship counts for a UK partner visa?
A UK partner visa recognises four relationship types: a spouse, a civil partner, an unmarried partner of at least two years, and a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner who intends to marry you. Your relationship must fall within one of these categories to meet the requirement.
These categories are defined in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, which governs family life applications. The category you apply under determines what you must show. A married couple evidences a valid marriage; an unmarried couple evidences two years in a relationship akin to marriage; a fiancé(e) evidences an intention to marry within six months of arrival. The eligibility-relationship requirements sit in Section E-ECP of Appendix FM for entry clearance and Section E-LTRP for leave to remain. The rules are published at Immigration Rules Appendix FM, GOV.UK.
Your sponsor must be present and settled
Your partner, the sponsor, must be a British citizen, settled in the UK with Indefinite Leave to Remain, or hold one of the specified forms of leave that allow sponsorship. The sponsor must also be in the UK or returning to the UK with you.
The specified forms of leave that allow a partner to sponsor include settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, refugee status, humanitarian protection, and limited leave under the EU Settlement Scheme in defined circumstances. A sponsor who is a British citizen or settled person is the most common position. Where the sponsor holds limited leave, the route and the rules that apply can differ, so the sponsor’s exact status is confirmed before the application is prepared.
Both partners must be 18 or over
Both you and your sponsor must be aged 18 or over at the date of application. There is no upper age limit, but neither partner can be under 18 at the point the relationship requirement is assessed.
This requirement is a fixed threshold under Appendix FM and applies to every partner category. It exists alongside the prohibited-degree rule described below, and both must be satisfied before the relationship is considered further.
You cannot be within a prohibited degree of relationship
You and your sponsor cannot be related to each other within a prohibited degree of relationship, which means the close family relationships that the law does not permit a marriage or civil partnership to form. These include parent and child, siblings, grandparent and grandchild, and certain relationships created by adoption.
The prohibited degrees are set out in the Marriage Act 1949, the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Act 1986, and the Civil Partnership Act 2004. Some relationships by marriage, such as those with a former spouse’s relatives, are subject to age-related conditions. A couple unsure whether their relationship falls within a prohibited degree should confirm the position before applying.
You must have met in person
You and your sponsor must have met each other in person. A relationship conducted only through correspondence, telephone, or online contact does not meet this requirement.
The Home Office position, in its family life caseworker guidance, is that the couple must be mutually acquainted and have met face to face; seeing each other only in passing, or communicating only remotely, does not satisfy the requirement. Evidence of having met in person can include travel records, photographs together, and other material showing the couple have spent time in each other’s company. This requirement applies to every partner category, including fiancé(e)s.
To discuss whether your relationship meets the requirement, contact our immigration team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
Your relationship must be genuine and subsisting
Your relationship must be genuine and subsisting, which means a real relationship that is continuing rather than one entered into to obtain an immigration advantage. This is assessed across every partner category and is the central question in most applications.
A genuine and subsisting relationship is shown through the history and continuity of the relationship, the time the couple have spent together, shared responsibilities, and the couple’s plans for the future. The requirement is set out in Appendix FM and elaborated in the Home Office’s family life caseworker guidance. A relationship that cannot be shown to be genuine and subsisting may be refused even where the couple are validly married, so the evidence is built to show the relationship over time rather than at a single point.
Your marriage or civil partnership must be valid
If you apply as a spouse or civil partner, your marriage or civil partnership must be valid and recognised under UK law. A marriage conducted overseas is recognised where it was valid in the country where it took place and where nothing in the law of either partner’s country of domicile prevents recognition.
A UK marriage or civil partnership is evidenced by the certificate. An overseas marriage is recognised where the type of marriage is one recognised in that country, the ceremony was carried out according to the law of that country, and both parties were free to marry. A religious or customary ceremony that does not create a legally valid marriage in the country where it took place may not meet this requirement, in which case the couple may apply instead as unmarried partners or as a fiancé(e), if those categories fit their circumstances.
The two-year rule for unmarried partners
If you are not married or in a civil partnership, you can apply as an unmarried partner where you have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years before the date of application. The two years is the defining feature of this category.
Evidence covering the full two years, in both partners’ names and spread across the period. Couples who have been together for less than two years and are not married may apply instead as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, with the intention of marrying after arrival. The requirement is set out in Appendix FM and the definition of partner in the rules.
Fiancé(e)s must intend to marry within six months
If you apply as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, you must intend to marry or enter a civil partnership in the UK, and neither you nor your partner can be married to or in a civil partnership with anyone else. The fiancé(e) visa is granted for six months to allow the marriage to take place.
After the marriage, the visa holder applies from within the UK to switch into the partner route as a spouse or civil partner. The fiancé(e) category requires evidence of the genuine intention to marry, such as wedding arrangements or a booked ceremony, alongside the general relationship requirements that apply to every category. The financial requirement applies to the fiancé(e) application in the same way as to a spouse application.
Any previous relationship must have ended permanently
If either you or your sponsor was previously married or in a civil partnership, that relationship must have permanently broken down. You cannot meet the relationship requirement while a previous marriage or civil partnership remains legally in place.
A previous marriage that ended is evidenced by a decree absolute or final order of divorce, a dissolution order for a civil partnership, or a death certificate where a previous partner has died. Where a previous relationship has not been formally dissolved, the application may be refused, so the documents confirming the end of any earlier marriage or civil partnership are gathered before applying.
You must intend to live together permanently in the UK
You and your sponsor must intend to live together permanently in the UK. This is a forward-looking requirement assessed alongside the genuineness of the relationship.
Periods spent abroad for work, holidays, training, or study are consistent with this intention where they fit a settled plan to make a home together in the UK. The intention is shown through the couple’s plans, shared arrangements, and the steps taken towards living together in the UK. This requirement applies across every partner category and sits alongside the immigration-status condition that an applicant in the UK cannot generally switch into the partner route from a visit visa or from leave of six months or less.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority and assists couples applying on the spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, and fiancé(e) routes. The firm advises on which partner category applies, confirms the sponsor’s status, reviews the relationship evidence against the genuine and subsisting requirement, and prepares the application for submission.
To discuss your UK partner visa application with an experienced adviser, contact us on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form.
Frequently asked questions
A genuine and subsisting relationship is a real relationship that is continuing, rather than one arranged to gain an immigration advantage. It is shown through the history of the relationship, time spent together, shared responsibilities, and the couple’s plans for the future.
Yes. You can apply as an unmarried partner where you have been together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years before applying. Couples together for less than two years may apply as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner with the intention of marrying after arrival.
An overseas marriage is recognised where it was valid in the country where it took place and nothing in either partner’s country of domicile prevents recognition. A ceremony that does not create a legally valid marriage in that country may not meet the requirement, in which case the unmarried partner or fiancé(e) route may apply instead.
Yes. The couple must have met each other face to face. A relationship conducted only through correspondence, telephone, or online contact does not meet the relationship requirement, and this applies to fiancé(e) applications as well.
The relationship must continue to be genuine and subsisting at the extension stage and at the settlement stage, and the couple must still intend to live together permanently in the UK. The same relationship test is reassessed each time leave is applied for, alongside the financial and other requirements.
Sources
- Immigration Rules Appendix FM, GOV.UK
- Family life (as a partner or parent): caseworker guidance, GOV.UK
- Family visas: apply, extend or switch, GOV.UK
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 the Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance at GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a relevant rule change. Last reviewed: 5 June 2026.
