UK Unmarried Partner Visa: Requirements, Cost and Process (2026)
Unmarried partner visa or same-sex partner visa: which one should you choose?
Choose the unmarried partner visa if:
- You are not married and not in a civil partnership
- You have been in a relationship like a marriage for at least two years
- You have lived together, or you can explain why you have not. For same-sex couples, a risk to your safety from living together openly can be the reason
- Your home country does not allow you to marry or form a civil partnership, and you do not plan to marry first
Choose the spouse or civil partner visa if:
- You are married or in a civil partnership, including a same-sex marriage or civil partnership
- Your marriage or civil partnership was legally formed in a country that allows it, even if your home country does not recognise it
- You want to skip the two-year rule. Your certificate replaces it
- See our Spouse Visa page
Who can apply?
You are likely eligible if:
- You are both 18 or over
- You have been in a genuine relationship like a marriage for at least two years, ideally living together, or you can explain why you have not
- Your partner is British, has indefinite leave to remain, or holds settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or has refugee or humanitarian protection status
- Your partner meets £29,000 a year, or you hold £88,500 in savings
- You can meet CEFR A1 English, or you are exempt
This route may not be right if:
- Your relationship has not yet lasted two years. Consider the fiancé(e) route if you plan to marry
- You are already married or in a civil partnership. The spouse route is simpler and skips the two-year rule
- Neither of you can evidence £29,000 or £88,500. The ten-year route may apply where there are exceptional circumstances
How do you prove a two-year relationship?
A clear timeline
A one-page chronology of the relationship, cross-referenced to the evidence, does more than any single document.
Time apart, explained
Work trips, family emergencies and short relocations are normal. If you have spent time apart, or have not lived together, explain why in a short note rather than leaving a gap. For same-sex couples, a risk to your safety from living together openly can be the reason.
Third party confirmation
Letters from a landlord, employer, or family members who can confirm you live together and how long they have known you as a couple.
Spread across the whole period
Evidence from month one and month twenty-four matters more than a thick bundle from last year. Aim for something from every few months.
Documents in one name at the same address
Where joint accounts are not possible, separate bills at the same address across the same period do similar work.
Documents in both names
Joint tenancy, joint bank account, council tax, utility bills. The strongest evidence shows both names at one address over time.
How do you apply?
Complete the online form and pay the fee. £2,064 from outside the UK as of 8 April 2026, or £1,407 from inside.
Upload your documents within five working days of submitting the online form, or the application can be cancelled.
Attend your biometric appointment. UKVCAS inside the UK, a visa application centre outside it.
Decide on priority. £500 for about five working days, £1,000 for the next working day, where offered.
Wait for the decision. Around 12 weeks from outside the UK, 8 weeks from inside.
Receive your decision and access your eVisa status. No vignette is issued.
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Documents you will need
Cost Breakdown
In our clients' own words.
"This is the second time AY&J has helped us with a visa application. Words cannot express our gratitude for all her help and professionalism."
“Professional and comprehensive service that was faultless. The attention to detail and the guidance provided in completing the spouse visa application and the required documentation were perfect. My consultant lawyer was extremely helpful and was always accessible to answer any questions I had at any time. I would highly recommend the service.”
“After our ILR rejection, AY&J pursued our case through Administrative Review and Judicial Review. The team was open, honest, knowledgeable and attentive to every detail. They kept us informed at every stage, supported us throughout an extremely difficult journey and helped us regain confidence in our case.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Income requirement
Employment, self-employment, pension, rental income, maternity or sick pay, and dividends. You need six months of payslips and bank statements for employment, and twelve months of evidence for self-employment.
Income requirement
If your first partner visa application was made before 11 April 2024, you stay on the old £18,600 threshold for extensions and settlement, as long as your leave has been continuous. A break in your leave moves you to £29,000.
Decisions and refusals
Yes, from the day it is granted, with no restriction on the type of work.
Decisions and refusals
Yes, on Article 8 grounds. These refusals need answering carefully, because a second application without addressing the first refusal usually produces the same result.
Decisions and refusals
Administrative Review, an appeal on human rights grounds, or a fresh application. The deadline is usually 14 days if you are in the UK and 28 days if you are outside, running from the date on the refusal letter.
Decisions and refusals
Around 12 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside. Priority is about five working days at £500, and Super Priority the next working day at £1,000, where offered.
Income requirement
£88,500 in cash savings meets the requirement instead, held in a regulated account for at least six months. Income and savings can be combined, though the permitted combinations are limited.
Income requirement
£29,000 a year gross, unchanged since 11 April 2024. The planned rises to £34,500 and £38,700 were paused after the Migration Advisory Committee review in June 2025.
Proving your relationship
We build the case from what is safely available. Third-country documents, sworn statements, travel records and communications. Where gathering a document would put you at risk, we say so in the application rather than omit it silently.
Proving your relationship
Not usually. Work trips, family emergencies and short relocations are normal. Explain them in a short note rather than leaving an unexplained gap.
Proving your relationship
Documents in both names at one address are strongest. Where that is not possible, separate documents at the same address across the same period do similar work. Spread the evidence across the full two years.
Who can apply
You can still apply if your relationship has lasted at least two years, but you need to explain why you have not lived together. For same-sex couples, a risk to your safety from living together openly can be the reason. If your relationship is shorter and you plan to marry, the fiancé(e) visa gives you six months in the UK to do so, then you switch to the spouse route.
Who can apply
No. Same-sex and opposite-sex couples use the same routes with the same requirements. If you are married, you use the spouse route. If you are not, you use this one.
Who can apply
Couples aged 18 or over who have been in a genuine relationship like a marriage for at least two years, and are not married or in a civil partnership. Living together is ideal. If you have not lived together, you need to explain why. Your partner must be British, settled, or otherwise qualifying.
Success Stories of Unmarried Partner Visas
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