If your Thai partner wants to travel to the UK to marry you and then return to Thailand or another country, a UK Marriage Visitor visa may be the right route. It also covers coming to the UK to give notice of marriage or register a civil partnership. Your intention to leave the UK after the visit is an essential part of the application.
Planning to marry in the UK?
Tell us your proposed wedding date, where you both live and whether you plan to settle in the UK afterward. We can help you identify the right route and prepare the application.
Chat with us on WhatsAppWho is the Marriage Visitor visa for?
This route is for a person who intends to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice in the UK during a temporary visit. They must be at least 18, free to marry, in a genuine relationship and intending to leave at the end of the trip. They must also be able to fund the visit and return journey, either themselves or with genuine support from another person.
A Thai citizen applying from Thailand should arrange the visa before travelling. The Marriage Visitor visa permits a stay of up to six months, during which the marriage or civil partnership must take place.
Planning to live together in the UK after the wedding? Look at the family visa route instead. A Marriage Visitor visa cannot be extended or switched to a partner visa from within the UK. Our fiancé(e) visa guide explains the option for couples intending to marry and settle in Britain.
What evidence should you prepare?
The application needs to make the wedding plans and the temporary nature of the trip credible. The evidence will depend on your circumstances, but commonly includes:
- a passport valid throughout the intended UK stay;
- details of the proposed ceremony and correspondence or a booking with the venue or register office;
- evidence of your genuine relationship and plans to marry;
- information about accommodation, travel costs and who will pay for the visit;
- evidence of the applicant’s circumstances and plans after leaving the UK; and
- proof that any earlier marriage has ended, where applicable.
Documents that are not in English or Welsh need a certified translation. A wedding booking is useful evidence, but it does not replace the need to show that all the visa requirements are met.
How do you apply from Thailand?
- Agree on your plans. Decide where you will marry, how long the visit will be and where you will live afterward.
- Prepare the evidence. Gather the wedding, relationship, financial and travel information relevant to your circumstances.
- Apply online. A Marriage Visitor visa application can be made up to three months before travel.
- Attend the appointment. The applicant attends a visa application centre to provide their photograph and fingerprints.
- Check the decision and travel conditions. Once granted, confirm the visa details and arrange the remaining travel and ceremony plans.
Allow time for both the visa process and the separate requirements for giving notice and arranging a legal ceremony with the relevant UK register office. Check the local register office’s process before committing to a date.
Can a Marriage Visitor work or stay after the wedding?
No. The Marriage Visitor route does not allow ordinary employment or settlement in the UK. The holder must leave within the period permitted by the visa and cannot extend it or switch to another visa while in the UK. If the long-term plan changes, obtain advice before making a new application.
What about a Standard Visitor visa?
A Standard Visitor visa is generally unsuitable for someone intending to marry or give notice of marriage in the UK. If your Thai girlfriend already holds one, do not assume it gives her permission to proceed with a wedding. Read our separate answer to whether you can marry on a UK visitor visa.
Get the route right before applying
The deciding point is what you intend to do after the ceremony. If you will leave the UK and continue living abroad, a Marriage Visitor visa may fit. If you intend to make the UK your home together, consider the family visa requirements before booking the wedding. Message Thai Visa Express on WhatsApp with your plans.