If you are a non-British national and you have a civil partner who is one of the following, you can apply for a UK civil partnership visa under Appendix FM to join them and live with them in the UK:

• A British citizen,
• A person who has settled status in the UK, such as ILR or pre-settled status under the EUSS for EU citizens,
• A person with a Turkish businessperson or Turkish worker visa,
• A person with refugee status or humanitarian protection.

Above is just a snippet of what a UK civil partnership visa is and for whom it is meant, but you might have many questions about it, especially if your civil partner is in the UK and you are considering joining him. To address your concerns, we are including some frequently asked questions about the UK civil partnership visa in this article.

1. What are the requirements for a UK civil partnership visa?

Let us see the requirements you have to meet for a civil partnership visa:

• You and your partner must be 18 years of age or above.
• You and your partner must be in a genuine and ongoing relationship.
• You and your partner must have met in person.
• You and your partner must have clear intention to live together permanently in the UK.
• If you and/or your partner were in any relationship with someone previously, then it must have ended permanently.
• You and your partner must be able to support yourselves and your dependents (if any) financially in the UK.
• You must prove that you have an adequate accommodation in the UK for you, your partner, and dependents (if any).
• Unless exempted, you must meet the English language requirement;
• Your civil partnership must be recognised under the Civil Partnership Act 2004

2. Can I apply for a UK civil partnership visa if I don’t meet the requirements?

Yes, you can apply for the UK visa on human rights grounds even if you cannot meet all the visa requirements if

• You have a British child, or he has lived in the UK for at least 7 years, and it would be unreasonable for them to leave the UK.
• It would be a breach of Article 8 of ECHR if you are not allowed to enter the UK or asked to leave the UK if you are already in the UK.

3. Does my UK partner need to sponsor me?

Yes, for a UK civil partnership visa, your UK partner must sponsor you. Whether you are applying from outside the UK or applying to switch to a UK civil partnership visa from within the UK, in both situations your partner must sponsor you.

4. What is the financial requirement, and how can I meet it?

A key requirement of the UK civil partnership visa is that you and your partner can prove that you are financially capable of supporting yourself and any dependents in the UK and will not require any public funding.
You can show either your income or your UK-based partner’s income or combined income to meet the financial requirement. The minimum annual income threshold to meet the financial requirement for applicants applying on or after 11 February 2024 is £29000. If the combined income of either you or your partner is less than 29000, then you can also show your combined savings to meet the shortfall.

5. Can I get an exemption from meeting the financial requirement?

Yes, if your UK-based partner is a recipient of one of the following, you are exempted from meeting the financial requirements:

• Disability Living Allowance
• Adult Disability Payment
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement, or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
• Police Injury Pension
• Child Disability Payment

6. How to apply for the visa?

Irrespective of whether you are applying from outside the UK or inside the UK, you must apply online.

7. Can I apply to switch to a UK civil partnership visa from inside the UK?

Yes, if you are in the UK on another visa and you enter into a civil partnership with a British citizen or someone who is settled in the UK, you can apply to switch from your current visa to a UK civil partnership visa from within the UK. You must apply for this before your current visa expires, however this should not be a visit visa or a visa granted for 6 months or less.

8. Can I include children in my application?

Yes, you can include your children when applying for your UK civil partnership visa provided they are less than 18 years old or were under 18 when they were first granted leave, financially dependent on you, and are not living an independent life. You can usually include your children on the same application form you are applying for.

9. How much does it cost to apply for a UK civil partnership visa fee?

The cost of a UK civil partnership visa from inside the UK is currently £1,258, and if you are applying from outside the UK, it is £1,846. Immigration Health Charge is £1035 per year and is charged according to the length of the visa. You can also apply for a fee waiver in certain circumstances.

10. What can I do and cannot do on the visa?

If your civil partnership visa application is successful, you can live, work, and study in the UK. If you were on another visa, such as a UK work visa, and are now applying to switch to this visa, you can continue working in the UK in the same job or a new job, including self- employment.
You cannot usually get many state benefits or access public funds for yourself or your dependents.

11. How long will I be allowed to stay in the UK if my visa application is successful?

If you apply from outside the UK and your visa application is successful, you are initially granted a leave of 33 months. If you switch to this visa from inside the UK, you are granted an initial leave of 30 months.

12. Can I apply for an extension?

Yes, you can apply for a UK visa civil partnership extension before your current leave to remain expires, provided you continue to meet the visa requirements. You will be given leave to remain for a further 30 months.

13. Does the visa lead to settlement?

Yes, a UK civil partnership visa does lead to settlement. Once you have lived continuously in the UK on this visa route, you may be eligible to apply for settlement, i.e., indefinite leave to remain.

14. What if my UK civil partnership visa application is refused?

If your visa application is refused, you may have the right to appeal. Your appeal will be heard at the First Tier Tribunal in the UK. You must submit correct and missing evidence to make your case stronger. You may also choose to make a fresh application; however, this would require you to go through the entire process all over again.

How can we help?

Our experienced immigration lawyers have helped hundreds of applicants apply successfully for a UK civil partnership visa so that they can live in the UK with their partner. Whether you are struggling to understand the requirements of a UK Civil Partnership visa, you are finding the application process difficult, or you are stuck on which documents to collect, you can contact us for solutions to all these issues.