Unmarried Partner Visa UK 2026: Requirements, Evidence and How to Apply
Can you get a UK partner visa without being married? The two-year test, whether you must live together, evidence, fees and how to apply.
Unmarried partner, spouse or fiancé(e): the route you choose decides what you have to prove.
If you marry, your certificate does a lot of the work. If you stay unmarried, your evidence has to show a relationship similar to marriage for at least two years. You do not have to have lived together to do that. You do need to explain how you did live, and prove it.
This guide explains who can apply, what the Home Office looks for, how to choose between the three routes and how to apply. It sits alongside our UK spouse visa guide. For the deeper rules on how relationship evidence is weighed, see our spouse visa relationship requirement guide.
Quick answer
You can apply as an unmarried partner if you are both 18 or over and intend to live together permanently in the UK. You must have met in person. Your relationship must have been similar to a marriage or civil partnership for at least two years. Since 31 January 2024 you do not have to show that you lived together. You must also meet the financial, English language and accommodation requirements.
We checked the Rules, the Home Office guidance and the fees in this guide against GOV.UK in October 2026.
The unmarried partner route at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Two-year test | A relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years before you apply |
| Living together | Not required, but you must explain how you lived and prove your commitment |
| First grant | Normally up to 2 years and 9 months |
| Right to work | Yes |
| Settlement | After 5 years on the five-year route, subject to meeting the settlement requirements |
| Decision time | Usually within 12 weeks from outside the UK (see "Fees and timing") |
| Entry clearance fee | £2,064 from outside the UK, plus the health surcharge |
Who can apply as an unmarried partner
You and your partner must both be 18 or over. Your partner must be one of these:
- A British or Irish citizen.
- Settled in the UK, for example with indefinite leave to remain or settled status.
- From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, with pre-settled status, and living in the UK before 1 January 2021.
- Holding a Turkish Businessperson or Turkish Worker visa.
- A person with protection status (refugee permission or humanitarian protection).
- A person who had permission as a stateless person before you became their partner.
You must also have met in person, intend to live together permanently in the UK, and not be too closely related to marry. Any earlier marriage, civil partnership or relationship of either of you must have broken down permanently. Our relationship requirement guide explains each of these.
You must meet the financial requirement, show your English language ability, and have suitable accommodation. These are the same as for spouses.
In short: the rules on who can apply are the same for all partners. The unmarried partner route adds the two-year test.
What changed in January 2024
Until 30 January 2024, the Rules defined an unmarried partner as someone in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership who had been living together for at least two years. The Statement of Changes HC 246 removed the words "living together". From 31 January 2024, the Rules say an unmarried partner is someone where the couple have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years.
That removed a legal barrier for couples who could not live together. It did not remove the need for evidence. The Home Office still has to be satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that your relationship is genuine, continuing and has the character of a marriage for the full two years.
“The rule change opened the door for couples who live apart. It did not take away the need to prove the relationship.”
What "a relationship similar to marriage" means
The Rules do not define it. The guidance asks decision makers to look at each relationship on its own facts and not to assume relationships should look a particular way.
In practice, the Home Office looks for commitment that goes beyond a casual relationship: regular contact, time spent together, mutual support, shared plans, and being treated as a couple by family and friends.
Living together is the clearest way to show that. GOV.UK says you can prove the relationship by showing you have lived together for at least two years, or, if you cannot live together, by showing an ongoing commitment to each other.
In short: if you live together, use that evidence. If you do not, explain why and prove your commitment in other ways.
Counting your two years
The two years run up to the date of your application. For an entry clearance application, the application is not made until the fee has been paid. Count back 24 months from the day you plan to pay.
GOV.UK recommends relationship evidence that is normally less than four years old. Older documents can still help show how your relationship developed, though they may carry less weight. What matters is that your evidence covers the two years and is consistent with your application.
If there are gaps, fill them if you can. If you cannot, explain them in your cover letter.
“A gap with an honest explanation is easier to accept than a gap with silence.”
If an earlier marriage or civil partnership of either of you has permanently ended in practice but the paperwork is not finished, take advice. It can matter for when your two years began.
Which route fits you?
| Route | What you have to prove | Trade-off | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unmarried partner | A relationship similar to marriage for at least two years before you apply | Your evidence has to cover the whole two years | You have been together two years or more and do not want to marry yet |
| Spouse or civil partner | A valid marriage or civil partnership, and a genuine and subsisting relationship | You need to marry first, and the marriage must be recognised in the UK | You are ready to marry, or your evidence for the two years is thin |
| Fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner | That you will marry or register in the UK within six months of arriving, and that your relationship is genuine | You cannot work or study during the engagement, and the time does not count towards settlement | You have been together less than two years and plan to marry in the UK. See our fiancé(e) visa guide |
If you are already in the UK as an unmarried partner and become engaged, GOV.UK says not to apply to extend as a fiancé(e). Apply to extend with the status you already have.
If you cannot live together
GOV.UK says that if you cannot live together because of work or study, or for cultural reasons, you need to prove an ongoing commitment to each other. Its examples of evidence are that you:
- Communicate regularly with each other.
- Support each other financially.
- Care for any children you have together.
- Spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events.
The Home Office guidance gives examples of good reasons for living apart. They include studying or working in another country, applying for immigration permission, cultural or religious practice, and, for same-sex couples, the impossibility of living together openly. The examples are not a closed list.
If you have never lived together, the reason you give and the evidence you provide have to fit together. Do not rely on a statement alone.
The mistake you're about to make: relying only on photographs and messages.
How to avoid it: do not rely solely on photographs and messages where other relevant evidence is available. A selection of contact records, visits, financial support and shared plans can help demonstrate a genuine relationship, even without joint household documents.
Real situations
These are illustrations, not promises of an outcome. Each case turns on its own evidence.
Work or study keeps you apart. Provide your contract or enrolment letter, travel records for each visit, money you sent or shared, and an explanation of when you plan to live together.
Immigration history kept you apart. Provide refusal letters or travel records that explain why you could not be together, and show how you kept the relationship going, for example visits to a third country, calls and financial support.
Your culture or faith does not allow living together before marriage. Explain it in your cover letter, and provide evidence of regular contact, visits and family involvement. If official documents are not issued in both names where you live, say so.
You are a same-sex couple who could not live openly together. Explain why discretion was necessary and what the position is in your country, and provide any supporting evidence you have. If you had a period where you could be open, such as time in a third country or the UK, show it.
How the Home Office weighs your evidence
The Home Office looks at your evidence in the round, and gives more weight to official documents than to photographs and messages. A document that does not show both names can still help if it covers the same address over the same period.
Our spouse visa relationship requirement guide sets out the three evidence tiers and how decision makers use them. Our spouse visa document checklist covers the formats and the master list of documents.
Organise your evidence across the full two years, not only the final few months. Where you can, include independently verifiable records alongside evidence of visits, communication and shared commitments. You do not need a particular number of documents for each period.
Documents you will need
The documents are the same as for a spouse application, apart from the marriage certificate. See our spouse visa document checklist.
For an unmarried partner application you will also want:
- A cover letter that sets out your timeline, the reasons you lived apart (if you did) and your plans in the UK.
- Separate personal statements from each of you, in your own words. The dates and facts must be consistent with each other and with your application form.
- Evidence that any earlier marriage or relationship of either of you has ended.
Financial, English language and accommodation requirements
Financial. Most new applicants must show £29,000 gross a year, from the permitted sources, with the specified evidence. A lower transitional figure of £18,600 applies only in limited cases at the extension stage. See our spouse visa financial requirement guide.
English language. At entry clearance you need English at level A1 in speaking and listening, shown by an approved test or an exemption. Extensions need A2. Settlement needs B1 for applications made before 26 March 2027 and B2 from that date.
Accommodation. Your accommodation must be owned or occupied by your family exclusively, must not be overcrowded and must not breach public health rules. See our spouse visa accommodation requirement guide.
TB test. If you apply from outside the UK and have lived in a country on the GOV.UK TB list, you may need a TB test certificate. Dependent children are covered too, where it applies. You do not need one for an application made from inside the UK.
How to apply for an unmarried partner visa
Check you qualify
You both need to be 18 or over, your partner needs a qualifying status, and you need two years in a relationship similar to marriage.
Prepare your evidence
Gather your relationship, financial, accommodation and English language documents. Use our spouse visa document checklist.
Apply online
From outside the UK, you apply online through GOV.UK. If you are already in the UK and able to extend or switch, you apply online from inside the UK.
Pay the fee and the health surcharge
For an entry clearance application, the application is not made until the fee has been paid.
Provide your biometrics and upload your documents as the application instructs.
Wait for the decision
Respond to any request for more information by the deadline it gives, and read the decision letter carefully.
Fees and timing
Check the Home Office fees table on the day you apply, because the figures change.
| Stage | Home Office fee | Health surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Entry clearance, from outside the UK (33 months) | £2,064 | £3,105 |
| Extension, from inside the UK (30 months) | £1,407 | £2,587.50 |
| Settlement (ILR) | £3,226 | None |
The surcharge is £1,035 per year of permission. A part-year of more than six months is charged as a full year, so 33 months is charged as three years.
GOV.UK says that from outside the UK you will usually get a decision within 12 weeks. From inside the UK, it is usually 8 weeks if you meet the financial and English language requirements. If you do not, GOV.UK says it currently takes about 12 months to get a decision, and meeting the requirements remains necessary unless exceptional circumstances apply. You may be able to pay for a faster decision. If your evidence is unusual, allow extra time.
The first grant is normally up to 2 years and 9 months. In limited cases, for example where your partner has protection status and claimed asylum after 2 March 2026, your permission may end when theirs does.
If you cannot afford the fee, GOV.UK explains the fee waiver. Our spouse visa fees guide covers the costs in full.
If you have been together less than two years
You cannot qualify as an unmarried partner. You have two main alternatives.
Marry or register a civil partnership. You can then apply as a spouse or civil partner, which has no two-year test.
Apply as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner. You come to the UK for six months and must marry or register your partnership in that time. You must show that any earlier marriages have ended. You cannot work or study while you are engaged. After you marry, you apply to extend, and the time on the fiancé(e) visa does not count towards settlement. See our fiancé(e) visa guide.
Where the normal requirements cannot be met, exceptional circumstances may be considered. That means refusing the application would result in unjustifiably harsh consequences for you, your partner or a child, and so breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is a high threshold. EX.1 of Appendix FM applies only to applications from inside the UK, not to entry clearance applications.
The mistake you're about to make: applying at 22 months because it is close enough.
How to avoid it: the two years must be complete on the date of your application. If you are short, consider marrying, the fiancé(e) route or waiting.
Unmarried partner or marry first?
The unmarried partner route suits you if you have two years of evidence and do not want to marry yet.
The spouse route can be simpler if your evidence is thin or you are ready to marry. A marriage certificate is strong evidence of the legal relationship. It does not remove the need to show the relationship is genuine and subsisting.
The fiancé(e) route suits you if you have been together less than two years and plan to marry in the UK.
There is no right answer for everyone. If you are unsure, we can look at your evidence and tell you honestly which route fits.
“Marrying gives you a certificate. Staying unmarried means your evidence has to show the relationship for the full two years.”
Why applications are refused
- Relationship evidence that shows dating, not a shared life. Photographs, messages and holiday bookings with little else.
- Gaps in the two years with no explanation.
- A relationship under two years old.
- An earlier relationship of either of you that has not permanently broken down.
- Inconsistencies between the application form, personal statements and other documents.
- Suitability concerns, such as an earlier overstay, deception or a criminal conviction. Take advice before you apply if any of these apply.
- Financial, English language or accommodation requirements not met or not properly evidenced.
If your application is refused
A refusal of a partner application from abroad generally carries a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal on human rights grounds. The refusal notice will say whether you can appeal, how and by when. The deadline is short.
You can also apply again, but an application that repeats the same evidence is likely to produce the same result. Read the reasons for refusal and fix the specific gaps first.
Frequently asked questions
Do unmarried partners have to live together?
No. Since 31 January 2024 the Rules do not require it. You must show a relationship similar to marriage for at least two years. If you have not lived together, explain why and show your commitment with other evidence.
What does "similar to marriage" mean?
The Rules do not define it. The Home Office looks for commitment beyond a casual relationship, such as regular contact, time together, mutual support and shared plans.
Can we apply if we have never lived together?
Yes, if your relationship has the character of a marriage and you can show ongoing commitment, for example regular communication, financial support, visits and plans to live together in the UK.
Are photos and WhatsApp messages enough?
On their own they are unlikely to be. They are in the weakest tier of evidence. Use them alongside other evidence such as contact records, visits and financial support.
Do we need a joint bank account?
No. A joint account helps, but documents in one name can also help if they cover the same address and period.
Can we apply with less than two years together?
Not as unmarried partners. You could marry and apply as spouses, apply as fiancé(e)s if you plan to marry in the UK, or, in limited cases, rely on exceptional circumstances.
Which is better: unmarried partner or spouse?
It depends on your evidence and plans. A marriage certificate is strong evidence of the legal relationship, but you still need to show the relationship is genuine and subsisting.
Can I work as an unmarried partner?
Yes, a partner visa allows you to work. On a fiancé(e) visa you cannot work or study until you marry and extend.
How long does it take?
From outside the UK, GOV.UK says usually within 12 weeks. From inside the UK, usually within 8 weeks if you meet the financial and English language requirements.
When to get professional help
A solicitor is especially worth involving if you have never lived together, if you are weighing the three routes, if one of you has an earlier marriage not yet formally ended, if you have a refusal or immigration history, or if your evidence for the two years is thin in places.
Talk to a solicitor about your case
To discuss your application with Khurram Amir Qureshi, contact KQ Solicitors at Temple Chambers, 68–72 Stuart Street, Luton LU1 2SW. Call 01582 966180 or email info@kqsolicitors.com. You can also message us on WhatsApp using the chat button on this page.
“Start gathering evidence early, and explain every gap. By the time you apply, the two years should already be on paper.”
Official sources
- Appendix FM: family members (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)
- Family life (as a partner or parent) and exceptional circumstances guidance (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)
- Family visas: apply as a partner or spouse (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)
- Immigration Rules Part 1: leave to enter or stay in the UK (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)
- Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)
This article provides general information only and is not legal advice. The Immigration Rules and guidance change often. Check GOV.UK before you submit any application. KQ Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (firm SRA number 619078).