Unmarried Partner Visa UK from Germany
A UK Unmarried Partner Visa allows for German citizens to enter and live in Great Britain with their partner without the need for them to be legally married or in a civil partnership.
Total Law’s team of specialist immigration lawyers can help you undergo the UK Unmarried Partner Visa application process. Call our UK office today for more information on 0333 305 9375.
UK Unmarried Partner Visa: Overview
The UK Unmarried Partner Visa is an immigration category under the British Family Visa options. It facilitates the long-term partners of someone settled in the UK to enter the country and live with them as a single household unit.
Both partners will need to prove that they have been in a relationship together for at least two years, co-habiting or having good reason to not be able to (such as work or study assignments in geographic separate locations or it being culturally unacceptable to live together in their home country). British law allows for partners to be heterosexual or homosexual.
While there is no obligation for the couple to be engaged or proposed civil partners, if they are intending to get married or enter into a civil partnership, they can apply for a Fiance Visa. This allows for a six month period in the UK in which they should get wed, before transferring to a Spouse Visa.
If the partner already in the UK is also a German national but holds pre-settled status and lived in the UK prior to 1st January 2021, the non-UK based partner may be able to apply to enter the country under free EU Settlement Scheme. In this instance, they would need to prove that there was good reason that they hadn’t already applied under this scheme when the UK was an EU member (prior to 2021).
Page Contents
- UK Unmarried Partner Visa: Overview
- Requirements for Unmarried Partner Visa UK
- Required documents for UK Unmarried Partner Visa
- Duration of UK Unmarried Partner Visa
- Application Process for UK Unmarried Partner Visa
- Application Fee for UK Unmarried Partner Visa
- Processing Time for the Unmarried Partner Visa UK
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Requirements for UK Unmarried Partner Visa for Germans
Both partners must meet set eligibility criteria for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa. These are as follows:
- Both partners must be aged 18 or over
- Both partners must be intending to live together permanently once the visa holder enters the UK
- The couple must have met in person (and be able to prove this)
- The couple must have been in a relationship for at least two years (and be able to prove this) – ideally co-habiting, but if not, with good reason not to have been
- The couple must have a combined income of £29,000
- If applying to extend a visa you initially received before 11 April 2024, you can meet the prior minimum income requirement of £18,600 per annum. You must pay a further £3,800 per annum for a child, plus a further £2,400 per annum for each child after the first
- The visa applicant must be able to prove they have a good command of the English language.
The sponsoring partner (the partner already based in the UK) must already be legally resident in the UK, and must:
- Be a British or Irish citizen
- Hold Indefinite Leave To Remain or settled status
- Have a Turkish Businessperson Visa or Turkish Worker Visa
- Have protection status as a refugee, person with humanitarian protection or as a stateless person.
Required documents for UK Unmarried Partner Visa
The abovementioned eligibility criteria is demonstrated through the presentation of supporting documents along with the application form. In most cases, these are attached as e-copies along with the Unmarried Partner Visa UK application form online, but some, including the passport, must also be presented in an in-person appointment with UKVCAS (UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services).
The required documents from the German applicant for the Unmarried Partner Visa UK are:
- A valid German passport
- Information on your partner and their current UK residence status
- Details of any previous immigration applications to the UK made
- Details of any criminal convictions, if you have any
- Proof of the Partner Visa minimum income requirement being met – usually through bank statements and payslips
- Proof of your relationship having sustained at least two years together; ideally co-habiting (through the presentation of a residential or tenancy agreement, or utility bills), or if not, with proof of good reason to have not co-habited
- Proof of the dissolution of any previous marriages or civil partnerships for both partners
- Details of any dependent children (for either the Unmarried Partner Visa holder or the other partner).
All evidential documents supporting the Partner Visa application must be translated into English by a certified and accredited translator if they are not already in English or Welsh. It is recommended that copies of everything are kept by the applicant, but also that anything physically printed is taken with them to their later UKVCAS appointment.
Duration of UK Unmarried Partner Visa
The UK Unmarried Partner Visa grants entry to and residence within the UK as a couple for an initial period of 33 months. Thereafter, it may be extended, providing that the eligibility criteria remain intact for both partners. If the partners get married or enter into a civil partnership, they may convert their Unmarried Partner Visa into a Spouse Visa.
After a five-year period of being legally resident in the UK, visa holders of the Unmarried Partner Visa may apply for Indefinite Leave To Remain (permanent settlement).
Application Process for UK Unmarried Partner Visa from Germany
The UK Unmarried Partner Visa application process is fairly straightforward and in most cases is completed without undue delays or complexities. As standard, the process is as follows:
Collect supporting documents
All supporting documents to evidence the eligibility of the applicant for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa should be collected ahead of any application being made, as many may require translation. Failure to produce evidential documentation will result in an immediate visa refusal.
Complete Unmarried Partner Visa UK online application form
The Unmarried Partner Visa UK online application form is completed on the British Government GOV.UK website, and copies of supporting documents attached.
Pay Unmarried Partner Visa UK application fee
The Unmarried Partner Visa application fee is paid online at the end of the completion of the application form. The clearance of this fee then initiates the application processing period and allows the applicant to book an appointment with UKVCAS.
Attend UKVCAS appointment
The UK Unmarried Partner Visa applicant should book and attend an appointment at their local UKVCAS service point to provide their fingerprints and photograph for a biometric residence permit, if the visa application is successful and the visa granted. Their passport should also be supplied.
Provide further details as requested
During the processing period, the Home Office may require additional information on either partners’ personal circumstances or the relationship itself. Applicants must provide this information in a timely manner, or the Unmarried Partner Visa application may be suspended.
Unmarried Partner Visa is granted and ready for collection
A decision will be made on the UK Unmarried Partner visa and if granted, the applicant may collect their passport and biometric residence permit from the UKVCAS office. They are then free to travel to the UK.
Appeal Unmarried Partner Visa decision
If the Unmarried Partner visa has been refused, the applicant may collect their passport from the UKVCAS office and will be provided with details of any recourse to appeal. If you need help with an appeal procedure, Total Law can advise – call us on 0333 305 9375.
Application Fee for UK Unmarried Partner Visa
The Unmarried Partner Visa application fee is £1,938. Applicants must also pay an annual surcharge for healthcare to the NHS of £1035 and £776 per dependent child.
The application fee for the Unmarried Partner Visa is non-refundable. It does not include any expenses incurred, such as translation fees or printing and copying costs.
Processing Time for the Unmarried Partner Visa UK
On average, it takes 12 weeks for the Home Office to process applications for the Unmarried Partner Visa. UK immigration authorities do, from time to time, offer expedited services for a fee but this is not often available due to high levels of demand.
If you need an Unmarried Partner Visa processed quickly for family reunification or other urgent reasons, contact a Total Law solicitor for legal advice on 0333 305 9375.
How can Total Law help?
Being separate from a partner can be stressful, and the Unmarried Partner Visa UK is often the best route to reunite. Total Law’s team of specialist lawyers can help guide and advise you through the Unmarried Partner Visa application process, whether or not you are intending to enter into a marriage or civil partnership at any time in the future.
Call us today on 0333 305 9375 and start your journey to reunification with your partner on an Unmarried Partner Visa UK, or if the Unmarried Partner Visa isn’t your best option, we’ll help you identify what is.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants are advised to supply a cover letter detailing how and when the couple met, how their relationship has developed over any time and any milestones met. If not already co-habiting, an explanation should be provided of why. Attaching dated photos can also demonstrate in-person meetings over time.
While in most cases the UK-based partner will already be a British or Irish citizen, being a holder of an Unmarried Partner Visa does not make you a British citizen. If legally resident in the UK for a five-year period on the Unmarried Partner visa and after successfully living in the UK with indefinite leave to remain, the citizenship application process can then be launched.
If you are engaged or a proposed civil partner and intend to get married or enter into a civil partnership in the UK, you may apply for a Fiance Visa providing you do so within six months of entry to the country. If you and your partner are not planning on getting married, or not doing so quite so quickly, the UK Unmarried Partner Visa is likely to be a more suitable route.
