Important information
Which family route applies, and what you must prove, depends on your relationship and on your UK-based family member’s status. Your sponsor generally needs to be a British citizen, settled in the UK, or hold a qualifying immigration status.
UK family and other visa routes requirements
- Show that the family relationship is genuine and subsisting
- Provide marriage or birth certificates and other relationship evidence
- Provide evidence of communication, cohabitation or time spent together
- Provide a sponsorship letter from your UK-based family member where required
- Your sponsor must be a British citizen, settled in the UK, or hold valid immigration status
- Applies where you are joining family for longer than six months
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What is a UK family and other visa routes?
UK family visas are entry and residence permissions for people joining a family member who already lives in the UK. The main routes are as the partner or spouse of a UK-based person, as a parent of a UK-based child, or as another qualifying dependent relative.
Who is eligible?
- Spouses, unmarried partners and civil partners of a UK-based person
- Parents of a UK-based child
- Children joining a UK-based family member
- Adult dependent relatives who need care
- People joining family on other qualifying routes
What you can do with a UK family and other visa routes
- Live, work & studyWith a family visa you can live, work and study in the UK with your family.
- Access servicesYou can access the NHS and other public services.
Processing time
How long a decision usually takes.
Applications from outside the UK typically get a decision within about 24 weeks; inside the UK the Home Office often decides within about 8 weeks. A super-priority service can give a decision by the end of the next working day (two working days over a weekend). Complex cases can take longer.
Documents required
- Marriage or birth certificates
- Photographic and relationship evidence
- Evidence of communication and cohabitation
- Sponsorship letter from your UK family member (where applicable)
- Evidence of your sponsor's immigration status
People also asked
What is a UK family visa?
It is an entry and residence permission for people joining a family member who already lives in the UK — for example as the partner or spouse of a UK citizen, or as the parent of a UK-based child.
What are the benefits of a UK family visa?
You can live, work and study in the UK with your family and access the NHS and other public services.
What costs are involved?
Costs vary by route but typically include an application fee, a processing fee and the immigration health surcharge.
How long does a family visa application take?
It varies by route and current backlogs — confirm the current timeframe on the official gov.uk pages before you apply.
Official sources