Proof of Relationship for UK Family Visas

Table Of Contents:

1. What is the Relationship Proof Requirement for UK Family Visas
2. UK Family Visas – Proof of Relationships
3. Applying for a UK Family Visa as a Spouse/Civil Partner or Fiancé (e) or proposed Civil Partner
4. Proof of Relationship for UK Family Visas when You Apply for a UK Family Visa as a Parent
5. Proof of Relationship for UK Family Visas when You Apply for a UK Family Visa as a Child
6. Proof of Relationship when You Apply for a UK Family Visa as an Adult Dependant Relative
7. Summary

A UK family visa allows non-UK individuals to join and stay with their family members in the UK for more than 6 months. You can apply as a spouse, civil partner, fiancé (e) or proposed civil partner, as a parent, as a child, or as an adult coming to the UK to be cared for by a relative. You can apply for a UK family visa from outside the UK or switch to this visa if you are already in the UK on another visa, such as a UK skilled worker visa. Please note that you cannot apply for a fresh family visa as an adult coming to the UK to be cared for by a relative from within the UK.

Proof of relationship for UK family visas is a key requirement. This means the proof of relationship between you and your family member in the UK, where you are applying to join and stay with.

What is the Relationship Proof Requirement for UK Family Visas?

If you want to live with your spouse or partner, fiancé (e) or proposed civil partner, child, parent, relative who’ll provide long-term care for more than 6 months, you can apply for a family visa. Depending on the type of your relationship with your family members in the UK, you need to submit the relevant documents to prove your relationship with them.

For example, if you are applying as a spouse, you need to submit a marriage certificate, or if you are applying as a parent, you need to submit the child’s birth certificate. In this article, we will discuss the different proofs of relationship required for UK family visas.

UK Family Visas – Proof of Relationships

When you apply for a UK family visa, you must prove your relationship with your family members you want to live with. Unless you prove your relationship through valid and acceptable documents, your family visa will not be approved. You will need to submit proof of relationship, depending on the type of relationship your visa application is based on.

1. Applying for a UK Family Visa as a Spouse/Civil Partner or Fiancé (e) or proposed Civil Partner

You must be able to prove one of the following:

• You’re in a marriage or civil partnership that’s legally recognised in the UK.
• You, at the time of the family visa application, have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years.
• You are a fiancé (e) or a proposed civil partner and you will marry or enter into a civil partnership with your partner in the UK within 6 months of your arrival into the UK, and any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended.
• You, at the time of application, have been in a relationship for at least 2 years, but you cannot live together due to reasons such as you’re studying or working in different places, or living as a couple is not accepted in your culture

You can use documents such as the following to prove your relationship:

• Your marriage or civil partnership certificate
• A tenancy agreement or mortgage documents, utility bills, or council tax bills that confirm that you live at the same address or pay bills together
• A joint bank account statement, or a bank statement that confirms that you live at the same address
• A letter from your doctor or dentist that confirms that you live at the same address

If you do not live together

If you cannot live together due to study, work, or cultural reasons, you’ll need to demonstrate that you have an ongoing commitment to each other by providing evidence that you:

• Have regular communication with each other.  
• Financially support each other.
• Care for children if you have them together.  
• Spend time together as a couple on occasions such as holidays or at events.

2. Proof of Relationship for UK Family Visas when You Apply for a UK Family Visa as a Parent

When you apply for a UK family visa as a parent of a child in the UK, you must have sole or shared responsibility for your child. If you have shared parental responsibility for the child, the other parent of the child must not be your partner.

You must have access to the child in person if the child lives with their other parent or carer. Access to the child must be agreed upon with the other parent or carer or by a court order. 

Your child can be biological or adopted, and to prove your relationship with the child, you will need to submit your child’s birth certificate, adoption papers, guardianship order, or other legal documents establishing your relationship with your child. 

If you have to prove sole parental responsibility for the child, you may submit documents like court orders, guardianship documents, or legal agreements to establish that you have sole custody of the child.

3. Proof of Relationship for UK Family Visas when You Apply for a UK Family Visa as a Child

You can apply for a UK family visa to join your parent in the UK. It grants you the right to join your parent (s) that you are wholly dependant on in the UK.

You can be included by your parent (s) in their application, or you may apply separately. In both situations, proof of your relationship with your parent in the UK must be established through your birth certificate or equivalent document, and documentation verifying the family relationship, such as family photos, emails, letters, or other communications showing the parent-child connection.

4. Proof of Relationship for UK Family Visas when You Apply for a UK Family Visa as an Adult Dependant Relative

To apply for a UK family visa as an adult dependant relative, you must prove that you need long-term care from a relative in the UK due to illness, age, or disability. The relative in the UK can be your parent, grandchild, brother, sister, son, or daughter who is living permanently in the UK.

Depending on the type of relationship you share with your relative in the UK, you must submit proof of the family relationship between you and your relative in the UK.

Proof of relationship should be in the form of birth or adoption certificates or other evidence.

Summary

There are different types of Family visas. You can apply for a Family visa as a partner, spouse, fiancé (e), or proposed civil partner, child, parent, or an adult dependant relative. You may also be able to apply for a family visa based on your private life, if you are in the UK and have lived here for many years.

Each category mentioned above has its own set of eligibility criteria that you must meet to qualify for a UK Family visa.

You will need to show proof of your relationship with evidence of your relationship with your family member in the UK. For example, if you are applying to join and stay with your spouse or civil partner in the UK you will need to submit a marriage or civil partnership certificate, or if you want to apply as a parent with a sole or shared responsibility for your child you will be required to prove your relationship through the child’s birth certificate, adoption paper, guardianship order, court orders, guardianship documents, or legal agreements.

Read Similar Blogs:

What Happens After 2.5 Years on a UK Spouse Visa

Appendix Bereaved Partner Visa route

Dependant Children Visas – Rules for Bringing Children to the UK