The success of a wedding visa application depends 20% on your actual situation and 80% on the documents you provide to prove it. Immigration officers are not detectives; they will not go looking for evidence to help you. They make decisions solely based on the pile of papers you submit. If a document is missing, the answer is “No.”
To help you organize your application, here is a comprehensive checklist of documents required for most standard wedding/fiancé visas (UK/US focused).
Section A: Personal Identification
These establish who you are.
- Current Passport: Must be valid for travel and have at least one blank page for the visa vignette.
- Previous Passports: To prove your travel history over the last 10 years.
- Passport Photos: Two color passport-sized photos (though many centers now take this digitally).
- Birth Certificate: Optional for adults, but essential if children are also applying.
Section B: Relationship Evidence
This is the “Love Portfolio.” Aim for quality, not volume. 5. Proof of Meeting: Boarding passes, train tickets, or hotel receipts showing you were in the same city at the same time. 6. Photos: 10–15 photos showing the couple together at different times, in different clothes, and with family/friends. Label them with dates and locations. 7. Communication Logs: A selection of chat logs (WhatsApp/iMessage) showing contact over the duration of the relationship. Don’t submit everything; pick one screenshot per week/month. 8. Letter of Intent: A signed letter from both the applicant and sponsor describing the relationship history and confirming the intent to marry within the visa period. 9. Proof of Wedding Plans: Receipts for rings, emails with venues, or letters from a religious officiant.
Section C: Financial Evidence (The Sponsor)
This is the most strictly audited section. 10. Bank Statements: 6 months of statements showing the salary being deposited. Online printouts usually need to be stamped by the bank or accompanied by a letter from the bank verifying authenticity. 11. Payslips: 6 months of payslips matching the bank deposits. 12. Employer Letter: A letter on company letterhead confirming: * Job title * Current salary * Length of employment * Type of contract (permanent/fixed) 13. P60 / Tax Returns: The most recent annual tax summary.
Section D: Accommodation Evidence
- Tenancy Agreement or Mortgage Statement: Proving the sponsor has the right to live there.
- Landlord Letter: If renting, a letter from the landlord explicitly permitting the applicant to move in.
- Property Inspection Report: (Recommended) If sharing a house with others (like parents), a report from a surveyor proving the home will not be overcrowded.
Section E: “Freedom to Marry”
- Divorce/Death Certificates: If either party was previously married, the original Decree Absolute or Death Certificate is mandatory.
- Single Status Certificate: Some countries issue a “Certificate of No Impediment” proving you are single.
Section F: Additional Requirements
- Tuberculosis (TB) Certificate: If applying from a listed country, a valid certificate from an approved clinic.
- English Language Test Certificate: The unique reference number (URN) for a passed approved English test (A1 level or higher).
How to Present Your Documents
- Do not use staples or clips. Scanning machines hate them.
- Translate everything. If a document is not in English (or the destination language), it must have a certified translation attached.
- Chronological Order: Organize bank statements and chats by date to make it easy for the officer to read.
By ticking off every item on this list, you are essentially doing the immigration officer’s job for them, making it much easier for them to stamp “Approved.”