Italian Citizen getting married in UK

[LondonMan100]

I am a UK citizen living in the UK.

I want to marry my Italian girlfriend who lives in Rome.

We meet all the requirements regarding language, income, accommodation, proof of relationship etc.

We were going down the fiancé visa route, with her coming to the UK to get married and then get applying for further visa to remain here.

My question is, when I made enquiries at the registry office, they said another option is to give notice of marriage at the registry office together, the registry office then pass your details to the Home office. The Home office can then take up to 90 days to approve it.

I know that I need the spouse visa in order for my wife (once I actually get married) to come and live in the UK, and that would be the case if we got married in the UK or Italy.
The bit I'm not clear about is if we do decide to get married in the UK, do we need to get a fiancé visa in order to do this? The way the register "seemed" to explain it was we don't. She told me EU citizens (including those without any pre Brexit settlement rights to be in the UK) can get married without the visa. That seemed to go against everything I've read which is why I'm confused. I know the fiancé visa would give my fiancé 6 months to stay in the UK, but she has work and accommodation in Rome, so she's happy to stay there till after we are married and the spose visa gets issued and then move over to the UK. I was just looking to see if we could save money (and maybe time) not getting a fiancé visa and still get married in the UK.

I can find little reference to this method anywhere, but this is what I was told in person by the registrar.

Has anyone used this method or know about it?

[Ticktack]

The visa or permit you need depends on where your partner is from and whether you want to live in the UK after your ceremony.

You can apply for:

a marriage visitor visa - if you’re not going to live in the UK and will stay less than 6 months

a family visa - to live permanently in the UK if your partner is a British citizen, settled in the UK, has refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK

a family permit - to join your family member from the EU, EEA or Switzerland in the UK

You cannot give notice, get married or form a civil partnership on a Standard Visitor visa.

If you give notice without the right visa, the immigration authorities at the Home Office will be told.

The Home Office might:

ask questions about you and your relationship - if this happens you may need to wait up to 70 days before getting married or forming a civil partnership

decide not to approve your notice - if this happens you cannot get married or form a civil partnership in the UK

[Br28016]

If I remember correctly the correct route is marriage visit visa for those planning on getting married even if from non visa countries. Wife used that option and visa application and decision time is short circa three weeks several years ago. She was a visa required national so easy decision as marriage visa cost was same as tourist visa cost -£115 now.

Requirement is that MUST leave UK afterwards and before visa expiry. We used level of evidence similar to spouse visa and went through first time. Also have a 4 month plus wait for spouse visa and can't apply for spouse visa until left UK. Not sure how visits while waiting for spouse visa are viewed and will potentially flag when coming into UK.

Registry office is required to inform home office when give notice to marry and this can delay the notice period if don't have a fiance or marriage visit visa.

That said I don't think it is a total show stopper if decided to get married in UK when visiting as argument that it is a spur of the moment decision when you were both here. As you described it think that would be a stretch and really should get at least a marriage visit visa and use argument that not yet decided where going to live, provide evidence that can do spouse visa if necessary, provide evidence that will leave afterwards as have job and accommodation overseas and need to go back and that understand that spouse visa has to be applied from overseas.

In our case we got marriage visit visa, arrived in UK, gave notice to get married, she stayed for duration of the six months visa including three months after marriage, went home and then applied for spouse visa from abroad, waited the 4 months for approval with me visiting while we waited, and then moved to UK on spouse visa.