Visa confusion, please help!

[cloggy saint]

I've just joined this forum in the hope that someone can steer us through the minefield of visa applications.
I'm a British citizen living in the Netherlands with my Russian partner. We've been living together for three years and she has a Dutch residency permit. We are now planning on moving to the UK but can't find a visa application that's relevant to our situation. We've started to fill out the "Family Member of an EEA National" application but the questions seem to be aimed at someone who is already resident in the UK and wishes to bring their non-EU partner over, which doesn't apply to us. Can someone please advise which is the correct visa for us?
Many thanks!

[Casa]

Your easiest and cheapest route may well be by a Surinder Singh application. Read through the information and come back with any queries.
https://www.gov.uk/family-permit/surinder-singh

[vinny]

Are you married or in a civil partnership?

[cloggy saint]

No. neither married nor in a civil partnership.

[vinny]

The UKVI does not yet recognise extended family members as being eligible under the Surinder Singh route.

[cloggy saint]

So we don't qualify under the Surinder Singh method? In which case, what route should we take?

[Wanderer]

So we don't qualify under the Surinder Singh method? In which case, what route should we take?

1. Marry, or

2. You return to UK and attempt to qualify under UK rules, i.e. £18,600/pa or savings route or combination of both.