Komutími í Bretlandi (ETA) og brúðkaup: Reglur um að mæta á brúðkaup eða gifta sig í Bretlandi

Planning a UK wedding trip in 2026? The rules for ETA weddings in Britain come down to one question: are you a guest, or are you the one getting married? Guests from ETA-eligible countries usually need only the £20 ETA. Couples who want to marry, form a civil partnership or even give notice in the UK need a Marriage Visitor visa instead. This guide sets out both routes, based on the Leiðbeiningar UK-ríkisstjórnar um ETA and the Immigration Rules.

Attending a Wedding in the UK on an ETA

Coming to celebrate someone else’s big day is the simple case. An ETA lets you visit the UK for up to 6 months for tourism and for visiting family and friends, and a wedding invitation from a friend or relative fits that purpose. The ETA costs £20, lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, and covers multiple trips. Our ETA yfirlit leiðbeiningar explains the basics of the scheme.

An ETA is permission to travel, not a guarantee of entry. Keep the invitation, your accommodation details and your return booking to hand, because a Border Force officer will usually ask why you are coming to the UK. If you have a criminal record or have been refused entry before, GOV.UK suggests applying for a Standard Visitor visa instead; our list of Ástæður fyrir höfnun á UK vísumbeinum shows what typically goes wrong.

Travelling on around Britain after the celebrations? Landsjárnbrautir lists rail routes and times, and our Skoðunarstaðir í Englandi guide has ideas for the days before or after the ceremony.

Getting Married in the UK: Why an ETA Is Not Enough

This is the point most couples miss. GOV.UK lists marrying, forming a civil partnership and giving notice of either among the things you cannot do with an ETA. If you are the one getting married, you need a Marriage Visitor visa – even if you would normally visit the UK on an ETA.

The same applies to civil partnerships, so a couple planning either kind of ceremony should budget for the visa rather than the £20 ETA. Bringing children to the ceremony? Our leiðarvísir um ETA og vegabréf barna covers what under-18s need.

The Marriage Visitor Visa: Key Facts

Samkvæmt GOV.UK:

• it costs £135 to apply
• it lets you visit the UK for allt að 6 mánuði
• you can marry or form a civil partnership within 6 months of arriving, but only at a venue licensed for this purpose
• you can also use it to give notice of a marriage or civil partnership in the UK
• you must not plan to stay or settle in the UK after the wedding
• you usually get a decision within 3 weeks
• you do not need it if you have EU Settlement Scheme status (or have applied), or if you are an Irish citizen

Compare that with the ETA: our ETA gjald £20 sundurliðun explains what the £20 authorisation does and does not cover. Because the visa takes weeks rather than days, apply well before your wedding date.

Giving Notice in England and Wales

In England and Wales you must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony, usually at your local register office, and you must have lived in that registration district for the past 7 days. Couples where either partner is not British or Irish (or does not hold settled or pre-settled status, or a qualifying EU Settlement Scheme application) must give notice together at a register office in the district where at least one of them lives (GOV.UK). Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own procedures, so check with the registrar where you plan to marry.

That 29-day notice period plus the 7-day residence requirement means a couple marrying in England or Wales typically plans a longer stay than a guest does – one more reason to build the visa timeline in early.

Documents for a Wedding Trip

Guests on an ETA need the passport linked to their ETA. Carrying the invitation, your accommodation address and your return ticket makes border questions quick. If you are asked about money, a recent bank statement or card helps. Our ETA gjald £20 sundurliðun shows what you actually pay for the ETA.

Couples applying for a Marriage Visitor visa should follow the document list on GOV.UK and check it against the common Ástæður fyrir höfnun á UK vísumbeinum before submitting. Official guidance from Vegabréfsáritanir og innflytjendamál Bretlands is the source to trust; keep copies on your phone and on paper.

Venue Booking and Timing

If you are marrying, the venue matters for immigration as well as for the party: a Marriage Visitor may only marry at a venue licensed for marriages or civil partnerships. Confirm the licence with the venue before you pay a deposit, and line your dates up with both the 29-day notice period and the visa decision time. Our kröfur UK visa page lists the wider paperwork that pairs with a booking.

Guests do not need to show a venue booking, but knowing the address and date makes the border conversation easy. For ideas around the celebration, browse Skoðunarstaðir í Englandi.

Guest List ETA Checks

Every guest travels on their own authorisation. There is no group ETA: each adult, child and baby needs a separate ETA linked to their own passport. In the app you can apply for someone who is with you; otherwise their application must be made online. Share the official GOV.UK ETA link with overseas guests early, and point them to our Öryggisráð fyrir Bretland before they book flights.

A simple tracker for the wedding party – name, nationality, ETA or visa needed, status – saves stress in the final week. Remember that guests with British or Irish passports need nothing, while guests from visa-national countries need a Standard Visitor visa, which usually takes about 3 weeks.

Dvalarlengd

An ETA lets you stay up to 6 months on each visit, which easily covers a wedding and a holiday afterwards. The authorisation itself lasts 2 years or until your passport expires. Allow up to 3 working days for the decision, and use our UK ETA úrræðaleiðbeiningar if the app shows an error.

You cannot live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, and you cannot stay beyond 6 months on an ETA. For the exact wording, the Leiðbeiningar UK-ríkisstjórnar um ETA page is definitive.

Honeymoon Plans and Longer Stays

Within the 6-month window you can travel freely around the UK. Beyond it, you need a different route, applied for before you travel – an ETA cannot be stretched past 6 months. If a longer-stay application is refused, our andmæla synjun á UK visa guide explains your options.

If one partner intends to live in the UK after the wedding, a visitor route is the wrong tool altogether – the Marriage Visitor visa requires you not to plan to stay or settle. For EU Settlement Scheme family members, our Yfirlit um UK fjölskylduleyfi lays out the options.

Civil Partnerships

Civil partnerships follow the same immigration logic as marriages: forming one in the UK, or giving notice of one, needs a Marriage Visitor visa rather than an ETA. Converting an existing civil partnership into a marriage is different – GOV.UK says you do not need a Marriage Visitor visa for that and points to the Standard Visitor visa. If children are coming, see the leiðarvísir um ETA og vegabréf barna.

When an online form misbehaves, our UK ETA úrræðaleiðbeiningar walks through the common fixes.

Religious Ceremonies

Attending a faith ceremony as a guest is covered by an ETA in the same way as a civil wedding. If you are the couple, the immigration rule is the same as for any marriage: you need a Marriage Visitor visa, and you can only marry at a venue licensed for the purpose. Confirm the place of worship’s own requirements early. If a related visa application is refused, our andmæla synjun á UK visa handbókin útskýrir næsta skref.

Multi-day celebrations fit easily inside a 6-month visit. Between events, try Skoðunarstaðir í Englandi. Ef einhver verður veikur á ferðalögum, þá Heilbrigðisþjónusta explains how to get help.

Algengar spurningar um ETA weddings Britain

Do wedding guests need a UK ETA?

Yes, if their nationality is ETA-eligible. Attending a friend’s or relative’s wedding is a visit, which an ETA covers. Guests who need a visa must apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead, and British or Irish citizens need nothing.

Can I get married in the UK on an ETA?

No. Marrying, forming a civil partnership or giving notice of either is not allowed on an ETA. You need a Marriage Visitor visa, which costs £135.

Hversu lengi er ETA gilt?

2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. One ETA covers multiple trips of up to 6 months each.

Can I apply for an ETA on the day I travel?

It is possible but risky. GOV.UK says decisions can take up to 3 working days, and you must not travel until you have the confirmation email.

Hvað gerist ef UK ETA mín er hafnað?

You are told by email. There is no right of appeal or administrative review; you can apply for a visa instead.

Does an ETA cover work at a wedding, such as photography?

Generally no. Paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person is not allowed, apart from narrow exceptions such as permitted paid engagements. See our staðlaðri gesti vegabréfsferli for business visits.

Who do I contact about ETA problems?

UK Visas and Immigration cannot help with ETA enquiries by phone. Use the official ETA webchat linked from GOV.UK.

Next Steps

Decide first whether you are a guest or part of the couple. Guests: apply for the £20 ETA through the official app or GOV.UK and allow up to 3 working days. Couples: apply for the Marriage Visitor visa and plan around the 29-day notice period. Bookmark our Öryggisráð fyrir Bretland, read our Vinnslutími vegabréfsárita fyrir Bretland before you fly, and for the wider picture see our ferli ferðamannaleyfaaðila.

Official Sources

1. GOV.UK – Hvað þú getur og getur ekki gert með UK ETA
2. GOV.UK – Apply for an ETA
3. GOV.UK – Marriage Visitor visa
4. GOV.UK – Giving notice of marriage or civil partnership
5. Home Office – ETA caseworker guidance