# Spouse visa application



## thereandback (Feb 28, 2015)

Hi All, I have been part of this group for a while now and finally it's my turn to ask a question..... I, a uk citizen have just married a SA citizen in SA, I'm going back to the UK and will now start the process of changing all my documents into my married name and then applying for a spouse visa. Has anyone applied recently for spouse visa, what documents do you need? And and hints or tips? Thanks


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## kasia_durban (May 17, 2016)

hi there, you will need to prove that you have been together /married for more than 5 years , 
* marriage certificate
* birth certificate
* copy of ID/ SA citizenship of spouse
if you have kids provide your children's birth certificates
* proof /letter of financial support , we had provided 3 months bank statements , proof of house ownership and letter from hubby that he undertakes financial support
*history of relationship maybe not necessary but helps document with history and photos from the past 5 years)
* medical to say that you are healthy ( from can be found on home affairs website or google)
*chest X-rays( to rule out TB) from can be found on home affairs website or google
*police clearance from all countries you have lived in since turning 18

you have to fill out online form via VFS and then make an appointment to go and apply
good luck! i
make certified copies and don't give them any originals , once all docs are completed make copies to keep just in case they go missing at DHA

have applied for my Spousal Permanent Residency Permit in Jan 2015 .......still waiting 

ps i really hope i haven't missed anything , please seek advise of immigration practitioner before you proceed as i may have forgotten something


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## Klipspringer (Feb 21, 2015)

You don't have to prove a 5 year relationship. That is only for a permanent residence application. For a visa (temporary residence) you there isn't this requirement if you are married. You may want to look into an 11(6) Visitor's Visa though, instead of a spousal (relative's) visa. This "visitor's visa" is only available to spouses of SA citizens, and will allow you to work or study or conduct a business. The spousal visa doesn't allow this. Typically the visa is valid for 2 to 3 years.


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## emmelyn90 (May 18, 2016)

Hi Klipspringer,

You seem to be very knowledgable on the South African visa requirements. So I was wandering if you could kindly provide me with some clarification. I would like to apply for a Spousal Visa under Section 11.6 and will be submitting my application in London, UK. My husband is a South African citizen and permanently resides there. We recently married in South Africa in April 2016 and have no children. I have been researching the requirements for a while now, but struggling to get clarity on exactly what I need to submit when making an application in the UK. 

As I currently have it, the following documents are required:

Completed - DHA-1734 Form 8
Two passport photographs
Copy of Passport 
Unabridged birth certificate
UK police clearance
Medical report (B1-811 form)
Radiological report (B1-806 form)
Marriage certificate
Signed employment offer for the work endorsement
Support letter from Spouse with a copy of his ID

My questions are as follows: 
- Is the DHA 1738 Form the correct form to fill out for Spousal visa under Section 11.6?
- Is the abridged marriage certificate issued by DHA sufficient proof of marriage? Or, even though we are married, do we need to prove our relationship has existed for more than two years? 
- Do I need to supply financial evidence? If so, can I supply my husbands financial evidence with a letter indicating that he will be financial responsible for me while in the Republic? Or do I also need to provide proof of my own sufficient financial means in the bank statements? The latter will be difficult as I intend to remain in SA for an indefinite period and eventually apply for a Spousal Permit.
- Can I have the medical and radiological reports conducted while I am still in SA as this will be much more cost effective? My appointment in the UK is scheduled at the beginning of July so they will not be older than 6 months. 
- Are there any other documents required (or that would support my application) that I have not listed above? 
- VFS state the application process will take a minimum of 32 working days. Do you have any idea what the average processing time is?

Sorry for the long winded explanation. As I am sure you will understand, I would like to ensure a successful application first time round so that I can avoid additional costs and return to me husband as soon as possible. 

I hope to hear from you soon and would greatly appreciate any knowledge or advice you can offer.

Many thanks in advance,

Kind Regards
Emmelyn


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## Klipspringer (Feb 21, 2015)

Hi Emmelyn, every embassy has their own list of requirements and preferences, so I really can't say if these are all the documents you would need. What I can tell you is that you only need to prove a 2 year relationship if you are not married to the SA citizen, but in a permanent relationship. In the case of marriage this is not necessary. I believe the majority of your questions have been addressed in the group South African Visa Forum (on Facebook), so I would do a search there too to get more answers.


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## emmelyn90 (May 18, 2016)

Thanks Klipspringer, I will take a look.


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## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

Just be careful and get sound advice - a standard list of documents is a rare thing - each case has their own set of documents.


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