CarlitosWey

Me: UK citizen
My wife: Malaysian citizen / UK spouse visa holder

Hi there,

My wife and I currently live in London. In January 2021, her 2.5 year UK spouse visa is due for renewal.
However we intend to move to Singapore (where she holds a permanent residency status) for a few years.
Therefore we'll have to forgo renewing her spouse visa.
My question is, when we return to the UK in, say, 5 years, will we need to reapply for a spouse visa all over again from scratch (like we did in the first place)?
Or is there an easier route for those who are effectively renewing an expired spouse visa?

Any advice much appreciated!!
Thank you

SanDiegogirl

When you return to the UK after 5 years, you will have to re-apply for a spouse visa from scratch.

CarlitosWey

Thanks for the swift reply! Can I just clarify, is the '5 years' part significant? Or is the length of time effectively irrelevant?

SanDiegogirl

The length of time is irrelevant. Once the visa has expired you have to apply for a new spouse visa in order to return to the UK to live.