The bridge, which connects Edinburgh with Fife, will be studied by Unesco over an 18-month period with a final decision expected in 2015.
If the bid is successful, the landmark would join other worldwide attractions such as Stone Henge, the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China.
Currently, the UK has 28 World Heritage sites of which five are in Scotland.
UK Culture Secretary Maria Miller put forward the site and said: "World heritage sites attract tourists from all over the world and Britain has some extraordinary places that have yet to be recognised by UNESCO.
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"If the Forth Bridge bid is successful in achieving such prestigious international recognition, then Britain will have yet another iconic place by which to attract tourists to our shores.
"I want to thank the bid partners, the organisations and the people that have worked hard to develop the nomination, which has my full support."
Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael added: "The Forth Bridge is an iconic structure and I am fully supportive of the bid to give this feat of Scottish engineering World Heritage site status. I congratulate the bid team on the excellent work that they have undertaken to put the nomination together, and it will be important to ensure they continue to receive the support they need in the months ahead.
"The Forth Bridge is an excellent example of the UK's rich culture and heritage and proudly symbolises Scotland's place in the world as pioneers of construction.
"Inscription as a World Heritage site is an important accolade, achieving this recognition will be tremendous news for Scotland and a fitting tribute to all of the people who have contributed to the building, maintenance and restoration of the Bridge in its 124 year history."
(JP/IT)
