Guide for EU Nationals living and working in the UK

Guide for EU Nationals living and working in the UK

To support our EU candidates we have collated some of the important information regarding your rights in relation to staying in the UK.

  • Are you an EU Citizen currently living in the UK? 
  • Are you an EU Citizen looking to move to the UK?

Then keep reading to find out what you must do to ensure you can keep enjoying your rights to stay in the UK.

Residency Schemes

Whether you are an EU Citizen currently in UK or an EU Citizen looking to move to the UK, there is a residency scheme published by the UK Government that you need to apply for here:

There are two schemes you can apply for:

  • Settled Status
  • Pre-Settled Status

Since a Deal has been agreed between the EU and the UK, the dates and deadlines on when to apply to the scheme and by when you would enter the UK if you are looking to move here are as follows:

Deadline to enter the UK: 31/12/2020

Deadline to apply to the Residency Scheme: 30/06/2021

Residency Status

Which status you can apply for depends on the length of time you have been living in the UK, and each status gives you different rights while staying in the UK. Whichever status you apply for, you must do so before the 30th June 2021.

Find out more here

Settled Status

You will be able to apply for Settled Status if you have:

  • Started living in the UK by the 31st December 2020
  • Lived in the UK for a continuous 5 year period as of the date of application

You can stay in the UK for as long as you like with Settled Status. You will also be able to apply for British Citizenship if you are eligible.

Pre-settled Status 

You will be able to apply for Settled Status if you have:                                                                                       

  • Started living in the UK by the 31st December 2020
  • Lived in the UK for less than a continuous 5 year period as of the date of application

You are then able to apply for Settled Status once you have reached 5 years’ of continuous residence in the UK. You must do this before your Pre-Settled Status expires!

Once you have obtained Pre-Settled Status, you will be able to stay in the UK for a further 5 years.

Your rights with Settled or Pre-Settled Status

With Settled or Pre-Settled Status you will be able to:

  • Work in the UK
  • Use the NHS
  • Enrol in education or continue studying
  • Access public funds such as benefits and pensions (if you are eligible for them)
  • Travel in and out of the UK

If you wish to leave the UK for a duration of time, you are able to spend up to 5 years in a row outside the UK with Settled Status, without losing this status.

With Pre-Settled Status, you will be able to spend up to 2 years in a row outside the UK without losing this status.

Do be careful as you will need to be in the UK for a continuous period of 5 years in order to be eligible to apply for settled status

For more information click here