EU citizens and settled status after Brexit

If you live in the UK but you're originally from a country in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you may be able to apply to stay in the UK after Brexit. The same is true for family members of EEA citizens.

The deadline for applications was 30 June 2021 – but you can make a late application if you have reasonable grounds to do so.

It's free to apply to stay in the UK. You can apply:

• to the EU Settlement Scheme for 'settled status' or 'pre-settled status', or
• for British citizenship.

You don’t need to apply if you already have British or Irish citizenship.

I've been in the UK for 5 years or more

You should be given ‘settled status’ if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years or more. Once you have settled status, you can stay for as long as you like. You can live outside the UK for up to 5 years in a row without losing settled status.

I've been in the UK for less than 5 years

You may be given ‘pre-settled status’ if you've lived here for less than 5 years. This allows you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years. Once you've been here for 5 years, you can then apply for ‘settled status’.

You can live outside the UK for up to 2 years without losing pre-settled status, but if you want to get settled status, you must live in the UK for at least 6 months each year before you apply.

How can I protect my rights?

After Brexit, you need pre-settled or settled status in order to:

• stay in the UK for more than 3 months
• work
• study
• use the NHS
• claim Pension Credit
• receive social care services
• get homelessness help from the council
• rent a home.

You need to have settled status to claim benefits like Pension Credit and Housing Benefit, and to get help with housing from the council.

If you have pre-settled status, you may need to meet other criteria to receive services or claim support. The rules depend on the type of help you're applying for.

How do I apply?

The deadline for applying was 30 June 2021, but you can still apply if you’re eligible.

You'll need to show why you're applying late. This might be because:

• you don't speak much English
• you can't use the Internet
• you've lived in the UK for a long time and didn't realise you needed to apply – for example, if you have permanent residence
• you're homeless
• you're disabled or you have other support needs.

For more information on applying late, see the Citizens Advice guidance on staying in the UK if you're from the EU.

You can apply using any device, such as a laptop or a smartphone. In some cases, you will need to apply by post instead.

If you need advice or assistance to apply, the government has funded various organisations who can help you.