English

Home » Visas and immigration » EU Settlement Scheme

EU Settlement Scheme

For EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members who were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and eligible joining family members.

Applies to: Whole UK

Go to the official website: gov.uk

Official links

Who handles it

Step by step

  1. Check you can still apply: the general deadline was 30 June 2021, but joining family members, children and people with reasonable grounds can apply later.
  2. Apply online, making your own application first if you are also applying for your children (each child needs their own).
  3. Prove your identity, your residence in the UK and, if relevant, your family relationship.
  4. Use your certificate of application while you wait, then access your settled or pre-settled status as an eVisa in your UKVI account.
  5. If you have pre-settled status, it may be converted to settled status after 5 years, or you can apply as soon as you are eligible.

What you need

  • A valid passport or national identity card (or, for non-EU family members, a passport or recent BRC or BRP).
  • A digital photo of your face that meets the rules.
  • Proof of continuous residence in the UK, and that it started by 31 December 2020 unless you are joining family.
  • Proof of your relationship and your family member's status, if you apply as a family member.

Common mistakes

  • Missing a joining family member's deadline: it is usually 90 days from arrival in the UK.
  • Spending too long outside the UK on pre-settled status: more than 6 months in a 12-month period can break your continuous residence, with some exceptions.
  • Using the decision letter as proof of status: you prove it with your eVisa and a share code.

More in Visas and immigration